Dirshu Mishnah Berurah

This segment explores the laws of  tochen  (grinding) in food preparation on Shabbos. Crushing salt with standard grinding tools (like a pestle and mortar) is prohibited, but doing so with an unusual method (e.g., knife handle or by hand) is permitted. Pre-ground items may be further broken down, as there is no prohibition of grinding after grinding. Cooked meat and similar foods may be cut very f...

This segment explores the boundaries of salting and grinding on Shabbos. While adding salt for immediate consumption is permitted, salting foods (like meat, eggs, or fish) for preservation—even short-term—resembles tanning or pickling and is rabbinically prohibited. However, salting for the same meal is allowed, and in certain cases (e.g., preventing spoilage on a hot day), leniencies apply. Raw m...

Salting certain foods on Shabbos can resemble pickling, which Chazal prohibit because it is considered similar to cooking. The restriction primarily applies when salting multiple pieces (e.g., radishes, onions, garlic, cucumbers) together, as this appears like a preserving process. However, salting or dipping individual pieces and eating them immediately is permitted, provided they are not left lo...

This episode explores the prohibition of dyeing on Shabbos and its application to food. Adding color to food—such as mixing spices or liquids—is generally permitted, even when the intent is to enhance appearance, since dyeing does not apply to food. However, stringency is advised when intentionally altering color for aesthetic purposes. The discussion contrasts permitted food coloring with prohibi...

This episode continues the discussion of the melachah of squeezing (sechita) on Shabbos, focusing on practical halachic applications. The shiur examines the dispute regarding removing or replacing a cloth stopper in a wine barrel when liquid will inevitably be squeezed out. Even if the result is unintended and undesirable, some opinions prohibit it because the squeezing is inevitable, while others...

This episode continues the laws of squeezing (Sechitah) on Shabbos, focusing on practical and nuanced cases. We clarify the difference between passive melting (like placing ice into a drink, which is permitted) and actively causing melting or squeezing, which may be prohibited. Key topics include: Urinating on snow:  Some authorities permit it since it resembles trampling snow, while others are st...

This episode explores the laws of extracting liquids on Shabbos, focusing on the distinction between different food categories. Olives and grapes are most restricted because they are primarily grown for juice, while most other fruits are generally permitted to squeeze unless commonly used for juicing in a given locale. A key principle is the difference between a food’s natural internal moisture (c...

This episode explores the laws of squeezing fruits and vegetables for juice on Shabbos, with a focus on lemon juice and common kitchen scenarios. It explains when squeezing is permitted versus prohibited, the distinction between squeezing for flavor versus extracting juice, and how custom and intent affect the ruling. The discussion also covers pickled or cooked foods, squeezing directly onto food...

This episode explores the laws of extracting juice from fruits on Shabbos and when liquids that emerge are permitted or prohibited. We discuss olives and grapes crushed before Shabbos, when their juice is automatically allowed, and how nullification works when juice mixes immediately with existing liquid. The shiur clarifies key distinctions between juice that appears independently versus juice th...

This episode continues to examine the halachic rules of squeezing fruit on Shabbos. Olives and grapes remain strictly prohibited to squeeze for juice under all circumstances. Strawberries and pomegranates are treated more leniently if they are primarily for eating and juice emerges on its own, but actively squeezing them for drinking is still forbidden. For other fruits,  local custom is decisive...

This episode introduces the laws of squeezing fruits on Shabbos. The key distinction is between fruits primarily used for juice and those mainly eaten as solids. Grapes and olives are strictly forbidden to squeeze because their normal use is for producing liquids, and even juice that seeps out on its own is prohibited as a safeguard against intentional squeezing. Some fruits, like strawberries and...

A practical overview of the laws of sorting on Shabbat as they apply to everyday food preparation. This episode explores when straining or separating food is permitted versus prohibited, including sifting mustard with an egg, separating egg whites and yolks, drinking through a cloth to avoid insects, removing bugs from food or drink, skimming cream, churning butter, curdling milk, and related dair...

This episode continues the laws of  Borer  (selection and filtering) on Shabbos, focusing on filtering wine and water. It clarifies when filtering is permitted using non-designated items (like cloths or wicker baskets), when special filters may be used, and the limits placed to avoid weekday-style activity. The shiur explains the issue of raising a basket above a utensil, the concern of creating a...

This episode continues the laws of  Borer  as applied to filtering liquids on Shabbos. We explore when filtering wine, water, and other drinks is permitted—focusing on the key distinction between clear and cloudy liquids. If a drink is already fit to consume without filtering, straining it may be allowed, even if small particles remain. The discussion contrasts using a designated filter versus ord...

This episode continues the laws of  selection on Shabbos , focusing on when everyday actions cross into prohibited sorting. We cover sifting grain by hand versus with tools, why funnels, plates, or two-handed techniques are not allowed, and how even simple soaking or washing can become problematic. The discussion then turns to cleaning produce: washing vegetables, potatoes, animal fodder, and frui...

This episode continues the detailed laws of  borer  (selection) on Shabbos. We clarify the three core conditions that permit food selection: taking the desired item from the undesired, using one’s hand rather than a specialized tool, and eating immediately. The discussion explains why removing refuse—even by hand—creates liability, how using utensils changes the halachic status, and why timing mat...

This episode continues the laws of sorting and separating on Shabbat, focusing on the key distinction between normal eating and prohibited sorting. The discussion clarifies that removing what you  don’t  want, using tools designed for sorting, or preparing items for later use—even later the same day—can constitute a violation. We explore practical cases: mixed foods, two types of fish, large and s...

This episode opens the laws of  Borer  (separating) on Shabbos with a foundational overview from the Mishnah Berurah. It explains why Borer is one of the most commonly misunderstood prohibitions and lays out the three core conditions that determine permissibility: taking the desired item from the undesired, doing so by hand (not with a utensil), and for immediate use within the meal. The shiur cla...

This episode concludes Siman 344 with a practical case: someone lost in the desert who knows how many days they’ve traveled but not the starting day. We clarify which days are certainly weekday, when work is permitted, and when it must be restricted—especially once one day’s work suffices for ongoing needs. The Mishnah Berurah then closes Chelek Gimel by summarizing the remaining primary categorie...

This episode explores the halachic guidance for someone who becomes lost—such as in a desert or captivity—and no longer knows which day is Shabbat. We cover how to count days, designate a “Shabbat” for remembrance through Kiddush and Havdalah, and the limits of work and travel under conditions of uncertainty. The discussion clarifies when work is forbidden, when minimal labor is permitted for surv...

This episode continues the laws governing a child’s actions in matters of prohibition, with a focus on Shabbos and forbidden foods. It clarifies when a parent must actively stop a child, when others may intervene, and the limits of involving non-Jews. Key topics include feeding prohibited foods to children, special leniencies for a sick child (including on Pesach), restrictions on instructing chil...

This episode explores the laws of educating children in mitzvot, focusing on a parent’s responsibility to prevent children from transgressing prohibitions. It explains the distinction between the role of the father and that of the court, and between biblical and rabbinic prohibitions. The discussion clarifies when a child must be stopped, when protest is required, and how a child’s level of unders...

This episode explores the unique halachic status of the twilight period between sunset and nightfall. We examine which rabbinic prohibitions were suspended during this time, when and why exceptions apply for mitzvah needs or pressing circumstances, and which decrees remain in force due to their closeness to biblical violations. The discussion clarifies actions like climbing trees, swimming, carryi...

This episode explores when vows may be annulled on Shabbos and why the general rule restricts weekday-style legal actions on a holy day. We clarify that vows may be annulled on Shabbos when they directly affect Shabbos enjoyment or mitzvah observance—such as eating, drinking, wearing Shabbos clothing, or sleeping. A key exception is the authority of a husband (and similarly a father) to annul vows...

This episode completes  Siman 340  of the Mishnah Berurah, covering the melachot of  Losh (kneading) ,  Kore’a (tearing) , and  Tofer (sewing)  and their derivatives as they apply to everyday Shabbat situations. Topics include making paste or dough from seeds, tearing paper or earthenware for a purpose, opening sealed letters, and practical halachic guidance on  toilet paper on Shabbat —including...