Heritage Weekly Newsletter

At the beginning of this week`s Parashah, Pharaoh, fearing the population explosion of Jews in Egypt, enslaves them. However, when their birthrate continues to increase, he orders the Jewish midwives to kill all baby boys.

Yocheved gives birth to Moshe and places him in a basket in the Nile before anyone can kill him. Pharaoh`s daughter finds and adopts the baby even though she realises he is probably a Hebrew. Miryam, Moshe`s older sister, offers to find a nursemaid for Moshe. She arranges for his mother Yocheved to be his nursemaid and help raise him.

Years later, Moshe witnesses an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, and Moshe kills the Egyptian. When Moshe realises his life is in danger, he flees to Midyan where he rescues Tsiporah, whose father Yitro approves their subsequent marriage. In Chorev, Moshe witnesses the `burning bush` where HaShem commands him to lead the Jewish People from Egypt to Erets Yisrael, which HaShem has promised to their ancestors. Moshe protests that the Jewish People in Egypt will doubt him being HaShem`s agent, and so HaShem helps Moshe perform three miraculous transformations to validate him in the eyes of the people: changing his staff into a snake, his healthy hand into a leprous one, and water into blood.

When Moshe declares that he is not a good public speaker HaShem tells him that his brother Aharon will be his spokesman. Aharon greets Moshe on his return to Egypt, and they petition Pharaoh to release the Jews. Pharaoh responds with even harsher decrees, declaring that the Jews must produce the same quota of bricks as before, but without being given supplies. The people become dispirited, but HaShem assures Moshe that He will force Pharaoh to let the Hebrews leave.

How To Fill the Havdala Cup

For havdala, pour at least a revi`it (4 fl. oz., or 119 ml) for enough wine (or other beverage being used) to overfill the cup. This is a non-binding custom, not a halacha.

REASON Doing so is a symbol of blessing (siman bracha) that we are so rich that the wine or other drink that we spill is not important. Don`t overfill your cup if you are using wine from a shmita year!

Last Week`s Question:

When we clean up the table on Shabbos we put the dishes straight into the dishwasher so as to avoid having them piling up in the sink. 

Would it be ok to rinse off the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher so as to avoid having to do this on Motzai Shabbos or would this be an issue of Hachanah (preparing for after Shabbos on Shabbos)? 

Answer: This case is subject to a dispute between R’ Feinstein and R’ Aurbach (Shmiras Shabbos K’hilchasah ch.28), whether pre soaking a pot (i.e. crock pot that was used for Cholent), to prevent the leftover food from hardening and becoming more difficult to clean is considered Hachanah.

According to R’ Feinstein being that the pot will only be cleaned after Shabbos, soaking it is preparing for after Shabbos and is therefore prohibited. 

According to R’ Aurbach Hachanah is specifically when you are simply using Shabbos as a time to prepare for the coming week. Here, however, the reason that your soaking the pot now is not merely to prepare, rather your actively preventing a situation from developing (i.e. the food from hardening and becoming more difficult to clean) on Shabbos, and that is not considered Hachanah. 

However this leniency would only apply if the pot is soaked immediately, so that the food has not already hardened. Whereas once the food has already hardened it would be considered Hachanah. 

Another reason to allow rinsing the dish would be based off another ruling of R` Aurbach that an act which one normally does without giving thought as to when the outcome will be relevant is not subject to Hachanah. For example, taking one`s Talis home from Shul even though it won`t be needed until Sunday morning would be permitted on this principle.

One could argue that the same would apply in our case as well, being that it`s common practice to rinse a dish before placing it in the dishwasher without giving thought as to when you plan on washing it.

In practice, the ruling of Rabbi Fuerst is that it is prohibited due to Hachanah, and the ruling of Rabbi Zuker is that one who wishes to be lenient has what to rely upon.

This Week`s Question:

Can I feed my dog pet food which contains milk and meat or is that considered deriving benefit and therefore prohibited?