D'var Halacha

We are beginning siman 1. The Chayei Adam divides his sefer by klalim and simanim, rather than the traditional simanim and seifim.  The Chayei Adam writes that one who bakes bread or cooks food or samimanim (inedible dyes) transgresses the melacha of bishul.   The Chayei Adam stresses samimanim to include cooking inedible items. One may

  We are continuing in our introduction to hilchos bishul. We learned yesterday that the definition of yad soledes bo has a range, and one has to be machmir in both directions. Today, we clarify this halacha.   The lower limit is obvious, in that one cannot allow food or water to reach the minimal

We are continuing in our introduction to hilchos bishul. Yesterday, we learned about the definitions of bishul being a shinui aichus (change in the quality of the item) or a shinui tzurah (change in the form of the item).  The Gemara discusses a case of a person hardening wood by heating it in a kiln.

  Note: Welcome to our new learners! This shiur is based on the Chayei Adam. The Mishnah Berurah bases much of his halacha on the Chayei Adam, but we will note when the Mishnah Berurah diverges from the Chayei Adam. The framework of the Chayei Adam follows a clear presentation, and lends itself to learning

  We have finished siman 5, and were discussing cases in which it would be muttar to create a belilah avah on Shabbos. We learned that if the ingredients naturally mix when they are first placed together, even according to Rabbi Yosi Ben Rabbi Yehuda there is no heter to mix them together, even for

  We are beginning siman 6, which discusses a similar point to siman 5. The Chayei Adam discusses using honey to bind sesame seeds, similar to the flax and sesame with water discussed in siman 5. Mixing the honey and sesame seeds will be a problem of losh. If there is too much honey, one

  We are continuing in siman 5. The Chayei Adam had given the example of flax or sesame seeds and how they naturally begin to absorb liquid even without being stirred. We learned that one would be chayav for the placement of the ingredients, even without stirring them.   Another application of this halacha is

We are beginning siman 5. The Gemara says that if a person puts flax or sesame seeds into water, the natural chemicals in the flax or sesame absorb water, and it becomes a mass by itself without any stirring. The placement of the seeds with water already makes a person chayav for losh, even according

  We are beginning siman 3. The Chayei Adam writes that if one adds ground matzah into a mixture called med, they need to be careful that the mixture remains a thin mixture (belilah raka) and does not become too thick (belilah avah). Additionally, one should change the order of the placement of the ingredients.

We are beginning siman 2, where the Chayei Adam discusses creating mustard or horseradish. Both are created by grinding up the original item and mixing it with vinegar. The Chayei Adam writes that if vinegar was not added before Shabbos, it is assur to add vinegar on Shabbos, as it creates a belilah avah and

We are continuing in siman 1, where the Chayei Adam is discussing preparing bran for animals. We learned that even if one adds water before Shabbos, it cannot be mixed on Shabbos in a normal fashion. One must employ a shinui. The Chayei Adam described two methods, either pouring between two containers, or a criss

  We are continuing in siman 1. We have seen the Chayei Adam bring the opinions mentioned in the introduction: the machlokes Rabbi Yosi Ben Rabbi Yehuda and Rebbi, and the machlokes between the Rambam and other rishonim regarding the difference between bar gibul and not bar gibul. The Chayei Adam concluded that we are