1) It is prohibited to add salt on Shabbos to [a quantity of] vegetables which are commonly pickled or to any vegetables where salt would further process and enhance them. (Shulchan Aruch Siman 321:3)
Thus, it is prohibited to salt [a quantity of] radishes, onions, garlic, cucumbers and similar vegetables. (See Mishna Berura Siman 321:13)
This prohibition is in place even if the vegetables will be eaten immediately, before the salt is able to start working to process them, as even though they aren't actually being pickled, it still looks like they are. (Mishna Berura Siman 321:14)
If oil or vinegar has been added to the vegetables it is then permitted to add salt, as once the oil or vinegar is added it minimizes the effect of the salt and is not likened to pickling. (Mishna Berura ibid.)
2) It is permitted to add salt to one piece of any of the aforementioned vegetables if the intention is to eat this piece right away, as salting one piece and eating it right away does not resemble pickling. (Mishna Berura ibid.)
However, if it will not be eaten right away, even one piece of the vegetable may not be salted. (ibid.)
QUESTION & ANSWER CORNER
Reader Submitted Questions of interest on topics related to Halachos we covered, as well as other interesting topic and Answers.
These Q&A are taken from the Q & A pages on the Halacha For Today website.
Although the answers I give to questions are taken directly from the Sifrei HaPoskim, and aren't my own, they are still for study purposes only, NOT for Psak Halacha.
Questions can be emailed to HalachaForToday@Gmail.com
Reader's Question:
I have heard that there is no problem with making a bracha when drinking water from a water fountain. How is this possible due to the fact that one can not see the water he is about to drink?
Answer:
Although the food/drink one is reciting a Bracha over needs to be in front of them, and preferably in their hands, while reciting the bracha, in the case of a water fountain it is not possible.
Ideally, the water should be filled into a cup and then the Bracha recited. If that is not practical, the water must at least be turned on and flowing before the bracha is recited, as even though the actual water that was there when the bracha was recited is different than the water you will drink, still it is considered from the same water flow and thus isn't a Bracha L'Vatalah. (See Shulchan Aruch Siman 206:6 regarding one who drinks from a flowing stream. See also Shu"t Rivevos Ephraim Vol. 3 Siman 129)
CHIZUK CORNER
This section is dedicated L'Ilui Nishmas the late Telzer Rosh Yeshiva , HaRav Chaim Yaakov ben Rav Binyomin Moshe Stein Zatzal.
We will B'Ezras Hashem post here each day a short inspirational thought to help us all improve our lives and grow in our service of our Father in heaven, HaKadosh Baruch Hu.
IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING MEANINGFUL FOR THIS SECTION, PLEASE EMAIL IT TO HalachaForToday@Gmail.com
THANK YOU AND תזכו למצות!
זכר צדיק וקדוש לברכה
Question:
Why do animals become extinct?
Answer by HaRav Avigdor Miller Zatzal:
Animals become extinct because Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants to show us that nothing in this world is forever. A tremendous lesson! Once upon a time, in the times of Adam and Meshuselach, the elephants were tremendous; much bigger than our little elephants of today. The beavers - a beaver is this big today - in those days a beaver was six foot long! It's a fact. Everything was big in those days.
And so Hakadosh Baruch Hu showed that the great ones fall eventually. Nobody is too important to hang around a long time in this world. That's the lesson for us. Now, the ancients were expected to utilize what they saw with their eyes. We are not capable of utilizing too many things, so Hashem gives us a limited number of things. Let us look at these things because not all these things will be around forever. Little by little, some more species will be extinct. Then we'll look back at the good old days. If we could have seen the great mastodon elephant, or the great reptiles, almost as high as a two story house, then we would see the Nifloas Haborai.
But today what do we have to look at, little crocodiles? We have nothing to look at. So Hashem says look at the crocodiles, when you see a crocodile, be amazed at it. Why does it have such a thick skin? It's an armor on it. Is it an accident? Where did it get all those teeth? Is it an accident? It's a tremendous thing that the crocodile can swim in water and he can walk on land, and you see the miracles of his constitution. So while we still have them, let's utilize them... because nothing is forever in this world.
Important Numbers
