Hachona - Bringing Home A Talis

Q. Is it permissible to take a talis home Shabbos morning after davening? Since the talis is not needed at home for Shabbos, is this considered hachona (preparing for after Shabbos)?

A. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt”l (quoted by Shmiras Shabbos K’hilchaso 28:89) allows this to be done. He explained that hachona is forbidden when it involves tircha (exertion) that is done for the benefit of a weekday. It is forbidden even if the tircha is minimal, such as making a bed to have it ready for after Shabbos. However, if an action involves minimal effort and is not consciously performed to save time after Shabbos, it is permissible. It is common to take a talis home since one is going home anyway, and there is no specific intention to have it ready for a weekday or for next Shabbos. For that reason, taking it home is not considered hachona. However, one should not say, “I need my talis for later in the week”, as this would identify the action as hachona and would not be permissible.

Similarly, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach permits carrying a house key (if there is an eiruv), even if there is no intention to return home until after Shabbos, so long as the person does not verbalize why they are doing so. This is not considered hachona since it is common to return a key to one’s pocket and people do not view this as a preparation for after Shabbos.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.