Hachona for Sheva Berachos

Q. I will be hosting a Sheva Berachos in my house soon after Shabbos. I understand that I am not allowed to begin the preparations (hachona) until Shabbos is over, but I will be very pressed for time. Is there anything I can do to begin preparing before Shabbos is over?

A. In a previous halacha, it was explained, that hachona is not permitted even for the sake of a mitzvah, nor may one ask a non-Jew to make the preparations. However, the Chayei Adam (153:6) offers one leniency based on a ruling of the Maharil (14th century). The Maharil permitted bringing tables and chairs into the house from the sukkah on Shmini Atzeres after all the meals, provided they are not set up in the house. The Chayei Adam deduces from this that if one does not complete a task, this is not considered hachona. Although, it will be easier to set up the tables for Simchas Torah if tables are already in the house, still since the preparation was not completed, it is not forbidden. He cautions that this should only be relied on when there is a hardship to wait, and only if this is being done for a mitzvah (such as a Yomtov meal or a sheva berachos). Based on this, one may bring up tables and chairs from the basement on Shabbos, so long as nothing is set up.

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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.