Chocolate Chanukah Gelt on Shabbos

QUESTION: Chocolate coins are engraved with words and pictures. Is there any issue with eating them on Shabbos? May one crack off pieces and eat them or is destroying the words and pictures considered like erasing?

ANSWER: The Rema (OC 340:3) writes that it is forbidden to break a cookie that has letters written on it, since this is equivalent to erasing them, even though one’s intention in doing so is for eating. The Dagul Merevava disagrees with the Rema, and permits breaking apart the cookie to eat it. He explains that this type of “erasing” is not done to fix the letters, is considered an unusual manner of erasing, and is done without intent to erase. The Mishnah Berurah (440:17) writes that one may rely on the Dagul Merevava so long as one bites into the cookie and does not break it with their hands. Furthermore, the Mishnah Berurah (440:15) differentiates between two types of writings on the cookie. If the letters on the cookie are made from a different substance, such as icing on a cookie, then he maintains that one should not break apart or cut the cookie, since breaking the letters is equivalent to erasing them. However, if the letters are engraved into the cookie itself, these letters do not have the status of writing and it is permissible to break apart the cookies with your hands. Therefore, in our case, there is no issue with breaking apart the chocolate coins on Shabbos, so long as one’s intent in doing so is to eat the chocolate.

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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.