#1: Laundering Clothes

Dedicated by Fran Broder as a zechus for the hostages to be released safely to their families and may everlasting peace come to Eretz Yisrael in the merit of learning Hilchos Shabbos.

1. Ezra (the scribe) instituted that one launder clothing on Thursday in preparation for Shabbat (Bava Kamma 82a). The reason that laundry should be done on Thursday (and not Friday) is to ensure that sufficient time remains on Friday for the rest of the Shabbat preparations (Mishnah Berurah 242:5).

2. Today, when we have washing machines that make the process go much faster, some say the original enactment to wash on Thursday still applies (R. Nissim Karelitz in Chut Shani), but others say that one may launder clothes on Friday as well, if there is enough time for the rest of the preparations that must be done (see Shemirat Shabbat Khilchatah ch.42, n.13 and R. Ovadia Yosef in Chazon Ovadiah, vol.1, p.24).