#338: Thick Baby Cereal
1. We learned previously that one may prepare a thick mixture on Shabbat when needed for an infant or young child. Therefore, thick baby cereal may be prepared in such a case. Moreover, in this case, one need not reverse the order of pouring because it is for a young child. A shinui should be employed in the method of mixing, such as criss-cross strokes or mixing with one’s hand (Chazon Ish; Orchot Shabbat 6:53).
2. If the baby cereal is made with pieces of fruit, one may also mix it gently as a method of shinui, since the fruit does not become unified with the rest of the mixture. However, one may not mix gently with soft pieces of bread or items of a similar consistency since they mix together as one unit more than fruit, making this shinui insufficient (Chazon Ish). It should also be noted that in the opinion of some poskim, today there are enough options for preparing baby food that it is often not necessary to prepare a thick mixture on Shabbat, and one should try to avoid this if possible (Peninei Halachah).
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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.
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