Cold Food Preparation on Shabbos - part 1
As we know from many sources, a forbidden Shabbos melachah is not measured in terms of physical exertion, but rather in terms of productive accomplishment regardless of how much or how little “work” is entailed.78 Consequently, there are several activities which are forbidden even though they require virtually no physical exertion, such as, for example, the melachah of borer, selecting, which is accomplished with hardly lifting a finger. Because such melachos involve no discernible “work”, many people unknowingly commit severe Shabbos transgressions on a constant basis, thinking that they are not “working” on Shabbos. Food preparation is an area entailing such Labors where ignorance can result in serious Shabbos violations. Every observant Jew—man and woman alike—must, therefore, learn and review constantly the correct procedures for preparing dishes that are commonly prepared on Shabbos.79
In this summary, we will describe the correct method for preparing cold foods that are often served on Shabbos.
Eggs and onions
Preparation of this dish, or similar ones, can involve many Shabbos prohibitions, among them: washing and peeling the eggs and the onions (selecting); mashing the eggs (grinding); dicing the onions (grinding); mixing the eggs and onions together (kneading); salting the onions;80 adding oil as a binding ingredient (kneading); removing egg shells from the mixture (selecting).
In view of all these potential Shabbos violations, it is recommended by some poskim that the eggs and onions be prepared before Shabbos.81 When it is not possible or practical to do so, however, this is the permissible way to prepare it on Shabbos82:
Preparing the ingredients:
Both the eggs83 and onions should be peeled immediately before the meal.84 This means that if the meal85 is scheduled to start at 12:00 o’clock, for example, and it takes about thirty minutes to prepare for the meal, then the eggs and onions may be peeled at about 11:30, but not earlier.86 Even if the housewife would like to prepare her meal before going to shul or taking a walk, it is forbidden to do so.87
The eggs and onions may be peeled by hand or with the aid of a knife only.88
The eggs may be mashed with a fork89 or sliced with an egg slicer.90 A grinder [or a masher91] may not be used.92 [If the eggs were peeled before Shabbos,93 they may be mashed earlier, and not necessarily immediately before the meal.94]
It is strictly forbidden to cut up the onions into very small pieces (diced).95 But if it is being prepared for someone who has a difficulty eating bigger pieces of onion, e.g. an elderly person or a child, many poskim permit dicing the onions into small pieces, provided that they are diced immediately before the meal.96 [Another option is to cut the onions into little pieces in an unusual manner—with a spoon or with the handle of a knife or fork,97 but this is not practical.]
Mixing the ingredients:
The eggs and onions may be mixed together.98
The eggs and onions together may be salted, especially if the mixture is going to contain oil or mayonnaise.99 But the onions alone should not be left salted [or immersed in vinegar100] for any length of time.101
The proper method for the next step in making eggs and onions—adding and mixing oil to the eggs and onions—was hotly debated among the poskim of the past generations, since adding oil may be a violation of the forbidden Shabbos Labor of kneading. Apparently, it was a widely-held custom to add oil and mix the eggs and onions in the normal manner, and many leading poskim approved of it.102 Indeed, several contemporary authorities agree that the custom is firmly grounded in halachah and may be followed.103 The oil should be added immediately before the meal, and in small quantities only.
Nonetheless, the poskim are in agreement that it is halachically preferable and strongly recommended to add and mix the oil in a way that is altogether different from the way it is done ordinarily: a) the oil should be poured into the bowl first, and then the eggs and onions added;104 b) the mixture may not be stirred vigorously—it may only be mixed in one of the following ways, in order of halachic preference: with one’s finger;105 by shaking the bowl;106 with a knife, fork, or spoon but only in a criss-cross pattern107 (up and down and left to right) not around and around in the normal mixing motion;108 with a utensil not normally used for mixing;109 with the handle of a knife or a spoon.110
When mayonnaise is being used instead of oil, the same procedure is followed, except that there is no need to reverse the order and place the mayonnaise in the bowl before the eggs and the onions (as is required when using oil).111
Serving the mixture
Pieces of cold, cooked potato may be added and mixed into the egg-onion mixture.112
If, after the mixture is prepared, an eggshell is found in it, the shell may not be removed from the mixture. Rather, the proper procedure is to leave the eggshell (with some food around it) in the bowl, and lift the rest of the mixture out of the mixing bowl and into another dish. Some poskim are more lenient and permit removing the shell if a bit of the food is removed with it.113 Other poskim strictly prohibit removing the shell in this manner,114 and it is proper to be stringent.115
When the mixture is ready, it is proper to leave it as is and not smooth it down or shape it.116 It is permitted, however, to use a scoop for serving individual portions, since the purpose is to aid in the serving process, not to shape the food.117
78. Ohr ha-Chayim, Yisro 20:11.
79. See Chafetz Chayim’s preface to Mishnah Berurah, Hilchos Shabbos.
80. It may be prohibited because salting is part of the pickling process, which resembles cooking (Rambam), or because salting can alter the texture of the food and is similar to me’abed, tanning hide, since that too is accomplished by using chemicals to alter the texture of the hide (Rashi).
81. Indeed, in the home of the Chazon Ish and Rav Y.Y. Kanievsky, this food was always prepared before Shabbos to avoid getting involved in potential Shabbos prohibitions (Ayil Meshulash, pg. 157).
82. It is noteworthy that the custom in many homes is that the men, not the women, prepared this dish on Shabbos. Possibly this is due to the complexity of the issues involved. It is also reported that several tzaddikim insisted on preparing this dish themselves, and it was done right at the Shabbos table.
83. Eggs in a pot of water are not considered to be “mixed” with the water. It is permitted to discard the water from the pot and leave the eggs; Ashrei ha-Ish, Borer 52.
84. Rama, O.C. 321:19.
85. Zemiros which are sung prior to the meal are considered as part of the meal (Rav Y.S. Elyashiv, quoted in The Laws of Borer, pg. 25 and Rav N. Karelitz, quoted in Ayil Meshulash, pg. 117).
86. Igros Moshe, O.C. 4:74-13; Rav Y.S. Elyashiv and Rav N. Karelitz (quoted in Ayil Meshulash, pg. 118). There is a minority view which holds that it is permitted to begin the preparation half an hour before the meal even if the actual preparation does not take that long (Rav S. Wosner, mi-Beis Levi 6, Borer 2).
87. Mishnah Berurah 321:45.
88. Beiur Halachah 321:19, s.v. liklof; Igros Moshe, O.C. 1:124.
89. Mishnah Berurah 321:31 and 36, since it is only prohibited to mash foods that grow from the ground. [Mashing eggs is permitted even per the Chazon Ish (O.C. 57, as quoted in Shoneh Halachos 321:24) who generally rules that mashing applies even to items that do not grow from the ground; see Otzros ha-Shabbos, pg. 344 for a detailed explanation.]
90. Igros Moshe, O.C. 4:74-4; Rav S.Z. Auerbach (Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasah 6:3); Rav S. Wosner (Otzros ha-Shabbos, pg. 157).
91. Rav S.Z. Auerbach (Me’or ha-Shabbos, vol. 1, pg. 457).
92. O.C. 321:10, since that is considered a “week-day activity.”
93. See follow-up Discussion concerning the “danger” of leaving shelled eggs overnight.
94. Mishnah Berurah 321:31.
95. O.C. 321:12.
96. Mishnah Berurah 321:45. While Chazon Ish (O.C. 57) disagrees with this leniency, Igros Moshe (O.C. 4:74-2) rules that when the need arises, even a ba’al nefesh need not be stringent. This is also the ruling of Rav S.Z. Auerbach (Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasah 6:6).
97. O.C. 321:7 and Mishnah Berurah 25.
98. Since no liquid is being added, there is no problem of kneading.
99. Mishnah Berurah 321:14; since the oil [or the bit of vinegar which is poured over the salt and washes it away] weakens the potency of the salt. Even if no oil or mayonnaise will be mixed in it is still permitted, since it is permitted to salt eggs (Mishnah Berurah 321:18 and 21) and it is permissible to salt the onions once they are mixed with the eggs, which is the majority ingredient; see Orchos Shabbos 7:10.
100. See Mishnah Berurah 321:15 concerning cucumbers in vinegar.
101. O.C. 321:3 and Mishnah Berurah 13, 14, 15.
102. Several poskim of previous generations attest to the prevalence of this practice; see ha-Elef Lecha Shlomo 139, Eglei Tal (Tochen 123:7); Tehilah l’Dovid 321:22, 25; Eishel Avraham Tanina 321; Minchas Shabbos 80:38; She’arim Metzuyanim b’Halachah 80:23.
103. Rav S.Z. Auerbach (Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasah 8, note 92); Tzitz Eliezer 11:36; Be’er Moshe 6:46.
104. Since normally the eggs and onions are put in first and then the oil is poured on them.
105. Rama 321:16. Wearing a glove is prohibited; Chazon Ish 58:8.
106. Mishnah Berurah 321:63.
107. Between each change of direction, the utensil should preferably be lifted out of the mixture; Chazon Ish 58:6; Igros Moshe O.C. 4:74, (Losh 5).
108. O.C. 324:3.
109. Minchas Yitzchak 1:74.
110. These last two options are halachically the least desirable since they are not mentioned by any early authority, and some contemporary poskim specifically disallow the practice in a thick mixture such as eggs and onions. See, however, Igros Moshe O.C. 4:74-6 who seems to allow it in all cases. See also Tzitz Eliezer 11:36, who quotes a similar ruling.
111. Since no binding takes place until the actual stirring and mixing begins.
112. Since the forbidden Shabbos Labor of kneading involves only small particles, not large pieces.
113. Based on Mishnah Berurah 319:61 concerning a fly that fell into a drink. See also Mishnah Berurah 504:20 concerning matzah crumbs.
114. Chazon Ish 54:3. But it is permitted according to all poskim to remove the eggshell along with a large amount of the mixture.
115. Rav S.Z. Auerbach (Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasah 5, note 24), since an eggshell in a salad is considered more “mixed in” than a fly in a drink, and possibly all poskim would prohibit this.
116. Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 80:25. Other poskim, however, are not concerned with this; see Da’as Torah 321:19 and Cheishev ha-Eifod 2:77. See also Binyan Shabbos, Boneh, Miluim 8.
117. See Be’er Moshe 6:43 and 8:134; Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasah 10:8.