Making Ices on Shabbos

Q. May one make ices on Shabbos?

A. The Dovev Meisharim (siman 55) writes that changing water into ice is forbidden on Shabbos. Moreover, he writes that even if the water was placed in the freezer before Shabbos, if it freezes on Shabbos, the ice would still be forbidden because of muktza. The change in form from liquid to solid turns it into a new entity which is muktza. The Chelkas Yaakov (OC 128) and many other poskim disagree on both these points. Not only is ice that forms on Shabbos not muktza, but it is not clear that there is any prohibition to make ice. This is because one does not actually make ice. All one does is place water in a cold environment and the ice forms on its own. Although one may not chop ice with your hands to actively melt it into water, one may place ice in a bowl and let it melt on its own into water. The same should be allowed in reverse. Water should be allowed to freeze into ice on its own. The Chelkas Yaakov is unsure of this last point, and therefore recommends not making ice on Shabbos unless there is a pressing need.

Today's Halacha Yomis is dedicated in memory of Rav Yosef ben Moshe, Rabbi Yosef Grossman zt"l, whose first yartzeit will be this Sunday, Daled Shevat. Rabbi Grossman's legacy of zikui harabim (spiritually enabling the Jewish people) lives on with the Halacha Yomis series which he initiated five years ago, as well as a host of other outstanding OU educational programs that continue to serve Klal Yisrael.

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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.