Shabbat Preparations II - Prepare Foods and Self

Prepare Foods and Self

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Food:

Cooking and baking, warming up food, and lighting or extinguishing a fire are forbidden on Shabbat. So, much of the food preparation has to be completed before the onset of the Day of Rest.

Food that will be served warm on Shabbat, such as soup or cholent, should be placed on the stove before Shabbat, with a blech, a thin metal sheet, separating the food from the fire. Set up an urn if you will be needing hot water.

Yourself:

Ideally try to leave work early on FridayFriday afternoon is the time to prepare for Shabbat. Ideally try to leave work early on Friday, to have ample time to complete all the Shabbat preparations.

Friday afternoon meals or snacks should be very light, in order to preserve a hearty appetite for the Shabbat meal.

It is a mitzvah to bathe in honor of the Shabbat, so if you’re pressed for time on Friday, consider taking a shower on Friday afternoon instead of in the morning.

Apply makeup before candle lighting, as applying makeup is forbidden once Shabbat has begun.

Finally, we save our best for Shabbat, including clothing. Get dressed in your Shabbat finery and you are now ready to usher in the holy Day of Rest.

Illustrations by Yehuda Lang. To view more artwork by this artist, click here.

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February 21, 2011

Bathing

Generally speaking, we do not bathe during Shabbat, correct. Note that certain required hand washings are not included in the prohibition, and are in fact required, as they are during the week.

Geoff
Boston

February 21, 2011

Shabbath Rest

Since one is adviced to bathe and apply makeups before sun set on friday, does that mean that we are not permitted to bathe on Saturday, the day rest proper?

Chief Abraham Izuogu
Lagos, Nigeria

February 19, 2011

Thanks

I wanted to know how to do certain things to honor God and now I know. Thank you so much. I jut found out about 4 months ago that I was Jewish. And I was pleasantly surprised. Thank you LORD.

Susan Rene Hendren
Waterloo, Il

February 17, 2011

Re: Baking

Jacqueline,

I'm pretty sure that the answer would depend on both a number of details you don't give, as well as which Rabbi you ask. My gut tells me that the biggest issues would be with regard to how you remove it from the oven, and what the "Sabbath mode" actually does.

Find a Rabbi you trust, and follow his advice.

Geoff
Boston

February 14, 2011

Baking

If I put in my Hameen (cholent) a few hours before Shabbat into the oven and my oven has a Sabbath mode, is that equivalent to the hot plate and permissible?

Jacqueline
Hollywood, Florida