Opening a Foldable Shtender on Shabbos?

Anash.org feature: Dayan Levi Yitzchok Raskin, Rov of Anash in London, explores interesting Torah questions and halachic dilemmas including single women lighting two Shabbos candles, opening a foldable shtender, water filter on Shabbos, and using a numbered list of people.

The following issues are discussed by Rabbi Raskin in this week’s episode:

1. On Shabbos, may one separate the white of an egg from the yolk? [1]
2. A single woman, never married; should she light one or two Shabbos candles? [2]
3. One reason given in Poskim for not reciting the blessing on a new moon on Friday is because of מחוץ לתחום. Please explain:[3]
4. A folding Shtender that has walls all around; may it be set up on Shabbos? [4]
5. When making Havdolo for children on Sunday morning, should one include the brocho on the spices and on the flame?[5]
6. A Jewish man is invited by his non-Jewish daughter to celebrate her birthday by having a picnic in a park, to be held on a Shabbos afternoon. May he partake of the food that she will carry to the park?[6]
7. A Jew is a partner in a distillery and wishes now to obtain a hechsher. It turns out, however, that last Pesach he did not sell his Chomeitz. Any way forward?[7]
8. May one use a faucet on Shabbos that has an under-sink filter?[8] It’s a dedicated faucet for drinking (and cooking) water (a small faucet on the side of a sink). The question is for:
   • people who under ordinary circumstances would not drink unfiltered/unbottled water (unless there’s no other water available);
   • where the water might have bugs (subject to the local Rabbinic ruling).
9. We aren’t supposed to count Jewish people. Having a numbered list of names, e.g. a register – is that okay?[9]
10. Feedback on Fench Fries being subject to Bishul Akum; saying HaMapil after Plag.

To listen to Panorama of Halacha on a podcast, click here.

1. [1] ראה שו”ע אדה”ז סי’ שיט סכ”ב; שבת כהלכה ח”ב סי’ י”ב סע”כ.
2. [2] ראה לקוטי שיחות כרך יא ע’ 289; אגרות קודש כרך ל ע’ כח ואילך.
3. [3] הדין – ברמ”א או”ח סי’ תכו ס”ב, ובמג”א שם מציין לשו”ת רמ”א מפאנו סי’ עח. וע”ע ‘ליקוט דיני ומנהגי ראש חודש’ (רפפורט) פי”ב.
4. [4] ראה שוע”ר סי’ שטו ס”ט – שאם מוקף מחיצות, אין להתיר. אבל ראה שם סי”ג שאם הגג היה קבוע במחיצות מבעוד יום, שרי.
5. [5] ראה שוע”ר סי’ רצט ס”ח וס”ט; פסקי תשובות סי’ רצו הע’ 182.
6. [6] ראה שוע”ר סי’ שכה סט”ו שאסור ליהנות כשיש חשש שהגוי ירבה במלאכה בשביל הישראל.
7. [7] ראה שוע”ר סי’ תמב ס”ט בהגהת המהרי”ל אחי אדה”ז.
8. [8] ראה שוע”ר סי’ שיט סי”ג; פסקי תשובות שם אות כד, ובהע’ 298.
9. [9] ראה פסקי תשובות סי’ קנו אות כד .