DailyHalacha.com for Mobile Devices Now Available

Halacha is For The Hatzlacha of
 Yosef ben Rivkah and His Family
"Please say Tehillim for a good day following a devastating Sandy occurrence."

Dedicated By
Friends

Click Here to Sponsor Daily Halacha
      
(File size: 862 KB)
Is It Permissible To Squeeze Grapes and Other Similar Foods In One's Mouth on Shabbat

The Shulchan Aruch (320) codifies the Torah prohibition of "Sechita," which forbids squeezing grapes and olives on Shabbat. Does this prohibition apply as well to sucking juice from a fruit on Shabbat, or does Halacha distinguish in this regard between squeezing with one's hands and squeezing with one's mouth?

The Hagahot Maimoni (glosses to the Rambam's Mishneh Torah by Rabbi Meir Hakohen, Germany, 13th century), commenting on Hilchot Shabbat (chapter 21), forbids sucking juice on Shabbat, and this is the position as well of the Sefer Yerei'im (Rabbi Eliezer of Metz, France, 1115-1198), in Siman 274. According to this view, it would be forbidden on Shabbat to suck juice from any fruit or other food with absorbed liquid, such as moist meat, sugarcane, and bread that had been dipped in soup. However, the Beit Yosef (commentary to the Tur by Rabbi Yosef Karo, author of the Shulchan Aruch) held (in Siman 320) that sucking the juice from foods does not represent the standard manner of "Sechita," and is thus not included under this prohibition (listen to audio for precise citation).

Rabbi Moshe Halevi, in his work "Menuchat Ahava" (vol. 2, p. 165), cites both views and sides with the lenient position of the Beit Yosef. This is the ruling as well of Chacham Ovadia Yosef, in his work Halichot Olam (vol. 4, p. 106).

Thus, it is permissible on Shabbat to extract liquid with one's mouth from fruits or other foods, such as moist meat, sugarcane, and bread that had been dipped in soup.

 


Recent Daily Halachot...
The Beracha Recited Over Coffee; The Status of Coffee Prepared by a Gentile
The Beracha on Bread Made From Sprouted Wheat
Reciting a Beracha Upon Seeing Majestic Mountains
Birkat Ha’re’ah
The Beracha When Eating Spices; The Beracha Over Chocolate
If One Is Unsure If He Recited Birkat Hamazon
If One Wants to Continue Eating after Washing Mayim Aharonim or Preparing for Birkat Hamazon
Reciting Birchot Ha’shahar Aloud So Others Can Answer “Amen”
Situations That Require Hand Washing
Netilat Yadayim in the Morning If One Arises Before Daybreak
Netilat Yadayim in the Morning if One Went to Sleep After Hasot
Netilat Yadayim When One Hand is in a Cast
Using a Disposable Cup for Kiddush and Netilat Yadayim
Using a Sink for the Morning Hand Washing
May One Wash Netilat Yadayim in the Restroom?
Page of 239
3585 Halachot found