DailyHalacha.com for Mobile Devices Now Available

Click Here to Sponsor Daily Halacha
"Delivered to Over 6000 Registered Recipients Each Day"

      
(File size: 574 KB)
Applying a Fragrant Spray to Clothing on Shabbat and Yom Tob

The Rama (Rabbi Moshe Isserles of Cracow, 1525-1572), in the context of the laws of Yom Tob (Orah Haim 511:4), codifies the prohibition of "Molid Reha," which means making something fragrant. It is forbidden to apply a fragrant substance, such as a spray, to a garment, such as a shirt, or even a handkerchief, on Shabbat or Yom Tob. Although it is permissible to apply perfume or cologne to one’s body or hair, one may not apply a fragrant spray to his clothing on Shabbat or Yom Tob.

The Halachic authorities address the question of whether it is permissible to wrap the Etrog on Sukkot in the flax hair that many people use to protect their Etrogim, as this has the effect of making the material fragrant. The Mishna Berura (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan, 1839-1933) rules that as long as the Etrog had already been in the flax hair before Shabbat or Yom Tob, and thus the hair was already fragrant, one may wrap the Etrog on Shabbat or Yom Tob.

These Halachot are codified by Rav Natan Ben Sanior in his Ner Le’siyon (listen to audio recording for precise citation).

Summary: Although it is permissible to apply perfume or cologne to one’s body or hair on Shabbat and Yom Tob, one may not apply a fragrant spray to one’s clothing.

 


Recent Daily Halachot...
Passover – Se’udat Ester on the Second Day; Shopping, Cooking and Playing Music on Hol Ha’mo’ed
Passover – The Second Cup of Wine at the Seder
Pesah – Must Women Recite the Full Hallel Before the Seder?
Passover – Halachot of Kadesh and the Four Cups
Passover – Brooms, Can Openers, Cookbooks
Cosmetics and Perfumes on Pesah
Pesah – The Status of Food Prepared in a Hametz Pot
Pesah – If a Small Piece of Hametz Fell Into Non-Hametz Food Before Pesah
Erev Pesah – If One Mistakenly Ate Masa; Eating Masa Meal Products; Eating Marror and Eggs
Pesah – Shehehiyanu, Ya’ale Ve’yabo, Afikoman
Pesah – “Crash Course” on the Seder
Pesah – The Custom to Eat an Egg at the Seder
Pesah – Bedikat Hametz
Ereb Pesah – The Siyum for the Firstborn
Pesah – The Beracha Recited Before Bedikat Hames
Page of 239
3585 Halachot found