DailyHalacha.com for Mobile Devices Now Available

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

      
(File size: 886 KB)
Peeling Garlic, Onions, Bananas, Hard Boiled Eggs, Oranges, Grapefruits, Mango, Apples, Cucumbers, Carrots, Chicken with Skin on Shabbat

The Rema (321) rules that one may only peel onions and garlic immediately prior to the meal. Since the peel is inedible, removing it presents an issue of Borer. Although generally, the good must be removed from the bad, in this case it is permissible to remove the waste prior to the meal, since there is no other way to access the food inside. Peeling under such conditions constitutes "Derech Achila"-the normal way to eat. However, a woman may not peel the onion or garlic on Shabbat morning in preparation for lunch which will take place after one half hour.

Similarly, bananas may only be peeled immediately prior to consumption or the meal. Therefore, a woman may not prepare a fruit salad with bananas early Shabbat morning for lunch. The same is true regarding peeling hard boiled eggs and citrus fruit. However, peeling fruits, such as mangos and apples, in which some of the flesh of the fruit is also removed with the peel, does not constitute Borer, since Ochel (food) is also removed from the Ochel.

The Poskim discuss whether one may peel carrots and cucumbers, as their peel is edible. Some hold that Borer does not apply, and they may be peeled in advance of the meal. Nevertheless, it is preferable to peel them immediately prior to the meal, since, in any event, he is rejecting the edible peel, and therefore it has a status of P’solet (waste).

Hacham Ovadia, in Hazon Ovadia, only permits pulling skin off the chicken during the meal. Even though he is removing the P’solet from the Ochel, it is permitted, since that is "Derech Achila"-there is no other way to access the food.

It is incumbent on whoever prepares the food on Shabbat to be familiar with these Halachot in order to avoid, Chas V’Shalom, the Issur D’oraita (Torah prohibition) of Borer.

 


Recent Daily Halachot...
How Many Men Who Have Already Prayed May be Counted For a Minyan to Allow the Repetition of the Amida?
Should One Stand When Reciting “Nishmat Kol Hai” on Shabbat Morning?
Praying & Learning While at Work
Who Receives the First Aliya if There is No Kohen in the Synagogue?
May a Kohen Refuse the First Aliya?
Must One Stop His Learning To Help Complete A Minyan
Lending & Borrowing Tefilin
The Procedure for Taking Three Steps Back After the Amida
Torah Reading – If the Oleh Recites the Wrong Beracha
If A Minyan Becomes Less Than 10 During The Reading of Sefer Torah
The Prohibition Against Leaving the Synagogue During the Torah Reading
Reciting Kaddish After the Torah Reading
Which Daily Prayers Must a Woman Recite?
The Value of Praying Where One Learns, and Praying in the Synagogue
Can Someone be Counted Towards a Minyan if He is Sleeping?
Page of 239
3585 Halachot found