What’s up, guys? While y’all were dealing with your issues yesterday, we were dealing with ours, plus dealing with getting THE PHONE WORKING. Isn’t it crazy how reliant we become on our phones, especially when it is our business as well? It was incredibly frustrating, but Hashem has His reasons for it all.. So, thank you Hashem for this, and BH we are ready to move forward. With a new phone. An Android. Gulp. (In case you couldn’t tell, avid iPhone fan over here.)
Anywayssss enough rambling. Other Rosh Hashanah planners definitely exist. They are probably more comprehensive than ours. But we’re here to keep it simple. We hope it helps you guys. Let us know what else you’d like to see on there!
Interestingly enough, we came across this halacha in the Bais Yaakov cookbook, and found it worth sharing.
Reading a Menu on Yom Tov
Before Yom Tov a hostess might prepare a menu, a guest list or a seating plan in order to remember which foods to serve, where to seat the guests, etc. Is it permitted to use such lists on Shabbos?
In general, it is rabbinically forbidden to read all kinds of documents or lists on Shabbos and Yom Tov. Initially, the prohibition included only business-related documents such as contracts and invoices, informal household “documents” such as a menu or a guest list were permitted. Eventually, however, Chazal determined that people were blurring the distinction between business and non-business documents and allowing themselves to read business documents on Shabbos and Yom Tov. Chazal were forced, therefore, to expand the original edict and prohibit the reading of non-business-related documents as well.
In addition, Chazal were aware that last-minute changes are often made in menus or guest lists, and they were concerned that one might inadvertently erase or alter the list as he reviews it on Shabbos. Thus, they banned reading all types of lists and menus on Shabbos. It follows therefore, that hostesses should not rely on these types of lists on Shabbos and Yom Tov.
Still, if a woman feels that serving family or guests on Yom Tov without such lists will cause her anxiety or distress, she may prepare and read a menu or a guest list, but only in the following manner:
She may ask another household member, eg, her husband or daughter, to read the menu or list to her. Alternatively, another household member should read the menu or guest list along with her. She should not read the list aloud or even mouth the words; she should merely skim it with her eyes.
Psak by Rabbi Daniel Neustadt, Vaad Harobbonim of Detroit dneustadt@cordetroit.com
