General Laws

An Agent Showing a House on Shabbat

A congregant of mine is trying to sell his house. His non-Jewish real estate agent suggested doing an open house on Shabbat, a good time for many buyers. If the owner goes away for Shabbat, may he do that?

How Many Challot to Take Home?

My neighbor works in a bakery, and when they have a lot of unsold challot. He encourages people at Maariv of Shabbat to come take as many as possible. I took what I thought I might use but not what I knew would go straight into the freezer because I thought it was hachana (preparation for after Shabbat). Is that correct?

Automatic Commerce in Cryptocurrency on Shabbat

I joined a “stock exchange” for crypto coins, in which I can buy and sell, and have a linked service that enables me to create “bots” to find and carry out deals 24/7. If I do not shut it off for Shabbat (which is easy), it will almost certainly find profitable trades. May I let the bots run on Shabbat?

Is Raw Spaghetti Muktzeh?

An open package of spaghetti fell out of the closet, with its contents spilling on the counter and floor. I swept up what was on the floor but left the spaghetti on the counter, as I was unsure if it was muktzeh. One of my boys noshed on some of it. Was he allowed to eat it or was it muktzeh?

Carrying in Public and the Use of an Eruv

Part 2

Part 2

Carrying in Public and the Use of an Eruv

Part 1

Part 1

Muktzeh during Bein Hashemashot

May one “violate” muktzeh during bein hashemashot (=bhs; the time between sunset and nightfall treated as a doubt of day or night) based on the rule of sefika d’rabbanan l’kula (we are lenient in cases of doubt of a Rabbinic prohibition) even without a mitzva need. If not, why?

The Spectrum of Muktzah Utensils