Q. When does one perform an Eruv Tavshilin?
A. When Yom Tov goes straight into Shabbat, as it does this year, it is forbidden to cook, bake, or prepare on Yom Tov for Shabbat. When executed properly, Eruv Tavshilin creates a symbolic “bridge” permitting preparation for Shabbat. (It does not allow you to cook on one day of the holiday for the following day).
Interestingly, there is no Torah prohibition to cook or bake on Yom Tov for Shabbat, even though one may only cook on Yom Tov for Yom Tov itself. The Gemara (Pesachim 46b) offers two reasons why: Shabbat and Yom Tov are considered to be one unit since the Torah refers to Yom Tov as Shabbat. Accordingly, just as it is permitted to cook and bake on Yom Tov for Yom Tov, it is permitted to cook and bake on Yom Tov for Shabbat. When one cooks or bakes additional food on Yom Tov, it is not a Torah violation because it is possible that one will need the food for unexpected guests who might arrive on Yom Tov.
Q. If the Torah permits food preparation on Yom Tov for Shabbat, why did the rabbis institute the practice of Eruv Tavshilin?
A. The Gemara (Beitzah 15b) offers two explanations: When Yom Tov precedes Shabbat, one is prone to overlook the needs around Shabbat. The rabbis therefore created a special tangible preparation for Shabbat that must be attended to before the start of Yom Tov, so people would remember to cook for Shabbat as well.
If people were simply allowed to cook on Yom Tov for Shabbat without any formal reminder, they might assume that cooking for any day after Yom Tov is generally permitted. This misunderstanding could lead them to extend that reasoning to cooking for regular weekdays after Yom Tov, particularly late in the day. Such behavior is dangerous because cooking late on Yom Tov for a weekday is a Torah prohibition, not merely a rabbinic one. To prevent this confusion and the potential violation of Torah law, the rabbis established the practice of Eruv Tavshilin as a safeguard.
Q. What is the procedure for Eruv Tavshilin?
A. This year, on erev Yom Tov, Wednesday April 1, set aside two types of food: one cooked, and one baked (Mishnah Berurah 527:5-6). If you cannot obtain both items, a cooked item alone is acceptable, but a baked item alone will not suffice. The cooked item must be at least the size of a large olive (approximately half the size of a chicken’s egg) and the baked item should be at least the size of a chicken’s egg. Since not all cooked foods qualify for Eruv Tavshilin, and the laws are complex, there is a common custom to boil an egg on erev Yom Tov specifically for this purpose. The term “baked item” refers to bread, or a bread-like product. On Pesach, we are limited to using matzah. Hold the selected items in your hands while reciting the bracha and subsequent Aramaic text, as they appear in the siddur. As it is necessary to understand the text, you should recite it in your native language (Rama 527:12).
Q. How long is the Eruv Tavshilin valid? May I eat the Eruv Tavshilin food?
A. The Eruv Tavshilin allows one to prepare for Shabbat only on Erev Shabbat, but not on a preceding Yom Tov day (Shulchan Aruch 527:13). Additionally, every effort should be made to complete the preparations early enough on Friday afternoon so that the food will be edible well before Shabbat. Nevertheless, if preparations were left until late Friday afternoon, they may still be done (Beiur Halacha 527:1).
The food used for the Eruv Tavshilin must remain intact as long as preparations are being made for Shabbat. Perishable items may be stored in the refrigerator as needed. If the Eruv foods were consumed or discarded before Shabbat, the Eruv ceases to be valid (OC 527:15).
It is customary to use the matzah of the Eruv for an additional mitzvah as one of the two loaves of lechem mishnah at each of the three Shabbat meals, and to consume the matzah at the third meal of Seudah Shlishit.
Q. Who Is Included in an Eruv Tavshilin?
A. All individuals who reside in, or are guests at, the home of one who prepared an Eruv Tavshilin are automatically included in that Eruv and may cook and make preparations on Yom Tov for Shabbat. Since the host bears halachic responsibility for providing food for members of the household and for invited guests, all food prepared in honor of Shabbat, including the Eruv Tavshilin itself, is considered to have been prepared on their behalf as well.
However, a neighbor or other individual whom the host doesn’t have to feed is not automatically included. If such a person wishes to be included in the Eruv Tavshilin, this must be done before the bracha and declaration are recited. The individual must lift (acquire) the food of the Eruv Tavshilin and have explicit intent to become a partner in that food, thereby joining in the Eruv. (Orach Chaim 527:7–10)
Q. If one intends to be fully prepared for Shabbat before Yom Tov starts, is an Eruv Tavshilin still necessary?
A. Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, understands the opinion of the Magen Avrohom (O.C. 527:1) to be that it is not absolutely necessary to make an Eruv Tavshilin if one is completely ready for Shabbat.
Nevertheless, Igros Moshe (Orach Chaim 5:20:26) notes that even when a person is not planning to cook or bake on Yom Tov for Shabbat, an Eruv Tavshilin should be performed as a precaution for an unexpected need. Rav Moshe, zt”l, writes in Orach Chaim (5:37:9), that a bracha should not be recited in such a case.
Q. What should I do if I forgot to perform an Eruv Tavshilin?
A. If you forgot to perform an Eruv Tavshilin, you may rely on the Eruv Tavshilin performed by your city’s rabbi, as he customarily includes the entire community in his Eruv. You may rely on this, however, only if your forgetfulness was not due to negligence (Shulchan Oruch ibid. In addition, you may only rely on the rabbi’s Eruv one time (MB 527:22). The Kaf Hachaim (527:48) suggests that this limitation of relying on the Rabbi’s Eruv only applies to consecutive Yomim Tovim. However, the Chayei Adam (Klal 102:7) questions whether one may rely on the rabbi’s communal Eruv a second time, even if they were not consecutive times.
Another option is to have someone who made an Eruv Tavshilin cook for you. In this case, you must transfer ownership of your ingredients to the person who made the Eruv and is allowed to cook. He or she may then proceed to cook, including in your home. (Shulchan Aruch O.C. 527:20).
