UNDERSTANDING THE IDEA OF ERUB
As we know, cooking is allowed on a Jewish Holiday (Yom Tob) as we learn from Shemot 12:16 “…You shall not do any work on these days [=Yom Tob], except preparing food for everyone to eat, this is the only thing you may do”. However, our rabbis explained that it is only allowed to cook during Yom Tob whatever will be consumed during Yom Tob, but we cannot prepare or cook on Yom Tob food that will be consumed after that particular day. Thus, when a Holiday falls on Thursday /Friday, like this year, we are not allowed to cook from Yom Tob to Shabbat unless an ‘erub tabshilin is prepared.
‘Erub tabshilin consists in
1. Preparing prior to Yom Tob some cooked and baked food,
2. Declaring that we are preparing this food for Shabbat
3. Keeping that food for Shabbat
4. Eating that food during Shabbat. In this way, we begin cooking for Shabbat before the Holiday begins, and we continue the preparation of that food in Yom Tob for Shabbat.
HOW SHOULD WE DO IT?
Following these principles, this is what we do.
1. PREPARING
Wednesday, April 5th, in the afternoon, by 7.00 PM (NYT), we should put aside a plate with some cooked food and a Matsa and keep this plate for Shabbat. This plate is what we call the ‘erub. Since some food was already prepared for Shabbat before the Holiday, the cooking that will take place during the Holiday will be considered an extension (the word ‘erub in this context means “extension”) of the food that has already been prepared before the Holiday began.
2. DECLARING
The following Berakha is recited while holding the plate with the food (=’erub) in one’s hands: “Baruch Ata A- donay E- lohenu Melekh ha’Olam Asher Qiddeshanu beMitzvotav veTzivanu AL MITZVAT ERUB” בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’ אֱ-לֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּֽנוּ עַל מִצְוַת עֵרוּב Then we read the following text which says that by preparing this ‘erub we are allowed to do all necessary work and cooking from Yom Tob to Shabbat. בַּדֵין עֵרוּבָא יְהֵא שָׁרֵא לָֽנָא לַאֲפוּיֵי וּלְבַשּׁוּלֵי וּלְאַטְמוּנֵי וּלְאַדְלוּקֵי שְׁרָגָא וּלְתַקָּנָא וּלְמֶעְבַּד כָּל צָרְכָּֽנָא, מִיּוֹמָא טָבָא לְשַׁבְּתָא .
3. KEEPING
After saying the blessing, we place the ‘erub in a safe place or refrigerator and keep it until Shabbat.
4. EATING
For the ‘erub to make sense, we must eat that food at some point during this Shabbat. The general practice is to prepare the ‘erub with a cooked egg and a Matsa. Many people will also add meat, rice, and other types of cooked foods to their Erub.
