Making Salt Water when Pesach falls on Shabbos
Of the many symbolic foods which graces our Seder table is salt water. On Seder night, we perform two dippings. One of the two dippings which we do is for the Karpas vegetable. The Karpas can technically be dipped into anything. The Shulchan Aruch suggests vinegar and salt water as equal options. In the absence of these options, even Charoses may be used.The custom is to use salt water. It is also customary to begin the Shulchan Orech meal with an egg dipped in salt water.
When Yomtov falls on a weekday, the salt water may be made on Yomtov without any concern, since the activities involved in its preparation are permitted on Yomtov for food purposes. But when Pesach falls on Shabbos, the making of salt water presents a problem that must be navigated.
In the laws of Pesach, the Alter Rebbe rules that the salt water should be made before Shabbos. If it was not, then only the smallest amount, sufficient for the Karpas dipping, can be made.
The Mishna Berura writes that due to the complications involved, if salt water was not made before Shabbos, one should use vinegar for dipping at the Seder. Only if this is not available, should one make salt water according to the Shabbos restrictions.
Background
What is the problem of making a salt water mixture or brine on Shabbos?
Pickling vegetables or other foods which are typically pickled in order to preserve them, is forbidden on Shabbos. The Rishonim present two reasons for this prohibition.
The Rambam writes that pickling is Rabbinically forbidden because it resembles the Melacha of cooking. Just as the action of cooking changes the state of food, pickling similarly changes the state of the food being pickled. The Talmudic sages teach that כבוש כמבושל, pickling is like cooking.
Other Rishonim explain that the prohibition of pickling is an extension on the prohibition of salting, which itself is a derivative of the Melacha of Me’abed - tanning. As part of the tanning process, salt would be applied to the animal skins.
Rabbinically, it is forbidden to salt any food which is changed through salting, including raw meat and fish and most types of vegetables. Just as salting is forbidden since it preserves these foods, so too pickling is forbidden since it has a similar affect.
The Shulchan Aruch references both of these reasons.
As part of this prohibition, making a large quantity of salt water is forbidden also on Shabbos. Even if the liquid will not be used for pickling, but will be used as a condiment for other foods, it remains forbidden. This is because it appears as though one was making it in order to use it for pickling.
The prohibition is not limited to making salt water. It applies to other liquids as well.
Whilst it is forbidden to make a large quantity of salt water, the sages permitted making a small amount of salt water on Shabbos. Even then, this small amount of salt water can only be made for use at the current meal and must be made immediately prior to the meal commencing.
Exceptions
If the salt liquid being made will be made in a ratio of two thirds salt or more, even the smallest amount cannot be made on Shabbos.
Where salt is merely added to taste there are no restrictions. Therefore, one may make a salad dressing with salt in it, or add salt to soup to enhance the taste on Shabbos.
Back to Pesach
Now we can understand the Halacha when Pesach which falls on Shabbos, where the salt water was not made beforehand.
Since no definition is given by the Rishonim for a ‘small amount’, only the smallest amount can be made as necessary for the dipping of Karpas at that Seder meal. This should be made just prior to the Seder beginning.
The Egg
Many homes serve the egg in a bowl of salt water. This cannot be considered the ‘minimum amount’ required. Therefore, if the salt water was not made before Shabbos, one should make the bare minimum to merely dip the egg.
Large Sedarim
What if you have a large Seder and the ‘small amount’ required for everyone’s dipping will become quite large?
This question is a matter disputed by the Acharonim. As a result, one should be stringent in this scenario and rather use vinegar, lemon juice or Charoses for dipping. Alternatively, one could also ask a non-Jew to make the salt water.
Other applications
Other practical applications of salting and pickling on Shabbos that apply year-round include;
When Yomtov falls on a weekday, the salt water may be made on Yomtov without any concern, since the activities involved in its preparation are permitted on Yomtov for food purposes. But when Pesach falls on Shabbos, the making of salt water presents a problem that must be navigated.
In the laws of Pesach, the Alter Rebbe rules that the salt water should be made before Shabbos. If it was not, then only the smallest amount, sufficient for the Karpas dipping, can be made.
The Mishna Berura writes that due to the complications involved, if salt water was not made before Shabbos, one should use vinegar for dipping at the Seder. Only if this is not available, should one make salt water according to the Shabbos restrictions.
Background
What is the problem of making a salt water mixture or brine on Shabbos?
Pickling vegetables or other foods which are typically pickled in order to preserve them, is forbidden on Shabbos. The Rishonim present two reasons for this prohibition.
The Rambam writes that pickling is Rabbinically forbidden because it resembles the Melacha of cooking. Just as the action of cooking changes the state of food, pickling similarly changes the state of the food being pickled. The Talmudic sages teach that כבוש כמבושל, pickling is like cooking.
Other Rishonim explain that the prohibition of pickling is an extension on the prohibition of salting, which itself is a derivative of the Melacha of Me’abed - tanning. As part of the tanning process, salt would be applied to the animal skins.
Rabbinically, it is forbidden to salt any food which is changed through salting, including raw meat and fish and most types of vegetables. Just as salting is forbidden since it preserves these foods, so too pickling is forbidden since it has a similar affect.
The Shulchan Aruch references both of these reasons.
As part of this prohibition, making a large quantity of salt water is forbidden also on Shabbos. Even if the liquid will not be used for pickling, but will be used as a condiment for other foods, it remains forbidden. This is because it appears as though one was making it in order to use it for pickling.
The prohibition is not limited to making salt water. It applies to other liquids as well.
Whilst it is forbidden to make a large quantity of salt water, the sages permitted making a small amount of salt water on Shabbos. Even then, this small amount of salt water can only be made for use at the current meal and must be made immediately prior to the meal commencing.
Exceptions
If the salt liquid being made will be made in a ratio of two thirds salt or more, even the smallest amount cannot be made on Shabbos.
Where salt is merely added to taste there are no restrictions. Therefore, one may make a salad dressing with salt in it, or add salt to soup to enhance the taste on Shabbos.
Back to Pesach
Now we can understand the Halacha when Pesach which falls on Shabbos, where the salt water was not made beforehand.
Since no definition is given by the Rishonim for a ‘small amount’, only the smallest amount can be made as necessary for the dipping of Karpas at that Seder meal. This should be made just prior to the Seder beginning.
The Egg
Many homes serve the egg in a bowl of salt water. This cannot be considered the ‘minimum amount’ required. Therefore, if the salt water was not made before Shabbos, one should make the bare minimum to merely dip the egg.
Large Sedarim
What if you have a large Seder and the ‘small amount’ required for everyone’s dipping will become quite large?
This question is a matter disputed by the Acharonim. As a result, one should be stringent in this scenario and rather use vinegar, lemon juice or Charoses for dipping. Alternatively, one could also ask a non-Jew to make the salt water.
Other applications
Other practical applications of salting and pickling on Shabbos that apply year-round include;
- On Shabbos one may not put salt onto most types of raw vegetables, such as; onions, carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, mushrooms, radish, peas, beans etc.
- This does not apply to cooked vegetables, which will not be further altered by adding salt.
- Vegetable pieces may be dipped into salt and eaten one at a time.
- When making a salad, the salt should only be added after oil or vinegar has been applied over the entire salad. This weakens the affect of the salt on the vegetables.
- The prohibition only applies to salt but not to other spices such as pepper.
- One may not place vegetables in a brine or vinegar or add such a brine to vegetables on Shabbos. Already pickled foods may be returned to brine on Shabbos, such as returning pickles to a pickle jar.
- Cooked vegetables, meat, fish and eggs may be salted for the upcoming meal. This does not need to be done immediately before the meal.