From the Rav’s Desk: Shaking a slushy bottle of juice on Shabbos

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  1. Question: [Sunday 14th Elul 5781]

I entered a number of bottles of juice in the freezer before Shabbos and when I took it out of the freezer it was partially frozen. I would like to know if it’s permitted for me to shake the bottle on Shabbos in order to turn it into slush?

 

Answer:

No. It is forbidden to make slush on Shabbos due to the Molid prohibition.

Explanation: It is forbidden to crush ice with one’s hands, meaning to break them into little pieces, in order so they dissolve into water. The reason for this is because doing so is similar to a forbidden action as it appears like he is creating these waters. This prohibition is formally known as Molid. Thus, if one froze a bottle of water or juice, it is forbidden to smash the bottle in order to break the ice and drink the liquid, and the same logic would apply to prohibit shaking the bottle to make slush. Now, although there is a dispute amongst Poskim if this restriction applies even when there is already liquid into which the ice melts into, practically, we rule stringently in this regard.

Sources: Admur 320:16 and 19; Michaber 320:9, 11; Shabbos 51b; Taz 320:7; Rashi Gemara ibid “The reason is because he is Molid Beshabbos”; Sefer Hateruma 234-235; Rosh 4:13; M”B 320:33

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.

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