Beitzah 021: Inviting Nochrim for dinner on Shabbos and Yom Tov Mark asks:
What is the Halacha re inviting goyim for dinner on Yom Tov, Shabbat, Pesach The Kollel replies\*: Shalom Mark, Let me respond by presenting first some background, and then the practical Halachah: I. Background 1) In Beitzah 21b, Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi issues two rulings. a. His first ruling is that inviting a Nochri is permitted on Shabbos. b. You can see, however, in Shulchan Aruch (OC 325) that this could still raise potential concerns about causing the Nochri to carry out items from your home. 2) His second ruling is that inviting a Nochri is forbidden on Yom Tov. a. This, the Gemara reports, is a Rabbinic decree based on the concern that the Jewish host will cook additional food for the Nochri guest on Yom Tov. b. Interestingly enough, the Rashba points out that even if one were to actually cook the additional food, this would be forbidden Min ha'Torah only if it is cooked in a separate pot and is comprised of forbidden foods that one could not serve to a Jewish guest. II. Halachah 1) On one hand, this prohibition seems rather debilitating if a Jew wants to host Nochrim for Yom Tov. For example, the Mishnah Berurah (OC 512:3) emphasizes that the prohibition exists even in a case where all the food was prepared beforehand. 2) On the other hand, there are several mitigating factors, and in many cases it will actually be permitted. Here are some: a. When Yom Tov falls on Shabbos (as it did this year for the first day of Pesach, and in Chutz la'Aretz for the eighth day of Pesach), this case would be Mutar, because one may not cook on Shabbos in any case, so it falls under the Heter of Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi's first ruling. b. The prohibition applies only if you _invite_ the Nochri (Shulchan Aruch OC 512:1). But if he eats with you without being invited, then there is no prohibition. For example: (i) the Nochri is your servant, rather than a guest whom you dignify with an invitation, and hence he eats fromNochri your family's meal since he is part of the household staff; (ii) the Nochri simply shows up to your meal based on his own volition (for more about this, see Mishnah Berurah OC 512:10). c. If -- rather than inviting the Nochri to eat with you -- you send a food package to him, then it is permitted, because you are not likely to cook for him since you are not hosting him on your premises (Rema ibid.). I hope this helps! Yishai Rasowsky \*This is not a Psak Halachah. Web Version https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/6165?id=719152.15688-1286.1.a16ce265b3607b01e6252346e6d7a8ce&p=eyIlN0IlN0JtaW1pLXNpZ25hdHVyZSU3RCU3RCI6IjE2NzU3NTU0OS03NjI1MzAwNzE2LTIwNWQ5NjcyMzFkMzBiZWMyY2IyYjA5NzY0YThiYzhhOTNhYzA1OTEiLCIlN0IlN0JlbWFpbElkJTdEJTdEIjoiNzE5MTUyIn0= Unsubscribe https://go.madmimi.com/opt_out?pact=719152-167575549-7625300716-205d967231d30bec2cb2b09764a8bc8a93ac0591 Preferences https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/6165?id=719152.15689-1287.1.bb5625ab58c2a9ae06b696bcb7eced3f&p=eyIlN0IlN0JtaW1pLXNpZ25hdHVyZSU3RCU3RCI6IjE2NzU3NTU0OS03NjI1MzAwNzE2LTIwNWQ5NjcyMzFkMzBiZWMyY2IyYjA5NzY0YThiYzhhOTNhYzA1OTEiLCIlN0IlN0JlbWFpbElkJTdEJTdEIjoiNzE5MTUyIn0= Kollel Iyun Hadaf | P. O. Box 43087, Har Nof, Jerusalem, Israel
