[37] The preparation of food is only permitted on Holy-days if wanted for the same day, except when Sabbath follows immediately after the Holy-day. In that case it is allowable to prepare the food for Sabbath on the Holy-day, provided such preparation has commenced before and need only be continued on the Holy-day. The preparation made for Sabbath before the Holy-day comes in is called erubh tabhshilin, “combination of dishes,” i.e., of the dishes prepared for Sabbath on the eve of the Festival (ערב יום טוב) and of those prepared on the Festival itself; it is accompanied by a blessing and a declaration of the significance of the erubh. The following is the blessing: ברוך … אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו על מצות ערוב “Blessed art thou … who hast [[353]]sanctified us by thy commandments, and hast ordained for us the mitsvah of erubh.”
It may here be noted that there are, besides, three kinds of erubh, viz.:—
1. Erubh techumim. See above, page 350.
2. Erubh chatseroth (lit., “combination of the houses in a court”). According to the traditional law, we must not carry anything on Sabbath from a private place (רשות היחיד) into the street (רשות הרבים). The former is defined to be a locality belonging to one person or family, and separated from the public by a fence. The Jewish inhabitants of a court or a town closed on all sides combine to form one family, and thus turn the רשות הרבים into רשות היחיד. The symbol of such combination consists of some food kept in a room, to which all have access (e.g., the Synagogue). This is the origin and meaning of the Passover-cake (מצה) which may still be noticed in some of the Continental Synagogues.
3. Erubh par excellence.—An opening left in a fence or wall round a רשות היחיד must at least have some token that indicates the closing of the space; e.g., a wire drawn through the open space from one part of the fence to the other. Such symbol is called erubh, “combination of the various parts of the fence or wall into one.” Such erubh may likewise be noticed in some of the Continental towns. In all these cases the symbol was not introduced for the purpose of permitting the actual transgression of a law, but rather for the purpose of reminding us of what the law forbids us to do; since, in fact, that which becomes permitted through these symbols is even in their absence no direct breach of any of the Sabbath laws. [↑]
[38] Comp. the two forms of the prayer השכיבנו in the Evening Service for week-days and for Sabbath, in the Spanish Ritual. [↑]
[39] שבת היא מלזעוק ורפואה (ונחמה) קרובה לבוא ושבתו בשלום
“To-day is Sabbath and we must not lament, for recovery (comfort) is near to come; now keep Sabbath in peace.” [↑]
[40] עשה שבתך חול ואל תצטרך לבריות (B. Talm. Shabbath, 18a). [↑]