Are there any limitations as to salting vegetables on Shabbos?

            Here too Chazal were afraid that if one was permitted to salt vegetables in the normal fashion it would ultimately lead to processing in a forbidden manner. Therefore, one should not salt vegetables that are usually pickled such as cucumbers, onions radishes etc. [1] unless a) one pours oil onto them, either before one adds salt or immediately after adding salt, [2] b) one dips an individual piece of vegetable in salt and eats it. [3]

            Does this apply to salting eggs as well?

            Eggs are not usually pickled and therefore one may salt any food item in this category as long as it is being salted for that Shabbos. [4] There is a bonus for salting it close to the meal. [5] Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach ztz”l adds that sliced tomatoes may be salted in the regular fashion because only whole tomatoes are pickled and salting sliced tomatoes does not appear as pickling. [6]

            May one crush peppercorns on Shabbos?

            Crushing – èçéðä is one of the 39 melachos of the Mishkan and hence violating the prohibition of crushing involves an issur d’oraisso (a biblical prohibition) and the bringing of a korban chatas.

Accordingly, if one were to crush peppercorns in a grinder on Shabbos one would be violating a biblical prohibition! Crushing directly onto one’s food does not alleviate the prohibition.

Another weekday crushing method is with the aid of a pestle and mortar. The pestle is the implement used to grind and the mortar is the vessel into which the peppercorns are ground. Crushing in this manner on Shabbos incorporates an issur d’oraisso. The Mishna Berura [7] explains that even though one is only liable to bring a korban if one were to grind a quantity equivalent to the size of a g’rogeres – a dried fig, nevertheless it is an issur d’oraisso to grind even a single peppercorn.

            Is there a permitted method to crush peppercorns on Shabbos?

            The permitted method is to modify the crushing implement and the vessel used to retain the peppercorns. Accordingly one may crush peppercorns with a knife handle on a table or in a plate. [8] Cutting the peppercorns with the blade of the knife is problematic as we will see later be”H.

            Is one permitted to use a salt grinder on Shabbos?

            The same applies to the using of a salt grinder on Shabbos. The only way to crush salt on Shabbos is with a knife handle on a plate or on a table. [9]

            Is one permitted to crush hard boiled eggs into small pieces?

            The Shabbos melacha of grinding – èçéðä only applies to items grown in the ground or items that are earth originating such as mud. Hence it is prohibited to grind pepper, salt, caked mud, garlic and other similar items. Eggs, on the other hand do not originate from the earth and therefore there is no issur to grind eggs.

            What about grating cheese?

            Similarly, cheese does not originate from the earth and therefore may be grated on Shabbos.

            Is one permitted to use a grater for that purpose?

            Even though one may grate certain items on Shabbos it is forbidden to use a grater! [10] The reason for this is because using a grater is considered a weekday activity. It is not for us to define what is considered a weekday activity and what is not, it is Chazal who categorized certain activities as weekday activities.

Here are several examples of what Chazal call òåáãà ãçåì – a weekday activity: It is forbidden to measure quantities, size or space on Shabbos. [11]

One is forbidden to hand an article to someone saying that it is to be used as collateral. [12]

What about cutting up a salad into very small pieces?

Cutting into fine pieces is an offshoot of ‘grinding’ and is forbidden on Shabbos. It therefore follows that it is prohibited to cut vegetables such as cucumbers and tomatoes into fine pieces on Shabbos. However, the Rashba says [13] that one may cut finely, immediately prior to eating, because it is considered ãøê àëéìä as Chazal did not require one to eat food in large pieces.

Not all agree to the Rashba and indeed the Bais Yosef says that even when one intends eating right away one should not cut the vegetables finely. The Mishna Berura [14] sides with the Bais Yosef and agrees that one should not cut the vegetables finely but says that one should not rebuke people that do cut them finely. [15]

However, it is extremely important to be aware that everyone agrees that if one cuts the vegetables finely an hour or two before the meal, or for example one cuts onions finely and then goes to shul, one is probably liable to bring a korban chatas, on account of both Borer – separating and grating the onion. [16]