Shabbat

Dear Rabbi Simon I wonder if you could answer this question: I have just bought the below slow cooker. It has a setting to keep food warm. Would it be ok to leave the setting on “warm” and keep the cooker plugged in on Shabbat? Or do I need to use a timer to make sure it’s not permanently switched on? https://www.robertdyas.co.uk/tower-1-5l-stainless-steel-slow-cooker-silver…

Dear Rabbi Simon If you don’t mind I have a question for you.  On Friday night, my children were in the kitchen chatting and for some reason our Amazon Echo (Alexa) started playing music even though they hadn’t said “her” name!  Rap music was playing loudly until midnight in spite of us smothering Alexa with towels!  Under these circumstances would we have…

Dear Rabbi Simon Can I wear a mask outside on Shabbos? Mendy Dear Mendy Thank you for your practical and contemporary question. If you are wearing a mask in accordance with widely-accepted public health recommendations, ie to inhibit the inhalation and spread of Coronavirus, there are grounds to allow doing so on Shabbos, even in the absence of an eruv.…

Dear Rabbi Simon On a recent visit to the Sephardi (S&P) synagogue in Maida Vale (your old neighbourhood from the original JLE days) I noticed that the Shabbat times in the venerable [and soon to be updated] S&P siddur are rounded to the nearest half-hour (not sure whether up or down, or just down, so whether 3.58pm goes to 3.30pm…

Dear Rabbi Simon I have been asked to be interviewed for an online magazine.  Initially, they wanted to interview me today (Friday) with the intention to publish the online article on Shabbat. I asked them if the interview could be done on Sunday, and now they have agreed to delay the article. However, it is probable (though not sure) that…

Greetings, A Shabbos question: Does going to the lavatory after Kiddush but before washing one’s hands for Hamotzi (ie eating the challah), require repeating Kiddush? Shabbat Shalom, Jay Thank you for your Question, Jay. Although it is ideal to eat the seudah promptly after kiddush, there would be no need to repeat the kiddush in the event of the diversion…