#158: Melachah before Havdalah (Part 1)

Rabbi Eli Ozarowski
  1. One may not do any type of melachah (forbidden labor) before Havdalah. To do melachah, one may recite "Atah Chonantanu" in the Maariv Shemoneh Esrei, which suffices as Havdalah specifically for this purpose (reciting “Baruch hamavdil” will be discussed next week).
  2. In addition to not performing any melachah before reciting Havdalah, one may also not [EO2] perform any rabbinic prohibitions or other activities that may not be done on Shabbat. This includes preparing for after Shabbat, activities that qualify as “uvda d’chol” (“weekday activities”), and moving muktzeh items (Shulchan Aruch Harav 299:19; Mishnah Berurah 299:32; Shemirat Shabbat K’hilchatah 59:1).

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Dedicated by Fran Broder as a zechus for the hostages to be released safely to their families and may everlasting peace come to Eretz Yisrael in the merit of learning Hilchos Shabbos.