Preparing Food on the First Day of Yom Tov for the Second Day of Yom Tov
Question: Is there any food preparation that can be done on the first day of Yom Tov for the sake of the second day?
Discussion: Melachah may certainly not be done on the first day of Yom Tov for the sake of the second day because, at a Biblical level, only the first day is Yom Tov. Performing melachah for the second day is thus like performing melachah on Yom Tov for a weekday, which is prohibited.168
However, with regard to non-melachah preparations (hachanah), there are various opinions as to whether they may be done on the first day of Yom Tov for the sake of enjoying the second day of Yom Tov.169 Chayei Adam (99:1, 153:6, cited by Mishnah Berurah 667, note 5, and Sha’ar Hatziyun 503, note 2) permits such preparations if the following criteria are met:170
It is not blatantly obvious that one is preparing for the next day. For example, one may not do an act of preparation too close to sunset, when it is not feasible that he will benefit from his actions before nightfall of the second day of Yom Tov.
The preparation is merely the initial stage of a process, but not the final objective. For example, it is permitted to bring the cups and tablecloths that were used in the sukkah back into the house, but not to set the table with them for the Simchas Torah night meal.
There is a specific need for these preparations to be done on the first day of Yom Tov instead of simply waiting until the second day of Yom Tov.
Based on the above, if there is a concern that food that is currently in the freezer will not be ready in time for the meal on the second night of Yom Tov, it is permitted to take it out of the freezer on the first day of Yom Tov to defrost in time for that night’s meal.171 However, foods that need to be heated may not be put on a hotplate or a blech on the first day in preparation of the second day, since this would be a prohibited action – the ruling of Chayei Adam applies solely to preparation which does note entail otherwise prohibited actions. Nevertheless, taking the food out so that it will reach room temperature is also beneficial, as it will then take less time for it to heat up at night.
Additionally, if there is a pressing need, one may put drinks in the refrigerator or freezer so that they will be cold for the second-night meal.172
Question: I will be hosting a large meal for family and friends on Chol Hamoed, but I am worried that I will not have time to prepare a lot of food. It would be easier for me to prepare for the Chol Hamoed meal while I am already preparing food for the Yom Tov meal. Is there a permitted way for me to prepare food on Yom Tov morning for use on Chol Hamoed?
Discussion: Even melachah that is performed for the sake of ochel nefesh is permitted on Yom Tov only if the food will be eaten on Yom Tov. It is prohibited to cook on Yom Tov for after Yom Tov.173 However, there are some ways in which it is permitted to prepare extra food.
The main way to do so is to add food to the pot before placing it on the fire. For example, it is permitted to place a large amount of food in a pot and cook it on Yom Tov, even though one needs only a small amount for Yom Tov (see footnote).174 However, this is permitted only if the food is added to the pot before it is placed over the fire, since the act of melachah takes place when the pot is placed over the fire.175 If the pot is already over the fire, it is prohibited to add any food which is not necessary for Yom Tov, since this is a separate act of melachah. In the case where the extra pieces of food enhance the flavor of all the food in the pot, one may add another piece, even after the pot was put on the fire. For example, the more meat one adds to a pot, the better the food in the pot tastes. Therefore, one may add a piece of meat to the pot even after it has been put on the fire, even if his main intent is to have cooked meat for the next day.176
Question: What if one does not even want a particular dish on Yom Tov, but wishes to cook it for after Yom Tov? Can he make it permitted by intending to taste a little bit on Yom Tov?
Discussion: If one is cooking after the Yom Tov day meal has already been eaten, it is prohibited to cook in this manner. If one is cooking before the Yom Tov day meal has been eaten, there is a dispute as to whether this is permitted. Mishnah Berurah writes that the common custom is to permit this; he says that, although one should not object to this custom, it is praiseworthy to be stringent.177
It is prohibited to cook numerous pots of the same food, intending to eat them after Yom Tov, and taste a bit of each one on Yom Tov. This is because one could simply eat more from one pot. However, if a different type of food is being cooked in each pot, it is permitted to cook all of them by eating a bit of each on Yom Tov.178
It should be pointed out that even when adding food to the pot in a permitted manner, one should not say explicitly that one is preparing for after Yom Tov.179
168 Chapter 503, Passage 1. See further in the section discussing the laws of eiruv tavshilin.
169 See Yom Tov Kehilchaso 19, footnote 101 who reasons that the same would apply for the sake of any mitzvah purpose, such as for havdalah on motza’ei Yom Tov (see also Chayei Adam, Shabbos 60:15).
170 Chayei Adam mentions an additional criterion: The preparation must be done in an unusual manner. This condition is also written by Mishnah Berurah 667, note 5. It is not clear what the source of this criterion is. It would appear that Chayei Adam and Mishnah Berurah are referring specifically to the halachah mentioned in Chapter 510, Passage 8 that one should not transport large loads on Yom Tov since this appears to be a weekday activity. If so, this is limited to large loads, and only to bringing them through the street, but not within one’s private property; see Mishnah Berurah note 29 ad loc. Therefore, one would not be required to remove food from the freezer in an unusual manner. Furthermore, if it is not feasible to remove the food in an unusual manner, one may do so in the normal manner; see Shulchan Aruch ibid., Passage 10.
171 Orchos Shabbos II:22:174; Machazeh Eliyahu I:64; Yom Tov Kehilchaso 19:36. Note that if removing these items involves the melachah of boreir, it is not permitted to do so on the first day of Yom Tov for the sake of the second day.
172 Orchos Shabbos ibid., 175.
173 Chapter 503, Passage 1.
174 Note that even if one is not doing a separate melachah, it may be prohibited due to excessive exertion. For instance, although one may place a pot of water of any size on the fire, he may not fill the pot by repeatedly pouring smaller cups into it (Mishnah Berurah 503, note 14, as explained by Igros Moshe, Orach Chaim II:103). Some are lenient if it does not entail a significant amount of extra exertion (see Machazeh Eliyahu I:58:23; Avnei Hamakom 209:11; Yom Tov Kehilchaso 1, footnote 117).
175 However, it is prohibited to place an entire extra pot next to the pot of Yom Tov food and then turn on the fire. Even though it involves only one act of melachah, it is prohibited since the extra food is in a pot of its own (Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasah 32, footnote 177; Shevus Yitzchak, Yom Tov 4:2, citing R’ Shlomo Zalman Auerbach).
176 Mishnah Berurah 503, note 5.
177 Ibid., note 7.
178 Ibid., note 10.
179 Ibid., note 6.