[Avodah] Brush teeth after seudat shlishit

[Akiva Miller]

R' Micha Berger asked:

> You mean, who says that chicken cutlets are more appropriate
> for a se'udas Shabbos than tuna fish sandwiches? (At least,
> in this culture...)

I'm glad you added that tag about culture, because it highlights my attempt to find criteria which are not so personally-defined, but rather halachically-defined.

For example, there is an acknowledged halachic preference for hot food on Shabbos, and the reason for it is a specific anti-nonbeliever agenda, to demonstrate that we *are* allowed to use the heat of fire on Shabbos. This does not says anything negative about having some cold food along with the hot.

Similarly, there is an acknowledged halachic preference for meat dishes, on the presumption that meat brings more simcha or oneg to the person than pareve or dairy food does. This preference is not as ironclad as above, however, as it has some wiggle room for those who personally prefer other foods to meat.

It I remember correctly, there's also a preference for tahor food over tamei, and/or kodshim over chullin, because the objective ruchniyus of these foods is more befitting Shabbos.

In keeping with the above, it seems appropriate that halacha might have a specific and clear preference for foods which are Oleh Al Shulchan Melachim, over comparatively pedestrian foods. Although this standard will vary from culture to culture, it can still be called objective, because within any particular culture, this standard is totally independent of my personal preferences, but rather totally dependent on how the poskim see this particular food's status within our culture.

For example, according to http://www.star-k.org/kashrus/kk-issues-bishul.htm, potato chips are not Oleh Al Shulchan Melachim today in the United States (though they *are* such in "certain Third World countries"). And I should remind the readership that what started this sub-thread, was the idea that a person might eat Pringles on Shabbos in order to prepare for fasting on Tisha B'Av. Setting aside the question of preparing for after Shabbos, this person was surprised that someone would deign to eat such a non-special food on Shabbos at all.

So to get back to R' Micha's question: The policy of the Star-K (http://www.star-k.com/kashrus/kk-ttts-spring06.htm) is to consider tuna Oleh Al Shulchan Melachim. As such, it would NOT be any less preferable than chicken cutlets according to this standard. On the other hand, "Essentially, the halachic position of the OU is that canned fish does not become forbidden as a result of bishu1 akum" (http://www.oukosher.org/index.php/common/article/playing_with_fire_by_rabbi_yaakov_luban_senior_rabbinic_coordinator_ou_kash/), according to which chicken cutlets *would* be preferable.

Getting back to *my* question: Are there any poskim who use this criteria at all? It surely seems like a useful yardstick, but is "ruach chachamim nocheh heymenu"? Do any poskim advise us to eat only elegant desserts on Shabbos, and to avoid junk foods?

Akiva Miller


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