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<div class="pre" style="margin: 0; padding: 0; font-family: monospace">The SA says that one may not prepare a lot. The MB ad loc says this means<br /> more than one could explain as being necessary while still Shabbos.<br /> <br /> "More than one needs for Shabbos"<br /> and<br /> "because it looks like preparing for after Shabbat"<br /> both say that....</div>
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<p>My limited understanding: the Elya Raba says that the actual making of a large quantity is ossur because it appears as if one is doing a forbidden melacha. The M”B supports the Elya Raba and therefore when a large quantity is required it should be prepared in several small bowls and not a large quantity in a single bowl.</p>
<p>(Tangent? The M”B 10 says that there are opinions who are lenient and say that if one adds oil to the salt before adding water or adds oil to the water before adding salt, it is muter to make even a large quantity (but only what is necessary for that Shabbos) because the oil prevents the water and salt from being a pickling solution. The Elya Rabba says that the Mechaber disagrees.)</p>
<p>Note, too, that the SA here (321:2) also says: "It is forbidden to prepare even a small amount of a saline solution that is two parts salt and one part water." He doesn't qualify it. This would seem to be regardless of the quantity or purpose.</p>
<p>The M”B 473:21 specifically addresses this issue vis-a-vis shabbos/seder night. (I guess he's assuming that the salt water one would use for the seder is 2/3 salt?). Given all this is why a number of poskim (to my limited understanding) recommend making the salt water for the seder before shabbos.</p>
<p>-- Sholom</p>
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