Preparing Shabbos Meals on Yom Tov

I am a Caterer of a big hotel planning to host guests this Rosh Hashana/Shabbos, of course I will be doing the Eiruv Tavshilin but I am worried that since the Rosh Hashanah davening is longer than usual, when is the latest I can prepare for Shabbat?

The Answer:

Le’chatchilah one should prepare the food for Shabbos with enough time to be able to eat it on Yom Tov. However, Besh’as Had’chak (in a pressing situation) one may prepare the food later, even if it won't be ready to eat on Yom Tov.

The answer explained in depth :

Introduction to Eiruv Tavshilin:

Source #1

תלמוד בבלי מסכת ביצה דף טו עמוד ב

יום טוב שחל להיות ערב שבת לא יבשל בתחלה מיום טוב לשבת, אבל מבשל הוא ליום טוב, ואם הותיר - הותיר לשבת. ועושה תבשיל מערב יום טוב וסומך עליו לשבת.

Tractate Beitzah, page 15b

When Yom Tov occurs on the day before Shabbos, one should not cook on Yom Tov for Shabbos. However, one can cook for Yom Tov, and leftovers can be used for Shabbos…. Also, one should cook a dish (for Shabbos) before Yom Tov and rely on it (to cook on Yom Tov) for Shabbos.

Source #2

Cooking on Yom tov for the weekdays .

We know that on Yom Tov the Torah allows one to cook and bake for the Yom Tov meals (with certain conditions). However, one may not bake on Yom tov for the weekdays, The following Mishnah discusses if one did bake on Yom Tov for the Weekdays:

תלמוד בבלי מסכת פסחים דף מו עמוד ב

איתמר, האופה מיום טוב לחול, רב חסדא אמר: לוקה, רבה אמר: אינו לוקה. רב חסדא אמר: לוקה, לא אמרינן הואיל ומיקלעי ליה אורחים חזי ליה. רבה אמר: אינו לוקה, אמרינן הואיל.

We learned: If a person bakes bread on Yom Tov for weekdays, then Rav Chisda says he should be punished with lashes (since he has transgressed a biblical prohibition), while Rabba says he should not be lashed (since this is a rabbinical transgression).

The Gemarah explains the reasoning behind these two opinions. Rabba holds that although the intention when baking the bread was for the weekdays, since the bread could potentially be used on YomTov let's say, for unexpected guests, it can theoretically be considered as having been cooked in honor of Yom Tov. Therefore, it is not a biblical transgression, but only a rabbinical one, because the intention was to bake for the weekday.

However, Rav Chisdah Says that since the intention was to bake for the weekday, it constitutes a biblical prohibition and we do not consider the theoretical possibility of serving this bread to guests who might come on Yom Tov.

Cooking on Yom Tov for Shabbos:

We now need to understand the halacha for cooking on Yom Tov for Shabbat. According to Rabba, since cooking for the weekdays or even for Shabbos is prohibited by rabbinical law, the rabbis instituted Eiruv Tavshilin so it would be permissible to cook and prepare food on Yom Tov for Shabbos.

However, according to the opinion of Rav Chisdah that it is a biblical prohibition to cook on Yom Tov for the weekdays, how can the rabbis initiate Eiruv Tavshilin to allow cooking on Yom Tov for Shabbos, as the Rabbis cannot permit something that is a biblical prohibition? The Gemara explains that Rav Chisdah holds that only cooking on Yom Tov for the weekdays is forbidden by the Torah, however, cooking on Yom Tov for Shabbos is a rabbinical transgression. Therefore, the rabbis were able to initiate Eiruv Tavshilin to allow cooking on Yom Tov for Shabbos.

Le’halacha :

The Biur Halacha writes in Siman 557 that the halacha follows the opinion of Rabba, meaning that the reason it is only a rabbinical prohibition to prepare on Yom Tov for Shabbos, is that since theoretically, the food could be offered to unexpected guests. Therefore, according to this reasoning when one prepares food on Yom Tov for Shabbos, one should do so early in the day to allow a realistic chance for guests to arrive.

However, the Biur Halacha adds, that in a time of need, B’esha’as Ha’dchak and one wasn’t able to cook early in the day, one can cook later since B’sha’as Ha’dchak, we rely on the opinion of Rav Chisda and say that preparing on Yom Tov for Shabbos is a rabbinical prohibition.

Wishing you a Ke’sivah Ve’chasimah Tovah.

Talmud Bavli, Tractate Beitzah, 15b

Talmud Bavli, Tractate Pesachim, 46b

Biur Halacha, Siman 557

Azamroh Lishmecho page 307