Yom Tov Seudah Prep

Prepared for print by Faigy Peritzman

I’m always eager to get ready for the second night seudah before my husband comes home from Maariv. Is there anything I need to say to separate the two days before I start my preparations?

No. Hamavdil bein kodesh l’kodesh is only recited between a Shabbos and a Yom Tov, not between the two days of Yom Tov.

I generally cook the same menu for both days of Rosh Hashanah. If I’m cooking something on the first day, may I make double for the second day as well?

Many foods, such as fish, chicken and meat, taste better when cooked in a larger amount, as the fat and flavor of the pieces integrate with each other and provide more taste. Therefore, it’s permitted to cook more than you need for the first day, even if your intention is to make enough food for the second day, since the fuller the pot, the better the food tastes. While this is permitted, it’s advisable to do so without verbalizing your true intention.

When cooking on Yom Tov, may I lower the fire if my food is beginning to get scorched?

If it’s an electric stove, then lowering it is forbidden, even if it’s a model that has a Shabbos mode. If it’s a gas stove, it’s permissible to lower the fire if you’re doing so to protect your food, but not if you are doing so for other reasons.

We recently moved to a new city that does not have an eiruv, and our new succah will be in our backyard. What do we do about carrying things to the succah on Shabbos? 

Make a temporary eiruv around your backyard, which is a relatively simple thing to do since many backyards are already fenced in and can be made kosher with minor adjustments. Still an experienced eiruv professional should check it, since it’s easy to make mistakes when constructing an eiruv.