Question:
Is it permissible to use disposable dishes and plasticware on Shabbat, or does
it impinge on the honor of Shabbat?
Answer:
It is permissible. It potentially saves
time washing dishes on Shabbat in a permissible manner of course) for the next
meal and also saves one from the stress of washing all of the dishes after
Shabbat, and this itself brings "Oneg Shabbat – Joy of Shabbat". If one is able, it is preferable to use
beautiful disposable dishes.
Ha-Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv was similarly asked: In a family
blessed with many children, there are many dishes used during the course of
Shabbat. In order to lighten the load of
washing all of the dishes, the husband wanted to use disposable dishes,
including a disposable tablecloth, so that after the meal they could simply
roll up all of the dishes in the tablecloth and throw them in the garbage. The wife, however, asked: Even though it
would certainly make things easier, isn't using disposable dishes disrespectful
to the honor of Shabbat? After all, if
an important guest came to one's house, wouldn't we bring out the fancy
dishes? Rav Elyashiv responded: There is
no impingement in using disposable dishes, and there is no disrespect to the
honor of Shabbat (Va-Yishma Moshe Volume 1 p. 106).
Ha-Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein asked his brother-in-law, Ha-Rav
Chaim Kanievsky this same question, and Rav Kanievsky answered with a story
from his uncle, the Chazon Ish. As is
known, the Yeshiva world honors Shabbat by wearing a nice tie. A Yeshiva student once approached the Chazon
Ish and described how difficult it is for him to wear a tie in the summer
because he sweats a lot. He therefore
asked: Is it permissible not to wear a tie or is it disrespectful to the honor
of the Shabbat? The Chazon Ish answered
that if there is no enjoyment of Shabbat, there is no honor, i.e. if the
Yeshiva student does not enjoy wearing the tie, than there is no honoring of
Shabbat in doing so.
According to the Chazon Ish's answer, we can also say in our
case, since washing the dishes can be a great stress, using disposable dishes
is therefore not disrespectful to the honor of Shabbat. And Ha-Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein says that
since there are fancy disposable utensils today, it is preferable to use them
rather than the simple ones. Ha-Rav
Chaim Kanievski agrees with him, although he holds that the basic Halachah is
that it is even permissible to use simple disposable utensils and there is
still no impingement on the honor of Shabbat.
Ha-Rav Zilberstein also added that lightening the burden on
the wife/mother is in and of itself honoring Shabbat (Aleinu Le-Shabei'ach –
Shemot p. 530).
There was once a young couple who was very close to the
Bostoner Rebbe and Rebbetzin. The couple
was also close to Ha-Rav Yosef Solovietchik, who was Rav in Boston, along with
teaching at Yeshivat Rabbenu Yitzchak Elchanan.
The couple was once invited to Rav Soloveitchik's home for a Shabbat
meal. The Bostoner Rebbetzin asked the
young woman: What did you see there? She
answered: It was quite similar to what you do but there was one difference:
They use disposable utensils. The reason
is that Rav Soloveitchik's wife wants to participate in her husband's Motzaei
Shabbat class, and if she needed to wash dishes, she wouldn't be able to do
so. The Bostoner Rebbetzin went to her
husband and told him this practice of Rav and Rebbetzin Solovietchik and asked:
I am willing to eat on China every meal, but we have 30-40 guests every Shabbat
and I wash dishes until Tuesday. Why
can't I use disposable dishes? The
Bostoner Rebbe said: You can use disposable dishes. The Bostoner Rebbetzin said that she is so
grateful to this young woman who told her what she saw at the house of Rav and
Rebbetzin Soloveitchik (The Bostoner Rebbetzin Remembers pp. 165-166).
Nonethess, Ha-Rav Shammai Kehat Ha-Cohain Gross, Rav of
Kehilat Machzekei Ha-Dat of Belzer Chasidim and author of Shut Shevet
Ha-Kehati, holds that since one would not use disposable utensils for an important
guest or at a wedding, one should be strict not to use them on Shabbat for
adults, but can be lenient with using
them for children (Kuntres Dvar Hashem Zu Halachah – Tefilah U-Bar Mitzvah #6).
If
someone is adamant that NON-disposable dishes should be used, he should roll up
his sleeves and help his wife wash dishes after Shabbat. Satmar Chasidim end Shabbat very late due to
a long Seudat Shelishit and the Rebbe's talk. Once, on a Saturday night, the
Satmar Rebbe saw that one of his Chasidim was the last one in the Beit Midrash
and was folding his Talit with great precision. The Rebbe asked him what he was
doing. The Chasid said that he saw in various books that care in folding one's
Talit is a Segulah for Shalom Bayit. The Rebbe responded: A better Segulah is
to go home and help your wife wash dishes (Others tell this story in the name
of Ha-Rav Chaim Shemuelitz. In the book:
"U-Piro Matok – Bereshit" of Ha-Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein p. 140).
