Daily Halacha: Shabbat Halacha: Cake Writing and Teaching Children Mitzvot

Is it permissible to cut a cake in a way that erases the writing on it?

If the cake has letters or words written on it with cream or icing, it’s best to be careful and avoid erasing them while eating, especially on Shabbat. However, if the writing is actually part of the cake itself baked into the dough, there is no need to be strict.
(Based on Chazon Ovadia)

Is a father obligated to keep his son from prohibitions?

Yes. A father has the halachic (Jewish legal) obligation to prevent his young son starting from around age three from doing things that are not allowed, such as eating non-kosher food, mixing meat and milk, or desecrating Shabbat.

For children younger than that age, there is no obligation to stop them, especially if they don’t yet understand right from wrong.

However, even when dealing with very young children, it is still forbidden for an adult to actively cause a child to violate a prohibition even if it’s something that’s only forbidden by rabbinic law.
(Based on Shulchan Aruch)

Ach Tov VaChesed – Daily Halacha