Is Preparing Tahini Permitted on Shabbat?

It's Shabbat evening and you're setting the table for the special meal. "How many salads did you make this week?" your little daughter asks. "Did you make my favorite hummus?"

Her question reminds you of something niggling at the back of your mind. Yes, you made the hummus -- all the ingredients were on the counter and you were about to make the tahini too when you were distracted and... "Oh no! I forgot!"

Now what? May one prepare tahini on Shabbat?

According to halachah (Jewish law), ideally, tahini and all similar dressings and dips should be prepared before Shabbat. If one did not, for whatever reason, one may still prepare tahini and other such dips on Shabbat providing one does not use measuring utensils and instead only approximates the amounts of the various ingredients.

In the case of tahini specifically, there is another concern which is that during the usual process of preparing it, one first mixes the plain tahini with water to make a thick batter, and one may not make such a batter on Shabbat (as it is a form of kneading).

Therefore, in order to make tahini in a permitted manner on Shabbat, one must start with a large quantity of water to ensure that a thin batter will result right away.

Ashkenazim must stir the mixture in a different way from on weekdays, by mixing the ingredients using criss-cross strokes rather than in the usual circular motion.

Sephardim should preferably also change the way in which they mix the dip (although if they prepare the dip right before the meal, there are authorities who permit mixing it in the usual way).

It is also preferable to reverse the ordinary method of making the dip, by adding tahini to water and not vice versa.

As we mentioned above, making a thick batter on Shabbat is not permitted. However, if the tahini is too thick and you want to dilute it on Shabbat, you may add water.

In summary –

It's preferable to prepare tahini and other similar dips before Shabbat. If you didn't, take care to:

* Start with a lot of water to ensure that you don't make a thick batter.

* Mix it using criss-cross strokes if you're Ashkenazi (and preferably also if you're Sephardi).

* Reverse the order of ingredients if you can, adding the tahini to the water.