Daily Halacha – Laws of Rosh Hashanah, 1st of Tishrei 5778

When Rosh Hashanah falls on Thursday and Friday, is it permitted to cook and bake on Thursday for Shabbat, or should cooking and baking for Shabbat be done only on Friday?

It is forbidden to bake and cook on Thursday, which is the first day of Yom Tov, for Shabbat. This may only be done on Friday for Shabbat, as Eruv Tavshilin only permits preparation for a nearby Shabbat, not a distant one. Even in cases where one is unable to prepare for Shabbat on Friday due to some constraint, it is still forbidden to do so on Thursday [Yechaveh Da'at 6, 32].

Is it permitted to make preparations on the first day of Yom Tov for the second day?

It is forbidden to make preparations on the first day of Yom Tov for the second day of Rosh Hashanah since the sanctity of the first day of Rosh Hashanah is greater than that of the second day [Shulchan Aruch 503, 1].

However, if one cooks a large quantity of food in the same pot, it is permissible since one is not making a special effort for the second day.

Similarly, it is permitted to shower on the first day of Yom Tov in honor of the second day since one also benefits from the shower on the first day of Yom Tov.

Ach Tov V'Chesed – Daily Halacha