A new psak from Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein is making waves, particularly among yeshiva bochurim and others who have adopted the popular practice of enjoying cholent on Thursday nights. In a sharply worded response, the prominent posek rules that eating Shabbos foods during the week — especially cholent, a dish traditionally prepared for Shabbos day — is inappropriate and undermines the honor due to Shabbos Kodesh.
The psak was published this week in Divrei Chemed, the widely circulated Torah pamphlet that shares halachic insights from Rav Zilberstein.
The question addressed to the Rav came from several bnei yeshiva, who noted the growing trend of Thursday-night cholent gatherings: “We wanted to ask the Rav shlit”a, since there is a great inyan to eat chamin [cholent] on Shabbos Kodesh, and this dish has historically been reserved for the seudas Shabbos morning, and some would fulfill Toameha chaim zachu by tasting it on Friday night. But recently, many have begun ‘being mehader’ to taste this dish already on Thursday night, preparing large pots specifically for that purpose — not to honor Shabbos, but for their own enjoyment. Some even eat it on Thursday day and on other weekdays. Our question is: Does this diminish the uniqueness of a food that was traditionally reserved for Shabbos? Should Shabbos foods remain special to Shabbos?”
Rav Zilberstein responded with a detailed analysis. He cited numerous sources from Chazal and the poskim that emphasize the importance of designating special foods for Shabbos, rather than making them common during the week. These sources include the Midrash Tanchuma, Tikkunei Zohar, the Ramban, Radak, and others.
Among his points, Rav Zilberstein referenced the Yam Shel Shlomo, who suggests that one should avoid eating fish on Friday night so they can enjoy it more during the Shabbos day meal, since kavod yom takes precedence over kavod laylah. The Rav then applied this concept even more strongly: “If one should avoid eating a beloved food on Friday night to honor the daytime meal, then all the more so one should not eat special Shabbos foods during the weekdays. That way, when Shabbos arrives, they can truly honor it as is fitting.”
Rav Zilberstein also cited the example of the Arizal, who was stringent never to cook any dish during the week that was typically made for Shabbos, such as pashtida. He mentioned a story about the Baal Shem Tov, who told a child eating onions and eggs: “This is a food that Jews eat only on Shabbos.” Similarly, the Chasam Sofer once refused to eat a dish made with cinnamon during the week, saying, “That’s a Shabbos food, and we don’t eat it on weekdays.”
He further noted that cholent was created specifically to honor Shabbos, as it allows for the fulfillment of oneg Shabbos through a hot dish, even on Shabbos morning. As the Ba’al HaMaor writes, eating chamin on Shabbos is part of a takanas chachamim, and one who refuses to eat it requires investigation to determine if he is a heretic or apikores.
Rav Zilberstein added an additional point from the Bnei Yissaschar, who wrote that although some feared the effects of cholent on health, on Shabbos there is a special berachah in the food, which protects those who eat it. He quoted the Mishnah Berurah, who writes, “Shomer mitzvah lo yeda davar ra” — one who observes the mitzvah is protected. However, that protective blessing does not apply during the week.
The psak concludes: “Cholent is a dish created specifically for Shabbos. Therefore, it is very appropriate to refrain from eating it on weekdays, in order to properly honor Shabbos with this special dish. Especially since it is not considered a healthy food, and only the sanctity of Shabbos imbues it with blessing and delight, as well as protection for the one who eats it.”
It remains to be seen whether this ruling will influence yeshiva bochurim and the wider public to give up their beloved Thursday-night cholent. But one thing is certain: Rav Zilberstein has drawn a clear halachic line in defense of kavod Shabbos.

{Matzav.com Israel}