Brushing Teeth on Shabbat: Difference between revisions

<p class="indent">There is no clear definition of what uvdin dichol is. However, Rav Shlomo Zalman defines it as if you do something during the week that would be assur on [[Shabbat]] and then on [[Shabbat]] do the same actions with the same objects just a little differently.<Ref>Rav Shlomo Zalman Meor Hasshabbat Letter 2:2</ref> Rav Moshe defines it as something that is an easily recognizable weekday activity even if it requires no melachot to be done.<ref>Iggerot Moshe 4:74 </ref> Mishna Brurah (314:41) says that to use a vegetable grinder to grind eggs or cheese would be uvdin dichol. He also says in (303:87) that you can't use a comb even to lightly brush your hair to one side, but instead should get a special brush for [[Shabbat]] with soft bristles so its not uvdin dichol.</p>

<p class="indent">Minchat Yitzchak {{ibid}} and Rav Ovadia say that this would be a problem unless a special toothbrush is used. <ref> Seemingly then Rav Ovadia would be using a definition of uvdin dichol other than the one's of Rav Shlomo Zalman and Rav Moshe, because for them there is no way to violate uvdin dichol on an action that's permissible during the week. </ref></p>

<p class="indent">Rav Schachter said intuitively he feels there’s no problem of uvdin dichol with brushing teeth. <ref> Quoted by Rabbi Leibowitz {{ibid}}, using the rule that the Chazon Ish said that the parameters of uvdin dichol are defined by the poskim of each generation (39 melachos, Introduction to [[Shabbos]] endnote 522). </ref></p>