The Halachos are based on the rulings of the Mishna Berura (MB) and Shmiras Shabbos Kehilchasa (SSK), reflecting Ashkenazi practice
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Attaching Letters to a Surface
- It is forbidden to attach pre-existing letters to a surface, such as fabric, on Shabbos due to the melacha of Kosev – writing.One may similarly not detach letters which are attached to a surface due to the melacha of Mochek – erasing (MB 340:22)
Cutting Through Letters, eg on a Cake
- Cutting through the letters: If a cake has writing or images on top of it, eg if the letters are formed from icing, or pieces of fruit or sprinkles, one may not cut the cake on Shabbos in a way which cuts through the writing or image (one may similarly not make such images or writing on top of the icing with sprinkles etc on Shabbos).
- Cutting between letters: It is, however, permissible to cut a cake if one cuts in between the individual letters – merely distancing two letters from each other isn’t considered erasing.
- If cut before Shabbos: If the cake with letters on had been cut into pieces before Shabbos, even if they remained in the container, one may take out the individual pieces on Shabbos and one is not considered to be erasing the text or images.
- Eating it: One may, however, EAT a cake with letters on it on Shabbos (the ‘erasing’ is considered an undesired, though definite, consequence [psik reisha delo nicha leih] where the action has two leniencies versus the Torah prohibition which mean the act is only forbidden Rabbinically [known as trei deRabannan] as a) the erasing isn’t being done for a constructive purpose, and b) it is being done in an unusual way, so is permitted)
- Writing imprinted on cake: If the writing is merely imprinted in the cake itself (eg one had carved out the letters with a knife and did not add any icing etc, so the writing is part of the body of the cake), or the cake is shaped into the shape of the letter, as it is an intrinsic part of the cake, rather than independent writing, and one may cut through it on Shabbos, without concern for the melacha of Mochek.(R 340:3, MB 15-16, Dirshu 33, SSK 11:7-8, 9 fn 51)
Further Cases of Cutting Through Writing
- One may similarly not cut/tear through writing when opening packets, or peeling or shelling food (eg if an egg shell has text printed on it) on Shabbos (SSK 9:13, 11:9-10).
- Opening Medication: One who is permitted to take medication on Shabbos due to being a ‘choleh she’ein bo Sakana’ – one who must lie down, or whose whole body is weak due to illness – should try and avoid tearing writing whilst opening their medication, but if this is not possible, given their status as a ‘choleh’ they may open the medication nonetheless (SSK 33:4, fn35).
Carving and Shaping Foods
- It is forbidden to cut food into or shape icing on cake etc into meaningful forms, such as of flowers or animals, or letters on Shabbos. Similarly, on Yom Tov one may not form dough into meaningful shapes or letters when making it.
- Basic shapes: However, one may cut food into basic shapes on Shabbos if one’s intention is merely to cut the food and not to form it into those shapes.
- For example, one may use an ice cream scoop to take ice cream out of a pot if one’s sole intention in using the scoop is to help take the ice cream out; however, if one uses an ice cream scoop or watermelon cutter with the intention to form the foods into this specific shape, this is forbidden (MB 500:17, SSK 11:12-14, fn42, 10:8, see OS 15:23
Cutting Food That Was Made Into Specific Shapes
- If a substance has become stuck on top of writing such that it conceals it, for example if wax or dried food became stuck to the page of a book covering some of its text, one may not remove this substance to reveal the letters – this is treated like erasing with the constructive intent to write (MB 340:10).
