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JUDAISM DISCOVERED 943 MICHAEL HOFFMAN
dishes even if they are needed for another Shabbos meal, if other clean ones
are already available (cf. Be'er Moshe 6:82 quoting Ohel Moed; Tosfos
Shabbos 323:8; Minchas Shabbos 80:254; Aruch Ha-Shulchan 323:7; B'tzeil
ha-Chachmah 4:130; Shevet ha-Levi 6:42; Machazeh Eliyahu 62-3). Dishes
that may not be washed on Shabbos may still be stacked in a dishwasher but
this is permitted only to those who generally take their dirty dishes directly
from the table to the dishwasher (cf. Shemiras Shabbos K'hilchasah 12:35).
However, these dishes may not be sorted beforehand, even if only to make
more room in the dishwasher. It is permitted to pick up a few similar dishes,
for example a stack of soiled cups or dirty fish plates and place each in its
designated spot. However, and this is vital, if the dishes and cups were
improperly placed, they may not be rearranged according to size and type so
that they will be ready for washing in the evening. But it would be
permissible to rearrange the dishes according to size and type if the intention
is to make more room for all the dishes in the dishwasher. However, under no
circumstances must the dishwasher be turned on, even if it is to be triggered
by a pre-set timer clock (cf. Minchas Shelomo 2:20; Shemiras Shabbos
K'hilchasah 12:35). And of course it is forbidden to operate any appliance on a
time clock on Shabbos (cf. Igros Moshe). It is also forbidden to rinse dishes in
preparation for washing them, or to soak them. This includes filling a dirty
skillet or pan with soaking water to ease scrubbing at a later date (cf. Me'or
ha-Shabbos vol. 1, p. 115 quoting Harav Y.Y. Fisher; also Nishmas Shabbos
(O.C. 323:361). On Shabbos it is forbidden to heat hot water including for
cleaning dishes (Nishmas Shabbos 318: 73-2; Sulchan Shelomo 318:1-1 and
Orchos Shabbos 1:90). Under extenuating circumstances, it may be
permissible to use a plunger on a blocked kitchen drain. The extenuation
pertains to whether or not the act itself represents "fixing" the drain; fixing
would be a violation of Makeh B'patish. For the relevant legal points
concerning clearing or fixing a blocked drain cf. Igros Moshe O.C. 4:40-9;
Minchas Yitzchak 5:75; Shemiras Shabbos K'hilchasah 12 (note 50) and
Yabia Omer 5:33.
In Judaism the Talmudic burlesque of the Sabbath is not a God-given
period of rest, but rather a rabbinic plague of "mountains" of bureaucratic
rules and regulations governing everything from ovens to elevators to
automobiles: "On Shabbat one may not carry or transfer objects between a
reshut ha-yachid (private, enclosed domain, such as the house); and a reshut