Fine china and washing dishes

[MyLittleWonders]

So, I keep reading how the Erev Shabbat meal is fancy ... one thing I read this morning likened it to a wedding meal - fine china, silverware, etc. So, my wondering is how does that all fit in with not "working" on the Sabbath. If I use my nice dishes/silverware/table cloth, I'm not going to want to let that stuff sitting around with remnants of dinner on them until the next night. :confused: So, what do you all do? Use nice dishes and let them sit? Use nice dishes and wash them even though it's the Sabbath? Use paper and plastic and throw it all away? ;)

[MyZz]

I use nice dishes and by saturday afternoon any dish since they all pile up LOL

what I do is prepare hot soapy water in the sink before Shabbat and once cutleryand dishes are used I wipe off all gunk from the dishes and dump them in the soapy water.If there are too many I just stack them by the sink.

[Wags]

Depends on the season of the year. In the summers it is easy to perpare a very nice meal and have it eaten and the dishes washed long before Shabbat arrives. In the winter, especially up north, it usually means fancy paper. There is some really nice stuff available.

[Bon]

Dont bite my head off here! :)

Because I really do not know.

question: But are we talking biblical commands or Halacah?

Would it really be considered work to clean up one's meal leftovers, plates and cutlery on Shabbat?

I understand that there are some here who adhere to very strict rules for Shabbat and other's are less stringent.

question: Where do you all get your information for these "requirements" from?

I want to understand what Yahweh requires I do for the correct observance of His laws.

Shalom from Bon

[visionary]

My concept is God gave woman the day off too... so that means as little cooking and cleaning as possible.... no scripture for it... Just want to take advantage of the offer of a day off.

[Wags]

Dont bite my head off here! :)

Because I really do not know.

question: But are we talking biblical commands or Halacah?

Would it really be considered work to clean up one's meal leftovers, plates and cutlery on Shabbat?

I understand that there are some here who adhere to very strict rules for Shabbat and other's are less stringent.

question: Where do you all get your information for these "requirements" from?

I want to understand what Yahweh requires I do for the correct observance of His laws.

Shalom from Bon

The command is to do no regular work - so if housework is your usual work, then you shouldn't do it. Coversely if your hubby never does the dishes, then he could technically do them :)

As for making a fancy meal - that is tradition - welcoming Shabbat like a treasured guest.

[Blueskies]

Generally, we scrape the dishes and rinse them each individually, but we do not go through the complete washing process until after sabbath is complete. It is our feeling that one person usually ends up standing there for at least 20 min, and that that person ends up working because, even if it's not their regular work, anything taking that long is work.

Extra food is put away, in dishes set aside for that purpose. Pans are rinsed but not washed, and also set aside. Then we settle in and enjoy the sabbath, eat the leftovers for the remainder, and enjoy one another's company.