May children play with a writing board, which has a plastic sheet which when lifted erases the letters?

The Mishna in Shabbos 104b specifies the foundation for the melacha of ëåúá – writing. The two main fundamentals of the melacha are that one write with long-lasting ink and that the letters are written on a durable surface. These two features coupled with the required amount of letters written, obligate the writer to bring a korban for violating an issur d’oraisso – a biblical commandment.

The Mishna says that were one to write with say fruit juice on a durable surface or with ink on a non-durable surface, one would be absolved of an issur d’oraisso.  Nevertheless, mid’rabanan one is prohibited from doing so.

We must add that it is not imperative that ink be used to be liable for the issur d’oraisso because engraving or etching is equal to writing with ink, provided that it is done on a surface which leaves an imprint, thus fulfilling two of the requisites of the melacha. [1]

Based on the above, a delegation from ‘Hachovesh’, (the emergency service of Har Nof, Yerushalayim) approached Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach ztz”l and asked whether the writing board with the plastic sheet could be used on Shabbos for writing by the emergency dispatcher. (They were obviously aware that normally it would at least be ossur mid’rabanan to use such a board, however the question was whether it was better than writing with ink on paper).

Rav Shlomo Zalman answered that one has not gained anything by writing on such a board, because although one normally erases everything etched onto the board, but until it is erased it is considered permanent writing and therefore a d’oraisso.

Therefore, to answer the question, writing or drawing on such a board on Shabbos is ossur mid’oraisso.

Is one permitted to draw shapes in a frosted window?

Drawing shapes or writing on a frosted window is ossur mid’rabanan on Shabbos. Although the writing is not permanent, nevertheless Chazal prohibited writing or drawing that is non-permanent. Accordingly therefore, one may not write by tracing one’s finger in sand, or write in a film of liquid on a table, or draw a picture in the dust on a table. [2]

What about writing in the air?

There is no issur to imaginarily draw shapes or write letters in the air because one is not leaving a mark anywhere. [3] For the same reason one may trace letters with a ‘dry’ finger on the table or on paper because one is not leaving an impression.

Is there a problem eating cookies or cake with letters formed on them?

The Mordechai [4] in the 7^th perek of Shabbos cites a question posed to the Maharam. The custom was that on Yom Tov (probably Shavuos) children would eat cake with letters formed on the cake and the problem is that they were erasing the letters. The Maharam answered that although it is not an issur d’oraisso because for erasing to be an issur d’oraisso it must be with intention of replacing the erasure or for some other positive benefit. Notwithstanding, it is ossur mid’rabanan, but since it involves children and adults are not handing them an issur, [5] it is permitted for them to eat the cake. The Rama [6] quotes this as the halacha.

The Mishna Berura [7] however quotes the Nodah Biyhuda [8] who argues and is lenient. He says that the case of the Maharam was where the writing was purposely intended to be eaten by the children as a ñâåìä – a spiritual enhancement to Torah (on Shavuos) and therefore he only permitted it for children, but in regular cases everyone may eat such cake.

The Mishna Berura rules that one may rely on the lenient opinion when biting into the letter with one’s teeth, but he does not permit cutting the letters.

The Mishna Berura [9] adds that the entire debate revolves around letters formed on cake or cookies, such as icing, but when the writing is of the same substance as the cookie, i.e. it is etched into the cookie, there is no problem to break or cut the cookie. [10]