Attaching Magnetic Letters to a Refrigerator
Menucha Magazine | October 13, 2023
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Attaching Magnetic Letters to a Refrigerator

Menucha Magazine | December 31, 2025

Shmuli and Zevi, the 6-year old twins of the Cohen family were looking for something to play with on a Shabbos afternoon. They looked in the toy box and Shmuli’s eyes landed on magnetic letters.

“Let’s make words with these letters on our refrigerator!” proposed Shmuli.

Zevi thought for a moment and said, “Well, it’s not similar to scrabble—which we cannot play on Shabbos—because in scrabble a score is usually written down, while here it is not. But here however, there is another potential problem: attaching magnets to a refrigerator!”

Question: Can they play Shmuli’s proposed game?

Hints & Answers

HALACHA CHALLENGE: Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchosa (16:24) teaches that it is not permitted to attach magnetic letters to the door of a refrigerator on Shabbos.

RHYMES: “me”

FIND: 1. 4:26, 2. 4:9

TRIVIA: She engaged in the conversation with the nachash. [We should learn from this not to engage in a conversation with the evil inclination when it “gently” begins a conversation]

*Menucha answers are not to be taken as final decisions in halacha.

Shmuli and Zevi, the 6-year old twins of the Cohen family were looking for something to play with on a Shabbos afternoon. They looked in the toy box and Shmuli’s eyes landed on magnetic letters.

“Let’s make words with these letters on our refrigerator!” proposed Shmuli.

Zevi thought for a moment and said, “Well, it’s not similar to scrabble—which we cannot play on Shabbos—because in scrabble a score is usually written down, while here it is not. But here however, there is another potential problem: attaching magnets to a refrigerator!”

Question: Can they play Shmuli’s proposed game?

Hints & Answers

HALACHA CHALLENGE: Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchosa (16:24) teaches that it is not permitted to attach magnetic letters to the door of a refrigerator on Shabbos.

RHYMES: “me”

FIND: 1. 4:26, 2. 4:9

TRIVIA: She engaged in the conversation with the nachash. [We should learn from this not to engage in a conversation with the evil inclination when it “gently” begins a conversation]

*Menucha answers are not to be taken as final decisions in halacha.

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