Since we have enjoyed out gefilte fish, how about a salad? If we are Ashkenazi, not so simple. If vegetables need to be peeled, we run into the issue of "borer". Even if we determine that peeling a vegetable is NOT borer, the halachah stipulates that most permissible preparations, cannot be performed with "a specialized utensil" (kli hameyuhad l'kach). According to most Ashkenazim, that woulod rule out a vegetable peeler. Sepharadic rabbis disagree, arguing that a vegetable peeler is merely one of many types of knives, and hence permissible, But wait. May I cut the vegetables? Ashkenazim point to a Talmudic passage that says that we may not cut vegetables "finely". This is interpreted as a prohibition of "grinding" (tohen). How fine constitutes "grinding"? As it is not defined, we had better leave the vegetables in fairly large chunks. In fact, to be safe, let's cut them a little bigger than we do on weekdays. Sepharadim will say "Wait. The context of the above mentioned passage in the Talmud is cutting vegetables or herbs finely in preparation for cooking, either for food or medicine. It has nothing to do with "grinding'." The Sepharadi will prepare the vegetables as finely cut as he pleases. Do you want some lemon juice on that? Not so fast. We have before us a question of "sohet" (squeezing, wringing out). "Sohet" is a subset (toldah) of "separating". The Talmud informs us that the squeezing of grapes to make wine, or olives to make olive oil, is Biblically forbidden, as we are separating the desired liquid from the rest of the fruit. The Talmud extends this, as a rabbinic "fence", to pomegranates and raspberries, which were frequently juiced and fermented at that time, in that part of the world. All other fruits, where juicing is uncommon, are permitted. Ashkenazi opinion later extended that to all fruit that we may wish to juice. Sepharadic opinion, based on RAMBAM, says that no new decrees can be made after the demise of the last Sanhedrin (fourth century), except for a recognized local rabbi, for his community only. Many Ashkenazim, on the other hand, consider a situation that, had it been known to the Sanhedrin, we may reasonably assume that they would have forbade, to be, in fact, forbidden. (Lemons were unknown in the Middle East in Biblical and Talmudic times). Therefore, all juicing is now prohibited on Shabbat according to Ashkenazi opinion. An almost universal "out" in this, is if we are squeezing the lemon not into a bowl, or even into a drink, but rather only onto a solid food. It never had the status of a juice, but only of a condiment. Even here, though, many Ashkenazim say "it's permitted, but better avoided". Most Sepharadic rabbis see this as a strange interpretation. Only the juicing of grapes and olives is Biblically forbidden. Pomegranates and raspberries are rabbinically forbidden. No decree was made on anything else, and hence it is permitted. (Surprisingly, Rav Ovadia Yosef forbade the juicing of oranges, as orange juice today is extremely common). Since lemon juice is almost never consumed as a beverage, unless other ingredients are added, it is not considered juice at all. Therefore, it may be freely squeezed, even into a bowl. Again, it is not that the Sepharadim are looking for "outs", but rather that they do not consider the stricter opinions in this case, to have any textual or logical merit. That one great rabbi or another ruled differently, is of no interest or importance, unless he put forth a source, or a reasonable argument. Now, let's have some salad, along with tea and lemon.
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