Chacham HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlita is quoted as permitting soldiers to begin doing their laundry on Erev Shabbos even if they know it will be completed after the start of Shabbos, Kol Chai Radio reported on Monday.

Quoting the Rav’s words from his weekly motzei Shabbos shiur, the Rav specified that in some cases, soldiers are permitted to return home for Shabbos and are compelled to return shortly following the Holy Day and are compelled to clean their clothing in the interim.

The Rav based his p’sak on a Rambam which speaks of melacha that is started before Shabbos and is only completed after the start of Shabbos, drawing an analogy to a chulent which cooks through the Shabbos.

The Rav’s ruling pertains only to soldiers compelled to return to base immediately following Shabbos.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)