Rabbi Yitzchok Zilberstein has opened up about his recently published halakhic ruling according to which it is improper to eat cholent during the week, and it should be reserved for Shabbat only.
Rabbi Zilberstein clarified on Wednesday that his ruling was not meant to be a blanket prohibition, "and certainly at a seudat mitzvah (a religious celebratory meal) where the dish is served, it is permitted to eat it."
Regarding yeshivas that serve cholent for dinner on Thursdays, the rabbi answered: "Certainly they should eat since yeshiva students must rely on the dean in every matter, and if the yeshiva management brings this dish for dinner during the week, you should certainly eat it."
Rabbi Zilberstein clarified that the original instruction was intended as an enhancement to the observance of the commandment to honor the Sabbath, but at yeshivas and family events, one may eat cholent on a weekday.
Cholent is a stew usually made of meat, potatoes, beans, and grains, invented to circumvent the prohibition of cooking on the Sabbath. While traditionally enjoyed on Shabbat mornings, in recent decades, it has become common among haredi, religious, and even secular Jews in Israel and abroad to eat the dish on Thursday nights as well, usually at casual eateries known as "cholentiot."