Final answer:
The eruv tavshilin is a Jewish legal mechanism allowing continued food preparation on a holiday for the Sabbath, involving setting aside food with a blessing.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term eruv tavshilin is a Jewish legal device that allows for preparation of food on a holiday for use on the Sabbath when both follow one after the other. In Jewish law, certain forms of work are forbidden on the Sabbath; however, the eruv tavshilin acts as a ritual permitting one to begin a meal before the holiday and then continue preparing it on the holiday for the Sabbath.
It involves setting aside a cooked item and a baked item, accompanied by a blessing, before the start of the holiday. This provision symbolizes that meal preparation began before the holiday, hence allowing continuation into the holiday for the following Sabbath without breaching the rules against starting new work.