Food Preparation on (part of the Shabbat Experience at BT) Lunch and Learn – January 14, 2021 Rabbi Chai Posner

*Thanks to Rabbi David Fried for preparing most of these sources

Biblical Melacha of Cooking and the Rabbinic Prohibition of Warming

רמב"ם הלכות שבת פרק ט Rambam Hilchot Shabbat Chapter 9 .1 הלכה א Chapter 1 ... אחד האופה את הפת או המבשל Baking bread, boiling food, boiling dyes, and heating water are all… את המאכל או את הסממנין או …included in the Melacha of cooking המחמם את המים הכל ענין אחד הוא... Halacha 3 One who cooks over the fire something which is already fully הלכה ג ,cooked, or something that would not be improved at all by cooking ...המבשל על האור דבר שהיה מבושל is exempt from the Biblical prohibition [, but may sometimes be כל צרכו או דבר שאינו צריך בישול כלל .[rabbinically prohibited פטור. תלמוד בבלי מסכת שבת דף לו עמוד ב Mishnah Masechet Shabbat 36b .2 כירה שהסיקוה בקש ובגבבא - נותנים If stove was lit with straw, one may place a pot of food on it [before עליה תבשיל. בגפת ובעצים - לא יתן Shabbat]. If it was lit with peat or wood, one may not place food on עד שיגרוף, או עד שיתן את it unless the coals were raked out, or a layer of ash placed on top of האפר...בית שמאי אומרים, נוטלין אבל [them…Beit Shammai says that once the pot is removed [on Shabbat לא מחזירין ובית הלל אומרים, אף it may not be returned. Beit Hillel says it may [sometimes] be מחזירין. .returned רש"י מסכת שבת דף לו עמוד ב Masechet Shabbat 36b .3 עד שיגרוף - ... שמא יחתה בגחלים. One may not leave food on the stove from before Shabbat] unless] לא מחזירין - בשבת, דמיחזי כמבשל. .[the coals were raked, lest you come to adjust the coals [on Shabbat

One may not return the food to the stove on Shabbat, because it looks like you are cooking. [Note: Even though Rashi makes this comment to explain Beit Shammai, it is generally assumed that Beit Hillel would also agree that there is a prohibition of doing things that look like cooking. They just have a more lenient definition of what looks like cooking.]

General principles:

 Michzi k’bishul – looks like cooking  Shema Yechateh – concern one may stoke the coals – actual cooking  Mevushal vs. non mevushal – something that is already cooked vs. not cooked  We see all of these principles practically played out:

Shehiya-Leaving Food on the Stove from before Shabbat

שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן רנג סעיף א Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 253:1 .4 כירה ..., אם הוסקה בגפת שהוא פסולת של A stove…if it was lit with peat, it is prohibited to leave a pot of זיתים או בעצים, אסור ליתן עליה תבשיל food on it from before Shabbat unless it is fully cooked to the מבעוד יום להשהותו עליה, אא"כ נתבשל כל point that any additional heat would make it worse, because צרכו והוא מצטמק ורע לו, דליכא למיחש שמא then there is no worry that someone would try to adjust the יחתה, .coals

או שהיה חי שלא נתבשל כלל דכיון שהוא חי Likewise, if it is completely raw, and there is no way it will be מסיח דעתו ממנה עד למחר, ובכל הלילה יכול ready before the next morning, and it will be ready by להתבשל בלא חיתוי, morning without any adjusting of the coals, we also do not need to worry. אבל אם נתבשל קצת ולא נתבשל כל צרכו, ואפי' נתבשל כל צרכו והוא מצטמק ויפה לו, However, if it is cooked a little, but not fully cooked, or even if חיישינן שמא יחתה ואסור להשהותו עליה it is fully cooked, but additional heat would make it better, we אא"כ גרף דהיינו שהוציא ממנה כל הגחלים, .are concerned that someone would try to adjust the coals או קטם דהיינו שכסה הגחלים באפר למעט Therefore one may not leave the pot on the stove unless the חומם; .coals were raked or covered in a layer of ash

ואם נתן בה חתיכה חיה, מותר כאילו היתה If a piece of raw meat was placed in the pot right before כולה חיה דעל ידי כך מסיח דעתו ממנה. Shabbat, it would be permitted just like when the whole pot is ואפילו אינה גרופה )פי' שמשך הגחלים completely raw, because it will not be ready until the next מהתנור( וקטומה )פי' שכסה הגחלים באפר(, .morning מותר לסמוך לה קדירה בסמוך חוצה לה; ... If the pot is near the stove, but not directly on it, one may leave it there even if the coals are not raked or covered.

וי"א שכל שנתבשל כמאכל בן דרוסאי )פי' שם There are those who say that if it is cooked to the level of אדם שהיה אוכל מאכלו שלא נתבשל כל Ma’achal ben Drusai (a person who would eat food that was צרכו(, ..., מותר להשהותו ע"ג כירה. אפי' not fully cooked but was minimally edible—usually about 1/3 הוסק בגפת ועצים אפי' אינה גרופה וקטומה; or ½ cooked), one may leave it on a stove that is lit with peat ולא הוזכרה גרופה וקטומה והוסק בקש וגבבא .or wood, even if the coals are not raked or covered אלא כשהתחיל להתבשל ולא הגיע למאכל בן According to this opinion, raking or covering the coals are only דרוסאי; וכן לענין אם נטל הקדירה מעליה ובא relevant for food that has not reached Ma’achal Drusai or if להחזירה עליה בשבת... הגה: ונהגו להקל .you want to return the food to the stove on Shabbat כסברא האחרונה. .Rema: Our custom is to be lenient like the second opinion ביאור הלכה סימן רנג ד"ה * ונהגו להקל ”Biur Halacha 253 “Nahagu Lehakel .5 לכתחלה בודאי טוב ליזהר Ideally, it is certainly better to follow the more stringent opinion

What constitutes “covering the coals” on our stoves?

6. Rabbi Shimon Eider, Halachos of Shabbos p. 339 The minhag is to place a “”—a sheet of metal—over the burners that are lit, to cover the flame (following the opinion of Rav ). This serves as an indication that he desires less heat, so he will not come to raise the fire, or as a visible reminder not to raise the fire.

Preferably, the knobs of the stove (i.e. the controls) should also be covered (following the opinion of Rav Aharon Kotler).

 See summary below of Shehiya (placing before Shabbat) …

Chazara-Returning Food to the Stove on Shabbat

שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן רנג סעיף ב Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 253:2 .7 כירה שהיא גרופה וקטומה ונטל הקדירה If the coals of the stove are raked or covered, and you took the מעליה אפי' בשבת, מותר להחזירה כל זמן pot off of it on Shabbat, you may return it so long as it is still שהיא רותחת. הגה: ועודה בידו )טור(, ולא simmering Rema: and still in your hand and you have not placed it הניחה ע"ג קרקע. הגה: ודעתו להחזירה on the ground [the place where you would store it when you are )טור(; ודוקא על גבה, אבל לתוכה אסור...... done with it] Rema: and you had the intention to return it However, you may only return it to the top of the stove, but returning to inside the oven is forbidden….(M”B – since it looks הגה: ודוקא שהתבשיל מבושל כל צרכו (like cooking )ב"י(, ואז מותר להחזיר, ואפילו לכירה אחרת, אבל אם לא נתבשל כל צרכו אסור, Rema: It is only ever permitted to return it to the stove it if is fully אפי' לאותה כירה )מיימוני פ"ג(. ,cooked, and one may even return it to a different stove. However if it is not fully cooked, one may not even return it to the same stove. וי"א דכל זה אינו אסור רק כשנטלו מן הכירה מבעוד יום, ולא החזירו עד שחשכה; אבל אם There is one opinion that all of these requirements apply only if לקחו משם משחשכה, אפי' הניחו ע"ג you took it off before Shabbat started and are putting it back קרקע מותר )ר"ן פ' כירה וכל בו(, וכן נוהגים after dark. However, if you took it off after dark, you may return להקל בתנורים שלנו שיש להם דין כירה, it even if you already placed it on the ground. Many in our וסומכין עצמם על דברי המקילין, וטוב ,community have the custom to be lenient relying on this opinion להחמיר. מיהו אם ,but it is better to be strict. However, if it has cooled down נצטנן, לכ"ע אסור )ב"י(. .returning it would be prohibited according to all opinions משנה ברורה סימן רנג ס"ק נד Mishnah Berura 253:54 .8 כ"ז שהיא רותחת - פרט זה אינו דומה לכל So long as it is still simmering-This requirement is not like the הנזכרים בסעיף זה דבהם הטעם הוא דלא others mentioned here, which are specific rabbinic requirements התירו חכמים חזרה כ"א באופן זה אבל בזה in order to return food to the fire. The reason for this one is that הטעם הוא דכיון שנסתלק מרתיחתו דהיינו since it is no longer simmering, meaning it has dropped below the שאין היד סולדת בו יהיה בו שוב איסור בישול ,temperature at which one’s hand would withdraw from it וכדלקמן בסימן שי"ח ס"ד ולפי מה שפסק reheating the liquid would constitute a Biblical violation of הרמ"א שם סט"ו בהג"ה נהגו להקל אם לא .cooking as the Shulchan Aruch explains in Siman 318, se’if 4 נצטנן לגמרי: Based on the Rema in Se’if 15, the Ashkenazi custom is to be lenient as long as it is not fully cooled.

ביאור הלכה סימן רנג ד"ה * ודעתו ”Biur Halacha 253 “Da’ato Lehachzir .9 להחזירה And you had the intention to return it- [the Rema] followed the ודעתו להחזירה - הנה משמע דתפס strict opinion in all of the debates in the Gemara and therefore לחומרא בהאבעיות שבעו לזה בגמרא וע"כ required both that it be still in your hand and that you had the ס"ל דתרתי בעינן שלא יניח ע"ג קרקע וגם …intention to return it יהיה דעתו הא ע"ג קרקע אסור אף שדעתו להחזירה ... He therefore is not following the opinion that the Hagahot Maimoniyot brings in the name of the Sefer Hateruma that if you ודלא כהגה"מ שכתב בשם ספר התרומה had the intention to return it, you can return it even if you דבדעתו להחזיר אף כשהניח ע"ג קרקע already placed it on the ground. He rejected it because he not מותר. והנה גרם לו לדחות את דבריו לגמרי realize that the Ra’ah, and the Riaz, and the Meiri all agreed with מפני שלא ראה לשום דעה המסכמת עם it. [These manuscripts were not readily available at the time of דברי התרומה ובאמת בחדושי הר"ן הביא כן …[.the Rema בשם הרא"ה וכ"כ בשלטי הגבורים בשם ריא"ז וכן הוא הכרעת המאירי ע"ש ... Based on this, since it is only a rabbinic prohibition, perhaps we can be lenient if you had the intention to return it but already ולפ"ז אפשר שיש להקל במלתא דרבנן placed it on the ground, or perhaps even if it was still in your דבדעתו להחזיר אף שהניחה ע"ג קרקע או hand but you did not have the intention to return. Certainly, if שעודן בידו ולא היה דעתו להחזיר כשסילקה .there is any significant need, one may be lenient יכול להחזיר ועכ"פ בעודן בידו ואין דעתו להחזיר מסתברא ודאי שיש להקל לעת הצורך משנה ברורה סימן רנג ס"ק סג Mishnah Berura 253:63 .10 וי"א דכל זה וכו' - פי' הא דבעינן דוקא עודה There is one opinion that all of these requirements…-meaning בידו גם דעתו להחזיר אבל גרוף וקטום לכו"ע that it must still be in your hand and that you have the intention בעינן: to return it. However, raking or covering the coals would be required according to all opinions. משנה ברורה סימן רנג ס"ק סח Mishnah Berura 253:68 .11 מיהו אם נצטנן - היינו אם נצטנן לגמרי However, if it has cooled down [returning it would be prohibited וכמ"ש למעלה והטעם דשייך אח"כ עוד .according to all opinions]-meaning once it is fully cooled down בישול חדש As we explained above the reason is because it would then be subject to the Biblical prohibition of cooking.

General Principles:

 Must be fully cooked  Must have intention to return  Must not have been placed down  See summary below

Summary https://www.star-k.org/articles/articles/kosher-appliances/476/oven-kashrus-for- shabbos-use/

RABBINIC ORDINANCES REGARDING FOOD PREPARATION

Many rabbinic laws were initiated to prevent one from transgressing the Torah’s prohibitions. They are intended to distance us from what is prohibited, as well as to prevent us from performing actions which can be misconstrued with a prohibited melacha.

Shehiya– Among these rabbinic laws is Shehiyah. One is prohibited to leave the food on or in the place where it will be cooking, even if it was placed there before Shabbos. There is concern that leaving food that is not ready to be eaten on the cooking surface or in an oven may lead one to add to the heat on Shabbos. The rabbis were concerned that one may adjust the heat to enhance the food. In the past, when cooking was done directly over burning logs, there was a concern that someone might stir the embers which would add oxygen and generate heat. By stirring the embers, one transgresses two Torah prohibitions: burning a fire on the Shabbos day, and cooking (if the food is not yet cooked). In order to prevent any wrongdoing, the rabbis decreed that unless the food is edible before Shabbos one may not leave it on or in the oven once Shabbos begins, unless the embers are removed or covered to prevent someone from stirring them. In lieu of covering the coals, we have the custom of placing a blech over the flames before Shabbos. It should be noted that the main function of the blech is to make sure that one does not adjust the fire. Therefore, with a modern oven or cooktop, one should cover the temperature controls in addition to covering the flame with a blech.

Chazara– Another rabbinic prohibition is Chazara, returning cooked food to the heat source on Shabbos. Even if the food is still hot and fully cooked, one may not return it to an oven or a covered stove unless it was removed with the intention of being replaced; it may not leave his hand from the time it was removed to the time it was replaced on the heat. This certainly would prohibit taking a cold pre-cooked food and placing it on a blech on Shabbos. This rabbinic decree was instituted because by placing food on the heat it appears as if one is beginning to cook. It is important to note that reheating cooked foods that are liquid or contain liquid may be a transgression of the Torah’s prohibition against cooking on Shabbos. Solid foods that have been fully cooked before Shabbos may be reheated (i.e., or roast) on Shabbos. However, due to the prohibition of Chazara, reheating must be done in a way that cannot be confused with cooking. Therefore, one may place a kugel or on top of a pot of food that is on the blech but not on top of the blech itself.

Also see: https://www.star-k.org/articles/kashrus-kurrents/4097/ten-myths-about-star-k- -mode-ovens/#4

Netina Mitechila-warming anew

שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן שיח סעיף טו Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 318:15 .12 דבר שנתבשל כ"צ והוא יבש שאין בו מרק, If something is fully cooked and dry without much sauce, it is מותר להניחו כנגד המדורה אפי' במקום שהיד permitted to place it near a torch, even in a place that is hot סולדת בו. הגה: ואפי' נצטנן כבר. אבל אם הוא enough that your hand would withdraw from it. Rema: Even if רותח, אפילו בדבר שיש בו מרק, מותר. it is fully cooled. However, if it is still simmering, it would be permitted even if it had a lot of sauce.(that would be chazara) שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן שיח סעיף ח Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 318:8 .13 להניח דבר קר שנתבשל כל צרכו ע"ג מיחם There are some who say that placing cold, cooked food on top שעל האש, י"א שדינו כמניחו כנגד המדורה וכל of a hot pot on the stove has the same rules as placing it near a דבר שמותר להניחו כנגד המדורה במקום שהיד torch. Anything that it is permissible to place near a torch in a סולדת בו, כגון שיבש, מותר להניחו ע"ג מיחם place where your hand would withdraw, it is permissible to שעל גבי האש... וראשון נראה עיקר. ומ"מ אם place on top of a hot pot on the stove, for example if it is הוא תבשיל שיש בו רוטב ומצטמק ויפה לו, dry…And this opinion appears to be correct. Nevertheless, if it אסור לד"ה. has a lot of sauce and heat would improve it, it would be prohibited according to everyone. שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן רנג סעיף ג Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 253:3 .14 המשכים בבוקר וראה שהקדיחה תבשילו, וירא ,If you wake up in the morning, and find your food getting dry פן יקדיח יותר, יכול להסיר ולהניח קדירה ישנה and are worried that it will burn, you can take it off, place an ריקנית על פי הכירה ואז ישים הקדירה empty pot over the stove, and then place the full pot on top of שהתבשיל בתוכה ע"ג הקדירה ריקנית; ויזהר the empty pot. However, you must be careful that you do not שלא ישים קדירתו ע"ג קרקע, ושתהיה רותחת. .place the pot on the floor and that it is still simmering מגן אברהם סימן שיח ס"ק כו Magen Avraham 318:26 .15 וי"ל דוקא צלי מותר ליתנו לכתחלה ע"ג כירה .Only dry food may be placed anew on top of another pot גרופה אבל מבושל אסור ליתנו ע"ג )קדירה However, liquids may not be placed anew on top of another דעדיף מכירה, ת"ש( כירה אפי' הוא חם שאין בו pot, even when they are still hot, lest you come to do it when משום בישול דגזרינן שמא יתן עליו כשהוא קר they are cold and violate the melacha of cooking. Only ואין מותר אלא חזרה .returning would be permitted

פרי מגדים אשל אברהם סימן רנג ס"ק לג Pri Megadim (Joseph Teomim, 1727-1792, Poland and .16 כשמושיב ע"ג קדירה שיש תבשיל בתוכה...אין Germany) Eshel Avraham 253:36 זה דרך בישול...ומותר אף לכתחילה. ובסע' ג' When you place one pot on top of another pot that has food in להושיב ע"ג קדירה ריקנית שנותן עתה ואף היה it…that is not a normal way of cooking…and it is therefore שם מאתמול מ"מ כיון שריקנית היא לא הוה רק permitted to warm food anew that way. In Se’if 3, when it כגרופה וקטומה מ"מ לכתחילה אסור...ולכך spoke about placing an empty pot over the fire, even if it was בעינן שלא יתן ע"ג קרקע. there from yesterday, since it is empty, it is no better than covering the fire. שו"ת אגרות משה אורח חיים ח"ד סימן עד Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:74.35 .17 סעיף לה Question: Is it permitted to warm something that is fully האם מותר לחמם קדרה שנתבשלה והיא חמה ,cooked on something that is made to warm and not to cook קצת ע"ג מכשירים שנועדו לחימום ולא לבישול, ?…such as an electric hot plate כפלטה חשמלית ... Answer: It is permitted to warm food on an electric hot place if תשובה: על פלטה חשמלית אם א"א להתבשל it is impossible for food to become cooked there, and if it has שם אז מותר להעמיד קדרה חמה אם אין שם .only one temperature setting, but not if it is adjustable אלא מדה אחת להחום ואם יש שתי מדות אסור, עם מרדכי פרק ז סימן ב ,Am Mordechai (Mordechai Willig, 1947-present .18 ולענין פלטה חשמלית המיוחדת לחמם ולא Yeshiva University) 7:2 לבשל כלל, לכאורה לא שייך הטעם דנראה Regarding an electric hot plate, which is made to warm and כמבשל. וכשיש לה רק מדת חום אחת וא"א not to cook, the concern of looking/feeling like cooking would לשנות מדת החום כלל, לא שייך הטעם דשמא not apply. If it has only one temperature setting, and one יחתה. ולכן נראה דמותר לתת דבר יבש מבושל cannot adjust it at all, the concern of someone coming to קר עליה בתחילה בשבת, דהא לא שייכים טעמי adjust it would not apply. Therefore, it appears to me that it is האיסור. permitted to place anew cold, dry, food on it on Shabbat, since none of the reasons to forbid it would apply.

Summary

https://oukosher.org/blog/consumer-kosher/warming-food-on-shabbos/

Warming Food On Shabbos OU Kosher Staff

September 7, 2005 In warming food on Shabbos, there are three issues to consider – the first is potentially d’oraita and the latter two are d’rabbanan – bishul, hatmana and chazara.

Bishul/cooking includes, but is not limited to, finishing off the cooking/baking of a food (e.g. baking/warming a challah in a manner that removes the last vestiges of doughiness) and heating a cold liquid to above 120°F even if the liquid was cooked once before (e.g. gravy). Hatmana/insulating refers to the prohibition to wrap hot or warm foods on all sides in a manner that preserves the food’s heat. Before Shabbos, hatmana is only forbidden if the insulation causes the food to become hotter (e.g. wrapping food in extra layers of foil before placing the food into an oven which is on), but on Shabbos hatmana is forbidden even if it just maintains the food’s heat. Our discussion will focus on the third issue – chazara.

Even if food is fully cooked, hot, and not wrapped, Chazal legislated that it may not be put into the fire or onto a blech. [Right after food it taken off the fire or blech, it may immediately be returned to the blech under certain conditions, but that is a separate discussion]. Thus, on Shabbos morning, one may not take a fully cooked kugel from the refrigerator and put it onto the blech. The Poskim give two reasons for the issur of chazara. Firstly, putting food onto the fire will give the impression that one is cooking (nirah k’mivashel) and might mistakenly lead others to think that cooking on Shabbos is permitted. Secondly, if the food isn’t warming up fast enough, the person might ‘stoke the coals’ (i.e. raise the flame) (shema yechateh).

Warming Food on Shabbos for the Daytime Meal:

How then can one warm up food for the daytime seudas Shabbos? Traditionally, this was done by either putting the food next to, rather than on top of, the fire or by placing it on top of another pot filled with food (as per Biur Halacha 253:3 s.v. v’yezaher) that is sitting on the fire from before Shabbos (e.g. the pot). In both of these cases, the warming is done in such an atypical manner that everyone will realize that he is warming, and not cooking, the food (reason #1), and the oddity of the situation will “remind” him not to raise the flame. In this context, food placed on a counter adjacent to the stovetop is considered “next to” the fire but food placed on the hot parts of the blech are “on top of” the fire even if the food is not directly over the flames (see Igrot Moshe O.C. IV:74 – bishul #32). In recent years, two new methods were suggested for warming food on Shabbos – the k’deirah blech and hot plates/warming drawers, as follows.

K’deirah blech: The k’deirah blech is a rectangular, covered, shallow pan which is filled with water and placed (before Shabbos) over the stovetop. Its proponents suggest that the water in the pan renders this a “pot of food” and therefore food from the refrigerator can be warmed up on top of it on Shabbos. However, the k’deirah blech’s use in this manner has been widely condemned by Rabbanim because, as noted, the only reason one may warm up food on top of another pot of food is that doing so is so odd and atypical that it reminds people not to raise the flame and isn’t mistaken for cooking. However, the k’deirah blech is so unobtrusive and it’s “food” so inconspicuous, that people using it barely realize that it is any more than a standard blech (onto which chazara is forbidden even though it’s not the standard method of cooking), and the whole goal of using a “pot of food” is undermined.