HALACHAH FOR LIFE: What You Need to Know About Warming Food on Shabbat

 HALACHAH FOR LIFE: What You Need to Know About Warming Food on Shabbat



Our father in Shamayim (Heaven),


Rock-fortress and redeemer of Yisra’el —

bless the State of Israel,

the initial sprouting of our redemption.

Beit Yisrael International Torah Yomi for everyone who loves Yisrael.



HarHaBayit:

'We failed! We didn't throw of the Mountain: Amalek's descendants and their Israeli friends! The Erev Rav! We must be at war until all terrorists are dead! In and around Eretz Yisrael. The day after, we need to vote for an Elohim fearing Government. Then let us start to Pray and to talk about a new government. Every Jew and non-Jew must accept and respect Jewish Law. Voting's yes, but a new high Court system Jewish Law in all Eretz Yisrael: Including Aza, Yudea and Samaria. So that we may become a real blessing for the whole world as it was in the time of the Kingdom of HaMeleg David. Yes, real Teshuva and Study our Source: The Torah. The Sifri (a treatise on the derivation of Torah law from the exegesis of the verses of Numbers and Deuteronomy, written during the time of the Mishnah by Rav) says, "The Jewish people were commanded three mitzvos upon entering Israel: appointing for them-selves a king, building themselves a Sanctuary and wiping out the descendants of Amalek."

Look Click: https://fb.watch/r0HhSftzj1/


Shemot (Exodus) - Chapter 25

 

8And they shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst

 

חוְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ וְשָֽׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם:

And they shall make Me a sanctuary: And they shall make in My name a house of sanctity.

 

וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ: וְעָשׂוּ לִשְׁמִי בֵּית קְדֻשָּׁה:

9according to all that I show you, the pattern of the Mishkan and the pattern of all its vessels; and so shall you do.

 

טכְּכֹ֗ל אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֲנִי֙ מַרְאֶ֣ה אֽוֹתְךָ֔ אֵ֚ת תַּבְנִ֣ית הַמִּשְׁכָּ֔ן וְאֵ֖ת תַּבְנִ֣ית כָּל־כֵּלָ֑יו וְכֵ֖ן תַּֽעֲשֽׂוּ:

according to all that I show you: here, the pattern of the Mishkan. This verse is connected to the verse above it: “And they shall make Me a sanctuary…” according to all that I show you.

 

כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מַרְאֶה אֽוֹתְךָ: כָּאן את תבנית המשכןהַמִּקְרָא הַזֶּה מְחֻבָּר לַמִּקְרָא שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה הֵימֶנּוּ וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מַרְאֶה אוֹתְךָ:

 

Eretz Yisrael in Jewish Scriptures Click: 

אבינו בשמים,

מבצר סלע וגואל ישראל -

לברך את מדינת ישראל,

הנבטה הראשונית של גאולתנו.

Our father in Shamayim (Heaven),

Rock-fortress and redeemer of Yisra’el —

bless the State of Israel,

the initial sprouting of our redemption.

 תפילה לשלום מדינת ישראל | Prayer for the Welfare of the State of Israel, by Rabbi Yitsak haLevi Hertzog

(1948)

Source (Hebrew)

Translation (English)

אָבִינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם,
צוּר יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹאֲלוֹ,
בָּרֵךְ אֶת מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל,
רֵאשִׁית צְמִיחַת גְּאֻלָּתֵנוּ.

Our father in Shamayim (Heaven),
Rock-fortress and redeemer of Yisra’el —
bless the State of Israel,
the initial sprouting of our redemption.

הָגֵן עָלֶיהָ בְּאֶבְרַת חַסְדֶּךָ,
וּפְרֹשׁ עָלֶיהָ סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמֶךָ,
וּשְׁלַח אוֹרְךָ וַאֲמִתְּךָ
לְרָאשֶׁיהָשָׂרֶיהָ וְיוֹעֲצֶיהָ,
וְתַקְּנֵם בְּעֵצָה טוֹבָה מִלְּפָנֶיךָ.

Shield her beneath the wings of your lovingkindness;
spread over her your Sukkah of peace;[1]
send your light and your truth
to its leaders, officers, and counselors,
and correct them with your good counsel.

חַזֵּק אֶת יְדֵי מְגִנֵּי אֶרֶץ קָדְשֵׁנוּ,
וְהַנְחִילֵם אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְשׁוּעָה
וַעֲטֶרֶת נִצָּחוֹן תְּעַטְּרֵם,
וְנָתַתָּ שָׁלוֹם בָּאָרֶץ
וְשִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם לְיוֹשְׁבֶיהָ.

Strengthen the defenders of our Holy Land;
grant them, our elo’ah, salvation,
and crown them with victory.
Establish peace in the land,
and everlasting joy for her inhabitants.

וְאֶת אַחֵינוּ כָּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל פְּקָד־נָא
בְּכָל אַרְצוֹת פְּזוּרֵיהֶם,
וְתוֹלִיכֵם מְהֵרָה קוֹמְמִיּוּת לְצִיּוֹן עִירֶךָ
וְלִירוּשָׁלַיִם מִשְׁכַּן שְׁמֶךָ,
כַּכָּתוּב בְּתוֹרַת משֶׁה עַבְדֶּךָ:
אִם יִהְיֶה נִדַּחֲךָ בִּקְצֵה הַשָּׁמַיִם,
מִשָּׁם יְקַבֶּצְךָ ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ וּמִשָּׁם יִקָּחֶךָ.
וֶהֱבִיאֲךָ ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶל הָאָרֶץ
אֲשֶׁר יָרְשׁוּ אֲבֹתֶיךָ
וִירִשְׁתָּהּ,
וְהֵיטִבְךָ
וְהִרְבְּךָ
מֵאֲבֹתֶיךָ.“ (דברים ל:ד-ה)

Remember our brethren, the whole house of Yisra’el,
in all the lands of their dispersion.
Speedily bring them to Tsiyon, your city,
to Yerushalayim, dwelling of your [spoken] name,
as it is written in the Torah of your servant Mosheh:
“Even if you are dispersed in the uttermost parts of the world,
from there YHVH your elo’ah will gather and fetch you.
YHVH your elo’ah will bring you into the land
which your ancestors possessed,
and you shall possess her;
and Hashem will make you more prosperous
and more numerous
than your ancestors.” (Deuteronomy 30:4-5)

וְיַחֵד לְבָבֵנוּ לְאַהֲבָה וּלְיִרְאָה אֶת שְׁמֶךָ,
וְלִשְׁמֹר אֶת כָּל דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָתֶךָ.
וּשְׁלַח לָנוּ מְהֵרָה בֶּן דָּוִד מְשִׁיחַ צִדְקֶךָ,
לִפְדּות מְחַכֵּי קֵץ יְשׁוּעָתֶךָ.
הוֹפַע בַּהֲדַר גְּאוֹן עֻזֶּךָ
עַל כָּל יוֹשְׁבֵי תֵּבֵל אַרְצֶךָ,
וְיֹאמַר כֹּל אֲשֶׁר נְשָׁמָה בְּאַפּוֹ:
יהוה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֶלֶךְ,
וּ֝מַלְכוּת֗וֹ בַּכֹּ֥ל מָשָֽׁלָה.“ (תהלים קג:יט)
אָמֵן סֶלָה.

Unite our hearts to love and revere your name,
and to observe all the precepts of your Torah.
Speedily send us your righteous moshia
 of the House of David,
to redeem those waiting for your salvation.
Shine forth in your glorious majesty
over all the inhabitants of your world.
Let everything that breathes proclaim:
YHVH, elo’ah of Yisra’el is King;
“their majesty reigns over all.”[2][3]
Amen. Selah.


The Tefilah l’Shalom Medinat Yisra’el (“Prayer for the Welfare of the State of Israel”) was composed by Rabbi Yitsak haLevi Hertzog (1888-1959), edited by Shmuel Yosef (S.Y.) Agnon (1888-1970), and first published in the newspaper Ha-Tsofeh on 20 September 1948.

This prayer was instituted at the time by the Chief Rabbis of Israel, Rabbi Hertzog and Rabbi Ben Tsiyon Meir ai Uziel. According to the custom of the Ashkenazic communities, the time for reciting the prayer was set between the end of the Torah reading and the haftara for the return of the Torah scroll to its place in the Holy Ark. In Sephardic communities, it is customary to recite the prayer at the time of the removal of the Torah scroll from the Holy Ark. (At this point in prayer, it was customary the prayer “Hanoten Tshuah”, blessing the ruler of the state and their immediate family.)

Because the State of Israel is referred to as “the beginning of the sprouting/growth of our redemption,” the prayer was not universally accepted. This expression, and the reservations about the state in general, are some of the reasons why non-Zionist and anti-Zionist Jews do not recite it in their synagogues. In fact, the recitation of this prayer and, to a lesser extent, the prayer for the safety of IDF soldiers, became one of the main differences between prayer in aredi synagogues and prayers in National Religious Zionist synagogues in Israel and in the Diaspora.

מי שברך לחיילי צה״ל | Mi sheBerakh for the Welfare of Israel Defense Forces Soldiers, by Rabbi Shlomo Goren (1956); amended by Dr. Alex Sinclair (2012)

Source (Hebrew)

Translation (English)

מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב
הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת חַיָּלֵי צְבָא הֲגַנָּה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל,
הָעוֹמְדִים עַל מִשְׁמַר אַרְצֵנוּ וְעָרֵי אֱלהֵינוּ
מִגְּבוּל הַלְּבָנוֹן וְעַד מִדְבַּר מִצְרַיִם
וּמִן הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל עַד לְבוֹא הָעֲרָבָה
בַּיַּבָּשָׁה בָּאֲוִיר וּבַיָּם.

May the One who blessed our forefathers Avraham, Yitsaq, and Yaaqov,
bless the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces,
who stand guard over our land and the cities of our elo’ah,
from the border of Lebanon to the desert of Egypt,
and from the Great Sea to the Aravah,
on land, in the air, and on the sea.

יִתֵּן ה׳ אֶת אוֹיְבֵינוּ הַקָּמִים עָלֵינוּ
נִגָּפִים לִפְנֵיהֶם.

May Hashem cause the enemies who rise up against us
to be struck down before them.

הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִשְׁמֹר וְיַצִּיל אֶת חַיָלֵינוּ
מִכָּל צָרָה וְצוּקָה וּמִכָּל נֶגַע וּמַחְלָה
וְיִשְׁלַח בְּרָכָה וְהַצְלָחָה בְּכָל מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶם.

May the blessed Holy One preserve and rescue our soldiers
from every trouble and distress and from every plague and illness,
and may God send blessing and success in their every endeavor.

יִתֵּן ה׳ לְחַיָלֵינוּ חָכְמָהבִּינָה וְדַעַת,
שְׁלֹא יִסְפּוּ צָדִיק עִם רָשָׁע,
כְּמוֹ שְׁכָתוּב בְּתוֹרָתֶךָ,
חָלִלָה לְּךָ מֵעֲשֹׂת כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה,
לְהָמִית צַדִּיק עִם־רָשָׁעוְהָיָה כַצַּדִּיק כָּרָשָׁע;
חָלִלָה לָּךְ  הֲשֹׁפֵט כָּל־הָאָרֶץ לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה מִשְׁפָּט.“‏ (בראשית יח:כה)

May Hashem give our soldiers wisdom, understanding, and insight,
so that they do not destroy the righteous with the wicked,
as it is written in Your Torah:
“Far be it from you to do such a thing,
to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating them the same.
Far be it from you – should the Judge of all the Earth not do justice?” (Genesis 18:25)

יַדְבֵּר שׂוֹנְאֵינוּ תַּחְתֵּיהֶם
וִיעַטְרֵם בְּכֶתֶר יְשׁוּעָה וּבְעֲטֶרֶת נִצָּחוֹן.
וִיקֻיַּם בָּהֶם הַכָּתוּב:
כִּי ה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
הַהֹלֵךְ עִמָּכֶם לְהִלָּחֵם לָכֶם עִם אֹיבֵיכֶם
לְהוֹשִׁיעַ אֶתְכֶם: (דברים כ:ד)
וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן:

May [Hashem] cause our enemies to submit before our soldiers,
and grant them salvation and crown them with victory.
And may there be fulfilled for them the verse:
“For it is Hashem your elo’ah,
who goes with you to battle your enemies for you
to save you,” (Deuteronomy 20:4)
and let us say, Amen.


In recent months, thanks to the combination of cell phone cameras and YouTube, we’ve witnessed Israel Defense Force soldiers acting in deeply troubling ways. We’ve seen soldiers standing by while a civilian shoots live ammunition at Palestinian protesters, we saw Lt. Col. Shaul Eisner assault an unarmed Danish civilian with the butt of a rifle, and, before that, the killing at close range of Mustafa Tamimi, a protester in the Palestinian village Nebi Saleh. Many of these occurrences are regularly reported in Haaretz, but they don’t find their way as often, or as prominently, into other media outlets.

The most generous explanation for this phenomenon is that individuals, in a series of isolated incidents, fail to uphold the IDF code of conduct. More sobering explanations point to a widespread culture in the IDF whereby such conduct is tolerated and routine. Indeed, when the Eisner case was reported, the most shocking aspect of the YouTube video was the utter indifference to Eisner’s act by the six or seven other soldiers milling around. What we saw as a horrific, unforgiveable, outrage, they saw as boring and un-noteworthy.

I was on the receiving end of such an incident last year, while I was observing a non-violent demonstration against the occupation in the West Bank, and got caught up in tear gas that was fired indiscriminately at women, children, and observers. Since then, I’ve found it hard to say the prayer for the IDF that appears in all Israeli prayer books, and which my community, like most synagogues in Israel, reads aloud every Shabbat.

The prayer, written by Rabbi Shlomo Goren in the early years of the state, does not, to my mind, adequately respond to the ethical challenges that IDF soldiers face in exercising power over civilian communities, where things are much more complicated than state-against-state war.

But our response to troubling issues cannot simply to be cease from engagement with the issue. That’s true if the troubling issue is, say, Eishet ayil (the poem traditionally sung by a husband to a wife on Friday night; while parts of it are beautiful, parts of it are also rather sexist); and it is also true if the troubling issue is inappropriate use of force by the IDF.

As engaged Jews who love the Jewish tradition but are troubled by particular aspects of it, my wife and I sing an amended version of Eishet ayil on Friday nights. In doing this, we join countless other Jews who try to develop an active relationship with liturgy that more closely reflects their values.

As engaged Jewish Zionists, the time has come to do the same with the prayer for the IDF. Above is my suggested amendation. The text is the regular version of the prayer as found in the popular Rinat Israel siddur. The middle section is my suggested addition.

The Biblical verse quoted is from the story of Sodom and Gemorrah, where Abraham berates God for seeking to harm innocent people along with the wicked. To my mind, it’s an extremely appropriate analogy to much of what goes on today: there are wicked people out there who seek to harm us, and it’s good that the army protects us from them. But all too often, some soldiers (and some Israelis in general) don’t do enough to distinguish between those who are genuinely evil, and innocent people (including Palestinians, left-wing Israelis, and internationals) who are legitimately protesting the occupation. Amending the prayer for the IDF is one way to raise awareness about that uncomfortable fact, and begin a public, Jewish, Zionist conversation about it.

תְּפִלָּה לְפִדְיוֹן שְׁבוּיִם | Prayer for the Redemption of Israelis Taken Captive [during the war begun on Shemini Atseret 5784], by Rabbi Ofer Sabath Beit Halachmi (2023)

 

Source (Hebrew)

Translation (English)

אֱלֹהֵינוּ
מַתִּיר הָאֲסוּרִים,
מִשְׂגָּב לַדָּךְ,
מִשְׂגָּב לְעִתּוֹת בַּצָּרָה (תהלים ט:י)
שְׁלַחהַצָּלָה שְׁלֵמָה וּפִדְיוֹן גָּמוּר
לַנְּתוּנִים בִּשְׁבִי אוֹיֵב:
[…].

Our God,
the One who raised Joseph up from the pit,
be “a refuge for the oppressed,
a refuge in times of trouble.” (Psalms 9:10
Send complete rescue and full redemption
to those held captive by the enemy:
[when possible, add names here].

חַזְּקִי רוּחָםהָבִיאִי לָהֶם אֶת תְּפִלָּתֵנוּ
לְשָׁמְרָם מֵרַע.

Strengthen their spirit and bring them our prayers
that they be protected from all harm.  

תְּנִי בִּינָה בְּלֵב אוֹיֵב
לַהֲשִׁיבָם בִּשְׁלֵמוּת גּוּף וְנֶפֶשׁ.

Implant understanding in the heart of the enemy
that they may return the captives in wholeness of body and spirit.  

תְּנִי תְּבוּנָה בְּלוֹחֲמֵי צַהַ״ל
לְחַלְּצָם בְּלֹא אִבּוּד נְפָשׁוֹת.

Grant wisdom to the Israel Defense Forces
that they may secure freedom for the captives without loss of life. 

תֵּן לְכָל בְּנֵי וּבְנוֹת אַבְרָהָםשָׂרָה וְהַגֵּר
אֶת עֹז הָרוּחַ וְאֹמֶץ הַלֵּב
לְהַתִּיר כִּבְלִי שֶׁבִי
וְלִחְיוֹת חַיֵּי חֵרוּת.

Grant strength of spirit and courage of heart
to all the sons and daughters of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar
to release bonds of captivity
and allow us all to live in freedom.  

יִקְרָאֵנִי
וְאֶעֱנֵהוּ עִמּוֹ
אָנֹכִי בְצָרָה
אֲחַלְּצֵהוּ וַאֲכַבְּדֵהוּ (תהלים צא:טו)
וְנֹאמַראָמֵן.

“They shall call upon Me,
and I will answer them;
I will be with them in distress;
I will rescue them and honor them.” (after Psalms 91:15)
And we say Amen.


This prayer for the liberation of abducted Israeli citizens and military personnel was offered by Rabbi Ofer Sabath Beit Halachmi in response to the war initiated by Hamas from Gaza on Shemini Atseret 5784. The English translation was prepared by Rabbi Dr. Rachel Sabath Beit Halachmi. 

What You Need to Know About Warming Food on Shabbat

By Yehuda Shurpin

So, you know you can’t cook or adjust a flame on Shabbat. But does that mean you’re stuck eating only cold food? Not necessarily!

Of course, with certain restrictions, you can leave food on the fire from before Shabbat—hello, cholent!1

But what about food that’s sitting cold in the fridge? Is there a way to warm it up on Shabbat? Let’s break it down.

The Basics: Reheating Food on Shabbat

There’s a key principle in Jewish law called ein bishul achar bishul—“there is no cooking after cooking.” In other words, once food is fully cooked, reheating it is not considered cooking.2 But there’s a catch. This rule only applies to dry foods that undergo a fundamental change through cooking. When a solid food cools down, it’s still considered cooked. So, warming up fully cooked, dry food on Shabbat isn’t considered “cooking” on a biblical level.3

Liquids are a whole different story. Since cooking does not alter their structure in the same way, once they cool down, reheating them is considered cooking all over again. According to Ashkenazic custom, a liquid is only considered “cooked” while it’s still warm (like if it’s hot enough to be enjoyed as a warm drink4). Once it cools down, the rule yesh bishul achar bishul b'davar lach—“there is cooking after cooking for liquids”—applies, so you can’t reheat a previously cooked liquid on Shabbat.5

The Sephardic custom is even stricter. The liquid has to be at least yad soledet bo (hot enough to burn, around 110°F) to still be considered cooked, in which case it can be reheated.6

But there’s another layer here.

Although reheating food is biblically permissible, the sages7 instituted that cooked food can’t be placed directly on a stove or in an oven on Shabbat because:

  • It might look like you’re cooking raw food on Shabbat.
  • You might be tempted to adjust the flame, which is prohibited.

Because of these concerns, you can only reheat foods on Shabbat if you follow specific guidelines. Let’s dive in.

What Foods Can Be Reheated on Shabbat?

To reheat food on Shabbat, it must meet all of these conditions:

1. Fully Cooked

The food has to be completely cooked to the extent that it won’t further soften or change its texture through additional cooking. If it’s only partially cooked, reheating it on Shabbat is biblically prohibited.8

2. Completely Dry

The food needs to be dry, with no moisture on the surface. That means if you touch a solid food and then touch your finger to another finger, that finger can’t be wet.9 If the food’s surface is more moist than this—or certainly if it contains actual liquid—you can’t heat the food on Shabbat, even if it was fully cooked before Shabbat.10

What about liquids? As mentioned, cold liquids can’t be reheated on Shabbat according to Ashkenazic custom. But if the liquid is still warm (e.g., still suitable to be drunk as a “warm drink”), it can be reheated following certain guidelines, which we’ll discuss below.11

3. Congealed Solids

Things like cold chicken fat that congeals around a piece of chicken? Tricky. According to many authorities, including the definitive ruling of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi,12 if something melts when heated, it’s treated like a liquid. So, reheating it would be considered cooking.13

Some authorities, however, are of the opinion that the congealed solid actually has the status of a dry food. Nonetheless, they say you should be strict and consider it liquid if you warm up the food in a pot or pan that was on the fire (kli rishon), or pour from a kli rishon onto the food (iruy kli rishon).14

(Note that, even according to this more lenient opinion, dissolving butter or margarine would be problematic, as it’s considered a liquid.15)

If a food, such as a noodle kugel, has only a little congealed fat, such that when melted, it remains absorbed within the food and doesn’t ooze out (or only oozes out once it’s warmed up), you can reheat the food even according to the stricter opinion.16

How to Reheat Food on Shabbat

Even if you’ve determined that your food can be reheated, you can’t just stick it on the stove or in the oven. Instead, you need to use some unconventional methods:

Pot on Top of a Pot (Kedeira Al Gav Kedeira)

You can place your food on top of (not inside) another pot.

  • According to Ashkenazic custom, if the bottom pot is directly over a flame, it must contain food. The Sephardic custom is more lenient, allowing food to be placed atop an empty pot that’s on the flame.
  • If there’s a blech (a flat metal sheet covering the fire), you can place food atop an empty pot according to Ashkenazic custom.17

Another option is to place an upside-down pot on a blech or electric plate, then place your food on top of it.18 But you can’t place an upside-down pot over an open flame and warm food on it.19

Near (But Not On) the Flame

If your solid food is fully cooked, you can place it near a heat source to warm it up or remove its chill.20

What about liquids? It depends on your custom, as explained above.

Restrictions:

  • You can’t place uncooked food near a fire or in an area where it could reach 110°F, even if you intend to remove it before it reaches 110°F. However, if it would not reach 110°F even if it were left there, it’s OK.21
  • If there’s a great need (e.g., heating milk for a baby), you can place cold liquids that require no more cooking in an area where they could reach yad soledet bo (110°F), as long as you ensure they’re removed before actually reaching that temperature. Otherwise (or if there is no great need), you can’t place liquids in that area.22

The Blech (Metal Sheet)

A blech is a metal sheet that’s placed over the fire before Shabbat, allowing you to leave food on the fire (for more on this, see here).

If you’re using a blech, there are three areas to be aware of:

  1. Directly over the flame: You can’t place cold food here on Shabbat.
  2. Near the flame (hot enough to reach yad soledet bo): Also forbidden.
  3. Furthest away from the flame on a very large blech (where it can’t reach yad soledet bo): Permitted.23

Rearranging pots: If a number of pots were placed on the blech before Shabbat, you can only move a pot within the areas that can reach yad soledet bo (i.e., the 1st and 2nd areas). You can’t move a pot from the edge of the blech (3rd area) to a part of the blech that can reach yad soledet bo.24 And it goes without saying that you can move a pot from a hotter area to a cooler area.

Adding Food in a Pot Taken Off the Fire

You can put fully cooked and dry food in a pot that’s been removed from the flame.25 This would include adding noodles into soup. But if the food was baked, it can only be reheated in a dry pot that was taken off the flame.26

Electric Hotplate or Warming Drawer

You can place food on an electric hotplate or warming drawer that was on from before Shabbat—as long as it has only one temperature setting (i.e., there’s no way to adjust the heat). The fact that it’s non-adjustable shows it’s meant for warming, not cooking.27

Common Questions

Can I put food into an oven that is set on “Sabbath Mode”?

No food (cooked or non-cooked) may be placed in the oven on Shabbat to reheat or cook, even on “Sabbath Mode.”

(Regardless of what manufacturers call it, Sabbath Mode only helps with certain Yom Tov (holiday) situations. It doesn’t make an oven OK to use on Shabbat. The name is actually misleading.)

How do I warm a baby’s milk bottle on Shabbat?

Pour hot water from an urn onto the milk bottle, or fill a bowl with hot water from the urn and then place the milk bottle in the bowl.28 Just make sure the bottle isn’t fully submerged to avoid the prohibition of hatmanah (fully insulating food to retain heat).29

Can I add noodles or “soup nuts” into soup?

Noodles that have been fully cooked and are now dry may be added to soup once it has been removed from the flame. Baked or fried soup nuts may only be added if the soup has been ladled from the pot into a bowl.30

Addenda: Cooking, Baking, and Frying

We noted that one may recook or rebake an item under certain circumstances. But may one cook an item that has been baked or roasted, or bake or roast an item that has been cooked?

For instance, may one add pre-roasted meat to a hot cholent?

According to some, this would be permitted. Once food has been transformed by heat—whether by cooking, baking, or roasting—further changes are of no consequence.

However, many others maintain that this would be considered a forbidden act of cooking. For this reason, it is prohibited to place baked bread into a pot of hot food even if it has been removed from the fire.31

Who to follow?

Ashkenazic custom is generally stringent, and some Sephardic authorities are lenient.32 However, many Sephardic authorities are of the opinion that, at least in the first instance, one should preferably avoid it.33

That said, even those who are stringent agree that if this had been done (e.g. soup nuts had been poured into the soup pot) it may still be eaten.34

As a practical application:

  • Dipping a cookie into tea or coffee is only permitted if hot water had been poured ito one cup and then another (i.e. a kli shlishi), rendering it unable to cook the cookie.
  • Dipping bread into your bowl of soup (but not the serving pot) may be permitted (see footnote 30).
FOOTNOTES
1. For more on that, see What You Need to Know About Making (and Serving) Cholent
2. Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 318:15.
3. See Shulchan Aruch Harav, Orach Chaim 318:11.
4. Ibid. 318:9.
5. Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 318:15.
6. Ibid. 318:4
7. See Shulchan Aruch Harav, Orach Chaim 253:14, 23 and Kunteres Acharon 8.
8. Shulchan Aruch Harav, Orach Chaim 253:18.
9. Ketzot Hashulchan 124, fn. 37.
10. Shulchan Aruch Harav, Orach Chaim 253:18.
11. Ibid. 253:19.
12. Siddur, Hilchata Rabata Leshabata.
13. Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 318:16 and Levush and Taz ad loc.; see Shabbat Kehalachah, vol. 1, 3:7, Biurim 8.
14. Shulchan Aruch Harav, Orach Chaim 318:11,25,31; Mishnah Berurah 318:71.
15. Mishnah Berurah 318:71. See Shabbat Kehalachah, vol. 1, 3:9.
16. See Shabbat Kehalachah, vol. 1, 3:7 Biurim 8, and 4:15.
17. Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 253:3, 5; Shulchan Aruch Harav, Orach Chaim 253:26.
18. Shulchan Aruch Harav, Orach Chaim 253:26.
19. Ibid. 253:26; Kunteres Acharon 10.
20. Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 3:18:14-15; Shulchan Aruch Harav, Orach Chaim 318:26.
21. Ibid.
22. Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchatah 1:16 (in new ed.).
23. See Igrot Moshe, Orach Chaim 1:94.
24. Ibid. 4:61.
25. Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 318:4 and Mishnah Berurah 318:33.
26. Shabbat Kehalachah, vol. 1, 4:5-6.
27. See Igrot Moshe, Orach Chaim 4:74.
28. Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchatah 1:56 (in new ed.).
29. Ibid.
30. This assumes that the ladle was inserted into the soup just prior to use and did not heat up inside the pot. Thus, the soup cooled somewhat when being transferred to the ladle and even more when being placed in the bowl. If the ladle was left in the pot, the soup may retain enough heat to be problematic.
31. Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 3:18:5; Shulchan Aruch Harav, Orach Chaim 318:12.
32. Rama, Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 3:18:5; Shulchan Aruch Harav, Orach Chaim 318:12.
33. Ben Ish Chai Year 2, Bo 6; Menuchat Ahava 2:30:6
34. Shulchan Aruch Harav, Orach Chaim 318:12. Mishnah Berurah 318:46.


By Yehuda Shurpin    More by this author

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The goal of the group's for Jewish Independency on the Har HaBait

Yahuda101 History of the Modern state of Israel

To my dear family, friends, and non-Jewish friends (Ephraim with a Jewish heart) a Shabbat Shalom.

Julius I ask