Bishul: Difference between revisions

This article discusses the prohibition of cooking on Shabbat and its practical ramifications. For the topic of cooking on Yom Tov, please see the [[Cooking on Yom Tov]] page.

# It’s forbidden (as Deoritta Bishul) to stir hot food that isn’t fully cooked when it’s on the fire or removed from the fire as long as it’s 113 degrees in a Kli Rishon. <Ref> In [[Shabbat]] 18b, the Gemara says that there’s no issue of Megis (stirring) a hot food if the pot is totally sealed with cement implying that stirring a hot food is forbidden as Bishul, cooking (Rashi 18b D”H Megis). Rambam 3:11, S”A 318:18, Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 1:31, and 39 Melachos (vol 2 pg 560)  bring this law as halacha. </ref>  

# One can’t even take out a serving utensil from a Kli Rishon (even off the fire), unless the food is cold (not at the level of 113 degrees). <Ref> When Rambam 3:11 and S”A 318:18 quote the law of stirring, they extend it to the case of removing a serving spoon from a hot food which causes a mixing of the food. Bet Yosef explains that when the Rambam forbids by a pot on the fire, it also includes the case of where the pot came off the fire and is still boiling. This is found explicitly in the Ran 6b and Rabbenu Yerucham 3:12 pg 68a. S”A rules this law with the language of a pot removed from the fire. This is brought as halacha in Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 1:31. </ref>

# Actually mixing fully cooked food which is on the fire is forbidden. <Ref> Ritva [[Shabbat]] 18b (quoted in Tal Orot pg 39) writes that even after the food was cooked it’s still forbidden on a rabbinic level to stir the hot food. S”A 318:18 rules one can’t remove a spoon from a food that’s not fully cooked but if it’s fully cooked it’s permitted, which seemingly means that one can remove a spoon from a fully cooked food but not to actually mix it. Similarly, Bet Yosef 321 quotes Sh”t Rambam 68 (and the halacha is also found in [[Shabbat]] 21:13) who permits mixing a hot food that was fully cooked and removed from the fire. Bet Yosef adds that even though it’s forbidden even off the fire as long as it’s hot here it’s permitted because it’s totally cooked. Rav Ovadyah (Yalkut Yosef [[Shabbat]] vol 3 pg 187; Kol Sinai Tevet 5723) implies from these sources that actually mixing a totally cooked food while on the fire is forbidden as Mechzei KeMevashel (appears like cooking). Or Letzion 2 pg 238 writes that the Kol Bo (quoted by Bet Yosef 253) who forbids stirring a fully cooked pot on the fire is a Deoritta prohibition, while Mishna Brurah 318 argues that clearly stirring a fully cooked food is only forbidden on a rabbinic level (as is explicit in the Ritva). However, Ramach (quoted by Kesef Mishna 9:4), Mamer Mordechai 318:20, and Chazon Ish 37:15 permit actual mixing even though the pot is on the fire because the food is completely cooked. </ref>

# Ashkenazim are strict not even to take a serving spoon out of a pot of a fully cooked food (that’s 113 degrees) only while it’s on the fire. <Ref> Ran 6b (according to the version of the Bet Yosef 318:18 quoted by the Hagot HaBach on the Rif) writes that even removing a serving spoon from the pot of hot food is forbidden because in that act one stirs the food. Rambam 3:11 also rules that putting a serving spoon is forbidden because of stirring. However, Magid Mishna 3:11 explains that that Rambam (and Ran who says this explicitly) only forbad a hot food that wasn’t totally cooked but stirring is permitted if it’s totally cooked (Bet Yosef adds that according to those who hold there’s no issue of cooking once it’s cooked to the stage of Machal Ben Dursai, here too, stirring is permitted at Machal Ben Dursai). [Interestingly, Maggid Mishna 9:4 says in name of Ramban (18b D”H VeHalo Megis) and Rashba (18b D”H Tzemer LeYurah) that once the hot food was stirred once it’s considered cooked and there’s no issue of cooking with the second stirring.] S”A 318:18 rules that it’s permitted to remove a spoon from a fully cooked food even when it’s on the fire. However, the Rama is strict not to remove a utensil or stir the pot whether it’s on the fire or even off the fire based on Sh”t Mahari Vill 30. The achronim including Eliyah Raba 318:40, Chaye Adam 20:9, Levush 321:9, Pri Megadim M”Z 321:23, Sh”t Zera Emet 1:40, Tehilat LeDavid 252:1, Mishna Brurah 318:117, 39 Melachos (vol 2 pg 561-2), and Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 1:32 agree that Ashkenazim should be strict like the Rama while the food is still on the fire both not to stir and not to remove a utensil (and they mention that if there’s one who wants to be stringent one should be stringent in regards to stirring something off the fire). Sh”t Igrot Moshe 4:74 is strict like the Rama regarding food that’s on the fire and explains that that one may not stir food on the fire so that one doesn’t assume that the food is totally cooked and it really isn’t and come to a Torah prohibition. Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 1:32 adds that if there’s going to be non way to remove food from the pot and return it to the fire (because of absence of a suitable cover of the fire) one may be lenient and remove food (not stir) as long as the food is surely fully cooked. </ref> However, Sephardim hold it’s permitted even if in the act one turns the food that was on top of the pot to be moved to the bottom closer to the fire. <Ref> See above note. The Chida in name of the Radvaz 3:411, Taz 318:23, and Yalkut Yosef ([[Shabbat]] vol 3 pg 187) rule like S”A. [Interestingly, Orchot Rabbenu Kehilat Yacov pg 149 writes that in the house of the Chazon Ish and Kehilat Yacov (who were Ashkenazic), they actually took food from a pot on the fire when the food was fully cooked, not like the Rama (however, Orchot Rabbenu explains that since they were so strict regarding Chazara, if they weren’t lenient in this regard, they wouldn’t have hot food on [[Shabbat]]). The Chazon Ish 37:15 actually rule this way. ]</ref>

# If the fully cooked food is off the fire, one can completely mix the food. <Ref> Bet Yosef 321 quotes Sh”t Rambam 68 (and the halacha is also found in Rambam Hilchot [[Shabbat]] 21:13) who permits mixing a hot food that was fully cooked and removed from the fire. S”A 318:18 rules that it’s permitted to remove a spoon from a fully cooked food even when it’s on the fire, implying when off the fire and it’s fully cooked one can actually stir the food. Yalkut Yosef (Kitzur S”A vol 1 pg 631), and Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 1:32 rule that once the food is off the fire, one may stir the food. [Mishna Brurah 318:117 writes that if one want to be strict one shouldn’t stir it but just remove the food from the pot.] </ref> However, some are strict unless there's a need. <ref> 39 Melachos (vol 2 pg 561) </ref>

# It is permitted to put a spoon or ladle inside a pot taken off the fire as long as one is careful that the spoon or ladle is free from any remnants of water or uncooked food. <Ref> Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 1:34 </ref>

 

# It’s forbidden to place a pot on top of another pot where the top pot contains food with containing large quantities of congealed fat. However, if there’s only a little congealed fat such that when melted it mixes with the rest of the food it’s permissible. If fat was dissolved it may be eaten. It’s also permitted to dissolve a sauce that is normally eaten in it’s congealed state such as fish sauce. <Ref> Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 1:37 </ref>

* However, [http://koltorah.org/old/halachah/making-tea-shabbat Rabbi Chaim Jachter] quotes Rabbi Yosef Adler quoting Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik who said that his grandfather Rav Chaim Soloveitchik made tea on [[Shabbat]] using a Kli Sheni, because the gemara [[Shabbat]] 42b says that it is permissible to put spices into a kli sheini, and Rav Chaim considered tea to be a spice. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (quoted in Shmirat [[Shabbat]] kihilchita chapter 1 note 152) is quoted as saying that the spices referred to in the gemara in shabbat 42b were different then the spices of today, and that today's spices would be considered like kalei habishul. </ref>

# Lastly, if one didn't prepare tea essence before [[Shabbat]] some poskim are lenient to make tea using a Kli Shelishi by pouring boiling water from an urn to a cup (Kli Sheni) and from that cup to another cup (Kli Shelishi) and putting the tea bag in the Kli Shelishi. <ref> Igrot Moshe 4:74(15) writes that a Kli Shelishi doesn't cook at all and so it's permissible to put a tea bag in a Kli Shelishi. This is also the opinion of the 39 Melachos (Rabbi Ribiat, vol 2, pg 661). There are some who disagreed with this idea, namely the Aruch HaShulchan 318:28 and Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 1:63 (in the new edition, see note 192). [The Mishna Brurah 318:39 clearly leave out this option implying that it's not a valid alternative. [http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/735738/Rabbi_Aryeh_Lebowitz/Making_Tea_on_Shabbos Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz] writes "The Mishna Brurah writes that one may not cook tea even in a Kli Shelishi." and in a [http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/754922/Rabbi_Aryeh_Lebowitz/Ten_Minute_Halacha_-_Making_Tea_on_Shabbos Ten Minute Halacha] repeats the same statement which seemingly is inaccurate as the Mishna Brurah actually makes no mention of Kli Shelishi at all.]