Permissible ways to heat up food on Shabbat: Difference between revisions

*the pot was taken with intent to be put back, and  

*the pot is being held (and may be placed on a dry area except the floor while being held). <ref> Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 1:18 </ref>

==Conditions to permit Chazara==

# Someone who takes food off the fire on Shabbat may return it under the following conditions:  

*2) the fire must be covered <ref> S”A 253:2 writes that one may return hot food if the fire is Garuf or Katum. Mishna Brurah 253:81 adds that a similar metal try can be used as a cover of the fire to separate the fir from the pot. Similarly, S”A 253:3 writes that if on Shabbat morning one finds the food in one’s pot burning, one may remove it from the fire, put an empty pot on the fire and then the pot with food in it on top of the empty pot. Mishna Brurah 253:81 comments that it’s permissible to put the pot back on the fire since there’s an empty pot on the fire making it like Garuf or Katum. Kaf HaChaim 253:11, Sh”t Maharshag 2:50, Sh”t Igrot Moshe 1:93, and Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 1:18 rule that the fire must be covered in order to do chazara (Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata (1 note 54 quotes Rabbi Shlomo Zalman as saying that one shouldn’t increase the flame when one puts a cover on top of it). Many poskim including Mishna Brurah 318:91, Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata (chapter 1 note 59) in name of Rav Shlomo Zalman, and Sh”t Igrot Moshe 1:93 rule that one may cover the fire on Shabbat even if the pot is metal against Chazon Ish 37:11 who forbids putting metal on fire where it’ll become 113 degrees. </ref>

*3) at the time it was removed from the fire, one intends to put it back <ref> Rama 253:2 in name of the Tur rules that one must have intention to return the food to the fire when one takes it off. So rules Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 1:18. Mishna Brurah 253:56 writes that if one still has the food in one’s hand but didn’t intend to return it to fire, one can be lenient in cases of need. </ref>

*5) According to Ashkenazim, the food (liquid and solid) should be slightly warm in order to return it to the fire, however some argue that solids don’t need to be warm at all. On the other hand, according to Sephardim, the liquids must still be 113 degrees (and solids can be cold). <ref> S”A 253:2 writes that a condition of chazara is that the food is still boiling meaning that it’s 113 degrees. This condition is referring specifically to liquids as the Mishna Brurah 253:54 explains that this condition is dependant one of bishul and not chazara. Since S”A 318:4 rules that a liquid may not be heated up once it’s not 113 degrees, so too here a liquid may not be put back on the covered fire unless it’s 113 degrees. However, Rama 253:2 and 318:15 writes that Ashkenazim are lenient to allow returning a fully cooked liquid as long as it’s now slightly warm. So holds Mishna Brurah 253:54 and Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 1:18. Regarding solids, the Magan Avraham 253:36 writes that it also must be somewhat warm in order to return it to the fire. However, the Biur Halacha 253:5 D”H Ubilvad argues on the Magan Avraham based on the Buir HaGra. [It seems that Mishna Brurah 253:54, 91 rules like the Gra against the Magan Avraham even though he quotes the Magan Avraham (in 253:68).] The Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 1:18 seems to rule like the Magan Avraham however, it’s unclear what he holds based on the footnote. Yalkut Yosef (Shabbat vol 1 pg 103), and Menuchat Ahava (3:2, vol 1 pg 50) agree with the Biur Halacha that one may be lenient. </ref>

# According to Ashkenazim, in cases of need one may return food if it was placed on a table or bench as long as one had intent to return it a covered fire. <Ref> Buir Halacha 253:2 D”H VeDato writes in cases where one had intent to return the pot to the fire, and left it on the ground, in a case of need there’s room to be lenient, however, there’s certainly a reason to be lenient. So rules Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 1:19, Orchot Shabbat (vol 1 pg 85; seemingly the orchot Shabbat quotes Biur Halacha even in cases where there’s no need). </ref>

# Some say that marble countertops are considered like a table or bench and if placed down there without intent, one may return it if there’s a need for the food. However, others say that marble countertops are considered like the ground and one shouldn’t return it to the fire unless there’s no other hot food. <Ref> Regarding placing a pot on a marble countertop there’s a dispute in the poskim. Petach Dvir 253:2, Sh”t Yitzchak Yiranen 2:42, and Menuchat Ahava 3:2, 3:8(3) write that anything attached to the ground is considered like the ground. Yalkut Yosef (Shabbat vol 1 pg 193 note 9) says that one has what to rely on if it was left on marble and not on the ground itself. Orchot Shabbat 2:46 brings a dispute between Rav Elyashiv, Rav Shlomo Zalman, and Rav Nassim Karlitz who are lenient regarding marble counters while, Rav Wosner is strict on this issue. </ref>

# If the pot was placed on a table or chair (and let go) but one had intent to return it to the fire, or one still has it in one’s hand but didn’t have intent to return it to the fire, one may be lenient if the food is needed as long as the other requirements (covered fire, fully cooked, still warm) have not been breached. <Ref> Buir Halacha 253:2 D”H VeDato (and Mishna Brurah 253:56) writes that if necessary (Shat Tzorech) one can rely on the Rishonim who say one doesn’t need intent if it’s still in one’s hand or one doesn’t need it in one’s hands if one has intent. So rules Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 1:19</ref>

# If one didn’t have intent to return the pot to the fire and the pot was placed on a table or chair (and let go), one shouldn’t be lenient to eat the food unless there’s no other hot food. <Ref>Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 1:20 </ref>

==Moving from one fire to another==