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

## 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 Hachzara 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 Hachzara. 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 like the Gra. </ref>

===Clarification of the first requirement===

===Clarification of the forth requirement===

# 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. Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 1:19, Orchot [[Shabbat]] (vol 1 pg 85) agree. (It seems, however, that the Orchot [[Shabbat]] quotes Biur Halacha even in cases where there’s no need). </ref>

==Returning food to non-typical heating elements==

===Near a fire===

# Cold liquids that are fully cooked may not be placed in an area where if the food was left there it would reach Yad Soldet Bo unless there’s a great need, such as heating milk for a baby, and one’s intent is only to warm it or remove the chill and one actually removes it before it reaches Yad Soldet Bo. <Ref> Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 1:13 </ref>  

# One may not put uncooked food in area (near the fire) where it could eventually reach 110 degrees even if one intends to remove it from that area before it becomes 110 degrees. However, if it wouldn't reach 110 degrees even if it was left there, then it's permissible. <Ref>39 Melachos (vol 2 pg 563), Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 1:13 </ref>

# On [[Shabbat]] some poskim permit one to cover the fire with a metal tray if the flame isn’t strong enough to make the tray red-hot. <Ref> Sh”t Zera Emet 3:26 permits one to put a metal tray (with small holes) on a fire on [[Shabbat]] and then do Hachzara based on S”A 318:8 where he brings the dispute whether one can do Hachzara on an empty over the fire and rules like the lenient opinion. Chazon Ish 37:11 argues that actually placing the metal sheet on the fire is the forbidden act of [[Mavir]] based on Rambam ([[Shabbat]] 12:1, 9:6) who says that one who heats metal to mold it violates [[Mavir]]. Even though S”A 253:3 writes that on [[Shabbat]] day one can put a empty pot on a fire (and then return a pot that was on the fire right before), Chazon Ish explains that S”A is talking about a earthenware pot and not metal. However Nishmat Adam 20:1, Kesot HaShulchan (134 pg 42), Sh”t Shevet Halevi 1:91, Sh”t She’ilat Shaul 29, Chazon Ovadyah ([[Shabbat]] 1 pg 55), and Sh”t Tefilah LeMoshe 1:59 (pg 647) argue that in our case the tray won’t become hot as a coal or hot enough to be reshaped and so it should be permitted. Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 1:38 permits covering the fire on Shabbat as long as the fire isn’t strong enough to make the tray red-hot. </ref>

'''According to Ashkenazim'''

# Some say that it’s permissible to put foods on the blech on shabbat which could not be cooked on the blech (such as challah or kugel) as long as one doesn’t put it on the area which is over the fire. <ref> 39 Melachos (vol 2 pg 564) quoting Rav Shlomo Zalman </ref>

# One may move pots from a cooler area to a warmer position on the blech only if the food is fully cooked and the area from which it stood originally was 113 degrees. <Ref>Shemirat Shabbat KeHilchata 1:25 </ref>