Monday, June 30, 2014

A Kli Sheni That Contains No Liquid

A Kli Sheni That Contains No Liquid
Day: Monday
Date: June 30, 2014
Parshat: Balak
Yalkut Yosef: 318


There are some poskim who hold that the halacha that a kli sheni doesn't cook only refers to a kli sheni that is liquid. According to these poskim one would not be allowed to put cold food onto hot food even though the food is in a kli sheni. However, the halacha does not follow this view and one is in fact allowed to put cold food onto hot food that is above yad soledet bo in a kli sheni. It is important to keep in mind that this mahloket is only relevant when the food being put into the kli sheni is raw. If the food is cooked then according to all poskim one may put it into the kli sheni. Putting food/liquid onto a kli sheni is quite common. Examples may include pouring gravy over meat, putting choresh on rice, or dropping a piece of ice into soup to cool it down.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Iruy Kli Sheni

Iruy Kli Sheni
Day: Sunday
Date: June 29, 2014
Parshat: Balak
Yalkut Yosef: 318


Raw eggs and tea leaves are both called "kalei habishul," things that cook easily. Therefore these two things specifically may not be put in a kli sheni that is above yad soledet bo since they will be cooked. However, it is permissible to pour from a kli sheni directly onto one of these kalei habishul even if it is above yad soledet bo. For example, one may pour hot water from a kli sheni onto tea leaves even if the water in the kli sheni is very hot. This is called iruy kli sheni. One may put mint leaves in a hot cup of tea on Shabbat that is a kli sheni. Obviously the mint leaves must be washed very well to ensure that there are no bugs. One may wrap the mint leaves in a cloth or put a cloth over the cup and drink through it to ensure that no bugs come out.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Kli Sheni

Kli Sheni
Day: Wednesday
Date: June 25, 2014
Parshat: Hukat
Yalkut Yosef: 318


Our Hachamim teach us that with a few exceptions, a kli sheni does not have the ability to cook even if it is above yad soledet bo. As we have said, a kli sheni is the container that liquid or food is put into after it has cooked. Therefore on Shabbat one may add cold water to a bowl of hot soup to cool it down. Likewise one could also pour milk or creamer into a cup of coffee that is still boiling hot.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

The Principle of Tata'ah Gavar

The Principle of Tata'ah Gavar
Day: Tuesday
Date: June 24, 2014
Parshat: Hukat
Yalkut Yosef: 318


Our Hachamim have taught us that if two foods are stacked, the lower of them is dominant in regards to temperature. This principle is called tata'ah gavar. Therefore, on Shabbat one may pour hot water that is above yad soledet bo directly from a kli rishon into a cup of cold water even if the cold water was never heated. Since the cold water is on the bottom it cools down the hot water and is not cooked by it. Ideally there should be enough cold water already in the cup so that the hot water does not completely take over. On the flip side, one may not pour cold water into a pot of hot water as long as the water in the pot is hotter than yad soledet bo. However if there is enough cold water that it'll completely cool down the hot water below, one may pour it in. Ideally the cold water should be poured in all at once and not bit by bit.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Monday, June 23, 2014

May One Stir a Pot of Food on Shabbat?

May One Stir a Pot of Food on Shabbat?
Day: Monday
Date: June 23, 2014
Parshat: Hukat
Yalkut Yosef: 318


On Shabbat, it is forbidden to mix or scoop from a hot pot of food (above yad soledet bo) that is not fully cooked since doing so quickens the cooking process. This is true whether the food is on the fire, the plata, or even if it is not on any heat source. As long as it is above yad soledet bo it is forbidden.

Food that is fully cooked may be mixed if it is either on a plata or off of a heat source. However if it is directly on the fire it may not be mixed since it appears as though one is stirring to make it cook faster. One may scoop from a pot of fully cooked food that is still on the fire even though by doing so it'll cause the food to be stirred.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Using Tea Bags on Shabbat

Using Tea Bags on Shabbat
Day: Sunday
Date: June 22, 2014
Parshat: Hukat
Yalkut Yosef: 318


If one is using tea bags on Shabbat, he may not pour hot water from a kli rishon onto them. However, if the tea bags were already cooked before Shabbat ideally he should first put the hot water into the cup and then put the tea bags. If that is not an option, he may pour the hot water directly onto the tea bags since they were already cooked before Shabbat. In this situation he does not need to wait for the tea bags to dry off. He may pour the hot water on them even if they are still wet.

If the tea bags have not been cooked before Shabbat one should not put them into a kli sheni that is above the temperature of yad soledet bo. Instead he should either put them into a kli shlishi or wait until the kli sheni cools down somewhat. Our Hachamim teach us that iruy kli sheni, the pouring from a kli sheni, does not cook at all. Therefore one may pour from a kli sheni directly onto tea bags or any other raw food on Shabbat even if the kli sheni is above yad soledet bo.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Friday, June 20, 2014

Cooking Tea Leaves on Shabbat

Cooking Tea Leaves on Shabbat
Day: Friday
Date: June 20, 2014
Parshat: Korach
Yalkut Yosef: 318


As we have learned (see DSH from June 16, 2014) pouring food from a kli rishon that is above the temperature of yad soledet bo is called iruy kli rishon and cooks on Shabbat. Therefore, one who wishes to make tea on Shabbat with uncooked tea leaves may not pour hot water from a kli rishon onto the leaves. It goes without saying that he may not cook them in a kli rishon on Shabbat either. If before Shabbat hot water from a kli rishon was poured onto the tea leaves but they were not actually cooked in the kli rishon, ideally one should not pour hot water from a kli rishon directly onto them on Shabbat. If he has no other option he may pour the hot water onto them. If before Shabbat he did not cook them at all, not in a kli rishon and not by pouring hot water onto them from a kli rishon, he may not do so on Shabbat.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Causing Water In An Urn To Boil On Shabbat

Causing Water In An Urn To Boil On Shabbat
Day: Wednesday
Date: June 18, 2014
Parshat: Korach
Yalkut Yosef: 318


If water in an urn boiled and then cooled down to the point that it is hotter than yad soledet bo but not boiling, one may take from the water on Shabbat even though it'll cause the rest of the water to boil once again. If the water did not boil before Shabbat but it did reach yad soledet bo, one may also take from it on Shabbat even though that may cause the remaining water to boil. Likewise, one may take from fully cooked soup or other food with a lot of liquid that is at least yad soledet bo even though it'll cause the remaining soup to boil.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Turning On The Hot Water On Shabbat

Turning On The Hot Water On Shabbat
Day: Tuesday
Date: June 17, 2014
Parshat: Korach
Yalkut Yosef: 318


If one has a standard boiler heated either by electricity or a gas fire he may not use hot water from the sink on Shabbat since by doing so he will cause the new water that enters the boiler to reach yad soledet bo. This is a pesik resha de'oraita and is therefore prohibited. However if the water in the boiler is at a lower temperature than yad soledet bo, and adding more water will not cause the boiler's heating element to turn on or get hotter, one may use hot water from the tap for washing dishes or ones face, hands, and feet. (See Halacha from Thursday June 12, 2014 for halachot pertaining to a water heater that is heated by the sun alone). If the water in the boiler is above yad soledet bo it is permissible for one to ask a goy to turn on the hot water. (For a detailed explanation of why it is permitted see Halacha from October 29, 2012).


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Monday, June 16, 2014

Iruy Kli Rishon

Iruy Kli Rishon
Day: Monday
Date: June 16, 2014
Parshat: Korach
Yalkut Yosef: 318


Not only is it forbidden to put raw food into a kli rishon that is yad soledt bo, but even to pour from a such kli rishon onto raw food is forbidden. This is called "iruy kli rishon" and our Hachamim have taught us that doing so cooks the outer layer of the food. However, one may pour hot water from such a kli rishon onto a baby's bottle to warm it up.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Kli Rishon

Kli Rishon
Day: Sunday
Date: June 15, 2014
Parshat: Korach
Yalkut Yosef: 318


Our Hachamim teach us that a kli rishon (the food that was on the fire or plata) has the power to cook, even after it has been removed from the fire, as long as it is still yad soledet bo . For example, water that was on the fire is considered to be a kli rishon and has the power to cook other food as long as it is still yad soledet bo. Therefore, one may not add more water or put any raw food into such water. Food or drink that is too hot to eat must be considered yad soledet bo and nothing raw may put inside of them. By the same token, if the food is not too hot to eat it can safely be assumed to be cooler than yad soledet bo and thus unable to cook in.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Thursday, June 12, 2014

A Water Heater That Is Heated By The Sun

A Water Heater That Is Heated By The Sun
Day: Thursday
Date: June 12, 2014
Parshat: Sh'lach
Yalkut Yosef: 318


If one cooks food on Shabbat using direct heat from the sun, he may put the food into a pot even though the pot will also get warmed up by the sun and will thereby help the food cool. Since the food is also being heated by the sun directly, having the pot there is not considered cooking the food with indirect heat from the sun. One may not cook on a roof or on the ground that was heated up by the sun since that is using the sun's heat indirectly. One who has a water heater that gets heated up by the sun's heat only and not at all by a fire or electricity, may use the hot water on Shabbat to wash the dishes, or his hands, and the like. When one uses the hot water, new, cold water enters the heater to replace the water that left. The new water is heated up by the old water which was heated up by the sun. Therefore one might think that it should be forbidden since the new water is indirectly being heated up by the sun's heat which is an issur derabanan. However since the intention is to use the old water and it is not necessarily to heat up new water, it is a pesik resha derabanan and therefore permitted. (See Halacha from October 29, 2012 for more information about pesik resha.) It should be noted that one may not shower in this water on Shabbat because of a different issur against bathing on Shabbat.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Cooking In The Heat Of The Sun On Shabbat

Cooking In The Heat Of The Sun On Shabbat
Day: Wednesday
Date: June 11, 2014
Parshat: Sh'lach
Yalkut Yosef: 318


On Shabbat one may cook using heat directly from the sun. Examples are heating up water, or cooking an egg by placing it in the sun. The Hachamim forbade cooking using byproducts of the sun's heat in order so that people will not be led to cook in byproducts of heat from fire, which is forbidden from the Torah. One such example is cooking an egg in water that was heated up by the sun. To recap, one may boil water using the sun's heat on Shabbat and one may cook an egg using the sun's heat in Shabbat. However one may not cook the egg in the water that was heated up by the sun. Using a magnifying glass to concentrate the sun's rays onto food in order to cook it is considered to be cooking with the direct heat of the sun and is permitted on Shabbat.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Indirectly Cooking With Fire On Shabbat

Indirectly Cooking With Fire On Shabbat
Day: Tuesday
Date: June 10, 2014
Parshat: Sh'lach
Yalkut Yosef: 318


Just as one may not cook on Shabbat using the heat of a fire, so too one may not cook on Shabbat using the heat of something warmed up by a fire. For example, by putting a raw egg in a pot that was warmed up on the fire, or by wrapping it in a blanket that was heated up on a heater. One who does so is considered to have cooked the same as one who cooked on the fire itself. One who cooked on an electric burner, hot plate, or plata on Shabbat has also transgressed the prohibition even though the heat comes from electricity and there is no fire. The same is true regarding a toaster oven. Even if it is on a timer from before Shabbat it is still forbidden to cook in it on Shabbat. If Gd forbid there is a person so ill that the doctor requires food to be cooked for him on Shabbat otherwise the person will be in grave danger, one may cook for him. Ideally if one can cook the food in a microwave that is the best since according to some poskim that is not the same as cooking with the heat of fire. One the flip side, food that was cooked in a microwave should not be put on Shabbat in a place where it can reach yad soledet bo even if there is no liquid and it is fully cooked.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Monday, June 9, 2014

Warming Up Liquid On Shabbat

Warming Up Liquid On Shabbat
Day: Monday
Date: June 9, 2014
Parshat: Sh'lach
Yalkut Yosef: 318


Even if one intends to heat liquid until it is warm, and not to the point of yad soledet bo, it is still forbidden to put it in a place where it can potentially reach yad soledet bo. However if one did so anyways, the liquid is not forbidden. The only exception is food for a baby, ill, or elderly person. For such people one may put liquid on the plata as long as he watches it to make sure that it doesn't reach yad soledet bo. If it does, he has transgressed the issur of cooking on Shabbat.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Sunday, June 8, 2014

The Melachot Of Cooking And Lighting A Fire On Shabbat

The Melachot Of Cooking And Lighting A Fire On Shabbat
Day: Sunday
Date: June 8, 2014
Parshat: Sh'lach
Yalkut Yosef: 318


The melacha of cooking on Shabbat and the melacha of lighting a fire on Shabbat are two completely separate melachot. Therefore one who cooked on an existing fire on Shabbat has transgressed the Torah's issur of Bishul even though he didn't light or make any changes to the fire. One who cooked on a plata/hot plate on Shabbat has also done Bishul. One may not heat up liquid on Shabbat to the point of "yad soledet bo" (104f according Hacham BenTzion Abba Shaul, 110f according to Rav Moshe Feinstein) even if the liquid can be consumed cold or raw. One may not put liquid close enough to a fire or a plata that it would be able to reach yad soledet bo.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Setting Up Raw Food Before Shabbat To Cook On Shabbat

Setting Up Raw Food Before Shabbat To Cook On Shabbat
Day: Tuesday
Date: June 3, 2014
Parshat: Beha'alotcha
Source: Yalkut Yosef: 318


The prohibition against cooking on Shabbat is not only against cooking raw food. Even if the food was partially cooked when Shabbat started it may not be put onto a plata on Shabbat. The Hachamim forbade causing a melacha to happen by doing a "grama" or, a "cause" on Shabbat. When it comes to cooking on Shabbat, one may think that since one only puts the food on the fire and the food gets cooked on its own, it may also be a grama and only be on the level of a Rabbinic prohibition (and therefore have certain leniencies in certain situations). However since that is how cooking is done, and there are no further steps to take, that itself is considered to be cooking and therefore that itself is the prohibition mentioned in the Torah. Furthermore, since the Torah's prohibition is only against putting the food on the fire, one may put raw food on the fire before Shabbat in order for it to cook on Shabbat.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Monday, June 2, 2014

Dough That Was Placed In An Oven On Shabbat

Dough That Was Placed In An Oven On Shabbat
Day: Monday
Date: June 2, 2014
Parshat: Beha'alotcha
Source: Yalkut Yosef: 318


If on Shabbat one put food that is not fully cooked on the plata he must take it off right away so as not to transgress the prohibition against cooking on Shabbat. The Hachamim forbade removing bread that was cooked on Shabbat from the fire, or dough that was put in the oven on Shabbat. However, if one put dough on the fire or in the oven on Shabbat (which is assur) he must take it off right away so as not to transgress the greater prohibition if cooking which is from Torah. Since it is an issur derabanan to remove the bread, if possible it should be done in a different way than usual, for example with a knife instead if a spatula. The requirement to remove the dough so as not let it bake is only incumbent upon the one who put the dough in the oven. However it is forbidden for anyone else to remove it since after all removing it is an issur derabanan


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Sunday, June 1, 2014

The Definition Of Bishul

The Definition Of Bishul
Day: Sunday
Date: June 1, 2014
Parshat: Beha'alotcha
Source: Yalkut Yosef: 318


One who cooks or bakes bread on Shabbat has transgressed the melacha called "Bishul" which is one of the 39 melachot forbidden on Shabbat. Roasting, frying, and any other form of cooking are also included in the prohibition.  Heating wax or metal to their respective melting points is an offshoot of Bishul and one who does so has also transgressed that melacha. Heating metal to the point that it can be used to cook other things is also included. With regards to food, the definition of cooking is to cause a change to the food thereby making it edible. With regards to anything else the definition is hardening something that was previously soft, or softening something hard.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org