Introduction: As mentioned above, there is a distinction as to whether actions are forbidden due to the melacha of bishul (which we will return to using as the general name for the melacha, including cooking, baking etc) depending on which ‘kli’ they take place in, ie how many stages removed from the fire the cooking takes place.
a
Definitions: A ‘Kli rishon’ is defined as the pot which was heated on the fire; ‘kli sheni’ is a utensil poured into from a kli rishon and ‘kli shlishi’ is a utensil poured into from a kli sheni.
We will now iyH go on to outline the halachos relevant to each ‘kli’.
Kli Rishon on the Fire
- The melacha of bishul clearly applies to any case when one cooks a raw food or liquid directly on a fire (known going forward a ‘kli rishon on the fire’), be it in a saucepan on the stove or in an oven etc.
- Examples: Therefore, one may not add spices, salt etc to a pot of food which is on the fire. Similarly, one may not add cold water into a hot water urn on Shabbos (SSK 1:12).
Putting Cooked Food on the Fire
- Even though the Torah prohibition of cooking no longer applies, there is a Rabbinic decree which forbids placing even a fully cooked food (such as a cold solid which has been cooked, or a liquid which was cooked and hasn’t entirely cooled down) in a kli rishon on the fire on Shabbos (eg in a saucepan on the stove, or in an oven etc). The reason for is that it would look to an onlooker as if one is cooking the item and it also leads to the risk one may stoke the fire (which is forbidden due to the melacha of ‘mavir’, making a fire). (SA 318:15, MB 98, SSK 1:7, 10, 12).
- An exception to this rule is if the food had previously been placed on the fire in a permitted manner before Shabbos and one wishes to remove it on Shabbos and then put it back on the fire – known as ‘chazara’. Under certain circumstances this is permissible and we will explore this separately a little later iyH.
Stirring and Serving From a Kli Rishon on the Fire
- Stirring the pot: One may not stir a Kli Rishon which is on the fire. If the food isn’t yet fully cooked, stirring the food is a Torah prohibition as it speeds up the cooking process. If the food is fully cooked, there remains a Rabbinic prohibition to stir the pot (SA 318:18, MB 114, 117, SSK 1:37-38).
- Taking food out of the pot: it is also forbidden to take food out of a pot which is on the fire with a spoon, ladle etc as this action ends up somewhat stirring the food. One should therefore remove the pot from the fire before serving from it (see below in relation to serving from a kli rishon when off the fire).
- However, in circumstances when if one removes the pot from the stove one will not be allowed to return it (for example if the fire is uncovered; putting food back on the fire after taking it off – known as chazara – is a topic we will iyH cover soon) there is room to be lenient to use a ladle to serve from the pot whilst it is still on the fire, on the condition that its contents are fully cooked (SA 318:18, MB 113, SSK 1:37-38).
- Exception – water: if one merely has water on the fire (eg in a hot water urn), if it is fully cooked (ie it has boiled) one may take water out with a spoon, ladle etc (SSK 1:39).
- Putting the lid on: Note that it is permissible to put a lid on a pot which is on the fire if the pot’s contents are already fully cooked. However, if they are not yet fully cooked, one may not do so as this will speed up its cooking (SA 254:4, MB 23, SSK 1:17, 41, fn 46)
Kli Rishon Off the Fire
Stringencies
- The melacha of bishul is still applicable in a Kli Rishon which is off the fire such as a saucepan removed from the stove. Therefore, one may not place the following into it:
- Any raw food eg spices
- A liquid which has been fully cooked but has entirely cooled down (per the above)
- A food which was previously baked not cooked (as ‘yesh bishul achar afiya’, ‘cooking’ is forbidden after ‘baking’ per paragraph 10 <ref> above) (SA 318:5, 9, SSK 1:14)
- Putting saucepan on wet surfaces: One should take care not to put a hot saucepan onto a wet surface, towel etc as the moisture will be cooked by the heat of the saucepan (SSK 1:66)
Leniencies
- However, one may place fully cooked foods (a fully cooked solid, even if it is cold, or a fully cooked liquid which hasn’t entirely cooled off) into a Kli Rishon which is off the fire. For example, one may pour hot water from an urn into a saucepan which has been removed from the fire (so long as the contents of the saucepan are already fully cooked) (SA 318:9, SSK 1:17).
- Below Yad Soledes Bo: if the Kli Rishon has cooled to the point where it is less than YSB, it is no longer able to cook so one may put raw food in it (SA 318:9, MB 64)
- Pouring lots of cold water: if one has a Kli Rishon containing hot water, one may pour a quantity of cold water into it which is sufficient to cause its temperature to drop below Yad Soledes Bo, as it will not cook the cold water which has been added. However, one must not do so slowly, as the initial cold water one pours in will then be heated above YSB; rather one must pour all the cold water in at once (SA 318:12, MB 83, SSK 1:58)
Stirring and Serving From a Kli Rishon OFF the Fire
- Stirring and taking food out – fully cooked food: When a Kli Rishon is off the fire, if the food it contains is fully cooked one may stir it and use a spoon or ladle to remove its contents.
- Ladle being clean: Note that one must ensure that the spoon or ladle do not have remnants of food or liquid which weren’t fully cooked (or a cooked liquid which has fully cooled down), else the Kli Rishon will cook these remnants.
- Food not fully cooked: However, if the food is not fully cooked (and is above Yad Soledes Bo) one may not stir or ladle food out as above, though one may gently tip the pot to let its contents flow out (MB 318:117, SSK 1:37-38, 40, 54).
- Putting the lid on: likewise if the food isn’t fully cooked one may not put a lid on the pot as doing so slows the rate at which the pot loses heat, thus causing its contents to cook for longer (SA 257:4, BH”L Gorem Lah, SSK 1:41).
