Chazora
Last week we learned that in order
to do chazora 1 one has to comply with certain conditions. What if I did not
comply with all of them, may I still do chazora?
It depends which conditions were not adhered to.
For example: I had in mind to
return the food to the blech 2 but I placed the pot onto the counter.
The Mishna B’rura 3 says that in
your case when the food is needed one may return it (in compliance with the other
conditions). Also if you are still holding it in your hands, even if you did not have in
mind to return it to the fire, if the food is needed, it may be returned.
What if I forgot to cover the
flames with a blech?
Then you cannot do chazora. One is only allowed to
return food to a covered fire or to a Shabbos hot plate. However you can take the food to
a neighbor’s blech or hot plate, after complying with all the other
conditions.
Bishul
If the pot’s lid was removed,
may I cover the pot?
It depends; if the food is not yet fully cooked you may not
cover the pot, as a closed pot cooks more rapidly than an uncovered pot, thereby being
liable for the melacha of Bishul – cooking. If the food is fully cooked
– some poskim hold that it is muter to cover the pot. Others hold that
one must first remove the pot from the fire, cover it, and then return it to the fire. 4
Which foods may one heat up on
Shabbos itself, and how?
Foods with no liquid or gravy, i.e. kugel, schnitzel, rice,
and are fully cooked may be placed on top of a pot that is on the fire. 5
What if gravy is also in the dish?
If the gravy is cold you are not allowed to heat it above
the temperature of yad soledes bo, 6 which is (for hilchos
Shabbos) approx. 40°– 45°C. If by placing the dish with gravy on the urn etc. it
will not be able to reach yad soledes bo even if you leave it there for a long
period of time, you may put it there. But if eventually it would reach yad soledes bo
if left there long enough, you may not place it there even if you intend removing it
before it reaches yad soledes bo.
A Word on the Parsha
When Ya’akov Avinu met his dear brother Eisav, he said
to him “Im Lavan garti …”. Rashi says that since Garty
is the numerical value of taryag = 613, he meant to relate to him that he had
observed all 613 mitzvos. The question is that what interest does Eisav have
whether Ya’akov observed them or not, Eisav certainly does not abide by them.
Harav Sternbuch shlita answers that, since in the blessings
received by the brothers, it says that if Ya’akov would not adhere to the mitzvos,
only then would Eisav (chas v’shalom) have any power over Ya’akov,
Ya’akov forewarned Eisav saying that Eisav has no power over him whatsoever as he had
adhered to all 613 mitzvos.
Food For Thought
Is is muter to move pots on the blech
closer to the flames?
If after closing a pot and I realized
that the food was not yet fully cooked, may the food be eaten?
By mistake I took the cholent pot off
the blech thinking that it was the soup pot, may I put the cholent pot back?
Are there any halachos as to how one is
allowed to wrap towels around pots on the blech?
Answers coming next week.
For Your Information
The following cities have Shabbos Shiurim:
Minneapolis - R' Moshe Tuvia Lieff
Johannesburg - R' Furman
Lakewood - R' Menchem Mendel Lerner
Leeds, England - R' Sedley
Miami, Fla - R' Dovid Botton
Boston - Rabbi Aaron Hamouie
Many woman have taken the initiative to start weekly
classes to learnthe Halachos of Shabbos. There are many fine Seforim available and it
is an area that most of us need to learn and review.
1 Returning food to the fire
2 A metal sheet placed over the flames.
3 Simon 253:56
4 T’shuvos V’Hanhagos (vol.1 207-3). Sh’miras Shabbos Kehilchasa (1-35).
Iggros Moshe (Orach Chayim vol.4 74-10).
5 Simon 253 se’if 5
6 This is the degree Chazzal (our sages) say that foods and liquids cook. |
