What may be placed in a k’li sheini?
Ideally food or
liquid in a k’li sheini cannot cook, which means that hot
water or oil in a k’li sheini (poured from a k’li rishon
– the vessel directly on the heat source) cannot cook and
uncooked food items may be placed within.
There are opinions
who hold that scalding water in a k’li sheini retains the
status of a k’li rishon.
The Chazon Ish
was of the opinion that water poured directly from a k’li rishon
into a k’li sheini also retains the status of a k’li
rishon.
If possible, it is
advisable to be stringent.
However, the
poskim introduced a concept called kalei habishul – items
that cook easily
even in a k’li sheini. As a result, an uncooked item may not
be placed into a k’li sheini lest it cooks.
Are there any exceptions to the rule?
Indeed there are.
The gemora mentions items
that may be placed into a k’li sheini thereby
eliminating any doubt as to whether they can cook therein.
Water (some say all
beverages),
olive oil and whole spices are listed as items that will not cook in
a k’li sheini. Rav Shlomo Zalman
Auerbach writes
that ground spices will cook easily and may not be placed in a
k’li sheini.
Some poskim
state that one may place baked items in a k’li sheini,
but we learned in the previous shiur that one must be stringent and
avoid this.
Even those who
learn that beverages other than water may not be placed in a k’li
sheini, agree that cold cooked liquids may be placed therein.
Some examples?
A slice of lemon
may not be placed into tea prepared in a k’li sheini. Tea
bags, tealeaves, cocoa and ground coffee are included in this
prohibited category.
(K’li sh’lishi is a different issue and be”H will be
discussed elsewhere).
What’s the issue regarding a pickle on a
hot kugel?
Some have the
notion that one must not place a hot piece of kugel on or near a
pickle, or that cholent must not touch lettuce on a plate.
This is based on a
number of factors, namely a davar gush (hot solid) and
non-cooked items.
What is a davar gush?
A davar gush
is a hot solid placed into a k’li sheini or sh’lishi.
Several major poskim are of the opinion that a hot solid item
placed in a k’li sheini retains its potential to cook. (This
is despite saying that items in a k’li sheini cannot cook,
all the more so when we are concerned that a k’li sheini can
cook kalei habishul).
As a result, one
may not place uncooked items on a gush, even when placed in a
k’li sheini.
Unprocessed salt,
such as sea salt and mayonnaise may not be placed on hot cholent
even in a k’li sheini or sh’lishi.
Chrain
(horse radish) and mustard may not be placed on a hot piece of meat,
because the meat is a gush and chrain and mustard are
not cooked.
Spring onion may
not be sprinkled over hot chicken pieces.
So you agree that one may not place cholent
near lettuce?
No, not entirely.
Even though cholent and kugel might be a gush, nevertheless in order
for the lettuce or pickle to cook they must reach a temperature of
yad soledes bo, which is very highly unlikely. Another factor
is that one does not want it to cook or even get hot. This
combination is called a safeik p’sik reisha d’lo nicha lei,
which means that since one is not sure that it will cook and one
does not want it to cook, one need not take care that the two do not
touch.
If the heat is such
that it will cook, such as sea salt on hot cholent, it would be
prohibited to add one to the other.
If a gentile switched on a light for an ill
person, may a healthy person use it?
A healthy person
may use and derive benefit from that light, because it was switched
on for a permitted cause.
May a healthy person eat the leftovers cooked
for an ill person by a gentile?
Aside from the
issue of bishul akum – food cooked by a gentile,
the food is forbidden to a healthy person. The difference between
the previous case and this one is that Chazal were concerned
that the healthy person might ask the gentile to cook more food for
him, whereas one light benefits many and there is no concern that
the healthy person will ask the gentile to turn on additional
lights.
