Search results for: ""Halacha""
Why Bugs May Not Be Eaten
Bugs are not kosher and may not be eaten for two main reasons:
- First, the Torah forbids the “sheretz ha'shoreitz al ha'aretz” (“creeping thing that creeps on the ground”).
- Second, if people consider bugs disgusting to eat, the bugs are forbidden.
General Rules: Kashrut and Bugs
Three basic principles govern bugs/insects in food:-
Partial-Bug Nullification
A whole bug or insect cannot be nullified, even when it makes up less than 1/60th of the volume of the food in which it is found.
Note Any bug that is missing even a tiny part of its body may be nullified if less than 1/60th of the volume of the food in which it is found, but only if:- You cannot remove the bug, and
- You cannot see it.
-
The Three-Bug Rule
Any time you find three bugs in food, you must assume there are more bugs to be found and you must therefore check every piece of that food before eating any of it. -
The Still-Kosher Food-and-Pot Rule
Even if the bugs were cooked in the food, as long as you later remove all the bugs, the food and the utensil in which they were cooked remain kosher.
Exception If bugs make up 50\% or more of the total volume, the food is not kosher.
What To DoIn this case, you should consult a rabbi about whether the utensil is kosher.
Changes in a Halachic Decision Due to New Facts
A halachic determination may be voided or changed if factual information is found that contradicts the information on which the halachic determination was made (such as incorrect science or incorrect statement of a condition or situation). However, you must check with the originator of the psak or the original source of information on which the halacha was based.
Introduction to Shabbat and Selecting/Boreir
Selecting Good from Bad and Bad from Good
Boreir Principle #1: You may eat anything in the manner in which it is normally eaten.
ExamplePeeling an orange.
Boreir Principle #2: You may not use a specialized tool.
Boreir Principle #3: You may not remove “bad” from “good.”
What To Do Take good (edible or desired food) from the undesired (bad) components.
Note You may do this only when you are ready to eat it or when you are preparing the food to be eaten soon afterward.
Note Boreir is a complicated area of halacha. Because issues of boreir are almost always from the Torah (d'oraita, not d'rabanan), we are stringent in applying restrictions concerning boreir. Consult a rabbi for specific questions.
Selecting Undesired from Desired Food
On Shabbat, you may not usually separate totally undesired from totally desired food in a standard way, even without a specialized tool.
SITUATION You want remove dirt from a carrot's surface on a Shabbat.
WHAT TO DO You may remove the dirt with an altered method (shinu'i), such as scraping the peel with a knife (which is a tool not specialized for separating food)-- but not by using a peeler.
REASON The normal way to eat the carrot is to peel it.
Selecting Desired from Undesired Food
While eating food (and some time before--within the amount of time you would normally need to prepare a meal), you may select desired food from undesired (or inedible) substances by hand or non-specialized tool. You may not use a specialized implement.
EXAMPLE You may remove fish from its skeleton even before eating it, but you may not remove the skeleton from the fish (because you have removed bad from good).
NOTE Once Shabbat has begun:
Boreir Principle #1: You may eat anything in the manner in which it is normally eaten.
ExamplePeeling an orange.
Boreir Principle #2: You may not use a specialized tool.
Boreir Principle #3: You may not remove “bad” from “good.”
What To Do Take good (edible or desired food) from the undesired (bad) components.
Note You may do this only when you are ready to eat it or when you are preparing the food to be eaten soon afterward.
Note Boreir is a complicated area of halacha. Because issues of boreir are almost always from the Torah (d'oraita, not d'rabanan), we are stringent in applying restrictions concerning boreir. Consult a rabbi for specific questions.
Selecting Undesired from Desired Food
On Shabbat, you may not usually separate totally undesired from totally desired food in a standard way, even without a specialized tool.
Undesired Mixed with Desired Food
However, you may separate undesired elements from desired food—even with a specialized tool--if the undesired food is mixed with some desired food (any amount that you would use or eat is enough). This is called “taking some good with the bad.”
Situation You want to remove fat on gravy.
What To Do You may remove fat along with some gravy.
Reason Boreir is separating bad from good. Here, the junction area is still intact, so separating fat from gravy is like separating good from good (gravy from gravy, not fat from gravy).
Removing Easily Removable Food in a Non-Standard Way
Situation The undesired food is easily distinguishable and easily removable from the desired food.
What To Do You may separate totally undesired food elements from desired food in a non-standard way--using only your hand, fingers, or implement that is not designed for separation. That is, you may not use a utensil that is designed to separate food from other foods, substances, or parts of foods, such as a slotted spoon, peeler, or sieve. But you may pick a lemon seed off a serving of fish, for example.
NOTE As on Jewish festivals, an action needed to eat a food normally (derech achila) does not violate the prohibition of boreir on Shabbat. So you may peel a food that is normally separated from its peel or shell in order to be eaten, as long as you do not use a specialized instrument to do so. For example, on Shabbat, you may do the following by hand without a shinu'i:
- Peel an orange
- Remove the shell of a hard-boiled egg
- Separate peanuts from their shells.
SITUATION You want remove dirt from a carrot's surface on a Shabbat.
WHAT TO DO You may remove the dirt with an altered method (shinu'i), such as scraping the peel with a knife (which is a tool not specialized for separating food)-- but not by using a peeler.
REASON The normal way to eat the carrot is to peel it.
Selecting Desired from Undesired Food
While eating food (and some time before--within the amount of time you would normally need to prepare a meal), you may select desired food from undesired (or inedible) substances by hand or non-specialized tool. You may not use a specialized implement.
EXAMPLE You may remove fish from its skeleton even before eating it, but you may not remove the skeleton from the fish (because you have removed bad from good).
NOTE Once Shabbat has begun:
- You may remove fish bones from fish while you are eating the fish, but not before you are eating the fish.
- You may cut open a melon such as a cantaloupe and shake the seeds out (this is because some of the seeds remain), or take a bite of the melon and spit out the seeds. But you may not remove any remaining seeds using your hand or an implement.
Jewish Festivals: Kiddush: Borei Pri HaGafen after Drinking Kiddush Wine and Hesech Da'at
If you said or heard the blessing borei pri ha'gafen, finished drinking had hesech da'at, and then want to make a new blessing over the remaining wine in the cup, see Borei Pri HaGafen: Saying Again.
Note Although you may say a new borei pri ha'gafen on wine (or grape juice) that you left off drinking and returned to finish after hesech da'at, you may do so only as a simple blessing, not as kiddush (for how to make kiddush on same wine, see next halacha).
Introduction to Kosher/Kashrut
The human soul can achieve its goals when the body's physical desires and abilities are channeled to do good. Since our bodies are meant to serve holy purposes, what goes into them (as food) likewise must be fitting. The Torah lists “fitting,” or kosher, foods and food preparation rules that enhance our spiritual nature. Kosher rules help us use the physical items in the world to achieve holiness.
Note Many of the halachot listed here differ from the more-stringent approach of the Star-K, even though RMH is the halachic authority for the Star-K. The halachot listed in PRACTICAL HALACHA are the basic halachot and RMH approves of their use for individuals.
Introduction to Jewish Festival "Eating a Meal" Requirements
We are required to eat two meals on Jewish festivals, each preceded by kiddush, one in the evening and one in the morning. For both meals for each Jewish festival day (and all three meals on Shabbat), say ha'motzi over two complete loaves of bread, each of which is at least 1.3 fl. oz. in volume.
Source of Saying Jewish Festival Kiddush
Some kiddushes are commanded by the Torah (d'oraita); the others are from Chazal (d'rabanan), as follows:
Kiddush d'Oraita
Saying Jewish festival kiddush at the place where you will eat your meal is a rabbinical (d'rabanan) enactment.
Jewish Festival Kiddush-Meal Quantities: Evening
There are two separate eating requirements during the daytime. They may be combined (say/hear kiddush and start the main meal right away) but are often done separately (say/hear kiddush and then eat some light foods and beverages; the main meal is eaten later in the day).
Note Since eating and drinking requirements on all morning kiddushes (both Shabbat and Jewish festivals) are d'rabanan, the required beverage amount for morning kiddush is only 3.3 fl. oz. (99 ml) instead of the d'oraita 4 fl. oz. (119 ml) (which is required for kiddushes for Shabbat evening and all first-night Jewish festivals).
Note Girls and women are not required to eat any meals (that is, including bread or matza) on Jewish festivals except the Passover seder. However, if a woman, or girl at least bat mitzva age, wants to eat bread, she should use two loaves, just as men do. This is halacha, not a custom. Also, girls and women may not fast on any festival day so even if they do not eat bread or matza, they must eat some food.
Source of Saying Jewish Festival Kiddush
Some kiddushes are commanded by the Torah (d'oraita); the others are from Chazal (d'rabanan), as follows:
Kiddush d'Oraita
- First night of Jewish festivals
- Night of seventh day of Passover
- Night of Shmini Atzeret.
- First day of Jewish festival
- Second night of Jewish festival
- Second day of Jewish festival
- Seventh day of Passover
- Eighth night of Passover
- Eighth day of Passover
- Shmini Atzeret day
- Night and day of Simchat Torah.
Saying Jewish festival kiddush at the place where you will eat your meal is a rabbinical (d'rabanan) enactment.
Jewish Festival Kiddush-Meal Quantities: Evening
- For evening kiddush for a first-night (d'oraita) Jewish festival, a minimum of 4 fl. oz. (119 ml) of wine must be blessed on and at least half must be drunk.
- For evening kiddush for a second-night (d'rabanan) Jewish festival, a minimum of 3.3 fl. oz. (99 ml) of wine must be blessed on and at least 2.0 fl. oz. must be drunk.
- For the evening meal, as on the first two Shabbat meals and for all required Jewish festival meals, a minimum of 1.9 fl. oz. (56 ml) of bread must be eaten within four minutes.
There are two separate eating requirements during the daytime. They may be combined (say/hear kiddush and start the main meal right away) but are often done separately (say/hear kiddush and then eat some light foods and beverages; the main meal is eaten later in the day).
Note Since eating and drinking requirements on all morning kiddushes (both Shabbat and Jewish festivals) are d'rabanan, the required beverage amount for morning kiddush is only 3.3 fl. oz. (99 ml) instead of the d'oraita 4 fl. oz. (119 ml) (which is required for kiddushes for Shabbat evening and all first-night Jewish festivals).
-
Morning kiddush requires a halachically legal “meal” with these elements:
- Blessing on a minimum of 3.3 fl. oz. (99 ml) of wine (or other beverage),
- Someone's drinking at least half the beverage, followed by
-
Eating at least 1.3 fl. oz. (39 ml, or 1/6 cup) of some type of mezonot within four minutes.
Note If you drink at least 3.3 fl. oz. (99 ml) of wine within 30 seconds, you do not need to eat mezonot.
Note You do not need to drink the wine or other kiddush beverage to fulfill “establishing a meal.” You may hear kiddush and then simply eat the required amount of bread or mezonot. This applies to Shabbat or Jewish festivals, evening or morning.
The kiddush “meal” does not have to satiate.
-
The real meal (kovei'a se'uda) requires eating at least 1.9 fl. oz. (56 ml) of bread (or matza during Passover!) within four minutes. It must include enough food to satiate.
Note You can simultaneously fulfill the requirement to “establish a meal” and to “eat a meal” by eating one (the same) piece of bread.
Introduction to Torah Study
Studying Torah is a basic requirement for all Jews and such study is considered to be a prestigious commandment (Torah study is as important as doing all the other mitzvot: talmud Torah k'negged kulam). Setting time for Torah study (k'viat zman l'Torah) means that we show how important Torah study is by setting a specific time each day and a specific duration for such study.
But all commandments that you must do (mitzvot aseh) take precedence over studying Torah. That is, you may NOT ignore the need to do another positive commandment because you are studying!
But all commandments that you must do (mitzvot aseh) take precedence over studying Torah. That is, you may NOT ignore the need to do another positive commandment because you are studying!
Minimum Required Torah Study
The minimum requirements for Jews to learn:-
Men: All parts of the Torah plus whatever halacha is relevant for them.
Note The most important subjects for men to study are whatever is practical for them in their lives
- Women: All halachot relevant for them, and hashkafa.
Lulav: Hold, Bless, Shake
To fulfill the commandment of lulav and etrog, you must hold them together the way they grow: stems down. But since you fulfill the commandment as soon as you hold the Four Species together this way, you must first pick up the etrog inverted (stem up) and then say the blessing, as follows:
- Hold the lulav with the spine facing you and the myrtle on the right, willows on the left, and the etrog with the pitom (opposite the stem) down;
- Say the blessings for the lulav;
- Turn the etrog right side up (stem-side down) and hold the lulav and etrog together; and
- Shake the Four Species together.
Note Waving (or shaking) the lulav is a universally accepted custom with the force of halacha. We show that God is present in all directions by waving the lulav in the four compass directions, plus up and down. There are various customs of the sequence in which to wave the lulav. One common sequence is east; south; west; north; up; down. Wave the Four Species three times in each direction.
Note Although the lulav's spine should face you as you hold it, you have still fulfilled the requirement of lulav if the spine was facing away or if the willows and myrtles are on the incorrect sides of the lulav.
Note Although the lulav's spine should face you as you hold it, you have still fulfilled the requirement of lulav if the spine was facing away or if the willows and myrtles are on the incorrect sides of the lulav.
Chanuka Candles: Light Left to Right; Add Right to Left
Light Chanuka candles from left to right, as you face it, not as it will be seen from outside the window. Add the new candle from right to left. For example, on the first night, put the candle on the extreme right of the menora.
To set up and light Chanuka candles:
To set up and light Chanuka candles:
- Set up the candles starting from the right side of the menora.
-
Light the shamash candle and hold it while you say the blessings:
- Lehadlik ner shel Chanuka.
- She'asa nisim l'avoteinu ba'yamim ha'heim ba'zman ha'zeh.
- (And on the first night, add) She'hecheyanu.
- Light the left-most candle first and proceed to the next candle on the right, and so on.
- Once you have lit the first candle each night, say ha'neirot hallalu (this is a halacha).
Note Saying Ma'oz Tzur is a widespread custom but is not required.
Jewish Festivals: Candles: Dinner Location
As on Shabbat, light Jewish festival candles wherever you will eat dinner that night.
Note If you will be eating away from home, do not light the candles at home unless you will be home for some period of time after dark (in which case you must see the candles burning for at least one minute after dark/tzeit ha'kochavim; otherwise you will have made a bracha l'vatala). This is not the ideal situation, as the ideal is to light where you will eat.
Note You do not need to light candles at all if you are not eating at your own home on the Jewish festival (this applies to men and women, even wives and mothers who normally light at their own home) as long as someone else is lighting candles where you will eat. While the basic halacha is that the hostess lights for everyone, it is a widespread custom for any woman who is--or was--married to light at the hostess's home.
Note You do not need to light candles at all if you are not eating at your own home on the Jewish festival (this applies to men and women, even wives and mothers who normally light at their own home) as long as someone else is lighting candles where you will eat. While the basic halacha is that the hostess lights for everyone, it is a widespread custom for any woman who is--or was--married to light at the hostess's home.
Amida: Location: Moving Away
You may not move from where you began saying the amida until you finish the amida.
Example
You may not get on or off a bus in the middle of saying the amida.
Example
You may not get on or off a bus in the middle of saying the amida.
Note It is better to say the abridged version of the amida (this appears in some siddurs) if you do not have time to say it without interruption (but you may say the abridged version only during the summer, since you must say mashiv ha'ruach and other additions during the winter).
Exceptions Walking To Avoid Being Disturbed
You may walk to another place, even in the middle of the amida, if you are disturbed or distracted where you are, such as to move away from:
You may walk across the room--even in the middle of the amida--in order to look in a book of halacha to see how to correct a mistake or omission you made while saying the amida.
Exceptions Walking To Avoid Being Disturbed
You may walk to another place, even in the middle of the amida, if you are disturbed or distracted where you are, such as to move away from:
- An immodestly dressed woman or other visual distraction,
- Bad smell,
- Animal, or
- Noise (such as people talking).
You may walk across the room--even in the middle of the amida--in order to look in a book of halacha to see how to correct a mistake or omission you made while saying the amida.
Sheimot: Disposal
These holy writings (tashmishei kedusha) may not be thrown directly into the trash, but should ideally be buried with like items (sheimot):
- Holy writings that contain God's name.
- Parts of Tanach (24-book Jewish Bible).
- Explanations of the Torah or commandments.
Reason It would be a disgrace to bury Torah words with secular content.
Note You may find collection boxes (marked “sheimot/sheimos” or “geniza”) at a local Jewish school or synagogue into which you can deposit your sheimot items.
Note Tashmishei mitzva—items used to do a mitzva (such as talit or tzitzit)—must be wrapped in:
Note You may find collection boxes (marked “sheimot/sheimos” or “geniza”) at a local Jewish school or synagogue into which you can deposit your sheimot items.
Note Tashmishei mitzva—items used to do a mitzva (such as talit or tzitzit)—must be wrapped in:
- One layer of plastic if they will be thrown away in dry trash, or
- Double layer of plastic if they will be thrown away into wet garbage.
Sheimot/Bury
Do not throw into trash, even if double wrapped:- Handwritten scrolls of Torah, tefilin, mezuza.
- Printed Torah, Talmud, siddur, books of halacha, or Torah commentaries.
Double Wrap and Throw into Trash
Double wrap and throw into trash:-
Newspapers and flyers that have Torah psukim or Torah commentaries and also have non-Torah content.
Reason Non-Torah material should not be buried as sheimot.
- Children's school handouts with psukim from the Torah or halachot that also contain non-Torah content (if they ONLY contain words of Torah, they should be buried as sheimot).
Single Wrap and Throw into Trash
For disposal of items used for mitzvot (tashmishei mitzva), you may wrap in one layer of plastic and throw it in normal garbage:- Lulav,
- Etrog, or
- Talit/tzitzit (but NOT tefilin!)
Timing of Giving
Property may be given away in any manner and amounts desired during a person's lifetime. A Jew must give his property away before death if he does not want to make the inheritance according to Jewish law (such as double portion to a father's first-born son, etc.--consult a rabbi for details). A person should reserve some money to fulfill the Torah commandment of inheritance. Consult a rabbi.
Rabbinic guidance is recommended.
Note In inheritance issues, the first-born son means the first-born son of the father (although pidyon ha'ben refers to the first-born son of the mother).
Note A mother can leave whatever she wants to her children without being required to give twice as much to a son who is the first-born of his father.
Note A mother can leave whatever she wants to her children without being required to give twice as much to a son who is the first-born of his father.
American Will
Since a person cannot give away property after his/her death (since he/she does not own it anymore), an American will has no halachic validity. An American will should be written to keep the inheritance out of the hands of the government and lawyers. In order for a secular will to be effective under halacha, an acquisition should be made that starts to take effect beginning at the time of the kinyan and finalize one hour before the person's death. Rabbinic guidance is recommended.
Introduction to Toveling: Utensils
Tevila is the Hebrew word for immersion. You must tovel (immerse in a mikva or other halachically purifying water) new utensils made of metal or other materials that require tevila unless you know that they were:
To tovel a utensil, you may go to any kosher natural mikva (see section on natural mikvas) or to a mikvat keilim (a small mikva for utensils, often attached to the outside of a regular mikva building). To tovel several items, some of which require a blessing and some on which there is doubt whether a blessing is necessary, say the blessing over the item that requires the blessing and have in mind that the blessing will cover all the rest of your items.
Remember to remove all stickers, rust, etc., before you begin. Nail polish remover may help with stubborn stickers. Say the blessing al tevilat keilim and then let the item free fall through the water. Unlike with hagala, during which the item may be immersed in sections, when you tovel a utensil, the entire item must be in contact with the water at the same time, even if only for an instant.
Toveling: Utensils: What Gets Toveled?
- Made by a Jew,
- Sold by a Jew, and
- Not owned by a non-Jew in between.
To tovel a utensil, you may go to any kosher natural mikva (see section on natural mikvas) or to a mikvat keilim (a small mikva for utensils, often attached to the outside of a regular mikva building). To tovel several items, some of which require a blessing and some on which there is doubt whether a blessing is necessary, say the blessing over the item that requires the blessing and have in mind that the blessing will cover all the rest of your items.
Remember to remove all stickers, rust, etc., before you begin. Nail polish remover may help with stubborn stickers. Say the blessing al tevilat keilim and then let the item free fall through the water. Unlike with hagala, during which the item may be immersed in sections, when you tovel a utensil, the entire item must be in contact with the water at the same time, even if only for an instant.
Toveling: Utensils: What Gets Toveled?
Note The main halacha applies to metal utensils that will be used repeatedly.
Say the blessing al tevilat keilim on metal or glass items--including Pyrex, Duralex, and Corelle-- that come in contact with food. Items that require toveling include:
The below chart is copied with permission from the Star-K (www.star-k.org):Say the blessing al tevilat keilim on metal or glass items--including Pyrex, Duralex, and Corelle-- that come in contact with food. Items that require toveling include:
- Bowls
- Cups
- Forks
- Knives
- Pans
- Plates
- Pots
- Spoons
- Storage containers (only if they are brought to the table).
| Utensil | Tevila Guideline | Utensil | Tevila Guideline | |
|
Aluminum Pans, Disposable if intended to be used more than once |
Tevila with Brocha |
Meat Tenderizer Hammer, Metal |
No Tevila | |
|
Aluminum Pans, Disposable to be used only once |
Tevila w/o Brocha | Melamine | No Tevila | |
| Blech | No Tevila | Metal Cutlery | Tevila with Brocha | |
| Blender with metal blade on bottom | Tevila with Brocha |
Metal Flour and Sugar Storage Canisters |
Tevila w/o Brocha | |
| Bone | No Tevila |
Metal Pots Coated with Teflon, Enamel or Plastic |
Tevila w/o Brocha | |
| Brush, Pastry | No Tevila | Metal Spoon Specifically for Medicine | Tevila w/o Brocha | |
| Brush for Grill, Metal | No Tevila | Microwave Turntable, Glass | Tevila w/o Brocha | |
| Can Opener | No Tevila | Mixer Beaters | Tevila w/o Brocha | |
|
Cans, Reusable Empty if opened by a Yehudi |
No Tevila | Paper | No Tevila | |
| China, Bone | Tevila w/o Brocha | Peeler, Vegetable | Tevila with Brocha | |
| China, Glazed | Tevila w/o Brocha | Plastic | No Tevila | |
| Colander, Metal | Tevila with Brocha | Porcelain Enamel | Tevila w/o Brocha | |
| Cookie Cutters, Metal | No Tevila | Racks, Cooling | Tevila w/o Brocha | |
| Cookie Sheets, Metal | Tevila with Brocha | Racks, Oven | No Tevila | |
| Cork Screw | No Tevila |
Rolling Pins Metal or Wood |
No Tevila | |
| Corningware | Tevila w/o Brocha | Sandwich Maker | Tevila with Brocha | |
| Crockpot Ceramic Insert | Tevila w/o Brocha | Silicone | No Tevila | |
| Crockpot Glass Lid | Tevila w/o Brocha | Sink Racks, Stainless Steel | No Tevila | |
| Crockpot Outside Metal Shell | No Tevila | Spatula, Metal | Tevila with Brocha | |
| Dish Rack, Metal | No Tevila | Stoneware | Tevila w/o Brocha | |
| Dishes, Ceramic | Tevila w/o Brocha | Stoneware, Non-Glazed | No Tevila | |
|
Earthenware, Non-Glazed Dull Finish, e.g. Flower Pot |
No Tevila |
Storage Utensils, Glass not brought to the table |
No Tevila | |
| George Foreman Grill | Tevila w/o Brocha | Styrofoam | No Tevila | |
|
Glass (including Pyrex, Duralex & Corelle) |
Tevila with Brocha | Tea Kettle, Corelle | Tevila with Brocha | |
|
Grater, Metal used for foods that are ready to eat, eg, apples, onions |
Tevila with Brocha |
Toaster which will not break |
Tevila w/o Brocha | |
|
Grater, Metal used only for foods that need further cooking,eg potatos |
Tevila w/o Brocha |
Toaster Oven rack & tray only |
Tevila with Brocha | |
| Hamburger Maker | Tevila with Brocha | Trivet, Metal | No Tevila | |
| Hot Air Popcorn Maker, Metal | Tevila with Brocha | Waffle Iron | Tevila with Brocha | |
| Hot Water Urn, Metal | Tevila with Brocha | Warming Tray | No Tevila | |
| Knife, Arts & Crafts | No Tevila | Wood | No Tevila | |
| Knife Sharpener | No Tevila |
Wooden Cask with Metal Straps |
Tevila w/o Brocha | |
| Meat Thermometer | No Tevila |
Introduction to Shabbat: Cooking
Bishul B'Shabbat/Cooking on Shabbat
The Torah forbids cooking on Shabbat. “Cooking” means making food edible by heating it to above 120° F (49° C).Cooking includes:
- You may not make a soft food hard (such as cooking an egg).
- You may not make a hard food soft (such as cooking meat).
- You may not, in any manner, heat (to 120° F or above ) liquids that you will drink or foods with liquids—such as sauces and gravies--whether fully cooked or not.
Timing of Cooking
According to the Torah, you may eat food on Shabbat that had been placed on the heat source Friday afternoon but was not completely cooked by sunset.ReasonNo action is being taken and the cooking will be completed by itself.
Kli Rishon and Kli Sheini
According to Torah law, food is only considered to be cooked if it has been directly heated from the heat source, such as a kettle on a fire or a pot on a flame (even if that utensil has been removed from its heat source). This is called a kli rishon.Once you pour water from a kli rishon into a glass, the glass is a kli sheni. Some foods, such as an egg or tea, get cooked in a kli sheni (kalei bishul--easily cooked). These foods are forbidden by Torah law to be put into a hot kli sheni on Shabbat.
Exception Halacha allows spices and water to be “cooked” in a kli sheni.
NoteIf the water is less than 120° F, nothing gets halachically cooked in any kli, even in a kli rishon.
NoteIf the water is less than 120° F, nothing gets halachically cooked in any kli, even in a kli rishon.
Reheating/Replacing to Heat Source
1. Do Not Reheat Food Unless It Is Halachically Dry.
This includes heating on a hotplate, stove, or oven and applies to even fully cooked food. Halachically dry means the food is solid at either the beginning or the end of the cooking, or both. To determine whether a food is liquid (and therefore may not be reheated on Shabbat), shake the container. If the food does not move around, it is considered to be solid. (For when solid food may be reheated, please see Shabbat: Reheating.)
2. To Replace Heated Food onto/into Its Heat Source (hachzara):
- You must have taken it off with the intention of replacing it, and
- You may not put the utensil down onto a surface; you must continue to hold the food (or the utensil) in your hand.
- The heat source must be covered.
Reason Chazal were concerned that someone might see you put food on the heat, mistake it for actual cooking, and erroneously think that cooking is permitted on Shabbat.
Note You may not replace incompletely cooked food to a heat source.
Reason To do so would facilitate the cooking.
3. Do Not Put Food on a Heat Source that has Adjustable Controls.
This applies even to fully cooked food.
Reason You might adjust the heat and thereby violate a Torah law due to shehiya (stoking the fire or turning up the heat).
Note Shehiya is simple to avoid; just cover the flame (or electric heating element) and any temperature controls before Shabbat, as when using a blech (a metal sheet that covers the flames and controls). Then, on Shabbat, you may put fully cooked solid (but not liquid) food on top of other food (or utensils containing food) that were already on a blech from before sunset on Friday.
Reason Doing so does not look like you are cooking and the blech prevents you from adjusting the heat.
4. Do Not Insulate Food to which Heat Is Added.
You may not add insulation (which will help keep in the heat) during Shabbat to foods that are on a heat source, even to fully cooked foods, if they are “wet.” By rabbinic law, you may not apply heat to an insulated utensil—or apply any insulation that adds heat--even before Shabbat began and let it remain that way during Shabbat--even if the food was completely cooked before sunset on Friday.
Note Regarding food on a heat source, you may add insulation if there is at least one uncovered area at least the size of a quarter. Adding insulation on Shabbat is only a problem if the insulation completely surrounds the food or utensil on all surfaces and the top.