DailyHalacha.com for Mobile Devices Now Available

Click Here to Sponsor Daily Halacha
"Delivered to Over 6000 Registered Recipients Each Day"

      
(File size: 762 KB)
Is It Permissible to Place Water Next to a Fire on Shabbat?

The Halacha prohibits placing cold water on a Blech, since that constitutes cooking. The question is whether on may place cold water or raw food next to the fire, in order to warm it up, with intent to remove it before it reaches the critical temperature of Yad Soledet Bo.

The Rambam (Ch. 22) and Rashi (Shabbat 40b) and other Rishonim allow this, even if left close enough to the fire that it could eventually reach Yad Soledet Bo. They are not concerned that one may forget and leave it to reach the cooking point.

However the Rosh (Shabbat 3:10) cites a Yerushalmi that clearly prohibits placing the water in a place where it could eventually reach Yad Soledet Bo. Rather, one may only put the water far enough that it would warm up without the possibility of reaching Yad Soledet Bo. This seems to be the conclusion of the Rosh, as well as the Tosafot and many other Rishonim. Some Rishonim even hold that Rashi retracted his lenient opinion.

The Bet Yosef (318) writes that since the majority of Rishonim and the Yerushalmi are strict, the Halacha is in accordance with them. Therefore, he rules in Shulhan Aruch (318:14) that one may only place water in proximity to the fire where it can never reach Yad Soledet Bo.

SUMMARY
One may heat up water or raw food by placing them in proximity to the Blech at a distance where they can never reach the temperature of Yad Soledet Bo.

 


Recent Daily Halachot...
Reciting Arbit Before Sunset When Praying Privately
Is It Permissible To Pray Arbit B'Yachid Early Before Sunset
Daily Reading of the Ketoret To Bring The End To A Plague
Tefillin and Birkat Kohanim During Minha on Fast Days
The Special Significance of Alenu
May One Person Recite Birkat HaGomel For Many In The Synagogue?
Is it Considered Praying B’Tzibur if One prays a Different Prayer than the Congregation
Sitting Near Somebody Praying the Amidah
The Proper Way To Vocalize The Amidah
Answering Kadish and Amen During Pesukeh D'zimra
The Meaning of the Term “Pesukeh De’zimra”
Answering to Kaddish or Kedusha After Reciting “Ado-nai Sefatai Tiftah”
Reciting Hodu Before Shaharit
Reciting Shema During the Korbanot Section of the Prayer Service
If One Comes Late to the Synagogue and Will Not Complete the Amida Before the Hazan Reaches Modim
Page of 239
3585 Halachot found