By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5TJT.com

Of late, a number of people have stopped leaving pots on the Blech over Shabbos.  Recently, a married woman was heard while standing on line in a kosher supermarket expressing the following thought: “Who uses a blech anymore? It is so 1980’s.”

True, many people use other proper means of keeping food hot.  But it still pays to know the hows and whys.  What follows is a halachic background to the birth of the blech, and the reasons for it.

DEFINITION

Shehiya is the category of halacha that deals with the issue of placing food on the fire on Friday and leaving it on the flame over Shabbos. We follow the opinion of Bais Hillel who says that there is no prohibition of our pots doing malacha over Shabbos. (Bais Shammai holds that even our pots and dishes cannot do “Malacha.”) Nevertheless, even according to Bais Hillel, there does exist a concern that we might stoke the coals over Shabbos. Stoking the coals is a violation of the Torah prohibition of “Kindling – Mavir” – also known as “Havaarah.” To avoid this, Chazal enacted certain restrictions about placing food on a flame over Shabbos. In Hebrew this concern is called “Shema Yechateh b’gachalim.” (BTW – “Yechateh” means stoke – NOT SIN.)

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SCOPE OF PROHIBITION

Fully Cooked Versus Ben Drusai Cooked

There is a fundamental debate as to the scope of the prohibition found in the Talmud. What foods fall under the prohibition of Shehiya?

The Gemara in Shabbos (36b) discusses a debate between the Chachomim and Chananya regarding the scope of this prohibition. The Chachomim forbid Shehiya unless the food is completely cooked and any further cooking will make the food worse. This is called “Mitztamek Verah Lo.”

Chananya disagrees and says that these halachos deal only with foods that are not cooked to the extent that it is somewhat edible (Maachal Ben Drusai). Ben Drusai was a robber who was always on the run and only ate his food partially cooked.

Debate Among Rishonim

There is a huge debate among the Rishonim as to whom we Paskin like – the Chachomim or Chananya. The Rif, Rambam, and Ramban rule like the Chachomim.

Rashi, Tosfos, and the Baal HaMaor rule like Chananya. Rav Yosef Karo (Shulchan Aruch O.C. 253:1) rules like the Chachomim. The Rama writes that the minhag is to follow the opinion of Chananya.

View of the Mishna Brurah and Others

Who does the Mishna Brurah rule like? In his Biur Halacha (OC 253:1 “Venahagu”) he writes that it is preferable to rule like the Chachomim.

The Chazon Ish (OC 37:3) however, that one may follow the Rama without hesitation. It is interesting to note that Sefardim, nowadays, seem to follow the Ramah’s leniency (See Kaf HaChaim 253:23 and Rabbi Ben Tzion Abba Shaul zt”l in Ohr L’Tzion Vol. II 17:5).

How Ben Drusai Partial Edibility is Calculated

There is a debate among authorities as to how “minimum edibility is calculated. According to the Rambam (Hilchos Shabbos 9:5) it is half cooked. According to Rashi (tractate Shabbos 20a “Ben Drusai) it is one third cooked. The Mishna Brura (253:38) rules that ideally we try to follow the Rambam. If it is Tzorech Gadol – very necessary we may rely upon Rashi, however.

The Chazon Ish (OC 37:6) writes that this figure is calculated by taking ½ or 1/3rd the cooking time but beginning from when the water or food first reaches yad soledes bo.

The Klausenberger Rebbe (cited in Pnei Shabbos 318) writes that the figure is calculated by some sort of rating system in the food. The Kaf HaChaim (253:28) writes that we should calculate it based on if it is edible – since we are no longer capable of telling these varied stages of cooking. This is also the view of Rav Shmuel Vosner Shlita (as cited in Orchos Shabbos Vol. I 2:7).

EXCEPTIONS TO THE PROHIBITION

Aside from the Grifa (removing the coals) and Ketima (covering up the coals) which allows Shehiya to take place, there are also a number of exceptions to the prohibition of Shehiya – cases where Shehiya does not apply for one reason or another.

Hotplate

A hotplate in which normal cooking is done still requires a blech (and still has the Rabbinical prohibition of Mechzi k’mevashel if cooked food is placed upon it on Shabbos). If it does not have a heat control then it is generally considered that normal cooking is not done on such an item. It, therefore, would not require a blech. Some authorities, however, do require some type of “heker” or indication that Shehiya is forbidden. A sheet of aluminum foil would be effective for this – even though generally speaking a sheet of foil would not be considered a “blech.:

Toward the Side of the Oven

It is permitted to place the pot at a distance from the fire and on the side – even if the food was not yet cooked at all (See SA 253:1). The reason is that the stoking will not help so much since the fire is very distant from the food (MB 318:94).

Plastering the Oven

Another method in which one may leave food on top of the oven is if the fuel adjustment area is plastered shut (Ramah 254:1 and MB 254:14). The Poskim have extended this leniency to other cases where it would be extraordinarily difficult to adjust the flame (See Chazon Ish 36:3). Thus if one removes the knobs and it is difficult to adjust the flame – there would be no need even for a blech. If one locks the knobs shut – the same ruling would apply.

When the Temperature Cannot Be Adjusted – Hot Water Urns, e.g.

There is a debate among the Poskim as to whether the prohibition of Shehiya was also enacted in regard to a vessel where no adjustment can be made. For example, there is really no way to adjust the temperature on a hot water urn. Rav Moshe Feinstein (IM IV 74:35), Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (cited in Shmiras Shabbos K’hilchasa 1 note 71), and Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank (Har Tzvi 136) seem to have ruled leniently. They equate it to Rabbi Akiva Eiger’s leniency in regard to doing Shehiya on something that absorbed heat from the sun (318:3). On the other hand, Rav Elyashiv (cited in Meor Shabbos 4:14), and Rav Nissim Karelitz (Chut Shaini 2:26) rule stringently and state that there is a “Lo Ploog” aspect to this ruling – once Chazal made a rule – they made it across the board with no distinctions.

When Food is Completely Cooked

It is of course understood that there is no prohibition of Shehiya when the food is completely cooked and further cooking lessens the quality of the food (See SA 253:1). If the majority of the food will lessen in quality as it cooks further, even though some will improve in quality, then we follow the majority of the food (Pri Magadim in MZ 259:3). Similarly, if there are two foods in the oven, it would seem that the concept of the Pri Magadim of following the majority would still apply (Klalim B’Hilchos Shabbos Ofeh Vol. I 1:106).

When the Food is Edible Raw

According to the opinion of Chananya – that there is no prohibition of Shehiya when the food has reached the state of minimal edibility there is another leniency too. If a food is edible raw, such as an apple, there would be no prohibition of placing it on an uncovered fire (See SA OC 254:4 according to the MB). The reason is that the food in its raw state tastes better than if it is partially cooked. Therefore, one would not be overcome by the temptation to stoke the fire. This leniency applies only to the view of Chananya and not to the view of the Chachomim. Also, if the food is much tastier when it is cooked – even if it is edible raw – the leniency does not apply (SA OC 254:9). This happens to be true with water. Water that is hot is much tastier than warm or cold water for tea coffee and other purposes. The same is true for onions (See MB 254:22).

When the Food is Directly Over the Fire

Even according to the opinion of the Chachomim, if there is no pot to speak of, but rather the food is directly on the fire itself – the food need only be cooked to the degree of Maachal Ben Drusai (See SA 254:2). Therefore, regarding meats, eggs, or other vegetables, there is no prohibition of Shehiya according to the Chachomim if the food is already partially edible. The reason is that if a person were to stoke the fire in such a case, the food would burn – since there is no pot or vessel to protect it.

The Ramah extends this leniency to even a case where the food is not directly touching the fire but above it. Rav Yoseph Karo, the Mechaber, limits it to a case where it is directly touching the fire. Thus according to the Ramah, a steak may be left in a broiler if it has reached the stage of Maachal Ben Drusai. According to Rav Karo, this would be forbidden. According to both opinions, one may do so on a grill if the meat has reached the state of Maachal Ben Drusai.

When the Meat is Completely Raw

Another exception to the prohibition of Shehiya (See Shulchan Aruch 253:1) is when the meat placed in the pot is completely raw and there is no possibility that the dish will be read for the Shabbos evening meal. The Mishna Brurah (257:46) explains the case further that for the Shabbos day meal, the food would be read even without stoking. In the language of the Talmud, this exception is called, “K’deira Chayasa.”

There is debate among the Poskim whether the exception still applies when the food is Yad soledes bo – even though it is still raw. The Chazon Ish (OC 37:22) forbids it, while Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach permits it (Minchas Shlomo Vol. II 12:3).

There is also a debate among current Poskim whether this exception still applies in our times because, as experience shows, people still look at the Cholent for the Shabbos day meal.

The exception also applies to vegetable dishes that contain a piece of meat that is yet raw (also in 253:1).

OTHER ASPECTS OF SHEHIYA

Early Shabbos

Even if someone has accepted Shabbos earlier, the status of the food is not calculated until Shekiya itself – sundown. In other words, if the food has reached the state of Maachal Ben Drusai by sundown, there is no prohibition of Shehiya according to those who rule in accordance with Chananya. By the same token, according to the Chachomim, if by sundown the food is completely cooked and just reduces in volume and or quality – there is no prohibition of Shehiya.

Special Status of Water

There are Poskim (Rav Moshe Feinstein IM OC Vol. IV 74:24) that are of the opinion that water is different that foods or other liquids in regard to the laws of Shehiya and Bishul. Their view is that although, generally speaking, Yad Soledes Bo and Ben Drusai are two very different stages of a food, in regard to water this is not the case. Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l writes (Igros Moshe Vol. IV 74:24) that regarding water both terms are equal. When water reaches Yad Soledes Bo – it is at the temperature of minimal edibility as well. Shehiya would thus be permitted as soon as the water reaches 160 degrees – or the Chumrah side of Yad Soledes Bo.

Other Poskim (Chazon Ish OC 37:6) have written that Yad Soledes Bo is the beginning and that the Ben Drusai lies at 1/3rd or ½ to boiling. Thus, according to the Chazon Ish, Maachal Ben Drusai of water would be 174 degrees Farhenheit [160 + 1/3 (212-160)].

When Doing Permissible Shehiya

When someone does a permissible Shehiya, by covering the fire with a blech, it is important, according to some authorities (Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt”l, as cited in Shmiras Shabbos K’hilchasa chapter One notes 54 and 185), not to tamper with the fire after one has placed the blech on the fire. That is, neither to raise the flame or to lower it. His intention is only to tamper with it later, but not if it is a lowering or raising that is in the normal process of putting on the blech.

If Forbidden Shehiya Was Done

If a Shehiya was done improperly – the food is prohibited to be eaten. Indeed, it is forbidden until the amount of time it would take to heat up the food on Saturday night (See MB 253:31, 44). The reason that it is dealt with so strictly is because people do not view it as seriously as they should – since all this is done on a Friday. If it was done BeShogaig – where the person was unaware that Shehiya is forbidden, many authorities rule that one may benefit from it immediately after Shabbos (See earlier MB).

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