Where may one place cooked items?

In the previous shiur we learned that it is permitted to reheat solid items that are fully cooked and void of liquid. Foods such as schnitzel, kugel and cooked chicken may be placed inside a k’li rishon not on the hotplate or blech. Furthermore, one may place cold kneidelach (dry) or lokshen in the soup pot that is off the fire. The pot may not be returned to the blech or hotplate, because the kneidlach and lokshen would then be placed on the heat source for the first time that Shabbos, which constitutes chazora b’issur – prohibited returning to the heat source.

One may all the more so place these items in a k’li sheini [1] etc. As stated previously, soup nuts (ù÷ãé îø÷) are deep fried and may be placed in one’s soup.

What about putting matza or bread in soup?

We learned that ein bishul achar bishul – there is no cooking after cooking, but baked and roasted items are different. There is a major machlokes Rishonim as to whether there can be afiya or tz’liya after cooking and vice versa. [2]

What is their point of argument?

The Bais Yosef presents it as follows:

The Yera’im quotes Rabbi Yossi in the Gemora Pesachim 41a, who says that one does not fulfill the mitzvah of matzo if the matzo was cooked after it was baked. Since we see that the cooking adds a new dimension to the matzo, it is therefore ossur on Shabbos to cook food (even in a permitted manner) that was previously roasted or baked.

The Ra’avia counters with the Gemora Berachos 38b where the p’sak is according to Rabbi Yochanan who says that vegetables retain their status of borei p’ri ho’adamah even after being cooked. The difference between berachos and matzo is that with matzo the taste of matzo is a prerequisite for the mitzvah and is modified through cooking, not because a new dimension is added. That is the reason why the gemora Pesachim says that one does not fulfill the mitzvah with cooked matzo.

What is the halacha?

For Sephardim – there is a machlokes as to the Mechaber’s opinion. Some learn [3] that he permits placing a baked item into soup that is in a k’li sheini, while others learn [4] that he permits even in a k’li rishon (off the fire). The Kaf haChaim [5] cites the Minchas Cohen that it is customary to be stringent and not place bread in a k’li rishon but this is permitted in a k’li sheini.

For Ashkenazim – the Rama [6] writes that it is customary to be stringent and only place baked items in a k’li sh’lishi but not in a k’li sheini. This means that matzo, bread, crackers and bread croutons may only be placed in a k’li sh’lishi, not in a k’li sheini.

Accordingly, if soup was poured from the pot into a plate, the plate is a k’li sheini and the above items should not be dipped or placed inside. Using a ladle would render the plate a k’li sh’lishi [7] but if the ladle rested for a while in the pot it in all probability attains the status of the pot itself – a k’li rishon and the plate of soup will be a k’li sheini.

To summarize – one may place soup nuts (usually fried, not baked) into a k’li sheini. One may not place matzo, challah or bread croutons into a plate of soup that is a k’li sheini. If a ladle was used, the plate would be a k’li sh’lishi and the above items may be placed in the soup.

May one place a wet soup ladle back into the soup pot?

We learned that a liquid is susceptible to reheating and if completely cooled down it may not be reheated. Accordingly, a wet soup ladle that is left outside the pot and has cooled down may not be put back into the hot pot of soup! Practically speaking if someone wants a second portion of soup, there would be a problem returning the ladle to the pot.

The solution is to either keep the ladle inside the pot and thus avoid the entire issue, as it will not cool down, or dry it before returning it to the pot.

However, if the ladle ‘contains’ soup that has cooled down, it should not be returned to the pot. If the ladle is only moist, there are many poskim who permit returning the ladle to the pot without first drying.

Is there a problem placing a cooked item onto an urn?

The problem is that the cooked item will dry out and ‘bake’. The Mishna Berura [8] indeed writes that it is a problem and must be avoided. The Chazon Ish [9] however writes that the cooked item will not acquire a roasted taste and one may reheat it above a pot. HaRav Ezriel Auerbach shlita told me that custom is like the Chazon Ish.