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Warming solid food on top of an electric urn on Shabbos

Question:

  1. Can I warm up chalah on top of an electric urn filled with hot water?
  2. Can I do it if I wrap the chalah in foil or if I put it in a foil pan? An inverted foil pan?
  3. Do I have to take care to remove the chalah (or bread) before it becomes “yad soledet bo” hot.

Answer:

  1. It is permitted to warm up your challah on top of an electric urn filled with water. The challah is dry and already baked, so it is’t an issue of bishul, and it isn’t the normal way people cook, so it doesn’t appear to be cooking either. Therefore it is permitted.
  2.  You can put the challah in an aluminum foil pan, or an inverted pan on the urn, for the same reason as already stated. Wrapping challah in foil can be an issue of “hatmana b’dvor hamosif hevel” -insulting with a heat causing object. Therefore it depends why you are wrapping the challah. If it is in order to help heat the challah up, it is considered hatmana. The remedy for this would be to leave one full side (i.e. the top) uncovered, this way it isn’t considered wrapped. If the reason for wrapping it is to protect to challah from drying out etc. then it is permitted.
  3. You do not have to be concerned that the challah will get hot, because it is already baked, however there is a preference, to ensure that the bottom doesn’t become like toast.

Have a good Shabbos

Sources:

  1. O:CH 318-4, 253-5, Shar hatzion 318-46.
  2.  Rema 253-1, Igros Moshe O:CH 1-95.
  3. Shmiras Shabbos Khilchoso 1-62 (old version).

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