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Is it permitted to warm up a fully-cooked item on Shabbat?



Since it is forbidden to ignite a fire on Shabbat, this question only applies if the flame on your stove is on since before the Shabbat. It is also forbidden to put even a fully-cooked item on the stove on Shabbat.

It is permitted, however, to return a pot or pan onto the fire if it was already there beforehand -- for example, if you took off the pot in order to remove some food1 and now you want to return it to the stove -- provided the following conditions are met:

  1. The food-item is fully cooked.
  2. The stove-top is covered (see above).
  3. Originally, when you took the food off the stove, you intended to return it onto the stove.
  4. Your hand did not leave go of the pot handle throughout the time it was off the stove.
  5. The food wasn't transferred to a different pot.
  6. The food hasn't completely cooled off.

It is however permitted to warm up a fully-cooked food if the food is not situated on top of the flame. For example: you can warm up a Challah by placing it atop the Cholent pot which sitting on the already covered stove-top.

Note: It is forbidden on Shabbat to remove food from a pot or pan which is situated on its heat source. You must always first remove the pot from the blech or hot plate before taking food from the pot.


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FOOTNOTES
1. It is forbidden on Shabbat to remove food from a pot or pan which is situated on its heat source.

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Reader Comments
Latest Comments:
Posted: Oct 18, 2009
RE: Crock Pot Food on Sabbath?
It is permitted (and even encouraged) to eat hot food on Shabbat, provided that it is done in the proper manner. Please see Laws of Cooking on Shabbos for a detailed guide to how this is done.
Posted By Menachem Posner for Chabad.org

Posted: Oct 15, 2009
Crock Pot Food on Sabbath?
We are fairly new to keeping Sabbath and my husband thinks all the food should be cold, but we have friends who are bringing food over that is already cooked -- in a crock pot -- and plugging it in to warm the food. My husband wants to know if this is wrong; he thinks it is. What is the correct answer?
Posted By Anonymous, Bellville, TX

Posted: May 21, 2009
RE: Challah Only?
If a food has a substantial amount of moisture, heating it on Shabbat in this manner is a problem. According to one authority whom I consulted, if it has enough moisture that if you touch it with your finger, and touch your finger to something else and that thing becomes damp, you may not heat it on Shabbat.
Posted By Nechama Posner for chabad.org



 


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