Shulchan Aruch: Chapter 502 - The Laws [Governing] Fire on a Festival

SECTION 502 The Laws [Governing] Fire on a Festival (1-9)

1 Fire may not be produced1 from wood, stones, earth – e.g., from cattle dung – or water.2 [In the latter instance,] flax chaff is brought close to a crystal [container] filled with water that is positioned opposite the rays of the sun. When the rays are reflected toward the chaff, it will ignite. All the above and other similar acts are forbidden on a festival because [the person] is bringing into existence3 a new entity,4 [i.e., a flame,] and this bears some resemblance to [performing] melachah. Since this [activity] could have been performed on the day before the festival, it is forbidden to perform it on the festival.

If a person transgressed and produced [fire], it is permitted to use that fire on the festival, since the Sages did not penalize [a person] who performed melachah on a festival5 to the same extent that they penalized one who performed melachah on Shabbos, [for then the prohibition against performing melachah is] more severe.6

2 One may not make charcoal [on a festival].7 [Doing so is forbidden] even if [the person] desires to kindle [the charcoal] under his cooked food on the festival.8 [The reason for this prohibition is that by producing charcoal, the person] is preparing a utensil, for [charcoal] is fit to be [used by] a goldsmith. Moreover, [the person performs the melachah of] extinguishing [by doing so], since the flame is extinguished when making charcoal.9

3 Air may not be blown [over a fire] with a bellows10 so that one will not follow the practice of professional craftsmen. However, one may blow air [over a fire] with a pipe.¹⁰

It is common custom to allow [the use of] a household bellows when one deviates [from his ordinary pattern, e.g.,] turning [the bellows] upside down. However, it is forbidden to use a craftsman’s bellows, even if one deviates [from his ordinary pattern].

4 It is permitted to cover a fire with a utensil or with earth prepared [for use on the festival]11 in order to keep the fire from burning out entirely.12 Even though covering it may extinguish the fire somewhat, [the above actions are permitted]. Since it is possible that [the fire] will not be extinguished, it is of no consequence even if [the fire] is extinguished slightly because [the person] does not intend to extinguish it.13

When does the above apply? When [the person] requires the fire on [the same day of] the festival. However, it is forbidden to cover [a fire on the first day of a festival] to keep it burning for the second day of the festival. [This restriction applies] even [regarding keeping a fire burning for the second day of] Rosh HaShanah,14 for one may not prepare on one day of a festival for the other, as will be explained in sec. 503[:3].

5 People who make large fires [generally] do so [in the following] manner: They place four rows of wood on four sides like the four walls of a chest, and then place wood on top of them, [forming a structure] resembling an ohel, a“shelter.” Therefore, one who desires to arrange [wood] in this manner on a festival should not make the walls first and then make a “roof” above them,15 because this is the way one builds, and even building a temporary structure is forbidden on a festival.¹⁰

Instead, [the wood should be prepared in an unconventional manner]: One person should hold the wood for the upper [portion] that [will] serve as a “roof” aloft in his hands. Afterwards, the walls should be arranged under it16 so that [the person] deviates from the manner [he arranges such wood during] the week.

Similarly, when [a person] arranges wood like a roof over two stones that are situated like walls, he should hold the wood aloft by hand, and have the stones arranged under them [by others]. Similarly, someone who places a pot on two stones should hold the pot aloft in the air by hand, and then arrange stones under it17 so that he will not make a temporary tent without deviating [from his ordinary practice].

The same [rule] applies when one roasts eggs and places one on top of two [others] with the fire between them.¹⁷ He should hold the upper [egg] in his hand and place the others under it.

6 When does the above apply? When one places the fire between the two lower [eggs, in which instance, the person] requires the space between them. Thus, it resembles an ohel, a shelter, [a structure] where [the person] needs the space [below the roof].

If, however, [the person] does not need the space between [the lower eggs, arranging them in this manner] does not at all resemble making a shelter. [In this instance,] it is permitted to arrange the upper [egg] on the lower [eggs]. For this reason, it is permitted to place a tabletop on its legs even though all four of its sides reach the ground. [Leniency is granted] because one does not need the space between [the sides].18 See sec. 315:[9-12].19

7 [The following laws apply on a festival when] a bundle of wood was kindled in a bonfire: Any piece of wood which has not caught fire is permitted to be removed from the [arrangement of the] bonfire.20 However, those pieces of wood which have [already] caught fire are forbidden to be removed from the bonfire. [The rationale for the restriction is that by removing the burning wood, the person] weakens the [intensity of the] fire [that comes from] them, for [burning logs] burn better when they are in a pack, rather than when they are separate.21 [Hence, removing the burning logs] resembles extinguishing them.22

It is, however, permitted to take [burning logs] from one side of the bonfire and place them on the other side, or place them in another bonfire. [Moving burning logs in this manner] does not resemble extinguishing them since [the person] is not removing them from the fire entirely. True, at times they will burn out somewhat before they are returned to the fire. [Nevertheless,] this is of no consequence, since it is possible that [the logs] will not be extinguished at all, and [the person] has no intent to extinguish them.23

When does the restriction against removing [wood] entirely [from a fire] apply? [When one removes thick pieces of] wood that are bundled together, or even thin pieces of wood that are not bundled together and which are likely to be extinguished if one [piece] is removed. By contrast, thick pieces of wood which are not bundled together are permitted to be removed entirely from the fire even when they have already caught fire. [Although this is permissible,] people at large are careful in this regard, and do not remove any piece of wood entirely from the fire once the fire has already caught onto it. It is proper to be stringent [and conduct oneself in this manner].

8 One may not use a block of wood as a support for a pot24 or any other object. Wood was permitted to be carried solely for the sake of kindling25 because it is set aside and designated for that purpose.26 However, [wood] may not be carried for purposes other than kindling, even to use it for a permitted purpose or because one requires its place. [The rationale for this restriction is that wood] is not considered part of the category of keilim (useful articles) at all.27 [Rather, pieces of wood] are considered like stones that may not be carried except for the sake of the preparation of food, as will be explained in sec. 509[:16].

By contrast, it is permitted to carry a branch of wood with a sharp thornlike end that is fit to spear [meat] that is to be roasted, [thus] using [the branch] as a spit [upon which] to roast [the meat.²⁵ The rationale] for [this leniency is that] using [the wood] in this manner resembles [using it] for kindling.28 [After all,] what difference does it make if one roasts using the [wood] itself [as a spit], or one roasts using embers [produced from it]?²⁵ If one desired, he could [have placed the wood] under his food [to be used] as kindling.

When does the above apply? When [the branch] is dry and thus, fit for kindling. If, however, it is moist²⁵ and thus unfit for kindling without combining it together with other [pieces of] wood, and one could not roast meat using its embers alone,29 it is forbidden to spear it like a spit [in meat] to roast. Nevertheless, it is permitted to move [such a branch] to use it for kindling together with other wood30 even though it is not fit to be used for kindling by itself.

There are authorities who maintain that since dry wood is fit to be used for kindling, it is considered as prepared for use on a festival and is not placed in the category of muktzeh.31 [These authorities maintain that] it is even permitted to carry [such wood] for purposes other than kindling or for use [as a spit] for roasting.32 However, [these authorities agree that] moist wood that is not fit to be used for kindling by itself, only together with other wood, is forbidden to be carried even to use [as a spit] for roasting. [It may be carried] only to be used for kindling together with other wood, as explained.

With regard to the halachah, as an initial preference, weight should be given to the first opinion.33 Nevertheless, in a pressing situation, e.g., one has a great need to use a dry piece of wood, one may rely on the latter opinion.

9 It is forbidden to cook in a new [unglazed] earthenware pot on a festival34 because [the pot] becomes stronger and hardens [when heated] the first time it is used for cooking and, [therefore,] will hold water more effectively. This is the way the fashioning [of the pot] is completed. Hence, [doing so] is forbidden as a derivative [of the melachah] of makeh bepatish, completing the fashioning of an object, as explained in sec. 302[:5;] consult that source.35

However, it is permitted [on a festival] to cook in glazed earthenware utensils (giglezert [in Yiddish]) [that were never used before], because they hold water effectively even before cooking [in them for] the first time. Thus, cooking [for the first time] does not complete their fashioning.

There are authorities who permit cooking in newly [fashioned earthenware] utensils [in] our [age] even if they are not glazed because their fashioning is entirely completed [in the process of being fired] in the potters’ kiln.

With regard to the halachah, one should be stringent and follow the first opinion. Therefore, it is customary that when new pots are purchased for Pesach,36 one should cook in them once before the festival. However, in a pressing situation, when one does not have other pots, and his rejoicing on the festival would be nullified, one may rely on the latter opinion.