Rabbi Mendel Agranovich
In earlier articles, we mentioned that there is a prohibition against stirring food, since this also constitutes cooking. But a reasonable question arises: is it always forbidden to stir food in a pot or on a plate, or simply to stir sugar into a glass of tea? Clearly not. We must clearly define the limits of the prohibition against stirring food, and that is what we will do in this article.
Let us begin with the source in the Talmud. Tractate Beitzah (34a) states: “The person who brings the fire and the wood, the person who places the pot over the fire, the person who pours in the water, the person who adds the seasoning, and the person who stirs over the fire—all are obligated (to bring a chatat offering if the violation was committed inadvertently)” [end of quotation, translated by the author].
As we wrote earlier, this means that the fire was brought first, so adding wood violates the prohibition against kindling a fire. After that, he violates the prohibition against cooking several times in succession. In addition, someone who places a pot over the fire to fire it violates the prohibition against bringing objects to their finished state if the pot is new and made of clay.
Commenting on the question that concerns us, Rashi explains that stirring means stirring with a ladle. This violates the prohibition against cooking in its primary form (literally, its “parent” form), rather than as a derivative.
Thus, we clearly see that the prohibition against stirring is a Torah prohibition. It falls under the prohibition against cooking.
Most of the Rishonim (Ramban, Rashba, Ran, and Rav HaMaggid) held that this prohibition applies only when the food is not fully cooked. But if the food is already cooked, there is no prohibition against stirring it, even while it remains over the fire.
There was an even more lenient opinion among them (Ramban and Rashba): only the first stirring may not be done on Shabbat, but if the food was stirred over the fire at least once before Shabbat, further stirring accomplishes nothing and is therefore permitted on Shabbat. This brings us to the nature of the prohibition of megis—stirring over the fire. Rambam (Laws of Shabbat, chapter 3, law 11) explained that stirring is necessary, an integral part of cooking. What does it accomplish? What is the purpose of stirring over the fire?
Mishnah Berurah (section 318, paragraph 114) gives the following definition: it brings the result closer and speeds up the cooking process. Stirring helps the entire dish cook [end of quotation, translated by the author].
In other words, stirring distributes heat throughout the food and mixes the ingredients as evenly as possible, so that they cook as quickly as possible and reach the desired degree of doneness and the best flavor in that combination.
This explains why there is practically no point in stirring after the first time. It also explains why stirring is so necessary: without it, one cannot achieve the desired result and flavor in the shortest possible time. In fact, however, it is not clear that all of this happens only during the first stirring, because the ingredients may not have mixed completely the first time, or the food may need to be stirred again at its current stage of cooking. Therefore, as long as the food is not fully cooked, one may not stir it in the pot, whether the pot is over the fire or has been removed from it. This means for as long as its temperature is above the “hand recoils” threshold (at least 45 degrees Celsius; see earlier articles) (the opinions of Ran and Rav HaMaggid, who did not mention limiting the prohibition to the first stirring).
There is another very interesting opinion among the Rishonim.
The author of Kol Bo held that stirring food is prohibited for as long as the food remains over the fire, even if it is fully cooked.
How can we explain the statement of the author of Kol Bo? There is no clear consensus, because it is very difficult to give a definitive answer to the Chafetz Chaim's question (Mishnah Berurah, 318, notes, paragraph 148): why is there no “cooking after cooking” for fully cooked food, yet stirring it is prohibited—and by the Torah, at that!?
We will not present the entire kaleidoscope of opinions on this question. Take the author's word for it: many brilliant explanations of varying length and depth have been written on this subject. The authors of Orchot Shabbat cite an explanation from their teacher, Rav Shmuel Auerbach, may the Almighty prolong his years. Its essence is that every fully cooked dish contains components that are less thoroughly cooked. Stirring gives them their share of the heat, making the dish evenly cooked, which is itself an important result.
In any event, one must follow this opinion stringently and not stir anything that is over the fire on Shabbat!
The Sages instituted another prohibition related to this subject: one may not ladle food out of a pot, even without intending to stir it over the fire. When we remove something from a pot, we are also effectively stirring it, at least to some extent.
Clearly, this prohibition applies only where stirring is prohibited: according to Ran, for as long as the food is not fully cooked; according to Kol Bo, for as long as the food remains over the fire.
In practice, Mishnah Berurah rules that the opinion of Kol Bo is a necessary stringency only when stirring food over the fire or removing food that is over the fire. However, there is no need to be stringent if the food has been removed from the fire, is fully cooked, and has not been transferred to another vessel, even though the Rema cited such an opinion as well. The Chafetz Chaim considered it possible to be lenient and permit ladling out cholent without transferring it to a tureen.
When, then, does repeated stirring continue to serve a purpose? For example, in a pot containing dye and fabric (an example from the Talmud), or when food is not fully cooked. Clearly, this is because every stirring improves the fabric's absorption of the dye and the cooking of food that is not yet done.
Practical conclusions:
1. One may not stir food in a pot that is over the fire.
2. If the food is not fully cooked, even after removing it from the fire, one may not ladle part of it out of the pot, because the portion left behind will cook at least a little further in the primary vessel, which has not yet cooled below 45 degrees Celsius.
3. If the food is fully cooked, one may not remove it while it is still over the fire, but may do so after it has been removed from the fire.
4. Water in a pot over the fire gains nothing from stirring, so one may ladle it out if it came to a boil before Shabbat.
5. Soup containing vegetables and meat may be ladled out according to Rav Moshe Feinstein, but may not be ladled out according to Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach. Therefore, if you need to serve soup to a child who cannot wait until the meal, you must remove the pot from the fire and pour out the soup, keeping your hand on the pot and intending to return it. This applies only if the fire is covered with a sheet of metal and the soup is fully cooked. The very best arrangement is therefore for one person to hold the pot without setting it down anywhere, while another pours from it and then covers it; the person holding it then returns it to the fire.
Shabbat Shalom!