Question:
Is it permissible to reheat cooked Rice or Pasta on שבת?
Answer:
Before we can accurately answer the question, we need to first delve into what the potential prohibition could be.
Rice and Pasta are made edible by boiling in hot water, which is halachically categorized as בישול (cooking). The rice is then reheated without the use of water, which is halachically categorized as צלייה (roasting). This is because generally when one reheats rice there is no water left in the rice.
Is there a halachic issue of roasting food on Shabbos that was previously cooked?
This is subject to a dispute amongst the Rishonim.
o R’ Eliezer Mimitz holds that there is a prohibition to reheat food, that was initially cooked, in the form of roasting (heating with the lack of liquid).
o The Ravya holds that there is no prohibition to reheat food that was previously cooked by roasting it.
The source of this dispute is a Gemara (Pesachim 41b). There is a general Torah requirement that matzot must have the status of לחם, which is prepared through baking and not cooking. The Gemara brings down a dispute between the tanaim, R’ Meir and R’ Yossi, regarding a case where one has baked matzot and now wishes to cook his matzot. R’ Meir holds that this is permissible because cooking cannot nullify the baking. On the other hand, R’ Yossi holds it is prohibited to do so because one is nullifying the previous status of being baked.
The Re’eim deduces a general principle from this Gemara, cooking a previously baked item undoes the status of being “baked.” The Mishna Berura (סימן שיח) explains that the opposite is also true: roasting can indeed undo cooking. This idea, claims the Reim, can be extended to Hilchot Shabbos. Therefore, reheating (which has the status of roasting) a cooked food on Shabbos violates the prohibition of Bishul. The Ra׳avya rejects this proof by bringing a Gemara in Brachos (דף לא).The Gemara explains that R’ Yossi prohibits one to cook previously Baked matzot because the Matzot need to have a taste of Matza, and cooking the Matza will remove the Taste. In other words, the prohibition to cook something that was previously cooked applies exclusively to Matza, and cannot be extended to hilchot Shabbos.
The Shulchan Aruch brings both of these opinions (סימן שיח,סעיף ה).
The Ramah and many Sephardic Achronim rule according to the opinion of the Re’em and holds that food that was cooked cannot be reheated in the form of roasting, i.e heating without liquid.
According to this, it would seem to be forbidden to reheat Rice or Pasta on Shabbos.
However, there are numerous reasons why reheating previously cooked food on a plata or blech does not violate this Halacha and is therefore permitted:
1. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach Zt”l writes that roasting previously cooked food is only prohibited if the roasting adds or changes the taste of the food. However, when one merely reheats food on a plata or blech, one is not adding or changing the taste of the food. (מאור השבת ח״ב מכתב כא אות ה)
2. To be categorize as roasting, the food must be in direct contact with the flame or source of heat. However, if the food is heated in a pot, this is categorized as Tzli Kedar (צלי קדר). According to the Chazon Ish Zt”l, this is halachically considered “Bishul” and not “Tzli”. And since there is no issur of bishul achar bishul with something dry.
3. In regards to rice, towards the end of the cooking process, the rice is being cooked without liquid, which can possibly be considered Tzli. Therefore, based on the principle “אין בישול אחרי בישול ואין צלי אחרי צלי” it would be permissible to re-roast the rice.
Conclusion: It is permissible to reheat previously cooked foods such as rice (as long as it is dry and not in liquid). |