We continue with the Halachot (laws), Siman (section) Resh Nun Gimel (253). Last time, we spoke about Kedeira Chayta. Kedeira Chayta means that you’re putting something on the fire straight before Shabbat. What is allowed? Only if it is not cooked at all, or if it is already 33% cooked; then you can put it on the fire or in the oven, whatever it is. The Chachamim (sages) felt that there was no Chashash, there was no suspicion that perhaps a person would get mistaken and touch the fire, go up, go down, etc. We said that today the fires are strong and you can control them, etc. Just having something high, something that is raw, would not be so simple to be Matir (to permit), because you just put on a strong fire and it’s going to cook very quickly.
However, if the person’s intention is really to keep it for the next day—for example, Chamin, what we put overnight, etc.—then that is different. We do use crockpots, and even if you put one to the maximum, it’s not going to cook the food in one hour; you’re not going to have your food. So it is for the next day, and then it would be Mutar (allowed) without anything, because really you have food here, and the intention is for the next day. You don’t even have the possibility of making it quicker because of the way it’s cooking, so it would be Mutar to use such a device, Mitzad (because of) this problem.
The problem is really between 1%—let’s say, 1% cooked—and 33% cooked. In the middle of this, the Chachamim say that if you have a Kira gerufa uktuma (a swept and covered stove), it is Mutar. The way you have to do this is Garuf ve-katum. What does Garuf ve-katum mean? It’s something that you don’t have the possibility of going up or down. It’s a very big Machloket (dispute) among the Rishonim (early authorities); we don’t even know exactly how it works, Halacha le-maaseh (in practice). For us, the idea behind this is very simple: it would be something that you don’t have the possibility of going up or down. If you don’t have the possibility of going up and down, then you wouldn’t have the possibility of reviving the coals. And that was the beginning of the creation of the Plata. You put the Plata there, and you have a warming device that doesn’t have a way to go up and down. But it’s more than that. Even if it does have a way to go up and down, it doesn’t have a way to go up and down that will make a difference quickly.
Some people discuss what happens with those Platas. Some fancy Platas have warming drawers. A warming drawer is not meant for cooking. Some caterers have warming appliances that are not meant for cooking; they’re only for warming. And it’s true: even if you put one to the maximum, you’re not going to be able to cook, because it gets to 150 degrees, maybe—not more than that. 180, I’ll be what it says, but it never gets there. So it’s not so strong. It’s a warming device. The point of the warming device is to warm, not to cook. Even if you put it to the maximum, it’s not going to cook. So what’s the Chashash? No, it’s not going to be—he’s not going to make it revive the coals, because even if it does, it’s not going to make a difference to the food. Therefore, with those devices, there’s no longer this Chashash, this suspicion, this possibility. And therefore, in a case like this, a person could use the Plata. It’s much easier to use a Plata. You put the food there. It doesn’t matter what stage of cooking it’s at; if you do that, there would be no problem.
But again, just to clarify: if a person is going to use the oven before Shabbat and the food inside the oven is going to be for Friday night, then you have to make sure that it’s 33% cooked. If it’s 33% cooked—or 0% cooked—but 0% cooked is not so simple anymore, because if you want it for that night, it doesn’t work. So it has to be 33% cooked in order to use the oven, a live fire, or anything that is not in the category of Garuf ve-katum.
B’kavod.