Shabbos - Hachzara
ANSWER: Adding hot water to a cholent pot on Shabbos involves the halachos of hachzara- putting food back on the fire on Shabbos. In this case, this involves removing hot water from one heat source (an urn) and returning it to another (a heated cholent pot). This is permitted provided one follows all the rules of hachzara. Ordinarily, the way to do this is to remove the cholent pot from the blech, add the water while holding it under the urn, and then return it back to its heat source. This is permitted provided the water and the cholent are both fully cooked, and the cholent pot is returned onto a blech. However, if one were to do this and place the hot cholent pot under the urn, this will make the urn chametzdik due to the hot rising steam from the barley cholent being absorbed into the urn. Is there a way to add water without compromising the urn? For example, may I take hot water in a paper cup and pour it into the cholent pot while it is off the blech?
This issue would be problematic for Sefardim who follow the ruling of the Mechaber that a kli sheini (hot liquid in a cold utensil that was not previously on the fire) is halachically “cold” and pouring it into a pot on the fire would be causing it to be cooked on Shabbos. Therefore, according to the Mechaber, certainly one may not pour the water in the cup into the cholent pot even if there is a blech. But according to the Rema, as long as the water is still hot, even if it was placed into a kli sheini, it does not have the issue of being recooked on Shabbos.
The Gemara (Shabbos 38b) discusses whether water that was removed from the fire and poured into a kli sheini may be returned to the fire. The issue that this Gemara is dealing with is an issue of hachzara. The Gemara leaves this question unresolved. The Magen Avrohom (253:20) rules that one should be strict about this matter. This is also the ruling of Igros Moshe (OC II:69). However, the Mishnah Berurah (Shaar Hatziyun 253:47) disagrees with the Magen Avrohom and writes that even a kli sheini may be returned to the blech. Many poskim follow the ruling of Mishnah Berurah, including Shmiras Shabbos K’Hilchasa (1: {44}). Sefer Pischei Teshuvos writes that if there is a great need (such as one’s cholent drying out) one may rely on the ruling of Mishnah Berurah, since even the Magen Avrohom agrees that there is a basis to be lenient.
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