Adding Ice to Hot Soup on Shabbos

Q. May one add an ice cube to hot soup to cool it down for a child?

A. In a previous halacha it was noted that one may add cold water to a hot bowl of soup. However, regarding an ice cube there is an additional issue. By placing the ice cube into the hot soup, one is melting the ice and changing it into water. Is one permitted to do this on Shabbos? Shulchan Aruch (OC 320:9) writes that one may not crush ice on Shabbos to create water. However, one may add ice to a cup of wine or water, and let it melt on its own. Similarly, adding ice to a hot beverage is not considered to be actively melting the ice. Furthermore, since the melting ice is not visible, it mixes with the soup, it is not viewed as though a new entity was created. The Mishnah Berurah (320:34) writes that there is even a basis to allow crushing or stirring the ice inside the soup to make it melt faster. However, elsewhere the Mishnah Berurah (Shaar Hatziyun 318:146) cautions against doing this. One may add ice to soup, but it would be best not to stir it around so as not to make it melt faster.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.