[Avodah] Re; Pas Palter

[Harry Weiss]

Is there any reason to believe that even in the time of Chazal there was 
not some sort of hasgacha to check that way of baking was kosher.  It may 
have been less formalized that today with no trademarded symbols, but 
there probably was some Yotzei VeNichnas type of checking.

Regarding use of Bakery ovens.  There were references made to to Yiddim 
briging their cholents to the bakery to cook and deriving from that that 
non Jews also brought their tarfus to bakeries to cook.

I don't think the metzius matches the presumption.  Jews only brought 
Shabbos cholents to the bakery.  During the week people cooked at home.  I 
think even the cholents were first cooked at home and brought to the 
bakery to keep warm jsut before Shabbos when the baker was finished using 
the ovens because of Shabbos.

The issue wasn't a lack of ovens in the homes, but a Shabbos issue.  In a 
typical home setting even if wood was added just before Shabbos, by the 
time Shabbos lunch came around the oven would have cooled off.  Baker's 
ovens were larger and better insulated and had enough residual heat to 
last through Shbbos lunch.

Since the non Jew does not have the Shabbos prohibition of cooking on 
Shabbos, there was no need to bring things to the baker. In addition the 
non Jewish baker was using his oven to bake on  Shabbos.

Harry J. Weiss
hjweiss at panix.com