[Avodah] Microwave Ovens on Shabbos

[Rich, Joel]

> and that the issur of cooking on shabbos applies to cooking with fire
> exclusively

Who says only cooking by fire is cooking?
EG Any kli rishon cooks mid'oraisso even when off the fire!

The only exemption is cooking by Sunlight which as per Rashi, BY et al. Is pattur because it's not a normal derech bishul.
And even "to'dah d'chama" is assur mid'rabbanan.

Any derech Bishul otherwise would constitute bishul. IIRc RMF/IM has a t'shuva based upon this Rashi when microwaves were new.
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Listen here (from the upcoming audioroundup) for a good discussion of what bishul duraita is and isn't (at least in one Rabbis opinion:-))
http://media.libsyn.com/media/torah/bishul-beshabbat_ryzrimon_5770-02.mp3
הלכות בישול בשבת #02, מאת הרב יוסף צבי רימון - איסור בישול
Defining Bishul (cooking) = preparing food to eat by flame (soft to hard?).  Defining minimum heat needed and source of heat (another example of some differences in very basic definitions)

KT
Joel Rich

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