[Avodah] May one add matzah meal or pieces of bread to a bowl of hot soup on Shabbos?

[Micha Berger]

On Mon, Jan 11, 2021 at 02:08:05PM +0000, Prof. L. Levine via Avodah wrote:
> From today's OU Kosher Halacha Yomis

>> Q. May one add matzah meal or pieces of bread to a bowl of hot soup
>> on Shabbos?
...
>> As such, matzah meal or bread should not be placed in a bowl of hot soup
>> that is yad soldes. Yad soledes is a halachic term which refers to the
>> temperature at which cooking occurs. The exact temperature of yad soledes
>> is open to debate, but it is generally assumed to be higher than 113 F.

>From Peninei Halakhah 10.11 "Cooking after Baking" at
<https://ph.yhb.org.il/en/01-10-11/>:

    Following the custom of most Jewish communities who are stringent
    in this regard, one who wishes to dip a cookie in tea or coffee must
    make certain that the teacup or coffee cup is a kli shlishi, since a
    kli shlishi definitely does not cook. One who wishes to dip bread in
    a bowl of soup may do so, as the ladle used to serve the soup can be
    considered a kli sheni and the bowl can be considered a kli shlishi
    (MB 318:45)[10].

Before I share footnote #10, which is long and may lose people's
attention, let me cite AhS 318:25 who acknowledges that some are machmir
WRT bread, but doesn't consider it iqar. And the Rama, who holds like
the Raaviyah, that there is no bishul achar afiyah.

So, what the OU says "should not" should really be a CYLOR.

Now, back to the PH:

    [10] Those who do not allow dipping bread into hot soup in a kli
    sheni follow two stringencies: a) They prohibit cooking after baking;
    b) they defer to the opinion that many foods are considered kalei
    ha-bishul and thus can become cooked in a kli sheni.

    Nevertheless, when serving soup using a ladle, according to
    Maharil, Pri Hadash, and others, the ladle is considered a kli
    sheni. Accordingly, the soup bowl is a kli shlishi, and in a kli
    shlishi there is definitely no prohibition.

    While Taz and Shakh maintain that the ladle is a kli rishon and
    MB 318:87 follows this approach, nevertheless this is a case of a
    twofold doubt, and thus one may be lenient (MB 318:45) as long as
    the ladle does not remain in the kli rishon long enough to reach
    the same heat as the vessel itself.

    Soup nuts may be added to a kli sheni even le-khathila, since they are
    deep fried and are considered cooked rather than baked (SSK 1:70).
    Furthermore, this further cooking is not desired, as people do not
    want the soup nuts to get soggy.

    According to those who maintain that ein bishul ahar afiya (there
    is no prohibition of cooking something that has already been baked),
    one may definitely toast challah. Additionally, MA 318:17, Mahatzit
    Ha-shekel, and Hayei Adam (Zikhru Torat Moshe 24:7) would permit
    this even for those who are stringent about bishul ahar afiya,
    since they maintain that baking and roasting are the same.

    In contrast, some are stringent because they maintain that roasting
    is different from baking (Pri Megadim, Mishbetzot Zahav 318:7; SSK
    1:71; Kaf Ha-hayim 318:78; Or Le-Tziyon 2:30:6; Menuhat Ahava vol. 2
    ch. 10 n. 154). There is even one opinion that expresses concern that
    this is considered Makeh Be-fatish (applying the finishing touch)
    (Rav Pe'alim, OH 2:52).

    In practice, the lenient position (that roasting and baking are the
    same) seems the more reasonable one, since if one continues to bake
    food it dries out, and essentially becomes toasted. Nevertheless,
    one who chooses to be stringent is commendable. This is the case
    when it comes to completely toasting the bread, but even those who
    are stringent would allow warming up bread - even to the point that
    the surface crisps - because doing so does not make a significant
    change to the baked state. Rav Pe'alim indeed states this in OH 2:52,
    and Nishmat Shabbat 318:26 states similarly.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 The greatest discovery of all time is that
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   a person can change their future
Author: Widen Your Tent      by merely changing their attitude.
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF                 - Oprah Winfrey