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In response to my email about making coffee on Shabbos I received the
following query:<br><br>
I have seen many people use a tea bag in a Kli Shelishi on Shabbos. Is
this Allowed???<br><br>
From<br>
<a href="https://www.torahmusings.com/2020/08/making-tea-and-coffee-on-shabbos/">
https://www.torahmusings.com/2020/08/making-tea-and-coffee-on-shabbos/</a>
<br><br>
<i>Instant tea:<br><br>
</i>Some authorities permit using pre-cooked tea leaves. For example, it
would be permitted to pour hot water onto the tea leaves before Shabbos
and then to pour more hot water onto the same dry leaves to make tea on
Shabbos. Some halachic authorities <a href="??"><sup>[14]</a></sup> apply
the rule that there is no prohibition of cooking something that has
already been cooked completely. The <i>Aruch Ha’Shulchan</i>
<a href="??"><sup>[15]</a></sup> accepts this as well, but adds that when
one pre-cooks the tea before Shabbos, he must leave the hot water on the
tea for a while to make sure that it is fully cooked. However, some
halachic authorities <a href="??"><sup>[16]</a></sup> forbid this
practice because the tea leaves are used purely to extract their
taste. Therefore, as long as the tea leaves continue to emit taste,
they are not considered already cooked.<br><br>
<b><i>Keli Sheini</i> and <i>Keli Shelishi<br><br>
</i></b>As a general rule, a <i>keli sheini</i> (a secondary vessel, not
the one which was on the fire) does not cook for <i>Hilchos Shabbos</i>
purposes. <a href="??"><sup>[17]</a></sup> <i>Tosafos</i>
<a href="??"><sup>[18]</a></sup> explain that since a <i>keli sheini</i>
was never on the fire, its walls are cooler and it cannot cook.<br><br>
However, if something is considered <i>mi’kalei ha’bishul</i> (easy
to cook), it will cook even in a <i>keli sheini</i>.
<a href="??"><sup>[19]</a></sup> The <i>Ran</i>,
<a href="??"><sup>[20]</a></sup> <i>Magen Avraham</i>,
<a href="??"><sup>[21]</a></sup> <i>Mishna Berura</i>,
<a href="??"><sup>[22]</a></sup> and R. Moshe Feinstein
<a href="??"><sup>[23]</a></sup> rule that we do not know what foods are
<i>mi’kalei ha’bishul</i>, and therefore we need to be concerned that
all foods fall into this category unless explicitly excluded in the
Talmud. <a href="??"><sup>[24]</a></sup> According to this view, one is
forbidden to put tea leaves even in a <i>keli sheini</i>, because they
might be <i>mi’kalei ha’bishul</i>. The <i>Aruch Ha’Shulchan</i>
<a href="??"><sup>[25]</a></sup> is certain that tea is <i>mi’kalei
ha’bishul</i>. However, the <i>Chazon Ish</i>
<a href="??"><sup>[26]</a></sup> argues that one need not be concerned
that a given food is <i>mi’kalei ha’bishul</i> unless an explicit
source says that it is. <a href="??"><sup>[27]</a></sup> R. Hershel
Schachter writes that R. Joseph B. Soloveitchik made tea in a <i>keli
sheini</i> because he did not consider tea leaves to be <i>mi’kalei
ha’bishul</i>, <a href="??"><sup>[28]</a></sup> and R. Schachter
himself rules this way as well. <a href="??"><sup>[29]</a><br><br>
</sup>A <i>keli shelishi</i> (a tertiary vessel, from which something was
poured from a <i>keli sheini</i>) may provide a solution to those who are
concerned that tea may cook in a <i>keli sheini</i>. Talmudic sources do
not mention such a concept, nor do <i>Rishonim</i> (early authorities)
distinguish between <i>keli sheini</i> and <i>keli shelishi</i>. To the
best of my knowledge, the only <i>Rishon</i> who talks about a <i>keli
shelishi</i> is R. Eliezer of Metz, <a href="??"><sup>[30]</a></sup> who
explicitly says that a <i>keli shelishi</i> is the same as a <i>keli
sheini</i>. Nevertheless, many <i>Achronim</i> (later authorities)
<a href="??"><sup>[31]</a></sup> rule that a <i>keli shelishi</i> does
not cook even food that is <i>mi’kalei ha’bishul</i>, or that one
need not be concerned that something is <i>mi’kalei ha’bishul</i>
when using a <i>keli shelishi</i> (but they hold that in a <i>keli
sheini</i> one should be concerned). However, many halachic authorities
<a href="??"><sup>[32]</a></sup> disagree. The <i>Chazon Ish</i>
<a href="??"><sup>[33]</a></sup> argues that there is no basis to
distinguish in theory between a <i>keli sheini</i> and a <i>keli
shelishi</i>. However, he continues, there may be a practical
distinction: the <i>Chayei Adam</i> <a href="??"><sup>[34]</a></sup>
rules that a <i>keli sheini</i> that is extremely hot (<i>yad nichveis
bo</i>) will cook. Based on this, the <i>Chazon Ish</i> says that we use
a <i>keli shelishi</i> because by the time the item has been transferred
twice, it is probably no longer as hot, and therefore one does not need
to be concerned for this opinion of the <i>Chayei Adam</i>.
<a href="??"><sup>[35]</a><br><br>
</sup><b>Making Tea Using Essence<br><br>
</b><i>Mishna Berura</i> <a href="??"><sup>[36]</a></sup> states that the
best way to make tea on Shabbos is to make essence, meaning a very strong
tea, before Shabbos. When one wants to drink tea on Shabbos, he can put
hot water in the cup, and then add the cold essence. This solution works
according to all views because everyone agrees that water is not
<i>mi’kalei ha’bishul</i> and therefore will not cook in a <i>keli
sheini</i>.<br>
______________<br>
Let me add the caveat that the Jewish Press often added when it came to
matters of Halacha. "One should consult one's local competent
Orthodox rabbi."<br><br>
YL<br><br>
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