Blech
Ablech(from theYiddishwordבלעך(blekh) meaning "tin"or"sheet metal",alternatively from Middle High German or Standard German" Blech ", meaning tin or sheet metal) is a metal sheet used by many observantJewsto cover stovetop burners (and for some, the cooker's knobs and dials) onShabbos(the Jewish Sabbath), as part of the precautions taken to avoid violating thehalachicprohibition against cooking on the Sabbath.
Common use[edit]
RabbiFishel Jacobs'The Blech Book—The Complete & Illustrated Guide To Shabbos Hotplates[1][page needed]gives the following guidelines:
- The food (including water) intended for Shabbos use should be completely cooked.
- The stove's gas flames or electric coils are turned on. Theblechis placed over these. Alternatively, the Shabboshot plate,which needs noblech(when it is the type which has no knobs to adjust the heat level) is plugged in.
- The pot is placed on theblech.It is permissible to place another pot on this one.
- The pot on theblech,or another pot which has been placed on it, may be covered with a blanket, clothing, towel, cloth, etc., to keep the heat from dissipating. One side of the pot should be left partially uncovered.
During Shabbos, the pots are removed according to need. After removal, it is permissible to return the pot onto theblech,following these guidelines:
- The pot should be removed from theblechwith the intention to replace it afterwards and held at all times, not leaned onto any surface. (A heavy or unwieldy pot may be partially leaned on a surface, while being held, if there is no alternative.)
- The food must be in the same pot, completely cooked, and has retained at least some of its original heat.
The permissibility ofblech(and unblech, below) and the acceptable manner of their use is questioned by several modernkashrutorganizations;[2]however, the use of ablechto reheat food on the Sabbath remains very popular among observant Jews.[3]
Unblech[edit]
Anunblech,orK'Deira Blech(lit. "potblech",commonly referred to as" waterblech"), is also used to heat up pre-cooked food on the Sabbath, but utilizes different halakhic mechanisms from a standardblech.Anunblechconsists of a shallow metal pan filled with hot water and covered by another metal pan, and thus is akin to abain-marieor double boiler for halakhic purposes. As such, it may be more flexible than a standardblechfor halachic purposes. However, the temperature of anunblechis limited by the boiling point of water and is not as hot as a typicalblech.[citation needed]
Fire safety[edit]
In 2015, a house fire caused by a faulty Shabbos hot plate killed seven children inBrooklyn.The 2015 fire was preceded by at least four otherShabbosfires in Brooklyn in the past 15 years caused by appliances for heating food being left on or candles burning during the Jewish Sabbath in order to comply withOrthodox interpretation of Jewish Law.[4]In 2005, three children died in a fire in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, caused when stove burners were left on duringPassover.[5]After the 2015 fire, theNew York City Fire Departmentdistributed a pamphlet titled "Fire Safety for Jewish Observances" to nearby homes.[6]In response to the fire, many Jewish Brooklyn residents purchased smoke detectors before the following Sabbath.[7][8]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Jacobs, Yerucham Fishel, HaLevy (2007).The blech book: the complete & illustrated guide to Shabbos hotplates.South Royalton, Vermont: Campus Living & Learning Shuls, Inc.ISBN978-0967348179.
{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^See, for example,Warming Food on Shabbosby Rabbi David CohenArchivedSeptember 28, 2007, at theWayback Machine,stating in part, "Even if food is fully cooked, hot, and not wrapped,Chazallegislated that it may not be put into the fire or onto ablech."But seeOvadia Yosef,Yehave Daat,Vol 2, #45;and Pinchas Toledano,Fountain of Blessings,Vol. 2, p. 67.
- ^Shimoni, Giora."What is a Blech?".about.com. Archived fromthe originalon 2015-09-06.Retrieved2010-05-22.
- ^"A Deadly Plague of Shabbat Fires".Jewish Daily Forward. 22 March 2015. Archived fromthe originalon 24 March 2015.Retrieved20 March2015.
- ^Briquelet, Kate (March 22, 2015)."Orthodox Jewish Custom Poses Deadly Fire Danger".New York Post.Retrieved2015-03-22.
- ^Yee, Vivian; Schwirtz, Michael (March 22, 2015)."Deadly Fire in Brooklyn Renews Concerns Over a Weekly Ritual".New York Times.Retrieved2015-03-22.
- ^Otterman, Sharon (26 March 2015)."Orthodox Jews in Brooklyn Rush to Buy Smoke Detectors Before Sabbath".New York Times.Retrieved27 March2015.
- ^Moftah, Lora (27 March 2015)."Sabbath Safety: Brooklyn Fire Spurs Orthodox Jewish Rush For Smoke Detectors, Fire Safety Info".International Business Times.Retrieved27 March2015.