Laws of Shabbat: Bishul (part 1)

[Jewscout]

Here is another Shiur (lesson) from Yeshivat Har Etzion. It is the first of 3 parts on cooking on Shabbat. Again i forewarn all that it is a bit advanced but still i feel it is informative in regards to Halachah (jewish law).
Hopefully you get something out of it. If you have any questions do not hesitate to ask me.
Shalom y'all!

A. Cooking Foods



The list of the thirty-nine melakhot – categories of activity forbidden on Shabbat – presented by the Mishna (Shabbat 73a) mentions the melakha of ofeh – baking. As the Gemara notes, all the categories of melakha are based upon the activities performed in the Mishkan, and thus the Mishna should have chosen the term mevashel – cooking – rather than baking, since this melakha stems from the boiling of dyes during the construction of the Mishkan.[1] The Gemara (Shabbat 74b) explains that the Mishna nevertheless preferred the term ofeh because it lists as melakhot the various stages in the preparation of bread (siddura de-pat).[2] In any event, it emerges from this Gemara that both baking and cooking are forbidden on Shabbat; the prohibition also includes roasting, frying and smoking.[3] In short, any action that renders a raw food item suitable for consumption, be it through water, oil or direct exposure to fire, constitutes a Torah violation of bishul. This prohibition thus differs from basar be-chalav (cooking meat and milk together), regarding which it is unclear whether the Torah forbids roasting or frying, since the verse specifies cooking ("Lo tevashel gedi ba-chalev imo" – Shemot 23:19 and elsewhere).[4] On Shabbat, by contrast, bishul is forbidden as part of the broader framework of the thirty-nine melakhot, regarding which the Torah prohibits any melekhet machashevet – intentional, constructive activity. Hence, any form of food preparation is forbidden on Shabbat.

rest of lession located here

[Fishel Ha-Levi]

Do you happen to know why it is that the Orthodox can use a "shabbes goy" and not be in violation of the very law they are trying to keep? It says that no servants or even "the stranger within your gates" can work. I observe shabbot in a manner that would make the Reform think I'm Orthodox and the Orthodox would think I was Reform! I'm sure that many of the things I do on Shabbot are forbidden by Orthodox standards, but I can't see how having someone else do work for me would make it "kosher". How can this be OK?

[Jewscout]

Originally Posted by Fishel Ha-Levi

Do you happen to know why it is that the Orthodox can use a "shabbes goy" and not be in violation of the very law they are trying to keep? It says that no servants or even "the stranger within your gates" can work. I observe shabbot in a manner that would make the Reform think I'm Orthodox and the Orthodox would think I was Reform! I'm sure that many of the things I do on Shabbot are forbidden by Orthodox standards, but I can't see how having someone else do work for me would make it "kosher". How can this be OK?

i think this falls into a loop hole that halachic authorities have created,
personally i agree, i don't like the idea of anyone working on shabbat, especially in shul.
but i think as far as that goes it comes from the idea that as long as you don't pay or instruct the person on what to do it's not technically melacha, you know? I'll give an example, someone i know, who is orthodox, came in to shul shabbat morning to find the lights off in the bathroom and kitchen, and of course he couldn't cut them on. So he went outside to find a goyim and invited them into the shul for some breakfast and they basically had to dance around the issue until the guy realized they wanted him to cut the lights on, since if a goyim just happens to do it, it's ok.
it's weird and sad i know, but that's how they get around it.

i mean, think about it, rabbis still work on shabbat don't they?