Is One Allowed to Heat up a Sufganiya[1] on a Hotplate on Shabbat?
Before we can permit heating a sufganiya on a hotplate on Shabbat, we need to analyze it from a few different perspectives:
Do we consider the jelly in the sufganiya as a liquid, in which case it would be forbidden to cook liquid foods even if it was already completely cooked once before.
For those who are of the opinion that there is the possibility of baking something after it has been cooked (we spoke about this matter two weeks ago), the sufganiya is considered to be a cooked item since it was deep fried in oil[2], then by placing it on a hotplate or oven you are essentially baking it. (This question can be asked on all foods that were cooked and not baked before Shabbat).
A sufganiya has more doughnut, which is dry, than jelly, which is wet. There is a major discussion among the Rabbis if a cooked dish that is primarily dry but has some liquid in it, is permissible to heat up on Shabbat or not? According to the Eliya Rabah[3], the Maharasham[4], the Kaf Hachayim[5], and many other Poskim, a cooked item’s status is dependent on its majority component, meaning if the item is primarily a dry food with some wet ingredients then it is considered a dry item and vice-versa.
We could permit the cooking of this item, even if it has liquid in it, because the more that the liquid cooks the worst the item becomes to the individual. As the liquid is being heated it, evaporates,, making the item dryer and less tasty[6]. Rav Ovadia Yosef[7] held by this opinion, contradicting the Shulchan Aruch Harav[8] and the Katzot Hashulchan[9] who say it is forbidden to heat up such an item. They hold that only if the item has a little condensation on it, would it be permissible to heat up on Shabbat, but not when there is a noticeable amount of liquid in the food (i.e., sauce, jelly, etc.). This is also the opinion of Rav Ben Zion Abba Shaul[10] and Rav Shalom Masas[11].
According to the opinion of the Shulchan Aruch which Sepharadim follow, it is unclear what it holds in this matter. Maran Harav Yosef Karo in the Bet Yosef[12] brings the opinion of Rabbeinu Yerucham who says that if majority of the food is a liquid, it would forbidden to heat up on Shabbat. However, if less than 50% of the dish is liquid then it would be permissible to heat it up. However, Maran did not mention this novel idea in the Shulchan Aruch[13], meaning that he possibly retracted his statement. In fact, he rules completely opposite in the Shulchan Aruch 318:15 where he writes “One is permitted to place fully cooked dry food, with no liquid near a fire”, implying the food must not have any liquid at all. This is how Rav Yitzhak Harari explains Maran in his book Zechor LeYitzhak as well as others.
Nevertheless, we can still rule leniently with regards to the jelly since a liquid is something that can be poured from one utensil to another and jelly is not of that consistency[14]. Therefore, jelly has the status of a dry food. There is an even more lenient opinion to this matter[15] that states that if the liquid is thick, even though it can be poured into another vessel, it still has the status of a dry food.
Another leniency that can be applied to this halacha is that majority of people do not want the sufganiya to be piping hot, only warmed up. Even if the sufganiya reaches that level of heat it is considered a labor that was performed for a purpose other than the direct result of that action[16].
Regarding the second issue of baking something after it has been cooked, the Hazon Ish[17] states that this is permissible since the person is not benefiting from the baking but is drying out the sufganiya.
In conclusion the halacha is, it is permissible to warm a sufganiya on Shabbat. This is the custom and go out and observe what the people are doing and act accordingly.
Thanks to Yaakov Ganon for translating this question from Hebrew to English.
Footnotes
Jelly doughnut, customarily eaten on Hanukkah
Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchata ch. 1 seif 1
Seif katan 11
דעת תורה שי"ח ט"ו
שי"ח אות ס"ב
Pri Megadim seif katan 13
Hazon Ovadia Hannukah pg. 19
נו, ו, הע' טז
Seif 124
ח"ב פרק ל - דיני בישול בשבת אות יג
תבואות שמש או"ח ס"ו
רנ"ג ב עמ' ס"ב ד"ה ומ"ש רבינו
שי"ח סעיף ד
Rav Moshe Feinstein
Rav Yosef Shalom Eliashiv
מלאכה שאינה צריכה לגופה
שבת סי' לז סע' יד