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We are beginning siman 22, where the Chayei Adam will return to the halachos of hatmana. Hatmana is a word used throughout the Torah to refer to concealing something. Similarly, hatmana on Shabbos refers to completely covering a pot in order to insulate and keep its heat. Chazal prohibited both hatmana which is not mosif hevel (ie, only maintains current heat) and hatmana which is mosif hevel (which generates heat on its own or reflects and increases the current heat). Hatmana is assur even on Erev Shabbos.
Tosfos qualifies that the issur of hatmana only applies when the item is fully surrounded, and the surrounding material is immediately adjacent to the item receiving hatmana. For example, if one leaves a pot of soup on a fire which is set to turn off at a certain time, and then wishes to surround the pot in a down blanket, it would be assur to do so once Shabbos has begun. However, if one were to place a board on the top of the pot, and then drape the blanket on top of the board, it would be muttar, since there is space between the blanket and the pot.
If the item is surrounded on all sides but not on top, it would seem to be muttar. However, the Shulchan Aruch, based on rishonim, says that if one leaves a pot sitting directly on coals, even if it is not covered on the top or the sides, it is assur. This is known as hatmana b’miktzas. The Rema disagrees, and hold that such a case would be muttar.
The Chayei Adam will discuss a case in which the majority of the pot is covered, but there is still a significant minority of the pot which is not covered. He discusses whether we would apply the concept of rubo ke’kulo to consider this pot fully covered and assur. We see that even though the term hatmana would seemingly only apply to something fully concealed, we have a machlokes in halacha how to define it.
Some suggest that hatmana b’miktzas will only be assur when it is mosif hevel. When it is sitting directly on the coals, there is a direct heat transfer which affects the whole pot, so it is equivalent to being fully covered. If it is not mosif hevel, since the pot is not fully insulated, it is muttar. Others understand that hatmana b’miktzas is assur even when it is not mosif hevel. The Chayei Adam will discuss this concept in this siman, and we will continue in the text of the Chayei Adam in the upcoming shiur, be’ezras Hashem.
Summary
- Hatmana refers to insulating a pot, either to maintain its heat or to increase it.
- The issur of hatmana only applies when the pot is fully surrounded, and the surrounding material is adjacent to the pot.
- However, there is also a concept of hatmana b’miktzas. It is based on a case of a pot sitting directly on coals, without anything surrounding it on its sides or top. We will discuss the parameters of this concept in the upcoming shiurim, be’ezras Hashem.
