HOCHMA: YESHIVAT HAVERIM – BABYLONIAN TALMUD p66

R. Ashi said: “I was standing before R. Huna and observed that fried fish was kept (warm) for
him and he ate it; but I know not whether (he did it) because he thought that victuals which
improve by shrivelling are allowed, or whether he thought that, because there was flour on his
fish, continuous warming did not improve it.
R. Na’hman said: (Victuals) that improve by shrivelling must not (be left on the stove); such as
deteriorate may. The rule is that all victuals which contain flour deteriorate by continuous
warming.
R. Hyya b. Ahba was questioned: “If one forgot his pot and left it upon the stove, and the
victuals were thus cooked on the Sabbath, may he eat them or not?” The master gave no answer.
The next time he lectured: Victuals cooked on the Sabbath unintentionally may be eaten;
intentionally not, but (as regards the pot that is forgotten on the stove) it makes no difference.
What does (the phrase) “it makes no difference” mean? Rabba and R. Joseph both say that the
phrase implies that it may be eaten, for one who cooks acts intentionally; but when forgotten
there was no act, and therefore he may eat it. But R. Na’hman b. Isaac says the above phrase of
“it makes no difference” implies a prohibition. In the case of cooking there is no fear of craft;
therefore if he has done it unintentionally, he is not fined; but in the case of forgetting (the pot in
the fire) craft may be feared (it means that he may put it in intentionally saying that he forgot),
and therefore even if he actually forgets he is not allowed to eat the victuals.
The schoolmen propounded a question: “What about one who had intentionally left (his victuals
upon the stove)? Do the rabbis fine him or not?” Come and hear. Samuel b. Nathan in the name
of R. Hanina said: “When R. Jose went to Ziporis, he found warm meats that had been left upon
the stove, and he did not prohibit their use, but shrivelled eggs that had been left upon the stove
he prohibited. Shall we not assume that he forbade their use even on that Sabbath as a fine? Nay,
he forbade their use for the following Sabbath.”
From this is to be inferred that shrivelled eggs improve by continuous heating. As R. Hama b.
Hanina said: “Rabbi and I were once stopping at a certain place. We were treated with eggs shrivelled
like wild pears, and we ate many of them.”