Is rice subject to bishul akum.......

if cooked in a rice cooker?
B’kovod

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I don’t see why that should make a difference

Couldn’t we say that since this method of cooking rice was not around when the gezeirah of bishul akum was made, it may not be included in the gezeirah? (One well known 20th century posek ruled similarly that cheese, as it is made in a totally different way than it used to be, is not halachically considered cheese at all. Add to this, that many poskim hold that cooking with electricity is d’rabbanan (regarding Shabbat), perhaps we needn’t apply it to the likewise rabbinic decree of bishul akum?)

I still don’t see any new hetter here

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I only asked the question for clarity because a previous poster asked the following that was wasn’t answered.
“Understood - is the position you’ve held prior regarding rice made in rice cookers (I believe the thread was regarding sushi rice) no longer applicable?”
Cheers,
Martin

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I’m curious if the legal definition of bishul is limited to only cooking with fire. Since the the Hakhamim go out of their way to create a gezera to incorporate cooking an egg in the sand using solar energy.

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That’s a great question. The definition of bishul is not universal in Halachah. Something that may be forbidden to cook on Shabbat may still be permitted in Hilchot Bishul Akum.

The Chachamim only forbade the cooking of a non jew if it was done Derech Bishul. There is room to argue that cooking in a microwave, for example, is not included in the Gezerah of Bishul Akum. However the Rabbi never permitted it.

Maybe this is a topic that we can revisit another time and see what we come up with.

See Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 113:13

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Thank you for your response. I appreciate it.

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