(1) Introduction This brief chapter deals with covering up hot food with something that will preserve its heat. The general rule is that the rabbis allowed storage in something that would preserve the heat but not in something that would increase the heat. The reason is that if this were allowed she might store the food in hot coals and then rake the coals to make them hotter. Raking coals is prohibited. When storage is prohibited it is prohibited even if she stores the dish before Shabbat begins.

(2) In what things may they cover up [food], and in what things may they not cover it up?
They may not cover up [food] in peat, compost, salt, lime, or sand, whether moist or dry; The material in this section adds heat to the dish whether it is moist or dried out.

(3) Nor in straw, grape-skins, rags or grasses, when they are moist; but they may cover up [food] in them when they are dry. The material in this section adds heat if it is still moist but not when it is dry. Hence it is permitted to cover up food with these things when they are dry.

(4) They may cover up [food] in garments, produce, doves’ wings, carpenters’ sawdust and thoroughly beaten flax. Rabbi Judah forbids [storing] in fine [flax], but permits [it] in coarse [flax]. The material in this section does not add heat and only preserves it. Hence it is permitted to cover up food with these things. Rabbi Judah holds that fine beaten flax adds heat and it is therefore forbidden to cover up food with it.

(1) Introduction The second (and last) mishnah of this brief chapter teaches that sometimes one may use certain material to cover up food to preserve its heat and yet the material is “muktzeh” and hence cannot be handled on Shabbat.

(2) They may cover up [food] with hides, and they may be handled; Hides only preserve heat and do not add heat and therefore they may be used to cover up food on Shabbat. The hides also can be used as mats for sitting or lying down. Since they can be used on Shabbat they are not muktzeh and they may be handled.

(3) [They may cover up food] with wool shearings, but they may not be handled. Wool shearings may be used for covering up food but they may not be handled. Normally wool shearings are used for spinning wool and making cloth, an activity prohibited on Shabbat. Hence, they are muktzeh.

(4) What then is done? The lid [of the pot] is lifted, and they [the shearings] fall off of their own accord. The mishnah now addresses the problem of a pot that was covered with wool shearings before Shabbat: how does she get to the pot when it is covered by material which is muktzeh? The answer is that she may simply pick up the lid and allow the wool shearings to fall by the side.

(5) Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah says: the basket [holding the pot] he turns on its side and [the food] is removed, lest one lift [the lid of the pot] and is unable to replace it. But the Sages say: one may take [out the pot] and replace [it]. This section refers to a situation where a person put a pot into a basket. The basket was filled with material (wool shearing in this case) to preserve the heat of the pot. She made space in the shearings so that the pot could fit in. The problem is that if she removes the pot she won’t be able to make space in the basket so that it can be returned. Rabbi Elazar says that she tilts the basket to the side and takes directly from the pot while it is in the basket. She is not allowed to remove the pot lest she move the muktzeh wool shearings in order to return it. The Sages hold that we are not concerned lest there not be space to return the pot and therefore she may take it out. However, if she takes it out and there is no space to return it, she may not move aside the wool shearings in order to return it.

(6) If he did not cover it [a pot] while it was yet day, it may not be covered after nightfall. If it was covered but became uncovered, it may be recovered. It was permitted to cover up food only before Shabbat began. Once Shabbat has begun covering up is prohibited lest someone find that her food has grown cold and come to actually cook it on Shabbat. However, it is permitted to return food to where it had been covered and therefore if the covering comes off, it is also permitted to return the covering.

(7) One may fill a jug with [cold water] and place it under a pillow or blanket [to keep it cool]. There is no prohibition to cover cold things in order to preserve their coolness on Shabbat. The entire prohibition of “covering up” only referred to hot foods because of the concern that someone might come to cook on Shabbat.