You mean “Cholent.” I once read that the word Cholentcomes from the French “Chaud-Lent” meaning “Hot-Slow.” This aptly describes Cholent. The Ba’al HaMeor (Rabbi Zerachia ben Isaac HaLevi, 12th century Spain, famous Torah scholar and poet) cites authorities who say that it is a Rabbinical enactment to eat hot food on Shabbat. Aside from the mitzvah of Oneg Shabbat (enjoyment of Shabbat), eating hot food demonstrates our belief in the Oral Law. How? The Written Law states “Do not kindle a fire in all your dwelling places on the Sabbath day.” Some misguided sects said that all fires had to be extinguished prior to Shabbat. To negate this idea, the Sages instituted that on Shabbat we eat delicious food kept hot by a fire.
The Ba’al HaMeor concludes with the following poem in praise of eating hot food on Shabbat:
Who prepares cooked foods
And wraps them ‘round
Delights in Shabbat...Gains a pound...
He’s the one whose faith is sound;
When Mashiach comes
He’ll be around.
There are two other explanations for the origin of the word “Cholent” that I’ve heard over the years. One is that it comes from the Hebrew word “She’lan,” meaning “That it stayed overnight.” This refers to the fact that Cholent stays on the fire overnight. Another possible origin for the word is that it derives from the words ”Shul-end,” — because in many communities people didn’t have private stoves, so before Shabbat they all put their Cholent pots in the baker’s oven. On Shabbat morning after shul (synagogue services) finished, everyone went to the baker to pick up their Cholent.
