Rosh Yeshiva Responds
Rabbi Linzer answers halakhic questions from rabbis and community members
Can a sous vide be used for both meat and dairy cooking?
What about kashering it, if necessary?
ANSWER
What Is Sous Vide?
Let’s begin by understanding the metziut. According to Wikipedia, sous vide is a method of cooking in which food is placed in a plastic pouch and cooked in a water bath at a precisely regulated temperature. During the cooking process, the food does not come into direct contact with the
Can the Rosh Yeshivah’s clarify his position regarding induction stovetops? Having read/watched his views on cooking with it on Yom tov and regarding its status vis a vis bishul akum, would it be correct that the same burner could be used for both meat and dairy?
If so:
A. Would this be permitted even on the same day?
B. If there are spills, would one be required to wipe the surface between uses, or would that simply be recommended as a best practice?
As well, regarding Pesach, would the induction surface not require kashering, but
I received a question regarding a set of used china that has not been used for approximately two years. I am aware that this issue has been addressed previously in the context of a ba’al teshuva (one who has returned to religious observance) (Igrot Moshe, Yoreh De’ah II:46). My question is whether there is room to be lenient here, particularly since this does not appear to be a classic ba’al teshuva scenario. The china does not seem to be inherited from family,
Could you please share your approach to kashering a new stovetop griddle? There appear to be three defensible positions about cast iron cookware:
(a) Treating the factory seasoning as b’eyn, requiring libun gamur. This is the position of Rabbi Belsky z”l at the OU. It seems that this is based on the Shakh (YD 121:8) and Pri Megadim about solids absorbed directly (though this does seem to be a minority, machmir view in the books).
(b) Treating it as baluah, so either hagalah or libbun kal suffices. This is the position of Rav Gedaliah Dov Schwartz z”l, seemingly following
Rav Linzer, If one is using egg matzah for lechem mishnah for Shabbat/Erev Pesach, can it be eaten after the point that one can no longer eat chameitz? Also, does one need to avoid putting egg matzah in hot soup (keli shelishi) on Shabbat Erev Pesach, if it’s in Pesach keilim?
(NOTE – All discussions of egg matzah here that are a problem only for Ashkenazim are egg matzahs that have
Can this be kashered for Pesach? Griddle for making pancakes used with batter.
In general, we rule that chameitz, even during the rest of the year, is considered to be איסורא בלע, and when absorbed directly via the fire requires libun chamor (Shulchan Arukh OC 451:4). That is normally defined at about 700 degrees. I imagine that that is not possible here and that a blow torch or the like would destroy it.
There are, however, poskim who rule that libun chamor is the same as the hottest temperature the object got to. According to this you
I conducted a wedding ceremony for a converted bride, and the wine was not mevushal (this is rare, but it happens). I forgot that her mother is a non-Jew and continued as usual, so after the birkat eirusin, I gave the groom to drink, took back the cup, and gave it to the mother of the bride and said, “Mother, please give the dear bride to drink”.
Then, after I had already handed the cup to the mother of the
A pregnant woman in her third trimester with low platelets has been recommended two remedies by her midwife. The first remedy (https://www.taprootmedicine.org/shop/p/strongwomansyrup) contains brandy.
The second remedy is a homeopathic product that may contain snake venom. The midwife believes that if it contains any actual snake substance, it would be in a very small amount due to the nature of homeopathy.
Can she take either of these remedies?
Even before considering the fact that this woman is a choleh (a person who is ill), there are good reasons to permit either of these concoctions.
Regarding the remedy containing brandy:
Brandy is fermented wine, so
QUESTION
New York
Is someone allowed to take collagen supplements? This is a bovine-based powder that people take to help with skin and bone aging or other things. It doesn’t seem to be for a pressing medical condition other than normal aging prophylaxis.
ANSWER
This is *not* ok. If it is something like this product or this, then it is basically a protein added to a food and eaten דרך אכילה. Basically, it would be eating real treif.
https://pixabay.com/photos/pan-cook-fry-frying-pan-554072/
QUESTION
New York
Someone purchased a new T-Fal frying pan and used it once and left it to wash. After some time, she could not remember if she used it for turkey meat Sloppy Joe’s or dairy French toast and scrambled eggs. How should she treat it going forward? Can it be kashered?
ANSWER
Rav Moshe’s position is that teflon can be kashered—see Igros Moshe EH 4:7, and a good number of poskim agree—and I feel that that is a position that can be followed without hesitation (especially since once it is eino ben
Rosh Yeshiva Responds
Rabbi Dov Linzer will be answering shailas from YCT rabbis and community members on video each week.
