QUESTION

What is the Rosh Yeshiva’s position on toiveling keilim (immersing dishes) on Yom Tov?

ANSWER

Although I’m curious about the specific circumstances (e.g. where are you going to be tovel it? Why couldn’t you do it beforehand?), I think it is fine. See Shulchan Arukh OC 323:7 where the Shulchan Arukh rules that m’ikar ha’din (according to the basic halakha) that it is permitted, and Rema implicitly agrees. While in Darkhei Moshe he rules that it is forbidden, and many Ashkenazi Achronim are strict (Mishnah Berurah 323:33, Mishnah Berurah 509:30, Arukh HaShulchan 323:10, etc.), here were are:

(a) Talking about Yom Tov which is more lenient than Shabbat, and more ready to rely on the matirim (those who permit)- who include Shulchan Arukh and Rema!

(b) It is being doing for the sake of food that will be eaten that day (even though this is in the machshirei ochel nefesh – activities that facilitate preparation of food – category, it was also, I am assuming, something which could not be done before Yom Yov – see Shulchan Arukh OC 495:1, Shulchan Arukh OC 509:1 ,and Mishnah Berurah 509:30)

(c) Some would argue that keilim made in factories, not coming from private ownership, and made for sale do not really require tevilah. We generally don’t pasken that way – obviously – and if we treated it as a serious safeik we wouldn’t be making a berakhah when we were tovel keilim – but nevertheless, something to thrown into the mix.