Tovel a washing cup?

Hi,

If there is a chance that one might use a netilat yadayim (ritual hand-washing) cup to hold a beverage for drinking, then assuming it is made of a material which requires immersion, one should immerse it in a mikvah, as one does with utensils that will be used for food. One should immerse it along with a utensil that definitely requires immersion, since it is unclear that immersing the netilat yadayim cup would warrant a blessing.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:122)

המצפה לישועה,
Mordechai

Was the manufacturer Jewish?

Hi,

Where food utensils are purchased from a Jewish-owned store, but one isn't certain whether they were produced by Jews, one should immerse them in a mikvah without a berachah. However, where the material [like glass] is such that immersion is only required rabbinically in the first place, and one cannot ascertain whether the manufacturer was Jewish, and there are great obstacles to immersion, then immersion is not required.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 2:40)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Re-using a jar or bottle

Hi,

When a factory produces and markets a bottled drink or food in a container, the essence is the drink or food, and the container is subsidiary and not viewed as having any sort of independent existence. Therefore, a Jew who purchases such a product and then decides to re-use the container is said to be creating the container, and no immersion of the container in a mikvah would be required.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 2:4)

[Note that I am not sure whether this would apply to containers which the company sought to re-claim for cleaning and re-use. Also note the disclaimer atop this blog; this is Rav Moshe's view, but prominent others disagree.]

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Tevilah of government property

Hi,

Food utensils which a Jew acquires from government ownership require immersion in a mikvah, where the general population is not Jewish.

[I believe this is Rav Moshe's intent. I don't think he can be talking about Jewish use of a utensil while it is still government-owned, as in the case of a Communist society.]

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 2:39)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Immersing an electric cooking utensil

Hi,

One who purchases an electric cooking utensil which has two components, an electric heating unit and a unit that holds food, and who cannot immerse the electric unit, may immerse the unit that holds the food, and that is sufficient. This is true even when the units are joined.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 1:57)

[Note the disclaimer above.]

Have a great day,
Mordechai

When in doubt

Hi,

The context for the following statement is the obligation to immerse glass utensils in a mikvah, when one does not know whether they were manufactured by Jews, but he could easily find out.

It is true that one who is in doubt regarding his obligation to fulfill a rabbinic mitzvah may opt for leniency (ספק דרבנן לקולא). However, if it would be easy to resolve the doubt, and it is only laziness which keeps him from investigating, then he is obligated to fulfill it.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Making sure utensils can become fully wet

Hi,

We have said that one must immerse utensils fully in the mikvah. This means that one must make sure that every internal and external surface is exposed to water.

One must take extra care with receptacles that have narrow openings, to ensure that they are in a physical position in which water can enter every part, and to allow enough time for the water to do so.

(Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 202:6-8)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Immersing utensils with temporary attachments

Hi,

Attachments which one expects to remove from the utensil, such as handles which were installed in a defective way, must be removed before immersion.

(Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 202:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Immersing utensils with stickers on them

Hi,

The surfaces of utensils must be clean when the utensils are immersed in the mikvah. However, foreign materials that are on the surface do not disqualify the immersion, if:

1. People normally do not mind leaving there, and
2. The material does not cover the majority of the surface.

(Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 202:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Immersing utensils on Shabbat and Yom Tov, Part II

Hi,

We have said that there is some debate as to whether one may immerse utensils on Shabbat or Yom Tov.

Our chief concern is the appearance of 'fixing' the utensil, by making it usable for Shabbat / Yom Tov. Therefore, one who needs to immerse a pitcher, cup or similar utensil may dip it in the mikvah to draw water, and thereby fulfill the immersion requirement as well, so long as the mikvah water is potable.

Note that one would not recite a berachah, lest he make the immersion element obvious - which also means that he should not use this method unless absolutely necessary, since this method eliminates the opportunity to recite a berachah for the mitzvah.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 323:7; Mishneh Berurah 323:36; Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 323:11)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Immersing utensils on Shabbat and Yom Tov, Part I

Hi,

There is some debate as to whether one may immerse utensils on Shabbat or Yom Tov. Therefore, one should give the utensil to someone who is not Jewish, and simply borrow it back; utensils borrowed from people who are not Jewish may be used without immersion.

Ordinarily, one may not give a gift on Shabbat or Yom Tov, but this is permitted because the gift is for the sake of Shabbat/Yom Tov itself.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 323:7, Yoreh Deah 120:16; Mishneh Berurah 323:34)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Intent for immersing utensils

Hi,

Immersion of utensils in a mikvah does not require intent. Therefore, a child's immersion of a utensil is also valid, so long as an adult observes it and sees that it was done properly.

(Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 120:14; Shach Yoreh Deah 120:28; Biur haGRA Yoreh Deah 120: 37)

Good moed,
Mordechai

Immersing the handle of a utensil

Hi,

Even though the law of immersing food-related utensils is tied to their use with food, one must also immerse the handle of the utensil.

(Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 120:12)

Moadim l'simchah,
Mordechai

Food prepared with a Jew's non-immersed utensils

Hi,

Food prepared with a Jew's non-immersed utensils remains kosher, and may be eaten with properly immersed utensils.

(Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 120:16)

Good moed,
Mordechai

Eating with another Jew's unimmersed utensils

Hi,

There is some debate as to whether one Jew may eat with another Jew's utensils, if those utensils were not properly immersed.

Rav Moshe Feinstein ruled that this is prohibited, but in a case of need he was lenient regarding use of the plate itself, for non-liquid foods.

(R' Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 3:22; based on Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 120:8)

Chag kasher v'sameach,
Mordechai

A loophole regarding immersing utensils

Hi,

We have said that a Jew must immerse food-related utensils he purchases.

However: A Jew who purchases food-related utensils in real partnership with a non-Jew need not immerse them, so long as the utensils remain owned in partnership.

(Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 120:11; Shach Yoreh Deah 120:24)

Chag kasher v'sameach,
Mordechai

Immersing a knife used for cutting non-food items

Hi,

Because the requirement to immerse utensils is limited to food-utensils, one need not immerse a knife which one purchased for the sake of cutting non-food items. This is true even if that kind of knife is normally used for cutting food.

However: Should one ever use that knife to cut food, even as a one-time event, he would be obligated to immerse it first.

(Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 120:8; Shach Yoreh Deah 120:17)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Immersing borrowed utensils, Part II

Hi,

One who borrows or rents utensils from another Jew must make sure to immerse them before using them, if they require immersion and the owner did not take care of it.

(Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 120:8)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Immersing borrowed utensils

Hi,

One need not immerse utensils which are borrowed or rented from someone who is not Jewish.

(Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 120:8)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The berachah on immersing a utensil

Hi,

One who is immersing a single utensil recites a berachah beforehand, "על טבילת כלי, al tevilat keli, on the immersion of a utensil."

One who is immersing multiple utensils, without interruption between them, recites a berachah beforehand, "על טבילת כלים, al tevilat kelim, on the immersion of utensils."

(Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 120:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai