From the Rav’s Desk: 1) Used Felishag pan for cheese sandwich 2) Hafrashas Challah by Challah group

1. Question: [Monday, 8^th Mar Cheshvan, 5781]

On Shabbos afternoon we placed a disposable baking pan on top of our Fleishig Shabbos plata [upside down] for the sake of warming Challas on top of it. My daughter then unknowingly used that baking pan for baking a cheese sandwich in the dairy oven. My Shabbos Plata was clearly dirty with Fleishig spillage when the pot baking pan was placed over it, and I suspect that the vapor of the leftover Fleishig spillage got absorbed in the pan and Treifed up the Milchig food and oven. Whats the Halacha?

Answer:

Everything remains Kosher.

The reason: If indeed it was determined that leftover meat or gravy released vapor onto the inside of the baking pan, then it would be viewed as Ben Yomo within the first 24 hours, and perhapsd even as Beiyn meat [as perhaps some vapor remains on the actual baking pan and is not just absorbed within] and would hence prohibit the cheese sandwich [unless it contains 60x the meat] and [possibly the entire oven]. However, being that you stated that the pan was placed on the Plata on Shabbos afternoon, and the last possible spillage that could have occurred was on Friday night, then it can be rightfully assumed that all spillage on the plata had been burned away and hence its status is no longer that of meat but of ash, which does not have ability to prohibit your food.

2. Question: [Monday, 8^th Mar Cheshvan, 5781]

I need to clarify taking challah with a bracha when you bake with a group of ladies. I’ve heard so many answers. If each lady at a challah baking event has the correct amount of flour (everyone basically uses my 5lb recipe) Does each batch get it’s own “hafrashas challah”? Some ladies take their dough home to bake, and some bake it at the hostess’s house?

Answer:

In your case that each participant will have an individual Shiur Challah, then each may separate Challah from their own batch of dough and say a blessing. It makes no difference where they bake it, as its already theirs when it’s still dough prior to the baking.

The reason: The law is that the Shiur for Hafrashas Challah is retained even if one separated it into small rolls, if it all belongs to one individual. However, if it belongs to two or more individuals, or will be distributed to more than one individual, then if they plan to distribute the dough to each individual prior to baking, then it is only obligated in Hafrashas Challah if each person receives an individual Shiur Challah of dough, otherwise it is exempt from Challah and does not join the dough of his friend. This applies even if originally all the dough was mixed together in one batch prior to distribution. If, however they first baked the Challah and only afterwards distributed it to the individuals, then even if each person receives less than Shiur Challah of baked Challah, nonetheless it remains obligated in a single Hafrashas Challah prior to baking.   

Sources: See Michaber Y.D. 326:2; Shach 326:1; Rambam Bikurim 6:19; Mishneh Challah 1:7; Beis Efraim Y.D. 69, brought in Pischeiy Teshuvah 326; Binas Adam Shaaareiy Tzedek Challah 14; Minchas Yitzchak 8:42; Minchas Shlomo 68; Chazon Ish Y.D. 198:3; Hakashrus 14:13