From the Rav’s Desk: 1) milk splashed on pareve water urn; 2) stuck tip of frozen meat into hot water of Pareve pot

1. Question: [Monday, 17^th Adar, 5781]

Rabbi, my daughter poured hot water from our Pareve electric water urn straight into her milk and in the process a drop of milk splashed onto the side of the urn. If I stand correct, I believe that my Pareve water urn has now become dairy. Is this true and can I kosher it back to Pareve?

Answer:

Although this matter is debated amongst the Poskim, practically you should consider the water urn as dairy due to the splashed milk and you should not use the hot water that is in it for anything that is meat. However, the urn can very easily be koshered back to Pareve. Simply empty the urn and pour boiling water over the external area where the drop of milk originally splashed. If you are not sure where it splashed, then just pour the hot water everywhere on the outside of the urn. You may now reconsider your urn as Pareve. To note, as a rule, Pareve water urns should never be used for pouring directly into meat or milk, as aside for the possible splash issue as occurred in your case, we initially suspect for the concept of Nitzuk Chibur, and according to some opinions it applies even when pouring from hot to cold, and therefore in order to keep the water 100% Pareve according to all opinions, everyone in the family should be educated never to pour directly into meat or milk.

Explanation: When a drop of milk splashes onto the side of a pot some Poskim suspect that it gets stuck inside the pot and releases its dairy taste gradually each time that one cooks inside the pot, and therefore we require it to be Koshered. Now although we find opinions who are lenient in this regarding a small drop of milk and rule that it simply gets stuck in the metal and does not release any taste, and thus the urn still remains Pareve, nonetheless the best thing is to Kosher it and be safe according to all opinions. Now, regarding the leftover water in the urn, even if it certainly had 60 times versus this drop of milk, one should still not use this water for meat foods being that we initially suspect for the concept of Nitzuk Chibur, and hence perhaps due to the stream of hot water into the milk the hot water has become dairy.

Sources: See regarding the general rule of a splash of a drop of milk onto a meat: Rama 92:6; Shach 92:19 and 27; Rashal Gid Hanashe 34; Taz 92:17;  Chavas Daas 92:13; Peri Chadash 92:19; P”M 92 S.D. 19; Chochmas Adam 45:1; Aruch Hashulchan 92:45; Zivcheiy Tzedek 92:25; Opinions who rule to Kosher the urn: Atzei Levona 97, brought in Darkei Teshuvah 97:1; Eretz Tzevi 129; Hakashrus 1:70 and 10 footnote 207; Opinions who rule that it remains Pareve: Chochmas Adam 45 Binas Adam 58; Shearim Hametzuyanim 46 in Kuntres Acharon; Eretz Tzevi 129

2. Question: [Monday, 17^th Adar, 5781]

Rabbi, I was cooking a pot of Pareve vegetable soup in my Pareve pot right next to my Chulent. They’re both about the same size and look the same and at this point simply had water in them, and I absentmindedly stuck the tip of a chunk of frozen meat into the water of the Pareve pot instead of the chulent pot. I immediately noticed and took it out but it did touch the hot water, for about 1 to 2 inches. What is the status of my pot?

Answer:

Your pot is considered meaty and is no longer pareve.

Explanation: Whenever meat touches hot food we assume that the entire piece of meat has ability to transfer taste into that food irrelevant of whether the meat is hot or cold or even frozen. Furthermore, even if only the tip of the meat touched the hot food we assume that the entire chuck has ability to transfer taste into the food.

Sources: See Issur Viheter 28:3; Chavas Daas 105 Biurim 9; P”M 94 M.Z. 1; Zivcheiy Tzedek 94:1; Kaf Hachaim 94:2