Reciting a Beracha When Immersing Utensils Today
Question:
I have heard from many people that today—whether according to Chabad or in general—we no longer recite a beracha when immersing utensils, due to the concern that the utensils may have been manufactured in a Jewish‑owned factory. Is this accurate?
Answer:
No. While some Poskim have suggested such an approach, the mainstream and accepted ruling among the Poskim is that a beracha is recited upon immersing any utensil that is obligated in tevilat keilim, unless one knows for certain that it was manufactured by a Jewish‑owned factory. This is the practice of the vast majority of Poskim, and it is likewise my personal custom to recite a beracha.
Explanation:
Although there are opinions that raise concern regarding the ownership of modern factories and therefore suggest refraining from reciting a beracha, this approach has not been accepted as the primary halachic ruling. On the contrary, many Poskim have explicitly written against those who belittle the beracha and routinely immerse utensils without one. The obligation to recite a beracha remains in force for any utensil that is presumed to be obligated in tevilah, unless there is clear knowledge that it was manufactured by Jews.
The reason behind this obligation is simple. There is a general rule throughout the Shas and the poskim, applied across all areas of Jewish law, known as “kol d’parish me‑ruba parish”—whatever separates is assumed to come from the majority. This rule is applied in many areas: in kashrut, in determining Jewish identity, and certainly in matters of berakhot and ritual purity. The rule means that when there is uncertainty, we follow the status of the majority. Thus, if the majority of people passing through a certain street are Jewish, a baby found there is assumed to be Jewish; if the majority are non‑Jewish, the baby is assumed to be non‑Jewish. For the same reason, when a person joins a minyan and claims to be Jewish, we count him as the tenth and do not require documentation, since the majority of those who identify as Jewish are in fact Jewish. This principle likewise explains why non‑kosher meat can be nullified by a majority of kosher meat, and why it is permitted to purchase chickens from the Rabbanut, even though there is a minority of chickens that were not slaughtered properly. We follow the rule that whatever is separated is assumed to come from the majority, and therefore such chickens are not considered treif.
One who wishes to ignore the majority with regard to the berakhah on tevilat kelim, because some factories are owned by Jews, would need to be consistent and ignore the majority in all these cases as well. Such a person should then also refrain from joining a person to Minyan minyan without documentation of his Jewish identity as otherwise the entire Chazaras Hashatz could be blessings in vain—which no one does. This highlights the absurdity of selectively disregarding the majority.
Furthermore, in my experience as a rabbi, I encountered a well‑known family in a frum community that did not immerse their vessels at all, neglecting the mitzvah of tevilat kelim (which many authorities consider biblical), claiming that most factories today are Jewish‑owned. Thus, an incorrect argument initially used only to avoid the blessing was later used to avoid immersing the vessels entirely.
What, then, is the argument of the minority of poskim who rule that one should immerse vessels without a blessing? They argue that although we generally follow the majority, with regard to blessings we are more stringent and therefore do not rely on the majority. However, the vast majority of poskim reject this argument and explain that we refrain from following the majority with respect to blessings only when there is a genuine dispute among the poskim concerning whether a blessing is to be said. However, with regards to the application of kol d’parish me‑ruba parish, whenever this principle itself is accepted, we certainly follow it even for blessings. As already stated, one who adopts the view that the majority cannot be followed for blessings would likewise be forbidden to count a person toward a minyan and would risk reciting blessings in vain unless he required documentation proving the individual’s Jewish status. He could not rely on the fact that the majority of people who enter a synagogue appearing to be Jewish are, in fact, Jewish.
For one who nevertheless remains concerned and wishes to avoid any doubt, a practical solution is to purchase utensils from a clearly gentile‑owned store, in which case there is no question that the utensils are obligated in tevilat keilim. One may even purchase a set of inexpensive metal utensils from the gentile owned store, such as spoons, and when immersing other utensils, immerse one of these metal spoons together with them, thereby ensuring that the beracha is unquestionably warranted. However, to refrain from reciting a beracha altogether as a general practice is not the correct approach according to halacha.
Sources:
Poskim who rule to immerse with blessing: Atzei Haoleah 120:18; Chazon Ish Y.D. 37:15; Igros Moshe O.C. 3:4; Shoel Venishal 2:74; Teshuvos Vehanhagos 2:408; 3:259; Yabia Omer Y”D 6:12; Koveitz Mibeis Levi p. 147; Tevilas Keilim p. 68 in name of Rav Ovadiah Yosef and Rav Wozner; Avnei Yashpei 1:109; 8:119; Ohel Yeshurun 1:41 in name of Rav Moshe Feinstein; Chut Shani 120:2; Vayivarech David 1:96; Orchos Habayis 9:5; Mishnas Yosef 11:144; Ohel Yaakov p. 276; Sefer Hakashrus 4:34; Pesakim Uteshuvos 120:14 and 46 footnote 404
Poskim who rule to immerse without blessing: Darkei Teshuvah 120:81 in name of Tehsuras Shaiy 74; Divrei Shalom 4:107; Emek Hateshuvah 5:67; Achas Shealti p. 129; Opinion of Rav Elyashiv, brought in Sefer Ohalei Yaakov ibid; Vayivarech David ibid that so is the custom today
See regarding that if one time owned by gentile, such as a gentile owned store, needs Tevila according to all: Michaber Y.D. 120:1; Vayivarech David ibid; Sefer Hakashrus ibid and Pesakim Uteshuvos 120:14 that so was Eitza of Rav Elyashiv
See regarding the rule of Kol Deparish Meruba Parish and its application: In Kashrus: Michaber Y.D. 110:3-5 See regarding determining his Jewish identity based on majority: Michaber Even Haezer 4:33 [is safek regarding marriage]; 34 [regarding eating non-Kosher, and returning Aveida]; Rambam Issureiy Biyah 15:25-26; Mishneh Machshrin 2:7; Beir Hagoleh ibid; Pischeiy Teshuvah ibid; Taz ibid
