1. Question: [Thursday, 28^th Tammuz 5781]

Is it a problem of borer to remove ½ eaten pickle from a pickle jar and Shabbos? My child took a bite out of the pickle but put it back in the jar to finish eating it later, and I would like to remove it.

Answer:

In my opinion, it is permitted to be removed.

Explanation: The Borer restriction does not apply against same species mixtures, even if it contains pieces of different sizes. Now, although this only applies if both foods are perfectly edible while if one of the foods is not so edible, then at least rabbinically the Borer restrictions apply, nonetheless, seemingly in our case the mere taking a bite out of the pickle is not considered an intrinsic damage to make it viewed as inedible, and at the very best one can simply cut off the beaten area and eight the rest of it. Furthermore, there is no apparent change amongst the pickles, and therefore even if we were to consider a bit into pickle as inedible, perhaps since there is no visible difference therefore it does not consist of the Borer prohibition as it does not appear like a mixture.

Sources: See regarding that Borer is permitted between foods of the same species: Admur 319:6; Rama 319:3; Beis Yosef 319; Terumas Hadeshen 57 based on Gemara which constantly states “two types of foods”; Orchos Chaim p. 45 in name of Rabbeinu Peretz; Tosefes Shabbos 319:10; Beis Meir; Chemed Moshe 319:2-3; Nehar Shalom 319:1; Birkeiy Yosef 319:4 that so is implied from Maggid Mishneh; M”B 319:15; Kaf Hachaim 319:30; See also: Shabbos Kehalacha Vol. 2 p. 178-179; Rav SZ”A 3 footnote 63

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