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Introduction:
This chapter will discuss the laws of salting the spleen, kidneys and testis.
1. The spleen:[1]
The spleen has the same status as all meat and hence may be salted for its blood [and is not required to be roasted even if one desires to cook it afterwards[2]]. This is despite the fact that the spleen is red and appears to contain a lot of blood. [It is permitted to cook the spleen together with other meat after it is properly salted for its blood.[3]]
Removing the forbidden fats from the spleen: Prior to salting or roasting the spleen one must remove the Cheilev that is attached to it.
Salting the spleen with other meat:[4] It is permitted to salt the spleen together with other meat even though it contains a lot of blood. Nevertheless one must remove the veins and fat before the salting. [It is even initially permitted to salt the spleen on top of other meat.[5]]
What is the law if one roasted the spleen together with its forbidden fat?[6] If one roasted a spleen together with its Cheilev then one must measure 60x in the spleen versus the Cheilev.[7]
2. The kidneys, and testis:[8]
Cooking after salting: There are opinions[9] which say that it is customary not to cook the kidneys or testis [in a pot[10]] even after they have had their forbidden fats removed [and have been salted for blood] being that they contain a lot of blood. Nevertheless Bedieved if one cooked them everything remains permitted. [Others[11] however rule that it is even initially permitted to cook them, and so is the custom of the Sefaradim.[12] Furthermore many Poskim[13] rule that even Ashkenazim may be lenient.]
Salting the kidneys and testis with other meat:[14] It is permitted to salt the kidneys and testis together with other meat even though they contain a lot of blood. Nevertheless one must remove the veins and fat before the salting. [It is even initially permitted to salt them on top of other meat.[15]]
[1] Michaber 74/1
[2] Taz 74/1
[3] Shach 74/1; Toras Chatas Klal 31
[4] Rama ibid
[5] Shach 74/4
The Shach states that the novelty of the ruling of the Rama is that we do not consider the spleen to be like liver which may not be salted on top of other meat. [Shach 74/4]
[6] Taz 74/1 in name of Toras Chatas Klal 31
[7] The novelty of this ruling is that we do not assume that a regular spleen has 60x its fat until one verifies this measurement in the individual spleen held in question. The reason for this is because some spleens have more fat than others and hence one cannot make a general statement that all spleens have more than 60x their fat. This is unlike the heart of a chicken in which the Sages received a tradition that every chicken certainly has 60x its heart and hence one is not required to measure 60x. This is unlike the ruling of the Hagahos Sheid which seems to imply that a typical spleen has 60x its fat. [ibid]
[8] Rama 74/1
[9] Rokeiach
[10] Shach 74/2
[11] Beis Yosef brought in Shach 74/2 writes that “we are accustomed to cook them an no one ever protested this from being done”.
[12] So writes Peri Chadash 74/2; Mahcazikei Bracha 74/4; Zivcheiy Tzedek 74/4; Kaf Hachaim 74/6
[13] Levush ; Aruch Hashulchan 74/4; Chavas Daas 74/2; Peri Megadim 74 S.D.2; Kaf Hachaim 74/6
Opinion of Shach: The Shach brings the opinion of the Beis Yosef and then concludes “and in these provinces we are not accustomed like this”. It is unclear what the Shach means to say with this statement. Is he saying that we are not accustomed like the Beis Yosef and hence are accustomed to avoid cooking it as rules the Rama. Or is he saying we are not accustomed like the Rama which avoids cooking it. The Peri Megadim 74 S.D. 2 leaves this matter is question. However the Kaf Hachaim ibid understands the Shach to be arguing on the Beis Yosef as rules the Rama.
[14] Rama ibid
[15] Shach 74/4
The Shach states that the novelty of the ruling of the Rama is that we do not consider the spleen to be like liver which may not be salted on top of other meat. [Shach 74/4]
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