Why the world's best known brands choose the OU for Kosher certification

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By: Rabbi Eli Gersten

We know that in general before kashering a utensil one must make sure that it is an aino ben yomo. This is because otherwise the utensil will reabsorb the ta’am issur that it expelled. Because we say Chanan by sha’ar issurim even lach b’lach (unless there is a hefsed mirubah) all the kashering water will become assur and will reenter the pot.

If one is magil a ben yomo kli in water that is 60 times its volume, the kli will be kashered. However, the Rema (O.C. 452:2) says that the minhag lichatchila is not to kasher any kli unless it is an aino ben yomo. Since calculating bitul is not always easy, we are concerned that the amount of water needed will be miscalculated. In cases of great need or financial loss we are lenient (K-4).

If one kashers using water that is pagum ligamrei then any ta’am issur that enters the water will become batel and cannot assur the kli upon reentry. However, often this water is not fit to be used as a lichatchila medium for hagalah. Therefore, we must kasher the kli again using clear water. Rav Schachter said that although the minhag of the Rema not to kasher a ben yomo applies to being pogem as well, in cases of great need we may be lenient.

The Darchei Teshuva 113:92 quotes the Teshuvas Minchas Yehuda Y.D. 154 that one is permitted to do hagalah on a kli that absorbed ta’am from bishul akum even when it is a ben yomo. Since bishul akum is botel b’rov, the water that is cooked in the pot will not become assur, since there is surely always more water than the volume of the kli. The issur that is expelled from the kli will become botel in the water and will not assur the kli upon reentry.

Similarly, since yayin nesech is botel in 6 parts water, one can do hagalah on a kli that absorbed ta’am of yayin nesech even when it is a ben yomo, provided that there is clearly much more than 6 times water than the volume of the kli.

When kashering from chalav stam to pareve or for chalav Yisroel, one can do hagalah when the kli is a ben yomo provided that they perform the hagalah twice. This is based on the ruling of the Pri Migadim S.D. 97:1 that we do not say Chanan on Chalav Stam. Rav Moshe Feinstein Ztz”l (Igros Moshe Y.D. II:31) explained that using this principle one can kasher a chalav stam pasteurizer when it is a ben yomo by repeating the hagalah. If the first hagalah has at least 8 times more water than the volume of the kli then since we don’t say Chanan the issur that goes back in will only be 1/8 of the original issur. The second hagalah will then have more than 60 times the remaining issur.

If one kashers with libun kal in place of hagalah then one can kasher even when the kli is a ben yomo (K-142). If libun kal is being done in situations where hagalah would not be sufficient then a shailah should be asked.

In summary:

- Although it is best to only kasher a kli that is an aino ben yomo, in cases of great need or financial loss, we allow hagalah for a ben yomo kli using water in which the issur will be batel or nifgam

- One can kasher a ben yomo kli from bishul akum and yayin nesech when the volume of the walls are clearly batel.

- One can kasher a ben yomo kli from chalav stam by kashering two times

- One can kasher a ben yomo kli with libun kal

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