Is one required to immerse a new can opener before using it? As a metal utensil used in food preparation, it might appear, at first glance, that a new can opener acquired from a gentile requires immersion. In truth, however, it is clear from the Poskim that can openers do not require Tebila (immersion). A can opener does not come in contact with th…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

If one acquires a new metal peeler used to peel vegetables or fruits, must he first immerse it in a Mikveh before using it? This question relates to a discussion among the Halachic authorities concerning the knife used for Shehita (slaughtering animals), which comes in contact with meat, but only when the meat is still raw and inedible. The Shulhan…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

Food utensils that have been purchased or received from a gentile require Tevila (immersion) in a Mikveh before they may be used for preparing or eating food. The question arises as to how this Halacha is applied in cases of electrical appliances such as an urn, which will likely be ruined as a result of immersion in water. In some instances, manuf…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

The Torah obligation of Tebilat Kelim – immersing new utensils – applies only to metal utensils, and the Sages extended this obligation to glass utensils. Utensils made from other materials, such as plastic, nylon, rubber and enamel, do not require immersion at all. This is the ruling of Hacham Ovadia Yosef, in Halichot Olam (vol. 7). The Halachic …

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

If a minor or gentile immerses one's new utensil in a Mikveh, does this immersion suffice to render the utensil permissible for use with food? According to all authorities, an adult may allow a Jewish minor who has reached the age of Torah education (seven or eight years of age) to immerse a utensil under the adult's supervision. In such a case, th…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

If a person purchases a utensil, such as a plate, to give as a gift, may he first immerse it in a Mikveh to spare the recipient the trouble of immersing the utensil? Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Jerusalem, 1910-1995) ruled that immersing a utensil before giving it as a gift is ineffective, and does not absolve the recipient from immersing the uten…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

Before one immerses a new utensil, he recites the Beracha, "Baruch Ata…Asher Kideshanu Be'misvotav Ve'sivanu Al Tebilat Keli." If he immerses more than one utensil on one occasion, then he recites "Al Tebilat Kelim," in the plural form, instead of the singular form of "Al Tebilat Keli." Nevertheless, if one mistakenly recited the Beracha in the plu…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A situation once arose where a person hosted a large number of guests on Shabbat and he needed more dishes. He had some brand new dishes stocked away, and he wanted to use them, but he realized that they had never been immersed. Halacha forbids using new utensils purchased from a gentile before immersing them, and thus he needed to immerse these di…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

If a Jew spends Shabbat in a hotel, may he partake of the freshly-brewed coffee that the non-Jewish hotel staff prepared on Shabbat? The authorities who address this question make reference to a ruling of the Shulhan Aruch regarding food that a gentile prepared on Shabbat for other gentiles. In such a case, the Shulhan Aruch rules, a Jew may partak…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

Is it permissible to prepare instant coffee, hot chocolate or tea on Shabbat, by pouring hot water on the powder or tealeaves? A Halachic principle establishes that when hot water is poured onto raw food from a "Keli Rishon," meaning, from the original utensil in which it had been heated, it cooks the first layer of the food. Accordingly, it is for…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

The Mishna Berura (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin, 1839-1933), in Siman 242 (Se'if Katan 9), writes that if somebody receives from another person some food for Shabbat, he should not eat that food on a weekday. Since the food was sent specifically in honor of Shabbat, it should be eaten on Shabbat. The Halachic authorities debate the question of w…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

The Rama (Rabbi Moshe Isserles of Cracow, Poland, 1525-1572), in Orah Haim (242), records a custom to eat on Shabbat a type of food called "Muliyata," or "Pashtida," which is dough filled with a stuffing of meat or other food, what we would call sambusak. The reason for this custom, the Rama explains, is to commemorate the manna which fell from the…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

Some people like to drink hot water with a lemon flavor, which they prepare by dropping or squeezing a piece of lemon into a cup of hot water. Under what conditions would this be permissible on Shabbat? With regard to the laws of Bishul (cooking) on Shabbat, Halacha differentiates between a "Keli Rishon" – the original utensil in which an item was …

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

What options are available to somebody who suddenly realizes he has something in his pocket while he walks in a public domain on Shabbat? One option relates to the Halacha of "Makom Petur" which the Gemara establishes in Masechet Shabbat (7). The term "Makom Petur" refers to a place in a public domain that is at least three Tefahim (handbreadths) a…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

If three people ate together, and two of them forgot that they needed to conduct a Zimun, and recited the first three words of Birkat Ha'mazon – "Baruch Ata Hashem" – before realizing their mistake, it is questionable whether or not they should continue reciting Birkat Ha'mazon. Seemingly, they should be able to correct their mistake by reciting th…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

If a group of people are reciting a Zimun, and there is somebody sitting with them who did not eat, he does not answer with the standard response of "Baruch She'achalnu Mi'shelo…" Since he did not eat, he cannot say "She'achalnu Mi'shelo" ("from whom we ate"). Instead, the Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 198) writes, he responds, "Baruch U'meborach Shemo …

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

When three people eat bread together, they are required to recite the introductory Zimun before Birkat Ha'mazon. The Shulhan Aruch writes that it is a Misva to try to arrange that a Zimun will be required. This means that if two people eat together, it is a Misva for them to try to find a third person to join them so they can recite a Zimun. Of cou…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

When three people eat bread together, they are required to recite the introductory Zimun before Birkat Ha'mazon. The concept of Zimun is that we prepare ourselves for the Misva of Birkat Ha'mazon. When it comes to other Misvot, we prepare for the Misva act by reciting a Beracha. For example, we recite a Beracha before putting on Tefillin, and we re…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Zimun is recited before Birkat Hamazon when three people ate a meal together. According to the Shulhan Aruch, even a minor – who has not yet reached the age of Bar Misva – can count as the third person for a Zimun, provided that he is capable of reciting Birkat Hamazon and understands to whom he recites the Beracha. Children who have reached the …

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraPar Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

The question arose at a large wedding where the guests ate a sit-down, catered meal and then prepared to recite Birkat Ha'mazon. It was obvious to all that given the size of the banquet hall, the voice of the Rabbi leading the Zimun at the dais would not be heard beyond the two or so tables situated right in front of the dais. In order to ensure th…