Cheres - Leniency

QUESTION: I have heard that under certain circumstances one may kasher ceramic utensils by performing hagalah three times. When does this leniency apply?

ANSWER: The Bal Ha’itur writes that according to the Yerushalmi there is an option to kasher ceramic after it has been left unused for 24 hours, by performing hagalah three times. This means the utensil is submerged into three different pots of boiling water. The Rashba writes that this leniency of the Yerushalmi applies only in very limited cases such as when Kashering from “bishul akum.” Chazal required Jewish involvement in the cooking of certain foods, even if we know all the ingredients are kosher, as a means of avoiding intermarriage. The Rashba writes that if foods which are bishul akum were cooked in a pot, the pot must be kashered. Since we know that all of the ingredients are kosher, and the need to kasher is only because of the Rabbinic Decree based on the concern for intermarriage, we allow kashering of ceramic if they do hagalah three times. Shulchan Aruch (YD 113:16) follows the ruling of the Rashba.

Although Shulchan Aruch does not follow the opinion of the Bal Ha’itur (except regarding bishul akum), it is sometimes used by Poskim as an additional mitigating factor. For example, if there are several reasons to be lenient not to require kashering, but the leniency is not so clear, poskim might recommend kashering the ceramic utensil three times.

___________________________________________________

The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.