A Little Clarity – Halachic Questions via Text Message

Due to the space limitations of a text message, please note that it is particularly important to read carefully, pay close attention to the context of the question, and use the answers as a springboard for further study.

If you would like my phone number to submit questions, please leave a comment and I will send it to you.

Q: [Name of husband] was sautéing onions in a dairy pan that hadn’t been used for a few days and then realized it was too small so transferred it to a parve (larger) pan and continued cooking. Is the parve pan and mixing spoon now dairy?

A: It should ideally not be done, but they can still be considered pareve (if you would fry a steak with them right now (after cleaning it), it would be kosher since even if the diary flavor transfers from Pan I to the onions, it cannot travel subsequently to Pan II.  This is the opinion of Shach 122:2 and Even Haozer YD 95:3).  In addition, when a sharp food is cooked it looses its special halachic status (and therefore even the onion itself may still be considered pareve.  Pitchei Teshuva (Y.D. 96:4) Therefore kashering is not necessary.


Q: I used a clean, not used in days, plastic meat spatula in an vege. stir-fry (including onions) and the pan is parve and teflon. It was very hot. Does my pan need to now be designated fleishig?

A: The pan is pareve (see above).


Q: If all of the ingredients and equipment are kosher, does the popper need to be turned on by a Jew for popcorn to be considered kosher?

A: It doesn’t matter who turns on the machine since corn products are not considered something that is fit for a royal table – which is one of the requirements for something to be prohibited due to bishul akum (this is the policy of several Kashrut organizations).


Q: My wife totally forgot to light Yom tov candles.  Does she have to do anything to make it up?

A: Although if someone forgot to light Shabbos candles they are penalized to have to light an extra candle each subsequent week, this doesn’t apply to Yom tov (Shevet Halevi).


Advanced

Q: The Shulchan Aruch writes that when Mussaf is delayed until the earliest time to rectie Mincha arrives one must daven Mincha first since its a more common mitzvah.  Our synagouge davened Mussaf very late on Simchat Torah but we didn’t recite Mincha first.  Did we do the right thing?

A: Yes.  Mishnah Berurah specifies that Mincha only comes first when its an individual praying alone.  If it is a congregation davening together, the regular order is maintained to prevent future confusion.


Q: The luach says that the last time to say kiddush levanah is Wednesday 12:13 AM in Jerusalem standard time.  At that time, it is Tuesday afternoon in my location.  Does that mean that the last time that it may be said is Monday night in my location (since it can’t be said during the day), or do I have until 12:13 AM Wednseday morning in my time zone?

A: The proper time to recite kiddush levanah is in accordance with the Jerusalem deadline, no matter what time it is where one is located. In this case it would have to be before the end of Monday night.  In a case of necessity one may follow the later time (before Wednesday 12:13 AM in your locality; personal correspondence of R. Yosef E. Henkin in Sefer Yagel Ya’akov pg. 141).


Source: Rabbi Isaacs Blog

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