Prohibitions on enjoyment of cosmetic products

שו”ת › Category: Halacha › Prohibitions on enjoyment of cosmetic products

asked 2 years ago

Hello Rabbi,
I understand that some cosmetic products contain olive oil that can be foreskin lubricants that are forbidden in enjoyment. Is it permissible to enjoy, say, a hand cream that contains foreskin olive oil because it is forbidden to feed to dogs? Or because I saved non-foreskin olive oil, is there enjoyment of foreskin oil from a financial perspective?

Discover more from הרב מיכאל אברהם

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

0 Answers

0 Vote Up Vote Down

מיכי Staff answered 2 years ago

Here, you do not have indirect enjoyment from the foreskin oil, but rather the seller. He saved the kosher oil, not you. It does not matter to you what oil is there. Incidentally, foreskin does not capture its own blood (Mishnah in Kiddushin), although according to Rashi it does capture the owner himself. But the foreskin itself is indeed forbidden in enjoyment, and if it is not null, then it is forbidden. Although it is not suitable for eating, lubrication is like drinking (see Pesachim 25a regarding lubrication with foreskin oil, which is prohibited). Again, if there is nullification here, then there is no need to worry. And if you do not know if there is foreskin there, then that is added as a doubt.

Discover more from הרב מיכאל אברהם

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

אורן replied 2 years ago

Regarding the law of lubricating as drinking, from what I know it comes to prohibit things that are forbidden in eating/drinking also in lubricating, but something that is not forbidden in eating/drinking (because it is not fit for a dog to eat, like hand cream), is also not forbidden in lubricating, right?

Regarding what you said that only the seller saved the kosher oil and not me, theoretically this could allow him to lower the price of the product (if foreskin oil is cheaper due to its flooding into the market because it cannot be used for eating, perhaps). The moment he lowers the price due to the use of foreskin oil, it brings me pleasure.

Regarding what you said about cancellation, why would there be cancellation here? How is it different from a dish that I prepare with foreskin oil?

מיכי Staff replied 2 years ago

Simply put, what is forbidden in a drink is what is suitable for drinking and not necessarily for drinking.
I don't think there is a difference in price.
There is a law to cancel prohibitions by majority. The question is whether the rules of cancellation are met (there is a sufficient majority to permit, the prohibition is not felt in its taste and is not noticeable, etc.).