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Something that is mixed with a drink

שו”תCategory: HalachaSomething that is mixed with a drink
asked 9 years ago

Hello Rabbi Michael,
Regarding something that was dipped in a drink, I saw an opinion in the halachic writings of the Maharam of Rothenburg, author of the Itor and Tosafot (Pesachim 15:1), that there is a difference between the washings, that the washing before bread was also prescribed for reasons of holiness and cleanliness, and therefore even in our time one must sanctify the hands and cleanse them before the meal. However, the law of washing hands before something that was dipped in a drink is only due to the risk of impurity, and since today the laws of impurity and purity are not practiced, there is no need to wash hands before eating something that was dipped in a drink.

Is it permissible to rely on such opinions in the first place (most jurists are strict)?

Beyond that, do foods such as breakfast cereal with milk, salad with olive oil, fruit compote in syrup, or any food with sauce also fall under the ruling of drinking tivolu? Or maybe only whole, washed vegetables?


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מיכי Staff answered 9 years ago

In my opinion, it is certainly permissible to rely on these opinions, and thus the custom among most Israelis not to touch the tip of the tongue while drinking. At least according to the rabbinic ruling, and especially when, in all opinions, the reason for the regulation no longer exists (because there are no laws of impurity and purity) and the entire act of touching is merely formal.
Although on Seder night, it was customary to wash hands with Karpas as part of the Seder procedure, here it is appropriate to continue washing.
There are several exemptions that the poskim have raised, such as something that weighs less than a kezait, or when eating with a utensil (fork), etc. Since the whole thing is sufficient and without any real taste, it is certainly possible to make a concession (after all, even without all of this, one must make a concession, and so on). It is true that on Seder night, less than a kezait is taken as a kezait.

 

*** There is an error in the following paragraph, see clarification note ***

I must note that I do not understand the words of the poskim who also speak about wafers and other things that have been dipped in a drink. Simply put, it seemed to me that the regulation only refers to vegetables, since if you put them in a drink, you make them impure. Other foods prepared by a person become impure even without having a drink on them, and therefore I do not understand why one should wash one’s hands when dipped in a drink. But I have not found a source for my opinion, and therefore I would not rely on it in practice.
It is clear that if the drink in question is not one of the seven drinks, there is no rule for washing hands with it.
Regarding cornflakes, see here:
https://he.wikisource.org/wiki/%D7%97%D7%91%D7%9C_%D7%A0%D7%97%D7%9C%D7%AA%D7%95_%D7%92_%D7%94


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