Question: Does just "entering" a bathroom trigger a requirement to wash our hands? What is the Halachic "status" of a bathroom these days?

Answer: The Shulchan Aruch states[1] that upon exiting a bathroom, we are required to wash our hands, even if the bathroom was used for "other purposes" (other than relieving oneself)[2]. This is because, an "evil spirit" exists in "unclean places"[3]. If one entered the bathroom for another use, (other than the bathroom’s main function), one may say a Bracha or learn Torah without washing the hands[4]. However, if one relieved himself, a Bracha cannot be recited, since the hands are unclean and we are not permitted to speak of kedusha with unclean hands[5].

What constitutes an "unclean place" with regards to Halacha so as to forbid words of kedusha such as Krias Shema? Halacha[6] defines an unclean place as any area where the waste has to be cleaned out[7], and where the "seat absorbs the filth which leaves bad fumes"[8].

Our Bathrooms might be consider "clean" with regard to Halacha.

1)      The Gemara[9] cites an example of a bathroom in which the waste disappears down into a "tunnel" and therefore is considered a clean place and words of Kedusha may be said near it[10].  Based on this, there are poskim[11] which hold that our bathrooms don’t have the Halachic status of an unclean place and therefore we dont have to wash our hands upon leaving it. However, there is a distinction between the bathrooms that existed during the time of the Gemara, and our bathrooms[12]: In our bathrooms, the waste is not washed down right away; it needs to be "flushed". As such, there is a period when the room contained waste and bad fumes might still remain, which halachicly would make it an unclean place.
2)      Our toilets are made of non absorbent materials[13]. However, sometimes there still remains some waste in the toilet.
3)      There is halacha that a bathroom used for other purposes is not considered an unclean bathroom[14], and since most of our bathrooms have other uses such as a sink or laundry etc, they do not have the halachic status of a bathroom.

L’halacha: Most poskim hold that our bathrooms have the status of an unclean room l’chumra[15], and therefore one should not say words of Kedusha near it. However, if one used it for other purposes one does not need to wash his hands[16]. Even in extreme circumstances, such as washing the hands for davening or eating, one is permitted to use the bathroom sink. My father hk”m was particularly machmir on this issue and told us to wash our hands when using the bathroom, even if just to put something away.

Daily inspiration:

Holiness is a state of mind. Our perceptions and feelings are the catalyst to our outlook on life and impetus for our actions. When we retain a pure and holy perception, our actions are alike and we strive for higher and better. When our perception is impure, it results in descending actions and a loss of drive.     

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[1] שוע"ר סי' ד:י"ח

[2] פרמ"ג משב"ז סי' ד משנ"ב סי' ד:מ עי' בבאור הלכה סי' תרי"ג ד"ה ואם

[3] שוע"ר מהדב"ת סי' א:ז קצוה"ש סי' ב:י"א משנ"ב סי' ד:ט

[4] פרמ"ג סי' רכ"ז א"א סק"ב משנ"ב שם סקי"א (עי' סדר ברכה"נ אדה"ז פי"ג:י"ז)

[5] שוע"ר סי' צ"ב ועי' באור הלכה שם ד"ה צריך לרחוץ

[6] שוע"ר סי' פ"ג:ד

[7] שם

[8] שוע"ר סי' פ"ז:ב עי' באור הלכה שם בתחילתו

[9] ברכות כ"ו:

[10] שוע"ר סי' פ"ג:ד

[11] שו"ת זקן אהרון ח"א סי' א' שו"ת בצל החכמה ח"ב סי' ז' עי' שו"ת ארץ צבי ח"א סי' ק"י –י"א

[12] חזו"א סי' י"ז שו"ת חלקת יעקב ח"א סי' ר"ה

[13] שו"ת מנח"י ח"א סי' ס' עי' שו"ת משנת שכיר עי' שוע"ר סי' פ"ז

[14] שוע"ר סי' פ"ז:ב

[15] עי' שו"ת מנח"י שם שו"ת יבי"א ח"ט סי' ק"ח ועוד

[16] שו"ת בצל החכמה שם

Question: How long do we wait after eating cheese in order to eat meat? How about "Hard cheese"?

Answer: The Shulchan Aruch[1] states when eating "cheese"  (or any other milk products), that we wash our mouth and hands, before eating meat (although this does not apply to chicken). The Rama adds, we should be Machmir and wait before eating meat or chicken after "hard"  cheese.

The poskim hold that the waiting period for "non hard"  cheese  is between a half hour to an hour[2] and some have the custom not to wait at all. Instead, they recite a Bracha Achrona on the cheese, rinse their mouth and wash their hands[3]). However, after consuming "hard" cheese, one must wait six hours before eating meat[4].

Why do we wait 6 hours after eating "hard" cheese?  a) hard  cheese  is fattier than regular cheese, and there may be some residue that remains in the mouth for a longer period of time (up to 6 hours)[5] b) hard  cheese  is more likely to get caught in a persons teeth and as such may remain there for up to 6 hours[6].

The Poskim delineate 4 criteria that a cheese must have in order to require waiting the six hours:

  1)   A cheese  that takes 6 months to produce[7] 2) A cheese that is "wormy"  [8] 3) A cheese that was produced with rennet[9] and 4) A cheese whose consistency is so hard, that it might get caught between a persons teeth[10].

Today, most  cheeses are not wormy, nor do they take six months to produce. However, they are made with rennet and are hard enough that it might get caught between the teeth.

          Bottom line... What is the status of our cheese today?

The Poskim debate this issue. Some hold[11] that any  cheese  made with rennet has the status of 6 hour  cheese . Others  [12]differentiate between white and yellow cheese , and maintain that when eating yellow  cheese  one needs to wait 6 hours. Still, others opine[13] that all chesses nowadays don’t have the status of hard  cheese  (even yellow  cheese ). There is an opinion that once hard cheese is "melted" (pizza), it is no longer considered "hard"  cheese [14].

L’halach: Our custom is to wait an hour after eating non-hard  cheese [15] (even on Shavous)[16]).  Regarding hard  cheese  that took 6 months to produce, requires waiting 6 hours before eating meat. However, if one is unsure as to whether the  cheese  is considered "hard"  cheese  or not, one could be lenient and wait only 1 hour, (especially when eating chicken afterwards[17]. Finally, a Ba’al Nefesh should be Machmir when eating any cheese[18].    

Daily inspiration:

Environment and social interactions influence and shape our perceptions. There are two components; the tangible conscious effect they give off and the conceptual sub-conscious influence which we remain unaware of, all becoming part of our experience. In order for one to purge himself from negative influences there needs to be removal and refrain of the Environment that has such an influence on us, otherwise however much we try, there is potential for a relapse.            

    

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[1] שו"ע יו"ד סי' פ"ט:ב

[2] עי' ש"ך סקט"ז שערי הלכה ומנהג ח"ג סי' י"א

[3] רמ"א שם ובעיקר בשבועות

[4] ט"ז סק"ד שפ"ד סקט"ז עי' משנ"ב סי' תצ"ד שער הציון סקט"ו

[5] ט"ז שם

[6] שפ"ד סקט"ו ומשב"ז סק"ד יד יהודה סק"ד

[7] או"ה כלל מ דין י' ש"ך סקט"ו

[8] ט"ז שם

[9] שם

[10] דרכ"ת סקל"ד

[11] שו"ת שבט הלוי ח"ב סי' ל"ה

[12] עי' ערוה"ש סעי' י"א ושו"ת משנה הלכות חלק ט"ז אות ט'

[13] ש"ת אבן ישראל ח"ט סי' ס"ח

[14] יד יהודה סק"ל ועי' בס' בדי השולחן ביאורים ע' ס"ג

[15] ע"פ הזוהר פ' משפטים שמות דף קכ"ה. עי' ביאורי הגר"א אות ו, ושערי הלכה ומנהג שם

[16] כן הובא בפוסקים

[17] עי' כף החיים סי' פ"ט ס"ק מ"ח

[18] להוציא מחשש איסור בב"ח עי' משב"ז סי' פ"ט סק"א

Question: On Shavuos, when frying cheese blintzes on a stove top, some of the Milchig Blintzes spilled over the frying pan and landed below, in the area of the flame. Soon thereafter, a Fleishig pot was placed on this stove top and cooked a meat tavshil. What is the status of both the meat tavshil, and the meat pot?

Answer:  The Halacha[1] states that if Dairy was cooked in a pot, that pot becomes a "dairy pot".  Similarly,  the same applies if some of that Dairy consistency ended up on the stove top, the stove top becomes Dairy[2].

The Halacha[3] also states that one should not place both a meat and dairy pot next to each other while they are being cooked. This is because there is a chance that some of the tavshil from one of the pots may end up in the other pot (בשר בחלב) . If some of the food from one pot spilled under the other pot and touched that pot (when the pot was hot), that pot is forbidden and the food in the hot pot has to be a minimum of 60 times more than the amount of the spillage that touched the pot, for the contents to be permitted[4] .

However if the spillage was only a minute amount, that might be "burnt out" by the flame underneath it, and it spilled "near" the fire, both pots are Kosher[5]. In addition, even if there was a considerable amount that spilled, if the spillage was cleaned before the other pot was put there, both the pot and its contents are permitted[6].

The din is different, however, if there was a considerable amount that spilled below the flame, or even if it was a small amount, when it landed in a place where the fire couldnt "burn it out" (ie. not within the flames reach). In this scenario, if the Meat pot has already become hot and the spillage from the Dairy pot is touching the meat pot, the pot is no longer kosher, and the food is not permitted either[7]. If however, the Meat pot is still cold, the food inside it is permitted[8].

If the dairy spillage is NOT touching the pot (which is most likely the case because our stove tops have "metal grates" upon which the pot rests), the meat pot requires Kashering[9] and the food is permitted in a case of great need, [10]  ideally, though, one should be Machmir.   

L’halacha: One should make sure to clean the stove top and let the fire burn out all the remains of the dairy spillage before cooking meat.[11].

Daily inspiration:

The foundation of a good relationship is communication. By remaining "cool" and "calm" a peaceful relationship with cooperation and compromise can be fostered. A cool and calm attitude comes from a sense of self awareness and self confidence.

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[1] שו"ע יו"ד סי' צ"ג:א עי' סי' צ"ד ש"ך ס"ק ט"ו

[2] שו"ע צ"ז:ב שוע"ר סי' תצ"ד:טז

[3] שו"ע סי' קי"ח ש"ך ס"ק לו

[4] שו"ע סי' צ"ב::ז ברמ"א שם

[5] שם סעי' ו'

[6] מדין ב' קדירות עי' שו"ע סי' צ"ב:ח רמ"א שם וסי' ק"ח ושוע"ר סי' תנ"א:ס"ז וראה סי' ק"ה בחוו"ד סק טו ודרכ"ת סי' צ"ב:קכג

[7] רמ"א סי' צ"ב:ז וש"ך ס"ק ל"ב-ג שוע"ר סי' תנ"א:מ"ב ועי' שם סעי' ס"ז ופס"ד צ"צ סי' צ"ב סעי' ה:ו

[8] שם ש"ך ס"ק ל"א ופס"ד שם ועי' דרכ"ת שם סק קכו

[9] כנלע"ד מדין 'זיעה' עי' שו"ע סי' צ"ב:ח ושוע"ר סי' תנ"א:מ"א ופס"ד:ח ועי' דרכי תשובה סי' קי"ח:ע"ט

[10] כנלע"ד דאע"פ יש זיעת חלב וא"כ דינו כטיפת חלב שנפלה לחוץ הקדירה דצריך ספ"ס עי' פס"ד סעי' ח:א מ"מ יש להקל בהתבשיל מכמה טעמים א' דהאש שורף הזיעה במקומו עי' מג"א סי' תנ"א סק מ"ד ושוע"ר סי' תנ"א:ס"ח ודרכ"ת סי' צ"ב:קס"ה, ב' ע"פ מג"א סי' תנ"א סק מ"ד  (ושוע"ר סי' תנ"א:ס"ז )דלא נאסר מדין זיעה עי' ברעק"א שם ודוחק, וג' שנעשית לפגם עי' דרכ"ת צ"ב:קכ"ג ומצד שמחת יו"ט בהפ"מ אפשר לצטרף הכל, אמנם מצד הקדירה כיון שאפשר בהגעלה יש מקום להחמיר ועצ"ע.  

[11] שוע"ר סי' תצ"ד:טז דרכ"ת סי' קי"ח שם