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