Ask The Rabbi...
15 October 1994 Issue #38
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This edition contains:
1.  Glass Dishes for Meat & Dairy.
2.  Eating Meat & Dairy on the Concorde.
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Jonathan Katz at MIT wrote:

>What is the Halacha regarding the use of the same set of glass dishes for 
>both meat and milk (not at the same time of course)?

* * * * * * * * * *

Dear Jonathan,

The main factors to consider in answering this question are:
1.  Is glass "absorbent" in the Halachic sense of the word?
2.  If it is "absorbent," then can that which was absorbed into it be
    completely expunged?

Thus, we have three practical possibilities:

1. It IS NOT absorbent It won't absorb the flavor    Can be used for both
                       of either the meat or the     milk and meat.
                       milk.

2. It IS absorbent     Absorbed flavors CAN be       Should not be used for
                       removed by kashering.         both meat and milk.
                                                     However, a "mistake"
                                                     can be rectified by
                                                     kashering.

3. It IS absorbent     Absorbed flavors CANNOT be    Can not be used for
                       removed by kashering.         both meat and milk.
                                                     Also, cannot even be
                                                     kashered if a
                                                     "mistake" was made.

Glass is made from sand, and would therefore seem to be in the same 
Halachic category as earthenware (which is super-absorbent and cannot be 
kashered).  On the other hand, the resultant glass vessel is hard and 
smooth -- unlike earthenware -- which would indicate that it is non-
absorbent, and would therefore never need to be kashered.

Glass is a difficult material to classify Halachically, because it shares 
its origin with one class of material, but has physical characteristics 
that differ from items of that class.

Because of these unusual characteristics, there are a few different 
opinions in Jewish Law concerning glass dishes:
1.  Rav Yosef Karo rules that you can use glass for both milk and meat, and
    just rinse them off in between.
2.  Rav Moshe Isserlish writes that glass is like earthenware, and it is
    therefore forbidden to use the same dishes for both meat and milk.
3.  There is a third opinion that holds that glass is absorbent, but that
    it can be kashered through the process of "hagala" (immersion in
    boiling water).

I spoke to Rav Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg, shlita, about the Halacha in this 
case.  He told me that Sephardic Jews rule according to Rav Yosef Karo, and 
therefore use glass dishes for both meat and milk, while Ashkenazic Jews 
conduct themselves according to the opinion of Rav Moshe Isserlish, 
therefore refraining from the use of glass dishes for both.  But, he said, 
because there are different opinions regarding the Halacha, there is room 
for leniency in cases where extenuating circumstances exist (for instance, 
a Ba'al Teshuvah who is going for a family visit where the kitchen is not 
kosher, but glass utensils are used). Should such a situation arise, you 
should contact your LOR for advice.

While we are on this topic, there are many types of glassware that are 
specially treated in order to make them more break-resistant and heat-
resistant; i.e., Pyrex, Duralex, Corelle, Corningware, and the like.  I 
asked Rav Scheinberg if there is any difference between these and regular 
glass dishes with regard to the issues discussed above.  He told me that 
all of these types of treated glassware share the same Halacha as that 
which applies to regular glassware.

Sources:
o  Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim, 451:26.
o  Ohr Zeruah 2:256.

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Sometimes our readers think of the most ingenious questions.  The following 
question was so cute that we decided to share it with you.  However, we'll 
leave you to decide the Halacha.

Dear Rabbi,

>As I was eating my cheese sandwich just before boarding the Concorde in 
>London, Heathrow, I noticed the clock above the gate read 6:00pm.  After a 
>most enjoyable flight, I arrived at New York's JFK Airport, deplaned, and 
>waited to retrieve my luggage.  Since I was a bit hungry, I reached into 
>my hand luggage and took out a corned beef sandwich that I had packed for 
>just such an occasion.  However, as I was eating it, I noticed the clock 
>above the luggage conveyor belt said 5:59pm.  Does this mean that I 
>transgressed the prohibition against eating milk immediately after meat?

* * * * * * * * * * *

Some hints for our readers:

o  The custom of waiting for a period of time after eating meat ranges from
   1 hour in Yecke (German) communities to a full 6 hours in Litvish
   (Lithuanian) communities.
o  The cheese sandwich was made from soft American cheese.
o  The corned beef sandwich was glatt, but the label attesting to this had
   fallen off somewhere in London.
o  The baggage carousel at JFK is located before the customs area.
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