Science of Kashrut: Fake Meat and Dairy
Last Class of a Science of Kashrut program run at Beth El in East Windsor. Focusing on Misperception (Marit Ayin) and fake meat/ cheese
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אינו נוהג אלא בבשר בהמה טהורה בחלב בהמה טהורה אבל בשר טהורה בחלב טמאה או בשר טמאה בחלב טהורה מותרי' בבישול ובהנאה ובשר חיה ועוף אפילו בחלב טהורה מותר בבישול ובהנאה ואף באכילה אינו אסור אלא מדרבנן אבל דגים וחגבים אין בהם איסור אפילו מדרבנן: הגה ונהגו לעשות חלב משקדים ומניחים בה בשר עוף הואיל ואינו רק מדרבנן אבל בשר בהמה יש להניח אצל החלב שקדים משום מראית העין כמו שנתבאר לעיל סי' ס"ו לענין דם (ד"ע):
The law only applies with meat from a pure [kosher] animal and milk from a pure animal, but meat of a pure animal in milk that is impure, or meat from an impure animal in pure milk, is permitted to cook and benefit from. Meat of a wild animal and of fowl, even in milk which is pure, is permitted to cook and benefit from; and even eating is only prohibited rabbinically. Fish and grasshoppers are not prohibited [with milk] even rabbinically. RAMA: We make milk from almonds and place bird meat in it, since [milk and bird meat] is only rabbinically [forbidden]. But with meat from a domesticated animal, place almonds next to the milk, so that people don't misunderstand. This is as we said above, in chapter 66.
אסור לבשל בחלב אשה מפני מראית העין ואם נפל לתוך התבשיל בטל ואין צריך שיעור: הגה ונראה לפי זה דכל שכן דאסור לבשל לכתחלה בחלב טמאה או בשר טמא בחלב טהור (ד"ע) ודוקא בשר בהמה אבל בעוף דרבנן אין לחוש:
It is forbidden to cook [meat] with the milk of a woman, because of appearances. If woman's milk fell into [meat] food, it is nullified and there is no need to measure. RAMA: It seems according to this, all the more so that it is forbidden to cook with impure milk or impure meat with pure milk, in the case of domesticated animals. But with rabbinical prohibited fowl, there is no need to be concerned.
מאי אינו נראה אילימא דלא מתחזי והאמר רב יהודה אמר רב כל מקום שאסרו חכמים מפני מראית העין אפילו בחדרי חדרים אסור אלא אימא אם אינו נראה כמשתחוה לעבודת כוכבים מותר
The Gemara asks: What does the baraita mean when it states: If he is not seen? If we say it means that he is not seen by others, doesn’t Rav Yehuda say that Rav says: Wherever the Sages prohibited an action due to the appearance of prohibition, it is prohibited even in the innermost chambers where no one will see it, as the Sages did not distinguish between different circumstances in such cases. Accordingly, the fact that he is not seen by anyone should make no difference with regard to whether or not the action is prohibited. Rather, say: If he is not seen as one who bows down to an object of idol worship, i.e., he turns his side or back to the idol, then it is permitted.

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אֵין הַתּוֹרֵם נִכְנָס לֹא בְּפַרְגּוֹד חָפוּת, וְלֹא בְּמִנְעָל, וְלֹא בְּסַנְדָּל, וְלֹא בִּתְפִלִּין, וְלֹא בְּקָמִיעַ, שֶׁמָּא יַעֲנִי, וְיֹאמְרוּ מֵעֲוֹן הַלִּשְׁכָּה הֶעֱנִי, אוֹ שֶׁמָּא יַעֲשִׁיר, וְיֹאמְרוּ מִתְּרוּמַת הַלִּשְׁכָּה הֶעֱשִׁיר. לְפִי שֶׁאָדָם צָרִיךְ לָצֵאת יְדֵי הַבְּרִיּוֹת כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לָצֵאת יְדֵי הַמָּקוֹם, שְׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר לב) וִהְיִיתֶם נְקִיִים מֵיְיָ וּמִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, וְאוֹמֵר (משלי ג) וּמְצָא חֵן וְשֵׂכֶל טוֹב בְּעֵינֵי אֱלֹהִים וְאָדָם:

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The one who made the appropriation did not enter the chamber wearing either a bordered cloak or shoes or sandals or tefillin or an amulet, lest if he became poor people might say that he became poor because of a sin committed in the chamber, or if he became rich people might say that he became rich from the appropriation in the chamber. For it is one’s duty to seem be free of blame before others as before God, as it is said: “And you shall be guiltless before the Lord and before Israel” (Numbers 32:22), and it says: “And you will find favor and good understanding in the eyes of God and man” (Proverbs 3:4).

(א) וחכמים אסרו מפני מראית העין משי עם צמר לפי שדומה לפשתים ...

אסרוהו מפני מראית העין עם הפשתן והאידנא משי מצוי בינינו והכל מכירים בו לפיכך אין בו משום מראית העין ומותר עם הצמר ועם הפשתן:

The rabbis forbade certain types of materials that looked like linen because of the concern of it being marit Ayin for Shatnez. ...However nowadays people recognize silk so it should no longer be an isuue of marit Ayin

כְּדַאֲמַר לְהוּ רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לִבְנֵיהּ: יוֹמָא קַמָּא לָא תְּלוּשׁוּ לִי בַּחֲלָבָא, מִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ לוּשׁוּ לִי בַּחֲלָבָא. וְהָתַנְיָא: אֵין לָשִׁין אֶת הָעִיסָּה בְּחָלָב, וְאִם לָשׁ — כׇּל הַפַּת אֲסוּרָה, מִפְּנֵי הֶרְגֵּל עֲבֵירָה. אֶלָּא הָכִי קָאָמַר: יוֹמָא קַמָּא לָא תְּלוּשׁוּ לִי בְּדוּבְשָׁא, מִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ — לוּשׁוּ לִי בְּדוּבְשָׁא.
The Gemara adds that this is as Rabbi Yehoshua said to his sons: On the first night of Passover, do not knead for me dough with milk, but from the first night onward, knead my dough for me with milk. The Gemara raises a difficulty: But wasn’t it taught in a baraita: Throughout the whole year one may not knead dough with milk, and if he kneaded dough with milk, the entire bread is prohibited, due to the fact that one will become accustomed to sin, by unwittingly eating it with meat? Rather, this is what he is saying: On the first night of Passover do not knead me dough with honey; however, from then onward, knead me dough with honey.
וְאִיבָּעֵית אֵימָא: לְעוֹלָם בַּחֲלָבָא, כְּדַאֲמַר רָבִינָא: כְּעֵין תּוֹרָא — שְׁרֵי. הָכָא נָמֵי כְּעֵין תּוֹרָא.
And if you wish, say instead that actually Rabbi Yehoshua said: With milk, as Ravina said: If this bread, kneaded with milk, is prepared in the shape of an ox’s eye, it is permitted. In other words, if one forms this dough in a unique shape, e.g., the eye of an ox, one may eat it, as it is clearly distinguishable from ordinary bread. Therefore, there is no concern that it will be eaten with meat. Here too, the baraita is speaking about a case where he told them to prepare this matza in the shape of an ox’s eye.