Dear Rabbi Simon
Do glass spice jars require tevillah (ritual immersion in a mikveh)?
Thank you.
Joel
Dear Joel,
Yes, they require tevillah (with a berakhah) if you bought the jars and are filling them with your own spice. However, If they are provided by the spice purveyor essentially as a means of packaging their product so you can buy it, and you subsequently choose to reuse the jars for your own convenience, no tevillah is required. (This is the view of Rav Moshe Feinstein [Iggerot Moshe Y”D 2:40, 137] and others.) Note that Rav Moshe maintains that under the circumstances above, a metal cannister, would require tevillah (no blessing). The reason for the distinction is that the immersion of a metal utensil is a Torah mitzvah (whereas glass is Rabbinic).
Best wishes
Rabbi Rashi Simon