Kashrus

Hi Rabbi Simon, A neighbour gave us an old bread machine, and I was wondering if we can use it.  Can it be kashered or do we need to give it away? Thanks Chani Dear Chani, Thank you for your question. Second-hand breadmakers cannot be reliably koshered due to the Teflon coating and other considerations. Best to move it on.…

Hi Rabbi Simon, If you buy a glass bottle of water and want to reuse it afterwards for holding other drinks is that OK or does it need tevillah (immersion in a mikveh, as required for glass and metal utensils generally)? Thanks, Mikki Dear Mikki, Thank you for your question. There is no need for tevillah, as the bottle was…

Hi Rabbi Simon, Is it kosher to drink alcohol? Many thanks, Winston Hi Winston Thank you for your question. Drinking alcohol per se is “kosher”, in the sense that it is not forbidden to do so, and indeed many Jewish rituals involve (moderate) wine consumption. Moreover, wine (and to a lesser extent other alcoholic beverages) is discussed extensively in rabbinic…

Hi Rabbi Simon, Someone asked me a question to which I do not know the correct answer. He went out for drinks recently, and he thought cocktails were kosher—and so he told his friends. They had martinis which contain vermouth, so they definitely drank stam yeinam [that is, wine produced unsupervised for general consumption—forbidden by rabbinic law]. Now he feels…

Dear Rabbi Simon, My grandmother has moved out of her home and has glass/crystal glasses and decanters that we can take or give to a charity shop. Kashrus was not observed in her home. Can you please advise if we can use them? Thanks, Crystal Dear Crystal, You may use these glass and crystal items without cavil. As a matter…

Dear Rabbi Simon, I wonder if you can help with this query. My daughter has been given a medication for anxiety around flying. Apparently it contains grape juice – it’s a liquid medication (homeopathic). It’s not marked kosher, so wondering if she would be able to use it? Many thanks, Julie Dear Julie, Liquid homeopathic medication with a grape juice…

Dear Rabbi Simon, My wife bought two plastic jugs. There are a few plastic cups which came with them. She intends to use them for water and fruit juice and treat them as parev. We would like to know if we can wash them in either the milky sink or in the meaty sink. Would they always have to be…

Dear Rabbi Simon, Are breadsticks bread requiring the blessing of HaMotzi or crackers requiring Mezonot? Many thanks, Baruch Hi Baruch, Generally, breadsticks should be regarded as similar to crackers, requiring the berakhah of mezonot. Only if one was to eat enough to constitute a meal would s/he need to treat the breadsticks as bread (including washing one’s hands ritually and…

Dear Rabbi Simon, In my nearly-Pesach cookathon, I by mistake tasted the juice under the chicken for seasoning (a tiny spoon smaller than coffee spoon), forgetting I was going to eat milky. Do I now have to wait the full three hours before I can do so? Or can I wait less if I did not eat the meat and…