Question:If a knife was used to cut an apple that contained a worm, and the knife sliced through the worm, does the knife need kashering? Discussion: The Bach in Yoreh De’ah Siman 96 quotes the Maharshal who discusses a similar incident regarding a knife used to cut a pear (“agas”) that contained a worm, and the knife sliced through the worm. The Maharshal writes that he posed this question to the Maharash who ruled leniently [i.e., that both the fruit and knife are permitted]. The Maharshal continues and writes that if the food item in question would have been a “tznon” (a sharp food item that is a dovor chorif) then a kelipah (i.e. a thin layer) of the food item (adjacent to the site where the food item was cut) will become forbidden, but the knife remains permitted. The Remo in Toras Chatos (Klal 51 Se’if 3) addresses the same question and writes that if a fruit was cut with a knife and was found to contain a worm and the knife cut through the worm, the fruit is completely permitted because everything is cold. And even though cold contact with issur will require the permitted food item to be rinsed before eating, rinsing is not required in this situation because the worm does not impart any [positive] flavour to the fruit. The Bach (ibid) quotes and argues with the Toras Chatos and posits that the knife should undergo ne’itzah, because there is duchka (cutting pressure) of the knife together with sharpness of the dovor chorif. The conclusion of the Bach is that the knife requires ne’itzah and the fruit requires kelipah. The Taz (Siman 96 s.k. 13) quotes the Remo in Toras Chatos who maintains that if a fruit was cut with a knife and the fruit was then found to contain a worm (and the knife sliced through the worm) the fruit is permitted to be eaten after kelipah [i.e. peeling away and discarding a thin layer of the fruit]. This applies irrespective of whether the fruit in question is a dovor chorif or not. Rav Akiva Eiger (in his comments on the Taz) writes that according to the Shach in Siman 84 this ruling is not followed, because this leniency is based on the presumption that a worm has the same status as a fly and therefore imparts an unfavourable flavour to food. However, according to the Shach, although a fly imparts an unfavourable flavour to food, a worm imparts a favourable flavour and therefore we cannot rule leniently in this situation. The Kaf Hachayim (Yoreh De’ah Siman 96 s.k. 65) discusses a situation where a knife was used to cut a fruit that was found to contain a worm and quotes the Toras Chatos who rules leniently (even regarding a dovor chorif) and only requires kelipah on the fruit in case some substance of the worm is left on the fruit. Returning to our situation of an apple that was cut with a knife: Although we find in the Poskim that sour apples are also categorised dovor chorif this only pertains to cooking apples and the like which are too sour to be eaten. Other apples (and even green apples which are slightly sour) are not considered dovor chorif. Therefore, even according to the Bach who requires the knife to undergo ne’itzah, this only pertains to a dovor chorif. Regarding a food item that is not chorif even the Bach would concede that the knife does not require ne’itzah, and this is clearly the opinion of the Maharash, Maharshal, Remo, Taz and Kaf Hachayim. Conclusion: If a knife was used to cut an apple that contained a worm, and the knife sliced through the worm, the knife is permitted and should just be rinsed well with soap and cold water before further use. |
Ma’acholos Asuros
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