Question: If I am toiveling a collection of different keilim, all of which require tevila, am I allowed to place some smaller items inside larger items to make the tevila easier and faster, or is there anything I need to be careful about?
Introduction: The Gemoro in Chagigoh (22a) quotes a Mishna in Mikva’os (6:2) that states that if one places some utensils inside other utensils and tovels them together, the tevila is valid. The Gemoro (ibid) differentiates between two different scenarios:
- In a situation where the outer utensil needs tevila (i.e. because it too is tamei) then the tevila also works for the keilim placed inside, irrespective of the size of the opening of the outer kli (as will be discussed).
- In a situation where the outer kli does not require tevila then only if the aperture of the outer kli is the size of “shfoferes hanod” will the tevila be effective for the inner keilim.
“Shfoferes hanod” is the width of two fingers and is the minimum diameter necessary to connect two bodies of water for various mikva’os ramifications.
The Gemoro (ibid) expounds on the reason for this differentiation: When the outer kli does not require tevila, standard mikva’os rules apply and there needs to exist a connection of shfoferes hanod to consider two bodies of water as halachically joined. Therefore, the water contained within the outer kli is only considered joined to the mikva where there exists the minimum diameter of shfoferes hanod. If the diameter of the opening of the outer kli is smaller than this amount then the water inside the outer kli is halachically detached from the water of the mikva and thus the inner keilim have not technically been immersed inside a mikva, and tevila for the inner keilim is ineffective.
However, when the outer kli being immersed requires tevila itself, since tevila is effective for the outer kli, the mechanism of “migu” allows tevila to be effective for the inner kli as well. Rashi (ibid d.h. migu) explains that if the tevila is effective for the [outer] kli itself, even though it has an opening smaller than shfoferes hanod, we can deduce that the water inside the kli is considered joined to the mikva. Once the water inside the kli can be considered joined to the mikva to enable tevila for the outer kli, it can also can be considered joined regarding the inner keilim.
The Shulchan Aruch (Siman 201 Se’if 9) quotes this distinction (regarding keilim temei’im). The Remo (Siman 202 Se’if 6) writes that when toiveling keilim inside other keilim, the opening of the outer kli needs to contain the size of shfoferes hanod. The Shach (s.k. 4) explains that this pertains specifically to a situation where the outer kli does not require tevila.
Therefore, in a situation where all keilim being toveled require tevila (i.e. because they are all keilim that were purchased from a non-Jew) one is allowed to tovel keilim inside other keilim, even if the outer kli does not have an opening the size of shfoferes hanod.
Discussion:
There are however several exceptions to the above rule:
- Metal keilim inside narrow glass keilim – this should be avoided, and will be discussed separately.
- Position of the outer kli – the Tosefta (Mikva’os 5:1) also discusses toiveling keilim inside other keilim and differentiates between whether the outer kli is the right way up, or if it has been turned on its side. In the former case the tevila is valid, in the latter case, however, an opening of shfoferes hanod is required for the tevila to be effective. The Rambam learns that this is an additional condition for the tevila to be effective – i.e. besides for the aforementioned requirement that the outer kli needs to be obligated in tevila, in addition, the outer kli has to be positioned the right way up (see Beis Yosef Siman 201 [9]).
The Shulchan Aruch (Siman 201 Se’if 9) rules accordingly; that for tevila to be effective on the inner kli, the outer kli needs to be obligated in tevila and has to be positioned the right way up. Therefore, one must ensure that if the aperture of the outer kli is less than shfoferes hanod, it requires tevila and is immersed in the mikva the right way up.
- Toveling the outer kli before the inner kli – since it is clear from the Gemoro and Shulchan Aruch that only when the outer kli is obligated in tevila will tevila be effective for the inner kli (if the aperture of the outer kli is less than shfoferes hanod), it follows that if one toveled in a way that the outer kli is completely submerged in the mikva before the inner kli – i.e. the inner kli protrudes above the lip of the outer kli, since at the time of complete immersion of the inner kli, the outer kli has already had tevila, we can no longer use the migu and tevila will no longer be effective for the inner kli.
Conclusion:
If all keilim being toveled require tevila one can tovel keilim inside other keilim, even if the outer kli does not have an opening the size of shfoferes hanod. However, one must keep in mind the following:
- The outer kli must be positioned the right way up.
- One must ensure that tevila does not occur to the outer kli before the inner kli.
- One should not tovel a metal kli inside a glass kli (if the glass kli does not have an opening the size of shfoferes hanod).
If the outer kli does not require tevila and does not contain an opening the size of shfoferes hanod it is not possible to tovel other keilim inside the outer kli, and if one were to do so the tevila in ineffective and needs to be repeated.