The example of HETER MIZTARAF LISUR: eating a wine-soaked piece of bread. Why is that not an example of TAAM K'IKAR? Wherein lies the difference between these the 2 ideas?
David Weiss, United States
1) Rashi 44b DH MiPat explains that for Ta'am keIkar to apply the taste of the wine has to permeate throughout the entire piece of bread. The Nazir soaked his bread in wine and, as a result, if one eats a kezayis of the soaked bread and wine, one gets the taste of wine so it follows that all the bread has become forbidden for the Nazir. Heter Mitzaref l'Isur applies even if not all of the bread was soaked in wine. It is sufficient if one eats together, in one shot, half a kezayis of bread and half a kezayis of wine.
2) The Ba'al HaMaor maintains that Ta'am keIkar only applies if there is a kezayis of the forbidden substance which has absorbed into the mixture. For Heter Mitzaref leIsur one does not require a kezayis of the forbidden substance.
Heter Mitzaref leIsur applies even though one cannot taste the Isur but there is half a kezayis of Heter and half a Kezayis of Isur, giving a total of kezayis.
KOL TUV
Dovid Bloom