DAF DISCUSSIONS - MENACHOS 101

A. Siegel asks:

Based on your Halachic discussion here: http://www.dafyomi.co.il/menachos/halachah/mn-hl-101.htm

I am confused as to whether a Jew can cook w/ non-kosher cheese but not eat it. For example, if one were a nanny for non-Jews and was asked to make a dairy dish w/ non-kosher cheese (no meat involved) would one be allowed to?

A. Siegel, Clifton, USA

The Kollel replies:

In the Halachah Summaries for Menachos 101, I wrote the following:

>>iv. R. Akiva Eiger (on Shach YD 87:2): Tosfos answered that since it is only Basar v'Chalav mid'Rabanan, we are not concerned for a Safek. The Ri mi'Gash and Rambam answered that normally there is 60 times as much milk (as absorptions from the stomach), so there is no taste of meat. We forbid only because it curdled. Curdling does not make Basar v'Chalav. If so, there is no proof to permit Hana'ah from Basar v'Chalav mid'Rabanan. Since the Mordechai disagrees with the other answers, Tosfos' question remains. This requires investigation. Also, the Mordechai's answer, that one may benefit from what was pickled, is difficult. Also *according to Tosfos, we should forbid to add cheese of Nochrim to a food and cook it, for if the cheese absorbed taste of meat through pickling, now he transgresses cooking it* and it will be forbidden to eat the food! This requires investigation.<<

The text that I marked in the above quote means the following. Rebbi Akiva Eiger rules that according to Tosfos, since the milk absorbed the taste of meat through pickling (while in the stomach), when one cooks the milk he transgresses cooking milk and meat (which is forbidden even if one will not eat it).

Rebbi Akiva Eiger concludes that "this requires further investigation." Presumably, this is because he was not sure whether or not we rule like Tosfos. It would seem that Halachically, one must be stringent about a Safek Isur Torah, unless there is a consensus of later Poskim who clearly permit.

If it is known that artificial curdling agents were used and there is no concern for an absorbed taste of meat, I see no reason to forbid cooking.

Pesach Feldman