A Spider in Cold Soup

Q. I found a dead spider in my fruit soup. I removed the spider. Is there any issue with eating the fruit soup?

A. If a spider fell in fruit soup there is no concern of kashrus because a spider is certainly much less than a sixtieth of the soup, and as such it is botel bishishim (nullified). Additionally, the spider imparts a ta’am pagum (foul taste) which is also botel. However, Poskim note that there may be an additional concern of sakana (danger). Spiders contain poisonous venom that they use to kill their prey. Chochmas Adam (68:1) cites the opinion of the Beis Lechem Yehuda that one may not rely on nullification in sixty parts for spiders because nullification in sixty parts does not apply to poisons. However, the Chochmas Adam quotes the Magen Avrohom (316:23) who writes that it is extremely rare that the consumption of a spider poses a danger to humans. The Chochmas Adam therefore concludes that since the risk is very small, if one wants to rely on nullification of the spider and any potential poison, one may do so.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.