Borer of a Discernable Food Item

Q. I was served a matzah ball with my chicken soup, but I do not want to eat the matzah ball. May I remove it from my soup, or is this included in the melacha of “borer” (sorting)?

A. In a previous Halacha Yomis, we quoted the ruling of the Mishnah Berurah that one may not remove a fly from wine. The Mishnah Berurah follows the majority of poskim who hold that the prohibition of borer applies to removing a dry item (such as a fly) from a liquid (wine) on Shabbos. Nonetheless, Sefer Shvisas HaShabbos (Hilchos Borer 11) writes that it is certainly permissible to remove a matza ball from soup. He explains the difference between a matza ball and a fly. Borer only applies to a ta’aruves (mixture). A small fly in wine is a ta’aruves, because the fly is not always discernable. On the other hand, a matzah ball in soup is not a ta’aruves because it is clearly visible and removing a matzah ball is not an act of selection. By the same token, one may remove a slice of meat from clear gravy. In a similar vein, Shemiras Shabbos K’Hilchasa (3:4,20) writes that large ice cubes may be removed from a beverage because they are discernable, while small cubes that blend into the liquid may not be extracted. Some poskim recommend removing some liquid with the solid item in all situations because it is difficult to set an objective standard for big and small pieces.

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