Bal Teshaktzu - Live Fish

Q. Is it permissible to swallow live goldfish?

A. Fish and grasshoppers do not require shechita (slaughtering) or any other form of preparation. Nonetheless, the Gemara (Shabbos 90b) relates that a kosher grasshopper landed on Rav Kahana’s face. Rav told him to remove it, so that people should not suspect that he was planning to eat the grasshopper. Even though the grasshopper was kosher, eating it while alive would be a violation of bal teshaktzu. From this incident the Rishonim derive that a live fish may not be eaten. The Rama (YD 13:1) codifies this halacha and states that live fish and grasshoppers may not be consumed because of bal teshaktzu. While a live goldfish is kosher, it may not be swallowed.

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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.