Aino Ben Yomo - Definition

QUESTION: What does the term “aino ben yomo” mean?

ANSWER: There is a presumption in halacha that the taste (ta’am) of hot dairy, meat and non-Kosher food is absorbed into the surface of pots, plates and utensils. During subsequent use, the taste will be expelled into the next food item. For this reason, pots, plates and utensils are categorized as either pareve, dairy (milchig), meat (fleishig) or non-Kosher (traif). However, the Gemara (Avoda Zara 75b) states that after 24 hours of non-use, taste that is absorbed in a pot or utensil becomes pagum, which means stale or foul. On a Biblical level, taste which is pagum is nullified and has no further impact. This means that on a Biblical level, food cooked in a non-kosher pot that has not been used for 24 hours remains kosher. We refer to a pot or vessel that was not used for 24 hours as ‘aino ben yomo’ (not from that day). In an upcoming Halacha Yomis, we will discuss the Rabbinic status of vessels that are aino ben yomo.

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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.