Aino Ben Yomo - Kavush Kimevushal

QUESTION: There is a halachic concept of “kovush kimevushal”, soaking (for 24 hours) has a similar effect as cooking. For example, if cold milk was stored in a pot for 24 hours, it is as if the milk was cooked in the pot. The pot absorbs the ta’am (taste) of milk and is considered “milchigs”. If after rinsing out the pot one accidentally stored cold chicken soup in the pot for 24 hours, is the chicken soup still kosher?

ANSWER: The Beiur Halacha (447:8 s.v. Im) writes that according to many poskim (including the Shach and Taz), even if the pot was emptied of the milk and within 24 hours (while it is still a ben yomo) it was refilled with chicken soup, the chicken soup remains kosher. This is because the chicken soup is only considered to be kavush (absorb through soaking) after remaining in the pot for 24 hours. At that point of time, the dairy pot is an aino ben yomo, and the dairy ta’am is pagum (stale) and will be batel (nullified) in the chicken soup. (However, the pot cannot be used without kashering, because it absorbed both meat and dairy.) However, the Beiur Halacha also cites the opinion of the Pri Chadash who disagrees and considers the soup to be traif. The Pri Chadash argues that the absorbed taste in the walls of the pot only becomes pagum (stale) if the pot is left empty for 24 hours. If the pot is refilled with liquid within those 24 hours, the absorbed flavor remains potent, and the chicken soup will become non-kosher. The Beiur Halacha cites several noted poskim who follow the ruling of the Pri Chadash, and therefore advises that it is proper to be strict. However, he writes that since the majority of poskim follow the ruling of the Shach and Taz, when there is a pressing need, one may be lenient.

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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.