Cheres - Dairy Bowl

QUESTION: I accidentally poured hot meat soup into a dairy ceramic bowl. Can this be kashered?

ANSWER: The Torah discusses the process of koshering non-kosher vessels in the 6th chapter of Vayikra. The Torah (verse 21) states that metal vessels may be kashered with hagalah (immersion in boiling water), but cheres (earthenware) vessels should be destroyed. The Gemara (Avoda Zara 34a) explains that hagalah is not effective for cheres because the taam (taste) of the non-kosher food is not expelled through the boiling process. Shulchan Aruch (OC 451:1) adds that hagalah is ineffective for cheres even if hot non-kosher food was poured into the vessel without placing it on a fire. Ceramic is a broad term which includes various materials, but all ceramics are non-metallic. As such, halacha views ceramic as cheres.  Although cheres cannot be kashered with hagalah, there is a special way to kasher them: by placing them back into a potter’s kiln. Tosfos (Avoda Zara 34a s.v. She’aino explains that this is not a contradiction to the rule that cheres cannot be kashered, since by firing the vessel in the kiln, it is as if it becomes a piece of pottery. Practically speaking, in our situation of the meat in a dairy ceramic bowl, it is not realistic to re-kiln the bowl, and it should be discarded.

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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.