Cheres - Non-Kosher Bowl

QUESTION: I have a non-kosher ceramic bowl. I understand that it cannot be kashered. Must I throw it away, or may I continue to use it for cold food, such as to serve cold cereal?

ANSWER: The Rema (YD 121:5) writes that a utensil that was not kashered may be used for cold food only “biderech ara’i” (on an occasional basis). The Rema explains that an example of ara’i would be someone who is temporarily staying at a non-Jew’s home and does not have access to kosher dishes. Otherwise, one may not use the utensil, even for cold food. This is because we are afraid that protracted use may lead to forgetting its non-kosher status and eventually it may be used for hot food. Regarding earthenware that cannot be kashered, there is a direct proof to this from the Gemara (Chullin 111b). The Gemara relates that Rebbi Ami smashed an earthenware plate that had been used incorrectly to salt meat. The Beis Yosef (YD 69) asks, why did Rebbi Ami destroy the plate—couldn’t he serve cold food on the plate? He answers that if he used it for cold food, he might forget and use it for hot food as well. To prevent this misuse, he broke the plate.

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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.