Milk & Meat - Soup Sampling

OU Kosher

QUESTION: I am making chicken soup. I would like to taste the soup and spit it out, just to see if it is spiced properly. Will this make me fleishig?

ANSWER: In a previous Halacha Yomis, it was pointed out that the Rishonim present two reasons why one must wait six hours between meat and dairy. Neither reason applies in our situation:

  • According to Rashi (Chullin 105a s.v. Assur), the need to wait is due to the residual aftertaste of meat that lingers in one’s mouth. This issue does not apply in this case because the soup was not swallowed.
  • According to the Rambam (Hilchos Ma’achalos Asuros 9:28), the rationale for waiting after meat is because of the likelihood that meat may be lodged between one’s teeth (“basar bein ha-shinayim”). This concern does not apply to liquid chicken soup.

The Pri Chadash (89:18) and Aruch Hashulchan (89:14) write that one who merely tastes a fleishig “tavshil” (food cooked with meat) is not required to wait six hours. All that is required is to clean out one’s mouth by eating some food (e.g. crackers) and having a drink (e.g. water). This was also the ruling of Rav Yaakov Kaminetzky, zt”l as well (Emes L’Yaakov p. 306 n. 35). Although the Pri Megadim (Mishbetzos Zahav 89:1) writes that even when neither reason applies, one should still wait six hours because of a concept known as “lo plug” (halacha is consistent, even where the initial reason for the restriction does not apply), however, Rav Shlomo Kluger (Hagos Maharshak on the Pri Megadim) writes that even the Pri Megadim would agree that “lo plug” does not apply in this case. This is because there was not even any chewing in our example. Since one can confuse chewing food cooked with fat, with chewing meat, the concept of “lo plug” is appropriate. However, if you just place meat in your mouth and spit it out, all would agree there is no need to wait 6 hours. 

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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.