Maris Ayin - One Who Is Ill

QUESTION: Do the halachos of maris ayin apply to one who is ill who performs a “suspicious” activity for the purpose of refuah (healing)? 

ANSWER: The Shach (YD 87:7) writes that there is no concern of maris ayin when an activity is done for refuah purposes. The Shach is discussing the following case. Mother’s milk (human milk) is not actually dairy. The Torah only forbids cooking meat with the milk of an animal. The Teshuvos HaRashba (3:257) writes that one may still not cook meat together with mother’s milk because of maris ayin (i.e., doing something which may lead others to sin). However, Shach (YD 87:7) writes that if there is a need to cook or serve mother’s milk together with meat for one who is ill, it is permitted. Furthermore, poskim write that every baby has the status of a choleh (a person who is ill), and milk for a baby is considered a necessity. Therefore, if there is need, it is permitted to feed a baby a bottle of mother’s milk together with meat.

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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.