Zeiya - Shared Oven (Cont'd)

QUESTION: I cooked a pan of chicken in the oven with an aluminum foil cover. I baked challah in the oven at the same time. Are these challos fleishig?

ANSWER: As long as the chicken remains covered, the challos remain pareve. The cover keeps the zeiya (steam) of the chicken inside the pan. This is true even if the aluminum foil covering is not 100% effective at retaining all the steam. The Bach (92:11) writes that as long as a pot is covered, the minimal amount of steam that escapes due to the buildup of pressure is viewed as reicha (aroma) and not as zeiya (water vapor). For this reason, when using a plastic bag to cover food in a microwave, Rav Belsky zt”l would recommend making pinholes in the plastic to release the pressure, because otherwise, the plastic bag might explode and there will be no cover at all. The minimal amount of steam that is released through these tiny vents is not categorized as “zeiya.”

Although the challah is not fleishig, it is best not to serve it with dairy because, if the pan of chicken is not perfectly sealed, the reicha (aroma) of the chicken may enter the challah.

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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.