Kashrus - Envelope Glue

QUESTION: I have heard that the glue used on envelopes or stamps can potentially contain non-kosher ingredients. Is there any concern with licking stamps or envelopes?

ANSWER: Rav Meir Brandsdorfer zt”l (Kenei Bosem, siman 25) discusses this question. He compares licking a stamp to putting a quill in your mouth that has ink made from chametz on it. Ink is not edible, but Chazal forbade eating chametzdik ink on Pesach, since this would indicate you view it as food. The Magen Avrohom (442:15) writes that on Pesach you may use ink that was made with chametz. The wording of the Magen Avrohom suggests that you may not deliberately place the quill into your mouth. However, Rav Brandsdorfer proves that this cannot be the correct reading of the Magen Avrohom; rather, the Magen Avrohom means that we are not concerned that one will deliberately place the ink into their mouth to benefit from the taste of the ink. Therefore, since there is obviously no intention to benefit from the taste of the stamp, it is permitted.

Note that although the Magen Avrohom is discussing ink with chametz in it, which perhaps has more leniencies when it was made inedible before the onset of Pesach, the Rema (YD 134:13) also rules that one may write with ink that was made with non-kosher wine vinegar. Since the ink is inedible, there is no problem using this ink to write.

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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.