#304: Other Cases of Borer - Bones in Fish

1. Fish with bones inside is another example of a mixture that is subject to borer. Some hold that the normal rules of borer must be followed, and therefore one must remove the pieces of fish from the bones (“food” from “waste”) for immediate use (Miyad). (Chazon Ish; Bi’ur Halacha according to the preferable approach) Alternatively, one should place the fish with the bones in one’s mouth and then spit out the bones. (Shemirat Shabbat K'hilchata) These are the recommended approaches for Ashkenazim ideally.

2. If these are not possible (especially when dealing with children), many hold one may be lenient and remove the bones from the fish a few seconds before placing the fish in one’s mouth (since this is closer to normal eating rather than sorting), or if needed even shortly before the meal, since it may be similar to peeling, which is permitted before the meal. (Bi’ur Halacha, Shemirat Shabbat K'hilchata).

3. Some are lenient that borer does not apply at all to bones embedded in fish or any mixture of items that are attached to each other (Rav Ovadia Yosef, similar to peeling where he was also lenient).

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Dedicated by Fran Broder as a zechus for the hostages to be released safely to their families and may everlasting peace come to Eretz Yisrael in the merit of learning Hilchos Shabbos.