Do Aluminum or Plastic Utensils Require Tevilas Keilim (Immersion in a Mikvah)?

The Torah (Bamidbar 31:22) lists six metals that require tevilas keilim (immersion in a mikvah). Those metals are gold, silver, copper, iron, tin, and lead. The Gemara (Avoda Zara 75b) says that Chazal also required tevilas keilim for glass utensils, since in a certain way glass is similar to metal – namely, glass too can be melted down in fire and remolded just like these metals. R. Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe, Yoreh De’ah 3:23) says that for this same reason, the rabbinic requirement of tevilah would apply to aluminum utensils as well, since aluminum resembles the six metals even more closely than glass. Although plastic can also be melted down and remolded, nevertheless many poskim write that plastic utensils do not require tevilah. One reason to differentiate between plastic and metal is that unlike metals and glass which can be forged directly in fire, plastic is made of organic matter and will burn if exposed to too much heat.

Disposable aluminum pans will be addressed in the next Halacha Yomis.

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.