Leather Oven Mitts

Q. Is there an issue with taking hot food out of an oven with leather gloves?

A. As was mentioned in a previous Halacha Yomis, the Rambam (Ma’achalos Assuros 4:18) writes that even though animal hides are not normally eaten, there is a Rabbinic prohibition to eat hides from a non-kosher or non-slaughtered animal. Because these hides are not kosher, they may not be used to handle hot food, since there will be a transfer of flavor from the hides into the food. However, leather is not the same as hide. Igeros Moshe (YD 2:23) writes that when hides undergo the tanning process and are converted into leather, they completely lose their status as food. Therefore, there is no issue with using leather gloves to handle hot food.

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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.