Still More Applications of Dairy Bread

Q. In the previous Halacha we noted that Poskim extend the prohibition of making milchig bread to include not making milchig wine as well. Is there anything else that is included?

A. The Taz (YD 97:1) writes that if one has a pareve spice grinder, and it accidentally became fleishig, it may no longer be used to grind spices, even to be served with meat, until it is kashered. Just as Chazal forbade dairy bread because of the potential for confusion, so too, any situation that can lead to confusion and the mixing of milk and meat is likewise forbidden. The Pri Chadash (97:1) argues with the Taz for the following reason. Typically, bread is not baked to be used specifically for a dairy or meat meal, and people are not accustomed to remembering a designation for bread. Therefore, in the unusual situation of milcheg or fleishig bread, people will have a hard time remembering the status. In contrast, it is common to designate spice grinders and set aside one for dairy and one for meat. If a spice grinder absorbed meat fat, and it is designated for meat use, it is likely that the status will be remembered because people are accustomed to having milcheg and fleishig grinders. The likelihood of confusion for a meat grinder is less that than the potential of confusion for fleishig bread. We do not have the authority to extend the gezeiros of Chazal to situations that are not comparable. The Minchas Yaakov (60:3) makes another distinction between bread and grinders. Bread is generally served at every meal, while the use of spice is less frequent. As such, mix-ups with fleishig loaves of bread happen more frequently than confusion with fleishig grinders. We do not extend the gezeiros of Chazal to situations that are not identical. He explains that although we find that poskim extended this prohibition to wine, that is only because years ago, wine was drunk at almost every meal, and wine and bread are comparable. The Chavas Daas (97:1) and many others, follow this lenient approach as well.

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