The poskim have all stated that one should avoid smoking due to health concerns, however, from a strictly kashrus perspective, The Ravaad of the Eida Chareidis, HaGaon HaRav Moshe Sternbuch was asked to rule if e-cigarettes require a kashrus certification.
Poskim agree that a hechsher is not required for a regular cigarette, for while one derives benefit, one is not ‘eating’. Regarding today’s new vaping fad, it is viewed as ‘eating’ and ‘consuming’, as the vapor and most ingredients in the e-cigarettes are edible.
According to the Ladaat News report, the Ravaad has ruled that e-cigarettes do indeed require a hechsher, as the liquid contained in them has flavoring, which converts into vapor and one does taste it.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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11 Responses
No legitimate Rabbi shall give a Hechsher to abet someone to commit suicide.
Wouldn’t it be assur for any hashgacha to provide certification for these products given that virtually all gadoleic Yisroel have said smoking of any sort is assur and to grant such certification would be to facilitate yidden to engage in this vile and disgusting habit. Perhaps it could be argued that the certification could only be used for those using e-cigarettes to break their smoking addiction from regulat cigarettes but not sure that makes sense once the product is certified “kosher” in a purely halaachic sense.
i am not sure what exactly the chidush is as tasting machalos asuros is assur as stated in y”d 99
According to his reasoning smoking e cigarettes should require a brachah as well, since the vapor is edible and has a good taste
so does poison require a hechsher???
There’s always some wiseguy(s) who think they’re on the level of one the gedolei haposkim in our times. Stop second guessing the rabbonim. The rav knows that smoking is dangerous to one’s health, and was not issuing any heter to do so. YWN should have added the context of the original question that Rav Sternbuch was answering. This kind of thing repeats itself very often on yeshiva world. So we have an absurd situation where Bibi Netanyahu is considered practically the moshiach. Bayit Yehudi politicians — they are Hashem’s representatives on earth. But, the gedolei harabbonim? Nu, they’re only human, and not above comments and criticism. This is not from Ynet; this is on a frum website.
This is not the classic tasting. This is more along the lines of Reicha Milsa and “smelling with your mouth,” which is a complicated machlokes what the gemarra is discussing vis-a-vie the chavis yayin in Avodah Zara…..
Biggest posek in Cleveland and Baltimore both said ecig juice doesn’t require a hechsher although one of them said grape does require a hechsher
“the liquid contained in them has flavoring” S
o here is the old shailah – does toothpaste require an Hechsher?
Some do hold it does but If not – this is no diff.
147 – and who says ‘vapor’ is dangerous?
Who says this is even dangerous?