Compiled by Rabbi Moishe Dovid Lebovits who can be reached at [email protected]

Reviewed by Rabbi Ben-zion Schiffenbauer Shlita

All Piskei Harav Yisrael Belsky Shlita are Reviewed by Harav Yisrael Belsky Shlita

Volume 6 Issue 6

7-1

Deliveries Left Outside

It is common for a supermarket to make a home delivery and leave the order outside without proper seals. However, the food is permitted since there is no reason why a non-Jew will exchange the food. If he is hungry then he will take it and you will notice that your order is missing some items.  

Leaving Pots Unwatched

Obviously, a non-Jew alone in our homes has access to our pots. How is this permitted since the non-Jew can use our pots without knowing?  

The halacha states that if one is not “going and coming” (yotzei v’nichnas) from his home⁶⁹ then he should not leave his utensils with the non-Jew.⁷⁰ The concern is that the non-Jew will add some non-kosher ingredients to a cooking dish in order to improve its taste.⁷¹ 

If the Jew serves lunch to the non-Jew, there is no concern of a non-Jew cooking non-kosher with one’s pots.⁷² Others permit this practice since our utensils are placed in shelves with doors in an orderly fashion, and it would be obvious if the pots were used.⁷³ 

It is a good idea to be present when the non-Jew washes the dishes in order to make sure that she does not mix the meat and dairy together in the same sink (i.e. use the same sponge for both).⁷⁴  

Some poskim say that if the non-Jew has cooking responsibilities in the home one must lock up the dishes if she is left alone in the home.⁷⁵