Baking Milky
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A discussion in Halocho by Rabbi Elie Schoemann – For a final Psak, please consult your Rov.
חז”ל decreed a prohibition on baking milky or meaty bread. If baked, the bread may not be eaten at all. The reason for this is that bread is commonly eaten together with either meat or milk. Hence, חז”ל were concerned that a person might eat the milky bread with meat or vice versa.[1] (For the purpose of this article we’ll be discussing milky bread that could accidentally be eaten with meat but the same applies in reverse.)
Shavuos is a time that many milky delicacies will be on the menu.[2] Some of these might include Milky bread and rolls, Milky cake, Milky biscuits etc. How do we go about preparing our favorite milky delights without transgressing this above mentioned Halocho?
Two leniencies were given to this Halocho[3]:
- It is permitted to bake a small quantity of milky bread.
- It is permitted to bake even a large quantity of milky bread in a unique shape that one would recognize as milky and not come to eat with meat.
Small Quantity
The שולחן ערוך[4] says that this is the amount of bread that is eaten in that household at one meal. The רמ”א[5] has a more lenient opinion, that a small amount is the supply of bread for that household for one day (24hr period[6]). Bnei Ashkenaz follow the ruling of the רמ”א.
The reason for this leniency is that one would not forget the milky status of the bread in this short time period. Therefore, if relying on this leniency, one should intend to consume the bread within these times and not to store them away in the freezer.[7]
Unique Shape
Only a shape that would be recognized as milky by the intended consumers may be used. Cheese or other obviously milky toppings or fillings that are visible would also permit the bread or baked product.[8] The shapes, fillings or toppings should encompass the entire product[9] and must be present prior to the actual baking.
Intention to amend or inform after baking
One should not make a large amount of milky bread without any unique shape with the intention to either divide up the bread between many people or to change the shape or place a sticker or sign on the milky bread after baking.[10]
Similarly one should not bake milky bread with the intention to inform potential consumers of its milky status as one might forget to do so.[11]
However, there are opinions that are lenient in either of the above.[12]
Milky Cakes and Biscuits
Baked goods that are not usually eaten with meat (e.g. cakes, biscuits, croissants, danishes …) are not included in the above restrictions of milky bread.[13] However, there are poskim[14] that are stringent with these types of products as well.
[1] גמ’[פסחים ל. , לו.] טור ושו”ע [יו"ד ריש סי' צ"ז]
[2] עיין רמ”א ומ”ב [או"ח סי' תצ"ד סע' ג']
[3] [יו"ד סי' צ"ז סע' א']
[4] [שם]
[5] [שם]
[6] ערוך השולחן [יו"ד צ"ז סי' ד']
[7] בדי השולחן [יו"ד סי' צ"ז ס"ק ט' , ביאורים ד"ה ולכן עמ' שנ"ג] וע”ע בחמודי דניאל, אות י”ב “מדברי רש”י נראה שצריך לאכול מיד….לכך נראה דצריך לאכלו בו ביום”. וכן מובא בדרכי תשובה שם ס”ק ט”ו.
[8] ערוך השולחן [שם סי' ה'], כף החיים [שם ס"ק א'] וכן שו”ת באר שבע [סימן ל"ב]
[9] גליון מהרש”א [שם]
[10] פתחי תשובה [יו"ד שם ס"ק ג'] בשם החוו”ד ופמ”ג ודלא ככו”פ בשם זקנו שמיקל בכה”ג.
[11] פ”ת [שם] בשם מהרי”ט [שו"ת ח"ב יו"ד סי' י"ח]. ויש מתירים בכה”ג [דברי יוסף סי' תרנ"ו - מובא ד"ת ס"ק כ'].
[12] עיין לעיל הערה 10 ו-11. לענין פת שנהיה “חלבי” בשוגג עיין פ”ת [שם ס"ק ב'] שמביא בזה מחלוקת אי אסרינן או לא ומסיק לחומרא. ע”ע ביד יהודה שבנפל עליו חלב אח”כ, אפשר לחתוך ולחלק לכמה אנשים או לעשות עליו סימן [ד"ת ס"ק ז'].
[13] מהרי”ט [שם], פר”ח [ס"ק א'], חכ”א [כלל נ' סעי' ג'], פ”ת [ס"ק ג'], ערה”ש [שם סעי' ז' וח'], הגריש”א שליט”א, הגר”מ הלברשטאם ז”ל (מפי מו”ר רב יוסף יצחק לרנר שליט”א).
[14] ט”ז [שם ס"ק א'], יד יהודה [הקצר ס"ק ג', הארוך ס"ק ו']. המ”ב [סי' תמ"ז ס"ק ק"ו] אוסר נתינת חלב לתוך יין, אמנם כתב המנח”י [כלל ס' אות ג'] שהיינו דווקא יין (ולא במיני מתיקה) כמו בלחם שדרך לאוכלה עם בשר.
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Rabbi Elie Schoemann is a Rabbinic Coordinator in the certification department of the London Beth Din Kashrus Division. His role includes overseeing and coordinating the operations of the certification department thereby maintaining the high kashrus standards of the KLBD.
Rabbi Elie Schoemann studied at leading Yeshivos and Kollelim in Jerusalem for 10 years, gaining numerous Smichas and Qualifications including Yoreh Yoreh from Harav Moshe Sternbuch shlit”a and Harav Zalman Nechemia Goldberg shlit”a, Bachelor of Talmudic Law and Certificate in Kashrus Supervision, Jerusalem Kashrus Institute.
He can be reached at eschoe@gmail.com.
Categories: Halacha, Halacha For the Layman, Shavuos
Informative…..however the most important halachos of Parev Challos being used with a milky meal, and then being used later with a meaty meal were not discussed – this is especially relevant to Shavuos when people make Hamotzi, then have a milky appetizer, and then have a meaty meal……
Reply to Daniel Freedman
To Daniel – The article was only pertaining to the specific issur of Baking milky bread. There are many Milky/Meaty Shailos that arise over Shavuos and were beyond the scope of this article.
With regards to your Question, if the Challah was on the table or handled during the milky meal, the Challah may not be eaten at the meaty meal. However, If the Challah was cut up before the milky dishes were brought to the table and was placed in a basket, if the Challah was not handled during the milky meal, it may be eaten at the meaty meal. The same would be the case with the part of the Challah that was not yet cut up, it may be used for the meaty meal unless it was handled with “milky hands”.
Source: Shulchan Oruch 89:4 and Igros Moshe YD1 38
Kol tuv
Elie Schoemann
Reply to Rabbi Elie Schoemann - author