02 Dec KASHRUS QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK WITH RABBI MOSHE ELEFANT

Can I buy non-kosher pet food to feed my pets?
Yes. You can purchase non-kosher pet food.
However, make sure that the pet food is not Basar B’chalav.
This is because there is a prohibition of deriving any benefit from
Basar B’chalav, and this would include feeding
it to an animal.
(Basar B’chalav: Meat from a cow, goat, or sheep,
cooked together with milk.)

Does toothpaste need a hechsher?
It depends … .Let’s break it down.
Some toothpastes contain glycerin, a potentially
non-kosher ingredient. Glycerin can come from
animal fat or vegetable oil, and is added for
taste, texture, and preservation.

Some poskim, including Rav Schachter shlit”a, rule that, strictly speaking, toothpaste
does not require a hechsher because it is inedible and is not meant to be swallowed.
However, Rav Belsky zt”l was more strict. He explained that if most of the toothpaste
is made up of inedible ingredients, the glycerin is nullified, and the toothpaste would
not require a hechsher. However, if the majority is edible, which is often the case, then a
hechsher would be necessary.
Since it’s hard to determine the exact makeup of toothpaste, Rav Belsky recommended
using brands with a kosher certification.
When in doubt consult your Rabbi.

I only have one sink in
my apartment. How
do I use it for both
dairy and meat?
This is a very common
question, in fact, there’s
a famous tshuva from
Rav Moshe Feinstein that
discusses this question, and
he says that it’s okay, they can
use one sink for both meat
and dairy, even hot, but they shouldn’t use it, obviously, at the same time. What they
have to do is, between uses, clean it out, especially the drain, you know, if there’s any
meat or dairy stuck in the drain, you should clean it out, wipe it around. You should also
have separate racks that go on the bottom of the sink, one for dairy and one for meat.
And then, once you do that, you have a clean sink, put the dishes on top of the rack so it
doesn’t sit right on the surface of the sink. Then, it’s no problem, you can use the same
sink for both dairy and meat.

Envelopes: Is there a concern with licking stamps
or envelopes due to potentially non-kosher
ingredients in the glue?
There is generally no concern with licking stamps or envelopes.
Since the glue is inedible and there’s no intention to consume or enjoy it, it is permissible.
However, if the glue is flavored and has a pleasant taste, it should be avoided. (Kinei
Bosem Siman 25)