04 Jun SHAVUOS KASHRUS QUESTIONS WITH RABBI MOSHE ELEFANT FROM THE OU

Is one allowed to
have dairy meals
on Yom Tov?
When the Beis
Hamikdash stood, the
mitzvah of Simchas
Yom Tov (Rejoicing on Yom Tov) was
fulfilled by partaking of the Korban
Shelamim. However, when there is no
Beis Hamikdash, the mitzvah of Simchas
Yom Tov is expressed in alternative
forms. (See Pesachim 109a.)

The Rambam (Hil. Yom Tov 6:18) states
that – in addition to eating the Korban
Shelamim – the mitzvah of Simchas Yom
Tov is fulfilled by men partaking of meat
and wine, women wearing fine clothing
and jewelry, and children partaking
of treats. The Tur (OC 529) quotes the
Rambam’s requirement to eat meat,
but the Beis Yosef and Shulchan Aruch
(OC 529:2) have difficulty with the
Rambam’s ruling and opine that there is
no mitzvah to eat meat on Yom Tov in
the absence of the Beis Hamikdash, for
the Gemara (Pesachim 109A) states that
once the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed,
simcha is only with wine. The Beis
Yosef explains that since eating meat
for Simchas Yom Tov is only mandated
when one brings and consumes a Korban
Shelamim, and that in the absence of
the Beis Hamikdash, the mitzvah of
eating meat thus should not pertain.
The Bach (ibid. d.h. Kasav HaRambam)
and others disagree and maintain that
one should eat meat, even though it is
not from a Korban Shelamim, as there
is nonetheless a secondary concept of
simcha that is obtained by eating meat,
notwithstanding that it is not from a
Korban and that the simcha obtained by
eating meat is not the primary Simchas
Yom Tov in the absence of a Korban
Shelamim.
The Mishnah Berurah concurs with the
Bach and advises to eat meat on Yom Tov.
(See Biur Halacha ibid. d.h. Keitzad.)
The Bach and Mishnah Berurah hold
that although one technically fulfills

the mitzvah of Simchas Yom Tov
even without eating meat, there is an
enhancement of the mitzvah when meat
is consumed.
When applied to Shavuos, one who
follows the Bach and Mishnah Berurah
should ideally eat a meat meal rather than
a dairy meal on Yom Tov day, despite the
fact that he technically fulfills the mitvzah
of Simchas Yom Tov with a dairy seudah.
One who goes according to Beis Yosef
and Shulchan Aruch would be advised
to eat whatever type of meal he most
prefers. According to the Beis Yosef and
Shulchan Aruch, one can lechatchilah
eat poultry as his main course, whereas
the Bach and Mishnah Berurah seem to
hold that beef is preferred, as they note
the idea of simcha being identified with
basar, meaning “meat” proper.
(There is an alternative interpretation
of the Rambam, as submitted by some
Torah authorities, including Rav
Chaim Brisker zt”l, who explain that
the Rambam mandates two levels of
Simchas Yom Tov: an objective one,
consisting of eating Korban Shelamim,
as well as a subjective level, such that all
people should experience the simcha of
the festival as they personally prefer. This
is why the Rambam writes that women
should fulfill the mitzvah of Simchas
Yom Tov by wearing fine clothing and
jewelry, and that children should partake
of treats – as this level of the mitzvah
of Simchas Yom Tov is subjective
according to the individual, and there is
no one uniform rule for all people. This
approach maintains that eating meat
is merely an illustration of that which
generally engenders simcha, but that
there no mitzvah to partake of meat per
se according to the Rambam. Hence,
the mitzvah of Simchas Yom Tov can
be fulfilled by engaging in any act that
brings one to simcha, according to this
interpretation of the Rambam, although
one must of course fulfill the mitzvah
of Seudas Yom Tov, irrespective of the
choice of foods he decides to serve.)

Is one allowed to eat meat
after milk?

What is the
halacha if one
makes Kiddush
and eats dairy
foods, planning
to later eat a
meat Seudas
Yom Tov? What
if one partakes

of a dairy Yom Tov seudah at midday
and plans to eat a meat seudah shlishis
later? How does one transition from
milk to meat?
The Gemara in Chullin (105a) quotes
Rav Chisda, who states that one need

not wait at all after eating cheese be-
fore consuming meat. However, if

one consumes cheese and then plans
to eat meat (as opposed to poultry),
one must ascertain that his hands are
clean, and he must cleanse and rinse his
mouth. The Gemara’s discussion there
elaborates on what constitutes proper

kinuach (cleaning of the mouth) and ha-
dachah (rinsing of the mouth). The Shul-
chan Aruch (Yoreh Deah 89:2) invokes

the Gemara’s discourse on this topic.
One must cleanse his mouth (kinuach)

and rinse it (hadachah); kinuach [4] in-
volves chewing bread, thereby cleansing

the mouth very well. One may perform
kinuach with anything that he desires,
except for flour, dates and vegetables,
since they adhere to the gums and do not
cleanse well. And then one must rinse his
mouth with water or wine. This is only
for basar behemah or chayah, but for
poultry, there is no need for any cleaning
or washing of hands.

The above procedures appear pretty sim-
ple. However, the commentaries of the

Shulchan Aruch add a few noteworthy
caveats.

The Shach (s.k.9) quotes the Rif ’s po-
sition that one should always wash his

hands after eating cheese before partak-
ing of meat and not rely on visual inspec-
tion of the hands, as one cannot really

tell if his hands are truly free of residue
by merely looking at them; the Shach
further quotes the Iturei Zahav, who
states that this is the common custom.
In practice, one should conduct himself
according to this position and always be
sure to wash his hands after eating dairy
foods before consuming meat.
The Be’er Hetev (s.k.5) notes that the
Pri Chodosh maintains that one need
not wash his hands before meat if he
ate cheese with a fork; it appears that

the Be’er Hetev rules this way as a mat-
ter of practical halachah. The Aruch

HaShulchan (89:8) concurs with the Pri
Chodosh in this matter, and this is the
accepted halachah.
Although the Shulchan Aruch rules that
one must first perform kinuach and then
do hadachah, the Shach (s.k.13) and

Be’er Hetev (s.k.7) contend that the or-
der does not matter. The Shach invokes

the position of the Beis Yosef (Tur 89:11)

that one may perform kinuach and had-
achah in whichever order he prefers. The

halachah is according to the Shach on
this point, and one may perform kinuach
and hadachah in the order of preference
or convenience.
Once one has finished eating dairy food

and has performed kinuach and had-
achah and has cleansed his hands, may

he eat meat right away? The Gemara does
not stipulate any waiting period. In fact,
the Shulchan Aruch (YD 89:2) notes

that one may eat meat miyad – imme-
diately – and the Rif, Rambam and Tur

also do not record any requirement for
a waiting period. However, the Zohar in
Parshas Mishpatim (155a) indicates that
one must recite the bracha acharonah
after a dairy meal and then wait before
being permitted to consume meat. Many
conduct themselves as such and wait half

an hour or an hour in light of the Zo-
har’s position, although the bottom-line

halachah is not to require any such wait-
ing period.

The above pertains only to one who ate a
dairy meal and then wishes to eat ”meat”
in the true sense of the word, such as
beef, veal or venison. Poultry requires no

washing of hands nor cleansing and rins-
ing of the mouth when eaten after dairy

foods.Seudas Yom Tov, irrespective of
the choice of foods he decides to serve.)

Must one wait six hours to eat
meat (for those who wait six
hours after meat to eat dairy)
after eating aged cheese?
One must wait six hours to eat meat after
eating cheese that is aged for six months
or longer. The following are a few of
the more popular aged cheeses that are
aged for six months: Dry Monterey Jack,
Cheddar (Medium, Sharp and Aged),
Marble Cheese, Parmesan, and Picante
Provolone.