Halacha of the day

Tachlis Halacha: Halachos Pertaining to Vacations

By Rabbi Tzvi Yaakov Stein

By Editor | 2 hours ago

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KITCHEN

(These Halachos don’t apply to Pesach)

Sink can be used as normal. Preferable not to put food directly in the sink.
Countertops and tables can be used as normal. Preferable not to put food directly on them. Foil or plastic tablecloth is fine.
Refrigerator can be used as is.
Ice is allowed if it looks clean.
Previously opened salt and spices should preferably not be used.
Coffee makers/keurigs etc. can be used without kashering. If you see non kosher flavored coffee there, then make a kosher coffee in it (spill out the coffee) and that will make the coffee maker kosher.
Hot water urns can be used. If you’re not sure if soups etc. were heated up in the urn then boil up the water in it and spill it out. It will then be kashered.
Utensils that don’t have cracks and crevices can be kashered.
Knives should not be kashered.
Utensils can be used for cold food on a temporary basis.
Make sure that what’s being kashered is clean, wait 24 hours from its last use and put it into boiling hot water in a pot that hasn’t been used in 24 hours (makes no difference if it’s a dairy pot or a meat pot) and wait for it to reboil. Take it out and run it under cold water.
Nothing needs to be done to the stovetop. It will self kasher when turned on.
Same Halacha applies to glass stovetops and induction stovetops.
Oven can be put on a self clean cycle and it will be kashered. No cleaning necessary.
A non self clean oven can be cleaned from any actual residue and then turn on highest for an hour and it will be kashered.
If that’s not possible, single covering the food is acceptable.
Oven use: the following Halachos apply for baking dairy in a clean meat oven or meat in a clean dairy oven (even if used in the last 24 hours): If the food is covered (even one cover) it’s allowed. If it’s uncovered and it’s solid food (e.g. challah or cake) it’s allowed. If it’s liquid, turn the oven on 550 for an hour and it will be kashered. Parve, even liquid, can be baked, even uncovered, in a clean meat or dairy oven and it will remain parve. In all of the above situations it’s better to put foil down on the grates before baking in case something spills.
Corkscrews, peelers and can openers can be used.
Drinking glasses can be used with hot/cold.
Mugs can be used if the water is not higher than 109 degrees.
Toaster oven can only be used if it’s perfectly clean. Turn on highest temperature for two hours.
Microwave: Clean well, make sure it hasn’t been used for 24 hours, boil water until it fogs up. The glass turntable should have hot water poured on it. No kashering required for covered food.
Cutting boards should not be used unless kashered properly.

TEVILAS KEILEM

Disposable utensils don’t need tevila, even if used multiple times (tin pans, disposable grills etc.)
Non disposable utensils need tevila even if they’ll only be used ONE time.
When buying utensils that require tevila and there’s no Mikva around, have in mind that you’re not halachically acquiring the utensils from the store. They will then still belong to goy and they won’t require tevila. This is only a short term solution. Long term they’ll need to be Toveled.
Toveling utensils in a lake may be a problem because it’s kashrus will depend on the source of the water. Ocean is fine.
Using foil or parchment paper does not help to avoid Tevila.

TEFILAS HADERECH

The bracha is said once a day (night goes after the day).
When flying, say it right after takeoff.
Preferably all travelers should say it.
It’s only said after you stop seeing houses.
Some say to make a bracha achrona or Asher Yatzar that you are required to say, before (or after) saying tefilas haderech.
It is debatable if the bracha of “oseh maiseh bereishis” is said on the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls. It’s best to say it without Hashem’s name.

MISCELLANEOUS

Fresh cut up fruit and vegetables can be bought from large grocery stores or from a hotel.
Sharp produce (e.g. radishes) should not be bought cut up, unless it is from a store with a large produce department.
100% freshly squeezed fruit is allowed if you see them make it. The utensils are okay if everything is clean and cold.
Some allow fruit smoothies if it is pureed and one sees all of the ingredients (including fruit juices) are kosher while being made, and the utensils are clean.
Water with cut up fruit is allowed (if the fruit does not have a bug issue).
Coffee on a plane is allowed.
To kasher a treif grill is very complicated because it’s extremely difficult to clean. Even using new grates won’t help because the bottom is usually very dirty.
A kosher grill can be placed on top of a treif grill (for example, in a park). However, just putting a grate on top of the treif grate is not acceptable.
The grill cover of a treif grill should not be closed. After the fact, the food may be eaten.
Unflavored coffee (i.e., espresso, latte, and americano) or unflavored tea from non kosher stores is allowed. Some kashrus agencies have an issue with coffee from full service Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts. Star-K website has a good list of what is acceptable. On the road one can be lenient.
Any beverage may be purchased at a non-kosher Dunkin’ Donuts store provided that one verifies beforehand that the exact same flavor is available for purchase in a kosher location. One may assume that all the ingredients are the same in this specific product, even when purchased at a non-certified Dunkin’ Donuts.
One is required to travel eighteen minutes in order to daven with a minyan.
One is required to travel seventy two minutes in the direction they’re traveling to get water to wash the hands for bread or travel out of the way for eighteen minutes.
If neither one is possible then one can wrap the hands fully and then eat the bread. Just wrapping the bread is not enough.
Washing in a bathroom is ok if the hands are dried outside of the bathroom.
Washing with a water bottle is fine.
Tefillin can be brought into the bathroom if it is in an additional bag (e.g. suitcase or backpack).
Food can be brought into (and stored) in a bathroom, if needed. It should preferably be covered.
When leaving male children home with a female babysitter, make sure that there’s no yichud issues.
Sitting in the sun is allowed on Shabbos. Spray sunscreen is allowed to be put on and rubbed in.
Cooked eggs made by a non-Jew are not allowed.
Marked cereal containers are allowed.
Using a public waffle maker etc. is not allowed.
Meat left in a hotel room should preferably be sealed. If not, as long as you recognize the food then it’s fine.
When davening in an airport, a non denominational chapel can be used. If there are symbols etc. then face away from them.
If for some reason one cannot figure out the proper direction to daven towards, one should face a wall and have in mind to daven to Hashem.
A pool can be used as a MEN’S mikvah.⁴³
The following foods are permitted without a hechsher: flour (all types), sugar (all types), baking powder, baking soda, eggs, pure spices (not spice blends), virgin and extra
virgin olive oil, salt, honey (100% pure with no added flavors), and lemon juice.⁴⁴
One can purchase non-flavored beer manufactured in the United States without a hechsher.
In America, soda which is kosher when bottled, can be purchased from a fountain soda machine if it is the exact same drink. For slurpees, one should check the Star-K list.
Salmon from large stores is acceptable to buy since their pinkish color is unique. This is even if they do not have their skin on it. Farmed salmon is preferred (since wild
salmon may have worm issues). From a small store, one should ask them to clean their knife or if there are multiple packages of pre-cut salmon, it is acceptable. One can also rinse the fish to clean it of any non-salmon residue.