Rrugk Tkt H,Tc Tk Sible Way to Take the Medicine
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ww ww VOL. y h / NO. 9 TAMUZ 5771 / JULY 2011 s xc THEDaf a K ashrus A m o n th l yH n E w s l etter F o R th E o U R A b b i n i c F i E l d repre s E n tat i v E whether there is a halachically permis- rrugk tkt h,tc tk sible way to take the medicine. There are 3 basic groupings of oral medications; pills, liquids and chew- mEdicinE ables. Each will be discussed in its own GUidElinEs section. Pills RAbbi Eli gersten sHERETZ sARUF RC Recorder of OU Psak and Policy Shulchan Aruch (84:17) says that for refuah purposes one may consume a If someone is a choleh she’yaish bo sakana sheretz saruf (any non-kosher item that (potentially life threatening illness) then was burned up). The Rema in Hilchos they are permitted to take any medication. Refuah (Y.D. 155:3) brings this as well. Once which issur this is referring. Minchas Kohen However, a choleh sh’ain bo sakana (non- an item is burned to the point where it is no (Shar Ha’taruvos 1:9) understood this to be life threatening illness) or one who suffers longer raui l’achilas Adam, it loses its sheim an issur d’rabbanan of neveila, which would from a meichush (irritation) are limited in ochel. The Rambam Hilchos Machalos Assuros mean that only a true choleh could eat a nev- (eila serucha. However, Pri Chadash (103:1 אכל אוכל האסור אחר שהסריח terms of what they are permitted to ingest. 14:11 writes Though understood that the Rambam was referring .והבאיש ובטל מאוכל אדם הרי זה פטור Each medicine will need to be investigated as to whether it is raui l’achila, whether the term patur implies that there remains an to the issur of ba’al tishaktzu. Furthermore, achshivei applies, whether the potentially issur d’rabannan, Achronim disagree as to Pri Chadash (81:3) writes that ba’al tishak- non-kosher ingredients are batel, and if not continued on page 52 Keeping a watchful eye on this complex eating establishment is the iT’s noT jUsT milk Orthodox Union, which provides the certification for the restaurant, at THE milk sTREET cAFé and has two mashgichim – or supervisors – on duty at all times. Under the ownership of Marc and Beth Epstein, who have oper- New Kosher Restaurant Opens on Wall St. ated an upscale restaurant of the same name in Boston for the past with Meat, Dairy, and Pareve Menus 30 years, the Manhattan Milk Street Café introduced a brand new concept for the company: a 23,000 square foot “food hall” featuring When planning restau- a high-end selection of gourmet cuisine, all color-coordinated and rants, in addition to the choreographed to keep meat out of dairy plates, and vice versa. menu, management must always be conscious of lay- “We are delighted that there is a kosher restaurant under OU auspic- out, décor, furnishings, eat- es to serve the kosher consumer in the Wall Street/downtown area,” ing utensils, and dress for declared Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO of OU Kosher. “There is staff. With the opening last certainly a need, which the Milk Street Café will fill. Its presence and month of the Milk Street OU certification will allow the restaurant to serve the community in a Café at 40 Wall Street, just way it hasn’t been served before. The OU headquarters staff, which down the block from the works just a few blocks away, is very happy to welcome the restaurant Stock Exchange, ownership to Wall Street.” had additional concerns to According to Rabbi Leonard Steinberg, OU Rabbinic Coordinator keep in mind: color coordi- specializing in food service who supervised the certification of the nation of hats and aprons for three different kitchens; separation of restaurant, “The Milk Street Café is a very unique place to eat. The those three kitchens; even the color of print on menu boards. The restaurant offers dairy, meat and pareve dishes simultaneously from reason? The Milk Street Café is not only a kosher restaurant, but various stations. The restaurant contains three totally separate kitch- unlike the typical kosher restaurant which is either meat or dairy, it ens, serving both the food hall and corporate catering, and will have is meat, dairy, and pareve. continued on page 56 Published by the Orthodox Union, Eleven Broadway, New York, NY 10004 Please direct your comments to RAbbi yosef GRossmAn, EdiToR at 212-613-8212 or [email protected] MeDICINe tzu does not whether the condition is severe enough that v’niyur (See Chavas Daas 103:1). Therefore, continued from page 51 apply to an one would be willing to subject themselves because there is a real possibility that soft item taken to eating offensive foods. If most people gelcaps might be made from pigskin, they are for the purpose of refuah, or any other would be unwilling to eat bitter or unpleas- not recommended. Additionally, soft gelcaps legitimate reason. Many Poskim follow this ant foods to cure this type of condition then are made with plasticizers such as glycerin. lenient ruling. this condition would not permit swallowing The ratio of glycerin to gelatin can be 1:2 or Because pills are made to be swallowed no pills that contain issur. It is therefore ques- even greater. In cases of strong need the pills effort is made to improve their taste (aside tionable whether vitamin pills can be taken in should be wrapped in tissue paper and swal- from the coatings which will be dealt with all situations, even when the vitamin pills are lowed, since this is considered shelo k’derech later). Although there are potentially non- only taken proactively. achilaso. kosher ingredients in the pill, such as stea- Can we clearly say in this Film-coATEd rates (e.g. stearic acid, magnesium stearate, situation that an average there is a real TAblETs calcium stearate or zinc stearate), emulsifiers person would be willing possibility that soft or gelatins which by themselves are not nif- to eat foul tasting foods? gelcaps might be Many tablets are cov- sal, still Chazon Ish (O.C. 116:8) writes that Rav Belsky says that Rav made from pigskin ered in a thin plastic if the ingredients in the pill are combined in Moshe Feinstein Zt’l lik- material (polymer). such a way that it is impossible for them to ened multivitamin pills to a food supple- These coatings are so be removed, then the pill is viewed as one ment. Just as vegetables and herbs eaten to thin that they do not obscure the letters entity1. Since the overall taste of the pill is maintain ones nutrition must be kosher, so embossed in the tablet. The polymers are not bitter and unpleasant, the pill is considered too vitamin pills must have a hashgacha. If a concern; however, the plasticizers (acety- to be nifsal mei’achila. This is seemingly the vitamins are taken for medicinal purposes lated monoglyceride or triacetin) which are opinion of Igros Moshe (O.C. II:92) as well. (not just as a food supplement) then they added to produce flexibility and elasticity would be classified as any other medicine pill in the coating are sensitive ingredients. The AcHsHivEi ratio of plasticizer to polymer in a typi- The Rosh (Pesachim II:1) says that one and be permitted. However, Rav Schachter feels that even multivitamins are clearly taken cal film-coating formulation is about 20%. may not eat charred chametz, even if it was Nevertheless, there is room to be lenient destroyed before Pesach. Although it is for medical purposes and therefore do not violate the principle of achshivei. since the possible issurim in question are nifsal mei’achila, and mid’oreisa we would absorbed into the polymer, and the polymer say about one who would intend to eat this, coATinGs is not a food. Rav Belsky says in the name of -nevertheless it is assur Even when a medication is nifsal mei’achila, Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky zt”l that the hala ,”בטלה דעתו אצל כל אדם“ mid’rabbanan for one to consume the burnt there is a secondary issue regarding the coat- chos of ta’am k’ikar don’t apply to inedibles. chametz, and thereby demonstrate that for ing. For example, even if a medicine might If issur becomes absorbed into an inedible him it was not nifsal mei’achila. This is pose no concern, the gelatin capsule itself item, such as a plastic, the issur becomes known as the principle of achshivei. The Yad can be problematic. There are two basic batel b’rov. Since the polymers are five times Avrohom (Y.D. 155:3) explains that achshivei types of capsules; hard capsules and soft more than the plasticizers that they absorb, does not apply to items taken for refuah, gelcaps. the plasticizers are batel b’rov. since it is clear that these items are taken as a result of the choli and not because they HARd cAPsUlEs EnTERic coATinGs are machshiv them as foods2. For this reason Although hard capsules can be made from Enteric coatings prevent the tablet from one is permitted to consume a sheretz saruf, bovine (cow) bone, porcine (pig) bone or dissolving until it reaches the intestines. provided it is taken purely for medicinal rea- pigskin gelatin or any combination thereof, Because they are coatings, they are on the sons. However, Rema qualifies the heter to the preferred material for hard capsules is surface of the pill, and are not batel with consume a sheretz saruf with the following bovine bone gelatin4, because they produce the other ingredients.