Tevillas Keilim
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Rabbi Dovid Cohen cRc Administrative Rabbinic Coordinator TEVILLAS KEILIM Items used in the preparation or consumption of food, napkin ring. which were once owned by a non-Jew and are now owned Tevillah is primarily required for utensils that have contact by a Jew, must undergo tevillas keilim (ritual immersion in with food that is either “ready to eat” (e.g. flatware, plates), a mikvah) before they can be used. The following is an or used with the food to the point that it is ready to eat (e.g. outline of some of the basic halachos of tevillas keilim: pots, pans). If a utensil is intended for use with raw food, Tevillah is only required for items made of metal or glass, but the same item could also be used for meal-ready food, and this includes aluminum, cast iron, chrome, pewter, Py- then tevillah should be performed without a bracha. For rex, stainless steel, tin, and many other materials. Tevillah example, a pair of kitchen scissors bought to cut raw meat is not required for utensils made of cardboard, ceramic, will not be used with meal-ready food, but since there are cork, leather, paper, plastic, rubber, stone, Styrofoam, or some who use those scissors for cutting vegetables, tevil- wood. China should have tevillah without a bracha. Dis- lah should be performed without a bracha. There is a dif- posable aluminum pans do not require tevillah regardless ference of opinion as to whether tevillah is at all required of how many times they are used. if the utensil can only be used on raw foods (e.g., a metal rolling pin). Tevillah is only required for utensils which have food con- tact. Therefore, a stovetop grate does not require tevillah Peelers, graters, and food processors which will be used since it never touches food, and neither does a water-pan with meal-ready food (e.g., carrots) require tevillah with a used with a chafing dish, but tevillah is required for a bracha. If they will only be used for foods that require fur- barbecue spit or the food pan used with a chafing dish. ther cooking (e.g. potatoes), then tevillah should be per- The cover of a chafing dish must also undergo tevillah; formed but no bracha should be recited. Colanders, skew- although it seemingly does not have contact with the “ac- ers, and spatulas are used with food that is fully cooked, tual” food, it is considered to have food contact because and, therefore, they require tevillah with a bracha (assum- of the considerable amount of steam that rises up from the ing they are metal or glass). food to the cover. Containers used for storage of food, and from which no A glass cake tray requires tevillah even if the cake is al- one ever eats directly, should have tevillah without a bra- ways placed in cupcake holders or on a doily (i.e., never cha. Rav Gedalia Dov Schwartz, shlita, has ruled that any touches the actual tray), because the doily etc. is consid- electrical appliance that might get ruined as a result of te- ered tafel/negligible to the food. A can opener does not villah, is excused from the requirement of tevillas keilim, have (intentional) food contact, and therefore it does not and may be used without tevillah. require tevillah. The tray in a toaster oven or microwave The item undergoing tevillah must be free of chatzizos requires tevillah, because people put food right onto it, – items that block the water from having direct contact. but the chamber of those appliances does not require te- This means that not only must all stickers and labels be re- villah, since they do not have (intentional) food contact. moved before tevillah, but the person performing the tevil- The following are some other examples of items which lah should be sure not to grip the item too tightly when it is have no food contact and therefore do not require tevil- in the mikvah (for if he does, his hand will be a chatzizah). lah: corkscrew, dishwashing basin, knife sharpener, and www.askcrc.org cRc Pesach Guide 5779 29 The bracha of ĺĶĹĸ ŇĹĶĮĵ ĹĿ IJĽIJIJŃIJ IJĶŇIJIJŃĻĮ IJĽņİń Ņņĭ The status for some entries is marked with a “1” or a “2” (“asher kiddishanu b’mitzvosav v’tzivanu al tevillas keil- which refers to the following: im”) is recited before tevillah begins. If more than one per- 1 If this person will sometimes use the utensil with meal- son will be performing tevillah, one person may recite the ready food (e.g. many fruits and vegetables), tevillah bracha for all of the participants. is performed with a bracha. If it will only be used with The following is a list of items which do or do not require food that requires further cooking, tevillah should be tevillah, based on the assumption that the utensil is both performed but no bracha should be recited. used and manufactured in the standard manner. Those 2 If the utensil ever has food contact, tevillah is re- which are listed as requiring tevillah is based on an as- quired with a bracha; if the utensil never has food sumption that they are made from a form of metal or glass contact, no tevillah is required. which requires tevillah, as opposed to plastic, paper, rub- ber, wood, or other materials, which are excused. Item Tevillah? Bracha? Item Tevillah? Bracha? Apple corer 99 Colander (plastic) 88 Baking sheet 99 Cookie cutter 98 Barbecue grill (cover) 88 Cookie sheet 99 Barbecue grill (food-handling tools) 99 Corelle (cup) 88 Barbecue grill (grate) 99 Corelle (plate, bowl) 99 Basin for dishwashing 88 Cork 88 Blech 22 Corkscrew 88 Bottle warmer 88 Corn holders 99 Bread box 98 Corn popper 99 Butcher’s knife 98 Crock pot (“pot” made of ceramic) 88 Cake tray 22 Crock pot (“pot” made of metal) 99 Cake tray cover 88 Crock pot (base) 88 Can opener 88 Crock pot (cover of metal or glass) 99 Candy dish 22 Cup (metal, glass) 99 Canister cover 88 Cup (plastic, ceramic) 88 Chafing dish (cover) 99 Double boiler (food pot) 99 Chafing dish (food pan) 99 Double boiler (water pot) 22 Chafing dish (water pan) 88 Dough hook 88 Coffee mill 88 Egg slicer 99 Coffee mug 88 Electric knife 99 Colander (metal) 99 Electrical appliances 88 30 cRc Pesach Guide 5779 www.crcweb.org Item Tevillah? Bracha? Item Tevillah? Bracha? Flour sifter 88 Pasta extruder 88 Food processor 9 1 Peel (pancake flipper) 99 Food scale 88 Peeler (standard) 99 French fry cutter 98 Peeler (used only for potatoes) 98 Fruit juicer 99 Pet food dish 88 Grater 9 1 Piping bag 99 Grill (actual part which touches food) 99 Pizza cutter 99 Grinder 9 1 Pot (metal, glass, porcelain enamel) 99 Hot plate 22 Pot cover (metal, glass, porcelain enamel) 99 Ice cream scooper 99 Poultry shears 9 1 Immersion heater 88 Rolling pin 88 Juicer (for fruit) 99 Sandwich maker 88 Kiddush cup (metal, glass, porcelain enamel) 99 Saucer 22 Knife sharpener 88 Scissors (for food) 9 1 Knife, electric 99 Serving tray 22 Knife, for butchering 98 Shredder 9 1 Knife, for eating with 99 Skewer (metal) 99 Measuring cup (metal or glass) 9 1 Skewer (wood or bamboo) 88 Measuring cup (plastic) 88 Spit 99 Meat hammer 88 Spoon rest 88 Meat slicer 99 Storage container 98 Meat tenderizer 88 Stovetop grate 88 Meat thermometer 88 Strainer (metal) 99 Melon baller 99 Strainer (plastic) 88 Microwave (chamber) 88 Sugar canister 98 Microwave (plate) 22 Toaster 88 Mug 88 Toaster oven (chamber) 88 Napkin ring 88 Toaster oven (rack, tray) 99 Onion chopper 9 1 Urn (electric) 88 Oven rack 88 Whisk 88 www.askcrc.org cRc Pesach Guide 5779 31.