✦ ❖ ✦ D A A T · L E V E L 3 — S Y N T H E S I S / R E V I E W ✦ ❖ ✦
Siman 106 — How One Nullifies in Sixty: Proportional Reckoning (Lefi Cheshbon) and a Piece That Absorbed Issur
דין היאך מבטלין בששים
A piece that absorbed a prohibition forbids only proportionally (לפי חשבון), yet itself remains forbidden (אפשר לסוחטו אסור); liquid נבלל ונימוח vs solid יבש; the great חתיכה נעשית נבילה dispute; the practical conduct for removing a piece
Structured review, master grid, fast memorization
Source: Shulchan Aroukh, Yoreh De'ah ק״ו — 2 seifim
Nossei kelim: ש״ך (Shach) · ט״ז (Taz) · פר״מ (Pri Megadim) · פתחי תשובה (Pithei Teshuva)
Compiled by: הרב יוסף חיים סממה · DAAT
For students who have mastered Levels 1 and 2
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📑 Outline of the synthesis
- The axiom: a piece that absorbed a prohibition — לפי חשבון
- The 3 reflex questions: how much · the piece itself · liquid or solid
- The master grid: לפי חשבון, the piece forbidden and liquid / solid
- The 5 golden rules
- Mnemonic — the "חֶשְׁבּוֹן" memory aid
- The 4 classic pitfalls
- Recap of the 2 seifim — one line each
- Final flashcard
1. The axiom: a piece that absorbed a prohibition — לפי חשבון
The starting point:
Siman 106 deals with a particular mode of nullification: a piece that absorbed a prohibition (חתיכה שבלעה איסור) without having had 60 against that prohibition, and which then falls into a pot. It does not forbid its whole volume, but only in proportion to the prohibition it contains (לפי חשבון איסור שבה): one counts 60 against the absorbed prohibition, and the piece itself joins the count. If what is in the pot, together with the piece, totals 60 against the absorbed prohibition, the rest of the pot is permitted — "מֻתָּר מַה שֶּׁבַּקְּדֵרָה". But the piece itself remains forbidden, because the prohibition in it "אֵינוֹ נִפְלָט מִמֶּנָּה לְגַמְרֵי" — does not come out of it completely (אפשר לסוחטו אסור).
| Path | Mehaber (Sephardi) | Rama (Ashkenazi custom) |
|---|
| What is counted within the 60? | לפי חשבון: 60 against the absorbed prohibition only | חנ״נ: 60 against the whole piece (siman צ״ב) |
| Does the piece join the count? | Yes: מצורף עם החתיכה עצמה | No: the whole piece became נבילה |
| The piece itself (חתיכה עצמה) | Forbidden (אפשר לסוחטו אסור) | Forbidden (חתיכה נעשית נבילה) |
💡 The marker: this siman does not speak of a prohibition that falls directly, but of a carrier-piece that already absorbed a prohibition and did not have 60 against it. Everything turns on the question: against what does one count the 60? For the Mehaber, against the absorbed prohibition (לפי חשבון); the piece joins the count but itself remains forbidden (אפשר לסוחטו אסור). For the Rama / our custom, the piece became a whole נבילה → 60 against the whole piece (חתיכה נעשית נבילה, cross-reference siman צ״ב).
2. The 3 reflex questions
■ HOW MUCH? (לפי חשבון / 60) — is there 60 against the absorbed prohibition (for the Mehaber: the piece joins the count) or 60 against the whole piece (for the Rama, חתיכה נעשית נבילה)? If yes → the rest of the pot is permitted; if not → forbidden (seif 1).
↓ we look at the piece itself
■ THE PIECE ITSELF? (אפשר לסוחטו אסור) — the absorbed prohibition never comes out completely from the piece. So even when the rest of the pot is permitted, the piece itself remains forbidden (Mehaber); according to the חנ״נ (Rama), all the more so (seif 1).
↓ we look at the nature of the mixture
■ LIQUID OR SOLID? (נבלל ונימוח / יבש) — a liquid (blood in a broth) that mixes/dissolves, then diluted up to 60 → all permitted (continuous mixture). A solid (יבש) → the piece forbidden first stays forbidden; one removes it if recognizable, otherwise it is nullified (except חתיכה הראויה להתכבד, cross-ref siman קא) (seif 1, Rama).
⚖ The liquid / solid distinction (seif 1)
If blood (or the like) falls into a permitted broth and forbids it on account of its small quantity, then the broth increases up to 60 against all the blood → everything is permitted, because the whole is "נבלל ונימוח" (mixed and dissolved). But according to the Rama (our custom of saying חתיכה נעשית נבילה for all prohibitions), there is no liquid / solid difference, except on this point: if the substance rendered forbidden is already solid (יבש) and there is 60 against it, the piece forbidden first remains in its prohibition and must be removed if recognizable. See simanim צ״ב and 99.
3. The master grid: לפי חשבון, the piece forbidden and liquid / solid
An absolute must to memorize. Basis: Mehaber seifim 1-2, read with the Rama (siman צ״ב), the Taz (s.k. 1-2) and the Shach (s.k. 1-7).
| Situation | Decisive criterion | Result |
|---|
| Piece that absorbed a prohibition, fell into the pot (Mehaber) |
לפי חשבון: 60 against the absorbed prohibition |
🟢 Pot permitted (piece joins the count); but the piece forbidden |
| The piece itself (חתיכה עצמה) |
אפשר לסוחטו אסור |
🔴 Always forbidden (the prohibition does not all come out) |
| Our custom (Rama, siman צ״ב) |
חתיכה נעשית נבילה |
🟡 60 against the whole piece, not only the absorbed |
| Blood in a permitted broth, then diluted up to 60 |
נבלל ונימוח (liquid) |
🟢 All permitted (continuous and dissolved mixture) |
| Substance forbidden already solid (יבש), with 60 against it |
יבש (solid), Rama |
🔴 The piece remains in its prohibition; remove it if recognizable |
| Solid unrecognizable, that is not ראוי להתכבד |
בטל (nullified), Rama |
🟢 Nullified within the 60 |
| Solid unrecognizable, but חתיכה הראויה להתכבד |
דבר חשוב (siman קא) |
🔴 Not nullified (worthy of being served) |
| Piece with חלב, pot having 60 — when to remove? |
Practical conduct (seif 2) |
🟡 Remove nothing while the prohibition is in it; let it cool |
📌 Key reading: in לפי חשבון, first ask against what one counts the 60 (against the absorbed prohibition for the Mehaber, against the whole piece for the Rama). For liquid / solid, look at whether the thing mixes and dissolves (נבלל ונימוח) or stays solid (יבש). And everywhere, the piece that absorbed the prohibition itself remains forbidden (אפשר לסוחטו אסור / חתיכה נעשית נבילה).
4. The 5 golden rules
- "לְפִי חֶשְׁבּוֹן אִסּוּר שֶׁבָּהּ". The piece that absorbed a prohibition forbids only in proportion to the prohibition it contains: 60 against the absorbed prohibition, and the piece joins the count (Mehaber seif 1).
- "אֶפְשָׁר לְסוֹחֲטוֹ אָסוּר". The piece itself remains forbidden, because the prohibition in it "אֵינוֹ נִפְלָט מִמֶּנָּה לְגַמְרֵי" — does not come out of it completely (Mehaber seif 1).
- Liquid נבלל ונימוח → all permitted if diluted to 60. Blood in a permitted broth, then increased up to 60 against all the blood → all permitted, because mixed and dissolved (Mehaber seif 1).
- Solid יבש → the piece forbidden first stays forbidden. Remove it if recognizable; unrecognizable → nullified, except חתיכה הראויה להתכבד (Rama seif 1, cross-ref simanim צ״ב, 99, קא).
- חתיכה נעשית נבילה: all prohibitions (our custom). For the Rama, the whole piece becomes נבילה → 60 against the whole piece, not only the absorbed (Rama seif 1, cross-ref siman צ״ב).
5. Mnemonic — the "חֶשְׁבּוֹן" memory aid
"H-E-Ch" — after the חֶשְׁבּוֹן (the reckoning) of seif 1
- Hechbon (לפי חשבון): one counts 60 against the absorbed prohibition — the piece joins the count (Mehaber).
- Efshar lesochto assur: the piece itself remains forbidden, because the prohibition does not all come out.
- Chnn (חתיכה נעשית נבילה): for the Rama / our custom, the whole piece is נבילה → 60 against the whole piece.
The liquid / solid ladder (seif 1)
- נבלל ונימוח (liquid, dissolves) → all permitted if diluted to 60
- יבש (solid), recognizable → remove it; it stays in its prohibition
- יבש unrecognizable, ordinary → nullified within the 60
- ראויה להתכבד (siman קא) → not nullified (worthy of being served)
6. The 4 classic pitfalls
❌ Pitfall 1 — Counting the 60 against the whole piece for the Mehaber: for the Mehaber, one does not count 60 against the whole piece, but only against the absorbed prohibition (לפי חשבון), and the piece itself joins the count of the 60. It is by the Rama (our custom) that 60 is required against the whole piece (חתיכה נעשית נבילה, cross-ref siman צ״ב). Do not confuse the two counts.
❌ Pitfall 2 — Thinking the piece is permitted when the pot is: even when the rest of the pot is permitted (there is 60 against the absorbed prohibition), the piece itself remains forbidden: the prohibition in it "אֵינוֹ נִפְלָט מִמֶּנָּה לְגַמְרֵי" — does not come out of it completely (אפשר לסוחטו אסור, seif 1). The leniency bears on the pot, never on the carrier-piece.
❌ Pitfall 3 — Confusing liquid (נבלל ונימוח) and solid (יבש): a liquid (blood in a broth) that mixes and dissolves, then diluted up to 60 → all permitted, because the whole stays mixed. A solid (יבש) does not dissolve: the piece forbidden first remains in its prohibition, to be removed if recognizable (seif 1, Rama). Do not apply the liquid's leniency to a recognizable solid.
❌ Pitfall 4 — Removing the forbidden piece too early or first (seif 2): for a piece that contains חלב, cooked in a pot having 60 against the חלב — one must remove nothing from the pot while the forbidden piece is still in it (we fear it might remain last without 60); and one must not take it out first either (the חלב in it would forbid it). The remedy: leave it until the pot cools down. According to the חנ״נ (Rama), one simply removes the forbidden piece, and the rest is permitted.
For the halacha le-ma'aseh, consult your Rav.
7. Recap of the 2 seifim — one line each
| Seif | Topic | The essential |
|---|
| 1 | לפי חשבון; the piece forbidden; liquid vs solid | A piece that absorbed a prohibition (without 60) and falls into a pot forbids only in proportion to the absorbed prohibition (לפי חשבון): if the pot + the piece total 60 against the absorbed prohibition → the rest permitted; but the piece itself forbidden (אפשר לסוחטו אסור). Unlike a liquid that mixes and dissolves (נבלל ונימוח): blood in a broth, diluted to 60 → all permitted. Rama: חתיכה נעשית נבילה for all prohibitions → no liquid / solid difference, except that a recognizable solid (יבש) stays forbidden and is removed; unrecognizable → nullified except חתיכה הראויה להתכבד (simanim צ״ב, 99, קא). |
| 2 | Removing a piece from a pot (practical conduct) | Piece containing חלב, cooked in a pot having 60 against the חלב: remove nothing from the pot while the forbidden piece is in it (it might remain last without 60); do not take it out first either (the חלב would forbid it). Remedy: leave it until the pot cools. Rama (חתיכה נעשית נבילה): one removes the forbidden piece, and the rest is permitted. |
8. Final flashcard
| Question | Reflex answer | Source |
|---|
| Piece that absorbed a prohibition, fell into the pot — 60 against what? | Against the absorbed prohibition (לפי חשבון); the piece joins the count | Mehaber seif 1 |
| And the piece itself? | Forbidden: the prohibition does not all come out (אפשר לסוחטו אסור) | Mehaber seif 1; Shach s.k. 2 |
| Our Ashkenazi custom? | חתיכה נעשית נבילה → 60 against the whole piece | Rama seif 1 (siman צ״ב) |
| Blood in a broth, then diluted to 60? | All permitted: נבלל ונימוח (mixed and dissolved) | Mehaber seif 1 |
| Recognizable solid (יבש), with 60 against it? | Stays forbidden; remove it | Rama seif 1; Shach s.k. 4 |
| Unrecognizable solid, ראוי להתכבד? | Not nullified (worthy of being served) | Rama seif 1 (siman קא) |
| Piece with חלב, pot at 60 — when to remove? | Not while the prohibition is in it, nor first; let it cool | Mehaber seif 2 |
| And according to the חנ״נ (Rama)? | One removes the forbidden piece, the rest is permitted | Rama seif 2; Shach s.k. 7 |
⚖ The reflex in 3 questions
- 60 against what? Against the absorbed prohibition (לפי חשבון, Mehaber, the piece joins) or against the whole piece (חתיכה נעשית נבילה, Rama).
- And the piece itself? Always forbidden: אפשר לסוחטו אסור (the prohibition does not all come out).
- Liquid or solid? How to remove? נבלל ונימוח = all permitted if diluted to 60; recognizable יבש = to be removed. Remove nothing while the prohibition is in it; let it cool.
For the halacha le-ma'aseh, consult your Rav.
🎓 Recap of the study path
| Level | Content | Acquired |
|---|
| 🌱 Level 1 — Base |
Text of the 2 seifim, translation, clear tables |
Overall understanding |
| ⚡ Level 2 — Lamdan |
Yesod of לפי חשבון and of אפשר לסוחטו אסור, the חתיכה נעשית נבילה machloket (Mehaber / Rama), liquid נבלל ונימוח vs solid יבש |
In-depth study |
| ✨ Level 3 — Synthesis |
Master grid, golden rules, mnemonic, pitfalls, recap of the seifim |
Practical mastery + review |
💡 Suggested next steps:
- Re-read Siman ק״ו in the original Choulhan Aroukh (Hebrew) with the Shach and the Taz
- Study the adjacent Simanim: 92 (חתיכה נעשית נבילה and the צירוף), 98 (tasting / 60 and the measure), 99 (חנ״נ and יבש ביבש), 101 (davar hashouv / ראוי להתכבד), 105 (the drop and the diffusion)
- Delve into Hullin 100a (כחל / נפלה לקדירה אחרת) and the yesod of אפשר לסוחטו אסור
- Discuss personal cases with a Rav (a piece that absorbed a prohibition, removal from a pot) — the halacha le-ma'aseh is decided with a Rav
📖 Sources of this siman on Sefaria:
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
DAAT · הרב יוסף חיים סממה
תלמיד חכם · מעביר שיעורים בהלכה ובחסידות
סימן ק״ו · Level 3 — Synthesis / Review · דין היאך מבטלין בששים
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