✦ ❖ ✦ 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 114 — Beer and Beverages of Non-Jews
דין שכר ושאר משקין של עכו״ם
The Chatnut decree on beer (במקום מכירתו, קביעות), wine hidden in pickles, the price test, בטל בששים, חנות vs מן החבית, קבוע vs פריש, תלינן לקולא
Structured review, master grid, fast memorization
Source: Shulchan Aroukh, Yoreh De'ah קי״ד — 12 seifim
Nossei kelim: ש״ך (Shach) · ט״ז (Taz) · 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: two axes — beer (Chatnut decree) and hidden wine (יין נסך)
- The 3 reflex questions: which beverage · where do I drink · pricier than wine?
- The master grid: the beer grid + the pickles grid
- The 5 golden rules
- Mnemonic — the "SHÉKHAR" memory aid
- The 4 classic pitfalls
- Recap of the 12 seifim — one line each
- Final flashcard
1. The axiom: two axes — beer and hidden wine
The starting point:
Siman 114 stands on two legs. Axis 1 — the Chatnut decree extended to beverages: we fear social closeness around a drink (סעודה). Hence the non-Jew's beer is forbidden only במקום מכירתו (on the spot, at his outlet), but permitted when carried home — "עיקר הגזרה שמא יסעוד אצלו" — and only when one settles in to drink (קובע עצמו); drinking דרך עראי באקראי (in passing) is permitted. Axis 2 — יין נסך hidden in pickles and preserves: many foods may have received wine → suspicion, managed by the tools of doubt (price test, ביטול בששים, חנות vs חבית, קבוע vs פריש, תלינן לקולא).
| Axis | Mehaber (the strict rule) | Rama (lenient custom) |
|---|
| Beer / beverages (Chatnut decree) | Forbidden במקום מכירתו if קביעות | Honey/grain beer largely permitted (our custom) |
| Pickles & preserves (יין נסך) | Forbidden if pricier than wine / in a shop | תלינן לקולא: one who does not add → buy from all |
| Oil & honey of the non-Jew | Permitted: neither bishul akum nor gi'oulei akum | Permitted |
💡 The marker: this siman is not about "cooked / raw" like 113, but about context (where I drink) + contamination (the hidden wine). For beer, ask: at his place or mine? settled in or in passing? For pickles, ask: in a shop or from the barrel? pricier than wine or not? is wine customarily added?
2. The 3 reflex questions
■ WHICH BEVERAGE? (שכר / apple wine) — beer of dates, figs, barley, grain, honey → Chatnut decree (forbidden במקום מכירתו). Wine of apples, pomegranates & the like (דבר שאינו מצוי) → permitted everywhere, no decree (seif 1, 3).
↓ we look at the place
■ WHERE AND HOW DO I DRINK? (במקום מכירתו / קביעות) — forbidden only at his place / outlet and if one settles in (קביעות). Carried home, or drunk in passing (עראי) → permitted. Lodging with him = like his house (seif 1). Rama: lenient custom.
↓ we look at the hidden wine
■ PRICIER THAN WINE / IN A SHOP? (דמיו יקרים / חנות) — pickles & preserves: forbidden to buy if pricier than wine (suspicion of mixing) or in a shop (fear of זילוף); permitted מן החבית / מן האוצר. Otherwise 60× nullifies (seif 4, 8, 10).
⚖ The tools of doubt (pickles, seif 10)
We manage the יין נסך suspicion through: the price test (forbidden if דמיו יקרים מהיין); the ביטול בששים (and the Taz's nuance: per סי' קל״ד wine in water is nullified already at שישה); חנות (forbidden, fraud possible) vs מן החבית (permitted: wine would spoil the barrel); קבוע vs פריש (כל דפריש מרובא פריש → follow the majority "at random," but buying from them = קבוע = מחצה על מחצה); and תלינן לקולא in rabbinic prohibitions: if there is even one non-Jew in town who does not add wine, one buys from all as long as it is not known with certainty.
3. The master grid: beer + pickles
An absolute must to memorize. Basis: Mehaber seifim 1, 4, 8, 10, read with the Rama, the Taz (s.k. 4 above all) and the Pitchei Teshuva (s.k. 1 on the קאווי).
| Situation | Decisive criterion | Result |
|---|
| Non-Jew's beer במקום מכירתו, one settles in (קביעות) |
Chatnut decree |
🔴 Forbidden (social closeness) |
| Beer carried / drunk at home (בית) |
עיקר הגזרה שמא יסעוד אצלו |
🟢 Permitted (not at his place = no decree) |
| Beer drunk in passing (עראי / אקראי) |
No קביעות |
🟢 Permitted even at his outlet |
| One lodges (לן) with the non-Jew |
Like one's own house |
🟢 Permitted; and Rama: lenient custom |
| Pickle bought in a shop (חנות) |
Fear of זילוף of wine |
🔴 Forbidden to buy |
| Pickle taken from the barrel (מן החבית / האוצר) |
Wine would spoil the barrel |
🟢 Permitted (no fraud) |
| Preserve pricier than wine (דמיו יקרים) |
Suspicion of added wine |
🔴 Forbidden to buy (unless 60×) |
| Buying "at random" in town vs from them (קבוע) |
כל דפריש מרובא פריש vs מחצה על מחצה |
🟡 At random → follow the majority; from them (קבוע) → 50/50 |
📌 Key reading: for beer, the lock is the place + the קביעות (at his place + settled in = forbidden; otherwise permitted), tempered by the Rama's lenient custom. For pickles, the lock is the price + the mode of purchase (pricier than wine / in a shop = forbidden; from the barrel / cheap = permitted), tempered by תלינן לקולא and the majority (rov).
4. The 5 golden rules
- "עיקר הגזרה שמא יסעוד אצלו". Beer is forbidden only at the non-Jew's outlet and if one settles in; carried home or drunk in passing → permitted (Mehaber seif 1).
- Rama: lenient custom. Many permit beer of honey and grain, and "כן נוהגין להקל" in our lands (Rama seif 1). The PT s.k. 1 applies the debate to coffee (קאווי).
- The price test. Pickles & preserves pricier than wine → suspicion of mixing → forbidden to buy, unless 60× (Mehaber seif 4, 10).
- חנות vs מן החבית. In a shop we fear זילוף → forbidden; from the barrel the wine would spoil the barrel → permitted (Mehaber seif 4, 8).
- תלינן לקולא + בתר רובא. In rabbinic prohibitions, one non-Jew who does not add → buy from all; "at random" follow the majority, but קבוע = מחצה על מחצה (Mehaber + Rama seif 10).
5. Mnemonic — the "SHÉKHAR" memory aid
"S-H-É-K" — after the שכר (beer) of seif 1
- Sited at his place? (במקום מכירתו) — forbidden only at his outlet, not at home.
- Habit / settling in? (קביעות) — forbidden if one settles in; עראי/אקראי permitted.
- Éasy leniency: Rama permits honey/grain beer (custom), cf. coffee (קאווי).
- Koncealed (wine) in pickles? — price test, חנות/חבית, 60× (or 6), קבוע/פריש.
The ladder of the suspect pickle (seif 4, 8, 10)
- מן החבית / האוצר (from the barrel) → permitted: wine would spoil the barrel
- דמיו יקרים מהיין (pricier than wine) → forbidden to buy (suspicion of mixing)
- בס׳ / בששה (60×, or 6 per the Taz) → nullified if the proportion is reached
- תלינן לקולא (one honest seller) → buy from all (rabbinic prohibitions)
6. The 4 classic pitfalls
❌ Pitfall 1 — Thinking beer is permitted everywhere: the Rama's lenient custom does not abolish the rule: the non-Jew's beer remains forbidden במקום מכירתו when one settles in to drink (קביעות) — "שמא יסעוד אצלו". The leniency targets at home and passing through (עראי), not a prolonged sitting at his outlet. Never read "כן נוהגין להקל" as an absolute permit.
❌ Pitfall 2 — Forgetting the קביעות: it is not the beverage that is forbidden in itself, it is the convivial context. Drinking דרך עראי באקראי (in passing) is permitted; one who lodges (לן) with the non-Jew is as if at his own place. Confusing "beer forbidden" with "beer forbidden everywhere" is the classic error: the yesod is שמא יסעוד, the closeness, not the drink.
❌ Pitfall 3 — Buying pickles "in a shop" without thinking: capers, leeks, olives, salted fish are permitted מן האוצר (seen leaving the store) but forbidden in a shop (חנות) for fear of זילוף of wine (seif 8). Likewise, what is pricier than wine is suspect (seif 4). Hence the modern need for a certification on preserves, sauces (מורייס/garum) and compound spices (כרכום, חלתית).
❌ Pitfall 4 — Confusing 60 and 6, and forgetting שמרים עביד לטעמיה: wine is neutralized בששים, but the Taz (s.k. 4) recalls that per סי' קל״ד wine in water is nullified already at שישה — do not mix the two measures. And beware the wine lees (שמרים) in fermented drinks: if they are עביד לטעמא (added for flavor), אפילו באלף לא בטיל — no nullification (Rama seif 6).
For the halacha le-ma'aseh, consult your Rav.
7. Recap of the 12 seifim — one line each
| Seif | Topic | The essential |
|---|
| 1 | שכר עכו״ם · Chatnut decree | Beer (dates/figs/barley/grain/honey) forbidden משום חתנות, only במקום מכירתו; permitted if carried/drunk at home; only if קובע עצמו; עראי/אקראי permitted; lodging with him = like his house; permitted to send to buy in town. Rama: some permit honey/grain beer, lenient custom. |
| 2 | Where one is lenient on wine | In places where Israel is lenient on the non-Jew's wine, even the beer is forbidden (one does not pile one leniency on another). |
| 3 | Apple & pomegranate wine | Wine of apples, pomegranates & the like: permitted everywhere (דבר שאינו מצוי → no Chatnut decree). |
| 4 | Price test · חנות vs חבית | These beverages + beer vinegar: forbidden to buy if pricier than wine (suspicion of mixing) — unless 60×; חנות forbidden vs מן החבית permitted (wine would spoil the barrel). Rama: utensils greased with pork → טעם לפגם + בטל בס׳, no concern; cf. סי' קל״ז. |
| 5 | Pomegranate wine for medicine | Pomegranate wine sold as a remedy: permitted even out of the barrel, even pricier (כיון דאית ביה קפידא → לא מרע נפשיה; same for all bought from the craftsman). |
| 6 | שמרים (wine lees) | Check beer & honey-drink: is wine lees (שמרים) added? Rama: if such is the custom, forbidden unless 60×; and if עביד לטעמיה, אפילו באלף לא בטיל. |
| 7 | Oil and honey | Oil and honey of the non-Jew: permitted — neither bishul akum nor gi'oulei akum (utensil absorption); same for their hot water. (Taz s.k. 7: the beverage is eaten raw / the fat pgam the oil.) |
| 8 | Capers & pickles · אוצר vs חנות | Capers, leeks (קפלוטות), locusts pickled: permitted מן האוצר (seen leaving the store), forbidden in a shop (fear of זילוף); olives likewise even very soft, provided they are not cut with their knife (Rama: a sharp food absorbs; but pickled in water, the sharpness is already nullified; cf. סי' צ״ו). |
| 9 | Grapes, טרית, permitted fish | Grapes even dripping; all pickled without a custom of adding wine/vinegar; טרית (large fish טונינ״ה) not minced; fish brine with כולכית; leaf of חלתית — permitted. |
| 10 | Suspect minces · קבוע vs פריש · תלינן לקולא | Forbidden to buy: קורט of חלתית, טרית טרופה (minced), חילק (small fish mixed, inseparable), pickles where wine is sometimes added → forbidden to eat, permitted for benefit; if "all add" → forbidden even for benefit. Rama: one deducts the value of the יי״נ; one who does not add → buy from all (תלינן לקולא, rabbinic); else בתר רובא (כל דפריש מרובא פריש), but from them (קבוע) = מחצה על מחצה. |
| 11 | מורייס (garum) | מורייס (fish sauce, garum): where the custom adds wine → forbidden; but if the wine is pricier → permitted; where there is no such custom → permitted to buy, to deposit, to send via them. |
| 12 | כרכום (saffron) — the Rashba's caution | The Rashba guarded against כרכום (saffron): much wine was sprinkled on it and strands of dried meat were mixed in. |
8. Final flashcard
| Question | Reflex answer | Source |
|---|
| Non-Jew's beer at his outlet, one settles in? | Forbidden (Chatnut decree, שמא יסעוד) | Mehaber seif 1 |
| Beer carried home, or drunk in passing? | Permitted; Rama: lenient custom (cf. coffee) | Mehaber + Rama seif 1; PT s.k. 1 |
| Apple / pomegranate wine? | Permitted everywhere (דבר שאינו מצוי) | Mehaber seif 3 |
| Pickle pricier than wine / in a shop? | Forbidden to buy; from the barrel / cheap → permitted | Mehaber seif 4, 8 |
| שמרים (wine lees) in the drink? | 60×; but עביד לטעמיה → אפילו באלף לא בטיל | Rama seif 6 |
| Oil and honey of the non-Jew? | Permitted (neither bishul akum nor gi'oulei akum) | Mehaber seif 7; Taz s.k. 7 |
| Minces / pickles where wine is sometimes added? | One honest seller → buy from all (תלינן לקולא); from them = קבוע | Mehaber + Rama seif 10 |
| מורייס (garum)? כרכום (saffron)? | Garum: per custom / price; saffron: the Rashba guarded against it | Mehaber seif 11-12 |
⚖ The reflex in 3 questions
- Which beverage, and where do I drink? Beer → forbidden במקום מכירתו if קביעות; at home / in passing → permitted; Rama lenient.
- Is the preserve suspect? Pricier than wine or in a shop → forbidden to buy; from the barrel / cheap → permitted.
- Which tool of doubt? 60× (or 6), חנות/חבית, קבוע vs פריש (בתר רובא "at random"), תלינן לקולא in rabbinic prohibitions.
For the halacha le-ma'aseh, consult your Rav.
🎓 Recap of the study path
| Level | Content | Acquired |
|---|
| 🌱 Level 1 — Base |
Text of the 12 seifim, translation, clear tables |
Overall understanding |
| ⚡ Level 2 — Lamdan |
Yesod of the Chatnut decree on beverages, the קאווי debate (מהרי״ט / פנים מאירות), the Taz's 60 vs 6, קבוע vs פריש |
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 קי״ד in the original Choulhan Aroukh (Hebrew) with the Shach and the Taz
- Study the adjacent Simanim: 96 (חריף and the knife), 110 (קבוע / כל דפריש), 123 (stam yeinam), 134 (wine nullified בששה), 137 (utensils that held wine)
- Delve into the debate on the קאווי (coffee) in the Pitchei Teshuva s.k. 1 (מהרי״ט / פנים מאירות)
- Discuss personal cases with a Rav (coffee/tea on a terrace, industrial preserves & spices) — 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 קי״ד · Level 3 — Synthesis / Review · דין שכר ושאר משקין של עכו״ם
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