From the ruling of the Mehaber and the Rama, to the arbitration of the Taz, the Shach, the Pri Hadash
and the Pitchei Teshuva, all the way to the applications of our kitchens and certifications
Subject:
שולחן ערוך יורה דעה סימן קי״ח (י״ג סעיפים)
עם נושאי הכלים: ט״ז, ש״ך, פרי חדש, פתחי תשובה
⚠ Level disclaimer:
This level is not "Da'at HaRav": the Shulchan Aruch HaRav
(the Admur HaZaken) does not cover Yoreh De'ah, hence not Siman 118.
It is a level of practical psika: what one does, and whom to ask.
Writing and iyun:
הרב יוסף חיים סממה · DAAT
How to read this level. Every statement is anchored either in the text of the Shulchan Aruch and its nossei kelim (Taz, Shach, Pri Hadash, Pitchei Teshuva), or in a named responsum. On Yoreh De'ah there is neither a Mishnah Berurah (which comments only on Orach Chaim), nor a Shulchan Aruch HaRav / Da'at HaRav (the Admur HaZaken did not write the YD). Every concrete application (le-ma'asse) concludes with the referral to your Rav: real cases blend factual details (which product, which packaging, who sealed it, who was present, what the non-Jew would gain from a swap) that only a posek who sees your situation can decide.
יַיִן וּבָשָׂר וַחֲתִיכַת דָּג שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ סִימָן שֶׁהִפְקִיד אוֹ שָׁלַח בְּיַד עוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים — צָרִיךְ שְׁנֵי חוֹתָמוֹת. אֲבָל יַיִן מְבֻשָּׁל וְשֵׁכָר, וְכֵן הַחֹמֶץ וְחָלָב וּמוֹרְיָיס וּפַת וּגְבִינָה, וְכָל שֶׁאִסּוּרוֹ מִדִּבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים — מֻתָּר בְּחוֹתָם אֶחָד.
הַגָּה: וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּלֹא בָּעִינַן שְׁנֵי חוֹתָמוֹת רַק בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל חָשׁוּד, אֲבָל בְּעוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים הַכֹּל שָׁרֵי עַל יְדֵי חוֹתָם אֶחָד (ר״ת), וּבְדִיעֲבַד יֵשׁ לִסְמֹךְ עַל זֶה.
One or two seals. Wine, meat, and a piece of fish with no recognition mark, entrusted (מפקיד) or sent (שולח) via a non-Jew → it requires two seals. But cooked wine, beer, vinegar, milk, מורייס, bread, cheese — anything whose prohibition is מדברי סופרים (rabbinic) → one seal suffices.
Rama: some say the two seals apply only to a suspect Jew; but via a non-Jew, everything is permitted with a single seal (Rabbenu Tam) — and bediavad one may rely on this.
— Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah 118:1 · basis: גמרא עבודה זרה (חבי״ת), Beit Yossef · Sefaria YD 118:1
The Taz (s.k. 2) notes a decisive point: a suspect Jew is to be feared more than a non-Jew (גרע מעכו״ם — cf. siman 86). The non-Jew fears being taken for a thief and generally has no gain in swapping the food; hence the ר״ת cited by the Rama: via a non-Jew, one seal suffices for everything, and one relies on this bediavad. This asymmetry — the goy's מירתת — pulses through seifim 7-13.
Siman 118 contains 13 seifim. The Mehaber lays the framework of seals, marks, and trust; the Rama (הגה) glosses, often leniently via the ר״ת (a single seal via a non-Jew) while keeping safeguards (the sack, a swap, the molds). Here is the overall map, as it emerges from the text itself.
| Seif | Subject | Psak (anchored in the text) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | one or two seals | Wine, meat, fish with no siman → 2 seals; any rabbinic prohibition (מדברי סופרים) → 1 seal. Yesh omrim: the two apply only to the שולח (who will not see the seal again); a מפקיד who will see his seal → 1 (he is afraid). Rama (ר״ת): via a non-Jew, 1 seal for everything — bediavad one relies. |
| 2 | re-checking the seal | Once sealed properly, no need to re-check; but if he re-checks and no longer recognizes the seal → forbidden, even with 2 seals (duplicate סי' ק״ל ס״ח). Rama: only if there is fear of a swap the goy profits from (חליפין), or for wine (נגיעה); otherwise no fear even with a damaged seal. |
| 3 | what counts as a seal | One letter = 1 seal, two letters = 2; molds (דפוסים), even with several letters, = 1 (set at once). Yesh omrim: where מומרים/כותים know how to write, writing is a siman only for one who recognizes it (duplicate ק״ל ס״ו). |
| 4 | key and sack | Key + seal = 2 seals; for an item needing 1 seal, a key alone is not a seal. Rama: a sewn/closed sack is not even 1 seal (unless the seams are turned inward); sealing the item and the sack = 2 seals. |
| 5 | the nikkur mark | A thigh (ירך) sent without a seal, cut the way a Jew cuts it after נטילת הגיד → kosher; any piece where the ניקור of Israel is recognizable (חוט דידא, חוט שאצל החזה). Rama: other pieces → forbidden if a swap is feared, and only for meat / a biblical prohibition; for a rabbinic one (cheeses) recognized among the best → all permitted. |
| 6 | slaughtered animal/fowl | An already-slaughtered animal or fowl sent without a seal → forbidden: the mark of שחיטה is not a reliable siman. |
| 7 | public thoroughfare (מעבר לרבים) | Sent without a seal in a frequented passage → permitted: the goy fears a passerby will see him and take him for a thief. But לכתחילה do not send without a seal (cf. סי' קכ״ט ס״ד). |
| 8 | the courier's נאמנות | One who buys meat and sends it via an עם הארץ → he is נאמן, even if not מוחזק in kashrut; even the servants. Yesh mi she-omer: one suspected of eating what is wrongly permitted is also suspected of swapping. |
| 9 | found at a goy's | Meat/cheese found at a goy's with a seal or "כשר" written, even without knowing who wrote it → kosher (we know it is a Jew's), provided no goyim there know how to write. Rama: one may buy cheeses sealed in the Jewish manner, where one need not fear the דפוסים stayed with goyim; יש אוסרים; bediavad do not be stringent. |
| 10 | a goy left alone (יוצא ונכנס) | Leaving a goy alone with things whose swap would be even biblical: if he comes and goes (יוצא ונכנס), or even stayed away long without having announced his intent to stay and without locking up → permitted (the goy fears "now he'll come and see me"), even if the goy profits from the swap; but if he announced he would stay → forbidden; if the goy does not profit → permitted in any case (cf. ר״ס קכ״ט). |
| 11 | two pots side by side | A Jew + a goy, one kosher meat, one נבילה → permitted: no fear of a swap when the Jew turns away, even if his is better, even uncovered (no fear of splashes) — likewise two roasts. But לכתחילה be careful, even with two pots. |
| 12 | שפחות (maidservants) | Be stringent and do not leave the pots with the maidservants when no Jew is home (and he is not coming and going). Rama: if a maidservant put something forbidden in the pot, do not feed it to her (so as not to habituate her). |
| 13 | mold forgotten at the goy's | A Jew who made cheeses at a goy's and sealed them with a wooden mold he forgot there → no fear the goy will counterfeit others, nor that he smoothed their faces with lard. Rama: י״א to permit only if he left the mold resting on the cheeses; otherwise, fear of a swap (small→large) → forbidden; במקום הפסד one permits. |
Le-ma'asse (one or two seals). For a product whose prohibition would be biblical (meat, wine) sent via a non-Jew without supervision, one expects two seals lekhatchila; bediavad, a single seal from a non-Jew suffices (ר״ת). For a rabbinic prohibition (bread, cheese, vinegar), a single seal lekhatchila. If you will see your own seal again (the מפקיד case), one may suffice. Knowing whether your case is חבי״ת or חמפ״ג, and lekhatchila or bediavad, is a question of fact — To apply this to your situation, consult your Rav.
| Device | Worth how many seals? | Source |
|---|---|---|
| One engraved / written letter | 1 seal | Mehaber s.3 |
| Two letters | 2 seals | Mehaber s.3 |
| Stamped mold (דפוס), even with several letters | 1 only (set at once) | Mehaber s.3 |
| Key + seal | 2 seals | Mehaber s.4 |
| Key alone (for an item needing 1 seal) | not a seal | Mehaber s.4 |
| A sack simply sewn/closed | not even 1 seal (unless the seams are turned inward) | Rama s.4 |
| Sealed item + sealed sack | 2 seals | Rama s.4 |
Le-ma'asse (what is a seal). An effective seal is a device that cannot be reproduced identically without leaving a trace: a recognizable mark, two marks for two seals, a whole mold counting only as one. A merely closed sack is not a seal. To know whether your packaging "makes a seal," and how many seals it is worth — To apply this to your situation, consult your Rav.
The Rama (after the Terumat HaDeshen, from the Acheri / פג״ה) draws the line: the other pieces sent with the thigh, if a swap is to be feared, are forbidden — but only for meat / a biblical prohibition. For a rabbinic prohibition (cheeses), if he recognizes some that were not swapped and they are the best he sent → all permitted: for had he swapped, the goy would have taken the best. The stringency of the mark is thus calibrated to the gravity of the prohibition.
Le-ma'asse (the marks). A mark holds if it is specific and hard to reproduce (the ניקור of Israel), not if it is commonplace (the mere trace of שחיטה). The nikkur mark is only a bediavad aid, and its reach depends on the gravity of the prohibition (biblical meat vs rabbinic cheese). Recognizing an authentic ניקור takes a trained eye — To apply this to your situation, consult your Rav.
| Situation | Status | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| No seal, but in a frequented passage (מעבר לרבים) | Permitted (bediavad); לכתחילה seal it | The goy fears a passerby who would take him for a thief (Mehaber s.7) |
| Sent via an עם הארץ (not מוחזק) | He is נאמן; no suspicion of a swap | Mehaber s.8; even the servants (עבדי ישראל) |
| Courier suspected of eating what is wrongly permitted | Also suspect of swapping → not נאמן | Yesh mi she-omer (s.8) |
Le-ma'asse (trust). Two pillars: מירתת (the non-Jew does not dare commit fraud if he can be caught) and the נאמנות of an ordinary Jewish courier. But these are bediavad aids: lekhatchila, one seals. Assessing whether a place is "frequented," whether a courier is reliable, is a matter of judgment — To apply this to your situation, consult your Rav.
Le-ma'asse (goy alone, maidservants). As long as the non-Jew can be caught (יוצא ונכנס, an unannounced absence), one does not fear a swap — unless he knows one will be away long. If he has no gain in fraud, the fear lapses. But lekhatchila one does not leave a kosher kitchen unsupervised, and one is stringent with regular staff. Judging "comes and goes," "profits or not," "announced or not," is a matter of fact — To apply this to your situation, consult your Rav.
Le-ma'asse (the mold, the false seal). A seal holds only if its tool stays out of reach of whoever could counterfeit it; a mold left at a non-Jew's undermines every seal it bears. In case of loss (הפסד), one is more lenient. Assessing the real risk of counterfeiting a stamp is a question of fact — To apply this to your situation, consult your Rav.
Method note. The responsa that follow (Yabia Omer, Yalkut Yossef) extend the principles of siman 118 above to modern cases of certification and transport. They are not in the corpus of the siman; they are cited as recognized streams of psika, to be confirmed with a Rav before any application.
| Concrete case | Sephardic orientation (to verify) |
|---|---|
| A sealed kosher product delivered by a non-Jew | The seal + the hekhsher label = one (or two) חותם depending on the gravity of the prohibition (חבי״ת / חמפ״ג); ר״ת invoked bediavad. |
| A "כשר" label on a product (seif 9) | Counts as a kosher חותם if one need not fear counterfeiting of the דפוסים; hence the control of stamps by the certifier. |
| Cheese / meat without continuous supervision | נאמנות of the Jewish courier (seif 8); מעבר לרבים and מירתת as bediavad supports. |
| Non-Jewish staff alone in the kitchen | יוצא ונכנס (seif 10); stringency lekhatchila, especially for regular staff (seif 12). |
Method note. Same remark: these streams extend the Rama and the nossei kelim; they are cited as landmarks of psika, to be confirmed with a Rav.
| Concrete case | Ashkenazi orientation (to verify) |
|---|---|
| Two seals or one | חבי״ת (דאורייתא) → 2 lekhatchila; חמפ״ג (דרבנן) → 1; via a non-Jew, 1 bediavad (ר״ת). |
| Sack / packaging as a seal | A sewn sack does not "seal" unless the seams are turned inward (Rama s.4); a modern tamper-evident seal approximates it. |
| Mold / stamp left accessible | Fear of counterfeiting (seifim 9, 13) → the label is worth only as much as its controlled tool. |
| Goy alone in the kitchen | יוצא ונכנס permits bediavad; lekhatchila one does not leave it unsupervised. |
| Modern case | Tool of the siman | Orientation (to confirm with the Rav) |
|---|---|---|
| Tamper-evident seal + hekhsher label on a kosher product | Seif 1, 3-4 (חותם; one or two) | The shrink-wrap seal + the label = the classic double seal; one or two depending on whether the prohibition would be biblical (meat/wine — חבי״ת) or rabbinic (חמפ״ג). A merely closed sack does not "seal" (s.4). |
| Delivery / transport of kosher food by a non-Jewish courier (courier, caterer, Amazon) | Seif 7-8 (מירתת; נאמנות) | Seal + mark + traceability; a מפקיד "who will see his seal again" → responsibility/traceability. מעבר לרבים and מירתת as bediavad supports; לכתחילה seal. |
| The hekhsher symbol as a kosher חותם; counterfeiting of stamps / דפוסים | Seif 9, 13 (written "כשר"; mold) | The label is worth a חותם / סימן if it is not imitable; hence the control of stamps and matrices by the certifying body (a mold left accessible undermines every seal). |
| Non-Jewish staff alone in a kosher kitchen (cleaning, workers, deliverers) | Seif 10-12 (יוצא ונכנס; שפחות) | מירתת as long as one can supervise unexpectedly; do not announce a long absence; greater stringency for regular staff (s.12). |
Le-ma'asse. These situations blend questions of fact — which product (a biblical or rabbinic prohibition), which packaging, who sealed it, is the stamp controlled, can the non-Jew be caught, does he have an interest in swapping — that only your Rav can decide upon seeing the case. The practical rule: reconstruct precisely what is entrusted, to whom, with what seal or mark, and who can supervise it, then To apply this to your situation, consult your Rav.
| Tool | Measure (in practice) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| חותם — biblical prohibition (חבי״ת) | 2 seals lekhatchila; 1 from a non-Jew bediavad | ר״ת (Rama s.1); a מפקיד who will see his seal → 1 |
| חותם — rabbinic prohibition (חמפ״ג) | 1 seal | Vinegar, מורייס, bread, cheese (Mehaber s.1) |
| What "makes a seal" | 1 letter = 1, 2 letters = 2, דפוס = 1; key+seal = 2 | A sewn sack ≠ a seal unless seams turned in (s.3-4) |
| סימן (mark) | nikkur of Israel → kosher bediavad; שחיטה → no | Stricter for a biblical prohibition (Rama s.5-6) |
| מירתת — public place | מעבר לרבים → permitted bediavad | Even where only goyim pass (Taz s.k. 10) |
| נאמנות — Jewish courier | עם הארץ נאמן; a suspect one → not | Mehaber + yesh mi she-omer (s.8) |
| A goy left alone | יוצא ונכנס → permitted; announced → forbidden | If he does not profit → permitted in any case (s.10) |
| Mold / stamp accessible to the goy | Fear of counterfeiting → control of the tool | במקום הפסד one permits (s.9, 13) |
| Posek | Decisive contribution (anchored in the corpus) |
|---|---|
| Mehaber (seifim 1-13) | One or two seals (חבי״ת / חמפ״ג); what makes a seal (letter, דפוס, key); the ניקור as a siman, not the שחיטה; מעבר לרבים and the עם הארץ's נאמנות; a goy left alone (יוצא ונכנס); two pots; the forgotten mold. |
| Rama (הגה) | ר״ת — a single seal from a non-Jew suffices (seif 1, bediavad); a sack is not a seal unless seams are turned in (s.4); דאורייתא / דרבנן in the nikkur mark (s.5); cheeses sealed in the Jewish manner, fear of the דפוסים (s.9); a maidservant not to be habituated (s.12); the mold resting on the cheeses, הפסד (s.13). |
| Taz (Turei Zahav, s.k. 1-12) | s.k. 1: חבי״ת / חמפ״ג, ta'amim Rashi vs Rashba (דאורייתא / דרבנן); s.k. 2: "ישראל חשוד" גרע מעכו״ם (cf. סי' פ״ו); s.k. 3: the Tosafot question מפתח וחותם, תירוץ ר״ת; s.k. 4: bediavad בזמן הזה כ״ע מודים; s.k. 8: ירך = דיעבד only (טביעת עין סי' ס״ג); s.k. 9: תרנגולת with a recognized ניקור; s.k. 10: מעבר לרבים even where only goyim pass (סי' קכ״ט ס״ד); s.k. 12: "אפילו שתי קדירות" — תערובת גופים. |
| Shach (Siftei Kohen) | s.k. 1: meat requires חותם בתוך חותם even where the butchers are Jewish; distinction from סי' א' ס״ד. One relies on Taz + Rama + PT. |
| Pri Hadash (פר״ח) | A foundational acharon on this siman, in the line of the Beit Yossef and the Taz on seals and trust. |
| Pitchei Teshuva (s.k. 1-7) | s.k. 1: חלב טמא — מין במינו (in fact דרבנן → 1 seal, Shach); s.k. 2: חמאה without a seal permitted (מהר״י הלוי; סי' קכ״ז); s.k. 3: שמש צדקה, goose necks מלאים בשר with only a "פסח" label; s.k. 4: a damaged seal (Noda BiYehuda); s.k. 6: תרנגולת הובהבה as a Jew does (סי' ס״ח); s.k. 7: a maidservant להכעיס vs להנאתה (תפארת למשה). |
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