✦ ❖ ✦ 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 118 — Food Sent or Entrusted via a Non-Jew
חותמות וסימנים בדבר הנשלח ביד עכו״ם
One or two seals (חבי״ת / חמפ״ג), what counts as a חותם, the סימנים (ניקור, letter, דפוס), the courier's trust (נאמנות) and the fear of being caught (מירתת — מעבר לרבים, יוצא ונכנס)
Structured review, master grid, fast memorization
Source: Shulchan Aroukh, Yoreh De'ah קי״ח — 13 seifim
Nossei kelim: ש״ך (Shach) · ט״ז (Taz) · פר״ח (Pri Hadash) · 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: guaranteeing the kashrut of food entrusted to a non-Jew
- The 3 reflex questions: seal · siman · trust / fear (מירתת)
- The master grid: one or two seals (חבי״ת / חמפ״ג)
- The 5 golden rules
- Mnemonic — the "HOTAM" memory aid
- The 4 classic pitfalls
- Recap of the 13 seifim — one line each
- Final flashcard
1. The axiom: guaranteeing the kashrut of food entrusted to a non-Jew
The starting point:
Siman 118 deals with kosher food entrusted (מפקיד) or sent (שולח) through a non-Jew, without continuous supervision. The concern: that the non-Jew swaps it (חליפין) for something forbidden. The answer: three tools. חותמות (seals he cannot forge), סימנים (recognition marks — ניקור, a letter, a shape), and נאמנות / מירתת (the non-Jew fears being caught, so he dares not). The Mehaber (seif 1) rules: wine, meat, a piece of fish with no siman → two seals (שני חותמות); any prohibition מדברי סופרים (cooked wine, beer, vinegar, milk, bread, cheese) → one.
| Tool | Mechanism | When |
|---|
| חותמות (seals) | One or two by product (חבי״ת / חמפ״ג) | Entrusted / sent with no other sign |
| סימנים (signs) | Recognized ניקור, letter, shape — he identifies the item itself | A piece of meat, the best cheeses |
| נאמנות / מירתת | The non-Jew fears being caught → he does not swap | מעבר לרבים, יוצא ונכנס, עם הארץ |
💡 The marker: this siman is not about a non-Jew's cooking, but about controlling the swap. Either the item is sealed (a חותם he cannot reproduce), or it bears a siman the Jew recognizes, or the non-Jew fears swapping (because he could be caught). Without any of the three → we fear a swap, hence forbidden.
2. The 3 reflex questions
■ HOW MANY SEALS? (חותם / חותם בתוך חותם) — does the item bear a seal (חותם) the non-Jew cannot reproduce? For wine / meat / fish with no siman → two are needed (חבי״ת); for rabbinic prohibitions (חמפ״ג) → one (seif 1).
↓ otherwise, a siman?
■ IS THERE A SIMAN? (ניקור / letter / shape) — failing a seal, does the Jew recognize the item: the ניקור of a thigh cut as he cuts it, a letter, the דפוס of a cheese? The siman takes the place of a seal (seif 3, 5).
↓ otherwise, does the non-Jew fear?
■ DOES THE NON-JEW FEAR? (מירתת / נאמנות) — without seal or siman: sent through a busy thoroughfare (מעבר לרבים), or left with a non-Jew who comes and goes (יוצא ונכנס), or entrusted to an עם הארץ → he fears being caught → permitted (seif 7, 8, 10).
⚖ The "one or two seals" grid (seif 1)
חבי״ת = two seals (חמרא / בשׂר / יין נסך / תירוש — i.e. wine, meat, fish). חמפ״ג = one (חומץ / מורייס / פת / גבינה — vinegar, מורייס, bread, cheese, plus cooked wine, beer, milk: every prohibition מדברי סופרים). Two reasons for the distinction: Rashi — דמיו יקרים / חיבת נסך (wine and meat "are costly" or carry חיבה); Rashba — חבי״ת = a Torah-level concern, חמפ״ג = rabbinic. Rama: some say the two seals only concern a suspect Jew; via a non-Jew one seal suffices for everything (Rabbeinu Tam) — and bedi'avad we rely on this.
3. The master grid: one or two seals (חבי״ת / חמפ״ג)
An absolute must to memorize. Basis: Mehaber seif 1-5, read with the Rama, the Taz (s.k. 1-5) and the Shach (s.k. 1).
| Situation | Decisive criterion | Result |
|---|
| Wine, meat, fish with no siman (חבי״ת) |
Torah-level concern / costly |
🔴 Two seals (שני חותמות) |
| Vinegar, מורייס, bread, cheese, milk (חמפ״ג) |
Prohibition מדברי סופרים |
🟡 One seal |
| A מפקיד who will see his seal again (some say) |
he fears (מירתת) |
🟢 One seal suffices even for חבי״ת |
| Sent via a non-Jew (Rama, Rabbeinu Tam) |
a non-Jew is not suspected |
🟢 One seal for everything (bedi'avad) |
| One letter / two letters written |
1 letter = 1 seal, 2 = 2 seals |
🟡 Counts by the number of letters |
| Stamped mold (דפוס), even with several letters |
impressed in one go |
🔴 One seal (not several) |
| Key + seal |
two distinct mechanisms |
🟢 Two seals; but a key alone ≠ seal |
| A sack (שק) sewn / closed |
Rama: not even one seal |
🔴 Unless the seams are turned inward |
📌 Key reading: for how many seals, first ask חבי״ת or חמפ״ג (Torah-level = 2, rabbinic = 1), then by whom the item is sent (a non-Jew → 1 per Rabbeinu Tam, bedi'avad). For what counts as a seal, remember: a letter = counts by letter, but a דפוס = one only, a key alone and a sewn sack are not seals.
4. The 5 golden rules
- חבי״ת = 2 seals, חמפ״ג = 1. Wine, meat, fish with no siman → two; every prohibition מדברי סופרים → one (Mehaber seif 1; Taz s.k. 1).
- Via a non-Jew, one seal suffices for everything (Rabbeinu Tam) — bedi'avad; but a suspect Jew requires the double (Rama seif 1).
- The siman takes the place of a seal. A thigh cut as the Jew cuts it after נטילת הגיד, the recognized ניקור (חוט דידא, חוט שאצל החזה) → kosher without a seal (Mehaber seif 5).
- A דפוס = 1 seal, not several. One letter = 1 seal, two = 2; but a mold impressed in one go, even with several letters, counts only as one (Mehaber seif 3).
- מירתת: a non-Jew who fears being caught does not swap. מעבר לרבים, יוצא ונכנס, עם הארץ → permitted even without a seal (Mehaber seif 7, 8, 10).
5. Mnemonic — the "HOTAM" memory aid
"H-O-T-A-M" — after the חותם (seal) of seif 1
- Havit / Hamfag: חבי״ת = two seals, חמפ״ג = one (the base grid).
- On a non-Jew's hand: sent via a non-Jew → one seal suffices (Rabbeinu Tam, bedi'avad).
- Traces / siman: recognized ניקור, a letter, a shape take the place of a seal.
- Attention to the דפוס: a mold impressed in one go = 1 seal, not several.
- Mirtat: the non-Jew fears being caught (מעבר לרבים, יוצא ונכנס) → permitted.
The ladder of trust without a seal (seif 7-10)
- מעבר לרבים (busy thoroughfare) → permitted: he fears a passerby will see him
- עם הארץ courier → trusted, even if not established in kashrut
- יוצא ונכנס (comes and goes) → permitted: "he may come in now and see me"
- הודיע שישהה (announces a long absence) → forbidden (he no longer fears)
6. The 4 classic pitfalls
❌ Pitfall 1 — Thinking one seal always suffices: for חבי״ת (wine, meat, fish with no siman) sent via a suspect Jew, you need two seals (חותם בתוך חותם), not one. One suffices only for חמפ״ג (rabbinic prohibitions) or — bedi'avad — when a non-Jew carries it (Rabbeinu Tam). Never generalize "one seal and it's fine" (seif 1).
❌ Pitfall 2 — Confusing Torah-level and rabbinic: the number of seals follows the severity of the prohibition (Rashba). חבי״ת = a Torah-level concern (wine of libation, נבילה meat) → two; חמפ״ג = rabbinic (bread, cheese, beer) → one. Likewise for the ניקור (seif 5): for a Torah-level prohibition (meat), a piece with no siman whose swap is feared is forbidden; for a rabbinic one (cheeses), if he recognizes some and they are the best → all permitted.
❌ Pitfall 3 — Forgetting the מירתת and the public place: food sent without a seal is not necessarily forbidden. Through a מעבר לרבים (seif 7) the non-Jew fears a passerby will catch him; left with a non-Jew who is יוצא ונכנס (seif 10), he fears "he may come in now and see me." But if he announced he would stay, he no longer fears → forbidden. And le-chatchila one should not send without a seal.
❌ Pitfall 4 — A דפוס = one seal, not several: a written letter = 1 seal, two letters = 2 seals (seif 3). But a stamped mold (דפוס), even bearing several letters, is impressed in one go → it counts only as one seal. Do not read a three-letter דפוס as "three seals." And where מומרים / כותים know how to write, the writing is a siman only for one who recognizes it.
For the halacha le-ma'aseh, consult your Rav.
7. Recap of the 13 seifim — one line each
| Seif | Topic | The essential |
|---|
| 1 | One or two seals (חבי״ת / חמפ״ג) | Wine, meat, fish with no siman → two seals; cooked wine, beer, vinegar, milk, מורייס, bread, cheese (prohibition מדברי סופרים) → one. Reasons: Rashi (דמיו יקרים / חיבת נסך); Rashba (חבי״ת = Torah-level, חמפ״ג = rabbinic). Some say: a מפקיד who will see his seal again → 1. Rama: a non-Jew → 1 suffices for everything (Rabbeinu Tam), bedi'avad. |
| 2 | No need to re-check | Once well sealed, no need to re-check; but if he re-checks and no longer recognizes the seal → forbidden, even with 2 seals (cf. סי' ק״ל ס״ח). Rama: only if there is reason to fear a swap the non-Jew profits from, or for wine (נגיעה); otherwise no concern even with a damaged seal. |
| 3 | What counts as a seal (letter / דפוס) | One letter = 1 seal, two letters = 2 seals; the stamped molds (דפוסים), even with several letters, = 1 only (impressed in one go). Some say: where מומרים/כותים know how to write, the writing is a siman only for one who recognizes it (cf. ק״ל ס״ו). |
| 4 | Key and seal; the sack | Key and seal = 2 seals; but 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 both the item and the sack = 2 seals. |
| 5 | The siman of the ניקור | A thigh (ירך) sent without a seal, if cut as the Jew cuts it after נטילת הגיד → kosher; any piece in which the Jew's ניקור is recognized (חוט דידא, חוט שאצל החזה). Rama: the other pieces, if a swap is feared, are forbidden — for meat (Torah-level); but for a rabbinic prohibition (cheeses), if he recognizes some that were not swapped and they are the best → all permitted. |
| 6 | A slaughtered animal / bird without a seal | A slaughtered animal or bird sent without a seal → forbidden (the mark of שחיטה is not a reliable siman; the non-Jew too knows how to slaughter). |
| 7 | A public place (מעבר לרבים) | Sent without a seal through a busy thoroughfare → permitted (the non-Jew fears a passerby will see him and take him for a thief); but le-chatchila one should not send without a seal (cf. סי' קכ״ט ס״ד). |
| 8 | The courier's trust (עם הארץ) | One who buys meat and sends it via an עם הארץ → the latter is trusted, even if not established in kashrut; we do not suspect a swap; even a Jew's servants. Some say: one suspect of eating things wrongly permitted is also suspect of swapping. |
| 9 | Found with a non-Jew bearing a seal / "כשר" | Meat/cheese found with a non-Jew bearing a seal or "כשר" written, even without knowing who wrote it → kosher (we know it is from a Jew), provided there are no non-Jews there who know how to write. Rama: one may buy cheeses sealed in the Jewish manner; only where there is no fear the דפוסים remained with non-Jews; some forbid; bedi'avad one should not be strict. |
| 10 | Leaving a non-Jew alone (יוצא ונכנס) | Leaving a non-Jew alone with things whose swap would be Torah-level: if he comes and goes (יוצא ונכנס), or stayed a long time without announcing he would stay and without locking up → permitted (he fears "he may come in now and see me"), even if he profits from the swap; but if he announced he would stay → forbidden; if he does not profit → permitted in all cases (cf. ר״ס קכ״ט). |
| 11 | Two pots side by side | Two pots (a Jew + a non-Jew, one kosher meat, the other נבילה) → permitted; we do not fear a swap when the Jew turns away, even if his is better, even uncovered (no fear of splashing) — likewise two roasts; but le-chatchila one should be careful, even for 2 pots. |
| 12 | שפחות (maidservants) | Be strict and do not leave the pots with the maidservants in the Jew's absence (and when he is not coming and going). Rama: if a maidservant put a forbidden item in the pot, do not let her eat it (so as not to accustom her to it). |
| 13 | A mold (דפוס) forgotten with the non-Jew | A Jew who made cheeses at a non-Jew's, sealed with a wooden mold he forgot there → we do not fear the non-Jew will forge others or that he smoothed the faces with pork. Rama: some say to permit only if he left the mold resting on his cheeses; otherwise fear of a swap (small→large) → forbidden; in a case of loss (במקום הפסד) we permit. |
8. Final flashcard
| Question | Reflex answer | Source |
|---|
| Wine / meat / fish with no siman, via a suspect Jew? | Two seals (חבי״ת) | Mehaber seif 1; Taz s.k. 1 |
| Vinegar, bread, cheese (חמפ״ג)? | One seal (rabbinic prohibition) | Mehaber seif 1 |
| Sent via a non-Jew? | One seal suffices for everything (Rabbeinu Tam, bedi'avad) | Rama seif 1 |
| How much does a multi-letter דפוס count? | One seal (impressed in one go) | Mehaber seif 3 |
| A thigh without a seal, ניקור recognized? | Kosher (the siman takes the place of a seal) | Mehaber seif 5 |
| A slaughtered bird sent without a seal? | Forbidden (the שחיטה is not a siman) | Mehaber seif 6 |
| Without a seal, through a מעבר לרבים? | Permitted (the non-Jew fears being seen) | Mehaber seif 7 |
| A non-Jew alone, יוצא ונכנס? | Permitted; but if he announced he would stay → forbidden | Mehaber seif 10 |
| A mold (דפוס) forgotten with the non-Jew? | Permitted if resting on the cheeses; else fear of a swap | Mehaber + Rama seif 13 |
⚖ The reflex in 3 questions
- Seal? חבי״ת = two, חמפ״ג = one; a non-Jew → one suffices (Rabbeinu Tam, bedi'avad). The דפוס counts only as one.
- Siman? A recognized ניקור, a letter, a shape take the place of a seal; for cheeses, recognizing the best suffices.
- נאמנות / מירתת? מעבר לרבים, עם הארץ, יוצא ונכנס → permitted; but if he announced a long absence → forbidden.
For the halacha le-ma'aseh, consult your Rav.
🎓 Recap of the study path
| Level | Content | Acquired |
|---|
| 🌱 Level 1 — Base |
Text of the 13 seifim, translation, clear tables |
Overall understanding |
| ⚡ Level 2 — Lamdan |
Yesod of חותם בתוך חותם, the Rashi vs Rashba reason (Torah-level / rabbinic), the Tosafot question of מפתח וחותם and Rabbeinu Tam's answer, the yesod of מירתת |
In-depth study |
| ✨ Level 3 — Synthesis |
Master grid, golden rules, mnemonic, pitfalls, recap of the seifim |
Practical mastery + review |
| 📜 Level 4 — Halacha le-ma'aseh |
Kosher seals, delivery by a courier, control of the stamps, non-Jewish staff in the kitchen |
Contemporary application |
💡 Suggested next steps:
- Re-read Siman קי״ח in the original Choulhan Aroukh (Hebrew) with the Shach and the Taz
- Study the adjacent Simanim: 63 (ניקור), 86, 127 (חמאה — butter sent without a seal), 129 (leaving a non-Jew alone / מעבר לרבים), 130 (חותמות — doubled seifim)
- Delve into the yesod of מירתת (the fear of being caught) and the machloket on the number of seals
- Discuss personal cases with a Rav (kosher seals, delivery, non-Jewish staff) — 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״ח · Level 3 — Synthesis / Review · חותמות וסימנים בדבר הנשלח ביד עכו״ם
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