Siman 122 — Notén taam lifgam — a taste that spoils, in vessels

Seif 1 of Siman 122 is four words long: a taste that spoils the food it falls into does not render it forbidden. The principle comes from the baraita in Avodah Zarah, where the halacha follows רבי שמעון — « לְשֶׁבַח — אָסוּר, וְלִפְגָם — מוּתָּר » (עבודה זרה ס״ז ע״ב). The siman's title defines the field: בכלים, in vessels — a spoiling taste from one food fallen into another is dealt with in Siman 103, and the Shach opens our siman by sending the reader there (ש״ך יו״ד קכ״ב ס״ק א). For halacha le-ma'aseh, consult your Rav.

According to seif 2, a pot in which twenty-four hours have passed since the prohibited food cooked in it — מעת לעת משנתבשלו בה האיסור — is נותן טעם לפגם. And even so the Sages forbade cooking in it לכתחלה, גזירה אטו בת יומא, lest it be confused with a pot of that very day — whether the wall absorbed prohibited food and one wishes to cook permitted food in it, or it absorbed milk and one wishes to cook meat in it, or the reverse. A spoiled taste therefore permits בדיעבד, never לכתחלה. For halacha le-ma'aseh, consult your Rav.

Two things, both in seif 3. First, prohibited matter left בעין: the pot is deemed spoiled only if it was well rinsed and all the forbidden fat stuck to it is gone; whatever was not absorbed does not spoil with waiting. Second, a sharp food: according to the Rama, with sharp foods the rule of נותן טעם לפגם is not said — a dish mainly of vinegar, spices or other sharp things is forbidden, but an ordinary dish is not called sharp for a little spice in it, and such is the custom. Conversely, if it was the original prohibited food that was sharp and a non-sharp permitted food is cooked in the pot twenty-four hours later — that is permitted. For halacha le-ma'aseh, consult your Rav.

Because seifim 6 and 7 lay down two presumptions: סתם כלי עובד כוכבים הם בחזקת שאינם בני יומן, and likewise סתם כלים שלנו. So if one transgressed and used the vessel before kashering it, the dish is permitted. The Shach and the Taz explain the mechanism: it is a ספק ספיקא — perhaps they did not use it today, and even if they did, perhaps with something that spoils (ש״ך יו״ד קכ״ב ס״ק ד ; ט״ז יו״ד קכ״ב ס״ק ד). Two doubts suffice after the fact; one does not suffice in advance, which is why cooking in it לכתחלה remains forbidden. For halacha le-ma'aseh, consult your Rav.

Seif 9 teaches that one should avoid leaving meal vessels in a non-Jew's house, lest he use them; even when given to a craftsman for repair the Rama requires putting a mark on them, failing which they need הגעלה on return — and only if they stayed about half a day, for a short while is no concern. As for buying, seif 11 permits buying vessels a non-Jew says are new מסיח לפי תומו when it appears to be as he says; the Rama reports that some are stricter and take vessels only when he sells many of them and one buys a vessel among the others — such is the custom לכתחלה, but in a pressing situation we follow the first opinion. For halacha le-ma'aseh, consult your Rav.