✦ ❖ ✦ 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 94 — Dipping a Dairy Spoon into a Meat Pot
דִּין הַתּוֹחֵב כַּף חוֹלֶבֶת בִּקְדֵרָה שֶׁל בָּשָׂר
The spoon (כף) ben yomo and assessing the sixty against what was dipped, נותן טעם בר נותן טעם of heter, the knife (סכין) cutting hot meat, קליפה, הגעלה and נעיצה
Structured review, master grid, fast memorization
Source: Shulchan Aroukh, Yoreh De'ah צ״ד — 9 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: the spoon (כף) that is dipped — we assess against what was dipped
- The 3 reflex questions: ben yomo · is there 60 · how many dippings
- The master grid: ben yomo / not ben yomo, 60 or not, נ״ט בר נ״ט
- The 5 golden rules
- Mnemonic — the "KAPaF" memory aid
- The 4 classic pitfalls
- Recap of the 9 seifim — one line each
- Final flashcard
1. The axiom: the spoon (כף) that is dipped — we assess against what was dipped
The starting point:
Siman 94 deals with a utensil (no longer a food) that carries the taste of one kind into the other: one dips a dairy spoon (כף חולבת) into a meat pot — or the reverse. The governing question: against what do we assess the sixty, and is the spoon ben yomo? The Mehaber (seif 1) rules: we assess the sixty against only the part that was dipped into the pot (מְשַׁעֲרִים בְּכָל מַה שֶּׁנִּתְחַב), provided the spoon is ben yomo, i.e. used in a kli rishon within 24 hours. One view ("some say") assesses against the whole metal spoon on the strength of "חַם מִקְצָתוֹ חַם כֻּלּוֹ" (partly hot = wholly hot) — but the Rama rules: the first opinion is the עיקר, "וכן נוהגין".
| Path | First view (עיקר — the custom) | "Some say" (rejected) |
|---|
| Against what do we assess the 60? | Against the dipped part only (שנתחב) | Against the whole metal spoon |
| The reasoning | We don't know how much it emits → assume up to the top | חַם מִקְצָתוֹ חַם כֻּלּוֹ (metal) |
| The halakha (Rama) | עיקר · "וכן נוהגין" (see siman 98) | Not accepted |
💡 The marker: this siman no longer speaks of a "piece" nor of the "צירוף of the pot" as in 92, but of a spoon / a utensil that carries the taste. Two axes govern everything: (a) against what is the 60 measured — against the dipped part; and (b) is the spoon ben yomo — used in a kli rishon within 24 hours. The whole siman declines these two axes (spoon, new pot, honey, knife, cheese).
2. The 3 reflex questions
■ BEN YOMO? (בן יומו) — was the spoon used in a kli rishon within 24 hours? Ben yomo → it forbids even bedieved (seif 1, 3). Not ben yomo → forbidden only lechatchila; bedieved it does not forbid (seif 4).
↓ we look at the measure
■ IS THERE 60? (ששים נגד הנתחב) — is there 60 against the dipped part of the spoon? With 60 → pot and dish permitted, but the spoon stays forbidden (seif 3). Without 60 → everything forbidden even בהנאה; one may nonetheless put fruit / cold food in it (seif 3).
↓ we look at the number of dippings
■ HOW MANY DIPPINGS? (פעם / פעמיים) — dipped twice with nothing known in between → one requires 2 × 60; but the custom (Rama / Teroumat ha-Deshen) follows those content with a single 60 (seif 2).
⚖ Against what do we measure (seif 1, Shach s.k. 1)?
We assess the sixty against the part of the spoon dipped into the pot, since we do not know exactly how much it emits (לא ידעינן כמה נפיק מינה). If one does not know how far the spoon was dipped → we assume it was dipped up to its top (עד ראש הכף, Shach in the name of the Maharchal). We do not rule by "חם כולו": the metal is not deemed hot in its entirety here (וכן נוהגין).
3. The master grid: ben yomo / not ben yomo, 60 or not, נ״ט בר נ״ט
An absolute must to memorize. Basis: Mehaber seifim 1-5, read with the Rama, the Taz (s.k. 1-2, 6, 12) and the Shach (s.k. 1, 3).
| Situation | Decisive criterion | Result |
|---|
| Dairy spoon dipped into the meat pot |
60 against the dipped part (שנתחב) |
🟢 Pot / dish permitted; but the spoon forbidden (seif 1, 3) |
| Spoon ben yomo (24 h, kli rishon) |
בן יומו |
🔴 Forbidden even bedieved; re-dipped → forbidden (seif 3) |
| Spoon not ben yomo |
אינו בן יומו |
🟡 Forbidden lechatchila only; bedieved permitted (seif 4) |
| No 60 against the dipped part |
אין ששים |
🔴 Everything forbidden even בהנאה (the pot included) |
| Without 60 — but putting fruit / cold food in it |
One does not benefit from the body of the prohibition |
🟢 Permitted (fruit, cold) despite no 60 (seif 3) |
| Dipped 2× with nothing known in between |
2 × 60 vs the custom: 1× 60 |
🟡 By law 2×60; custom (Rama): 1×60 suffices (seif 2) |
| NEW pot + 2 spoons, never 60 in the water |
נותן טעם בר נותן טעם דהיתרא |
🟢 Bedieved permitted; cooking other foods OK (seif 5) |
| Honey cooked in a meat pan → dairy bowl |
נ״ט בר נ״ט דהיתרא |
🟢 Permitted (taste of a permitted taste) (seif 9) |
📌 Key reading: first ask is the spoon ben yomo (if not, forbidden lechatchila only). Then is there 60 against the dipped part (if not, forbidden even בהנאה, fruit/cold aside). And whenever a permitted taste has passed through a neutral intermediary (water, pot, utensil) before reaching the other kind, it is נותן טעם בר נותן טעם דהיתרא → bedieved permitted.
4. The 5 golden rules
- "מְשַׁעֲרִים בְּכָל מַה שֶּׁנִּתְחַב". We assess the 60 against the dipped part of the spoon, not against the whole spoon; we do not rule "חם כולו" (Mehaber + Rama seif 1, Shach s.k. 1, see siman 98).
- בן יומו = the bedieved criterion. A spoon used in a kli rishon within 24 h → forbidden even bedieved; not ben yomo → forbidden lechatchila only (seif 1, 3, 4).
- 60 → everything permitted except the spoon. With 60 against the dipped part: pot and dish permitted, but the spoon stays forbidden (saturated with bassar be-halav). Without 60 → everything forbidden even בהנאה, but fruit / cold permitted (seif 3).
- נ״ט בר נ״ט דהיתרא. A permitted taste passed through a neutral intermediary (water, new pot, pan) does not forbid bedieved; the theme of seifim 5 and 9 (new pot, honey).
- סכין: hot meat → 60 against the spot of the knife; otherwise קליפה. A dairy knife cutting boiling meat (kli rishon): without 60 against the spot → the whole slice forbidden, and the knife requires הגעלה; a knife not ben yomo → קליפה only; in kli sheni → קליפה for the meat, נעיצה for the knife (seif 7).
5. Mnemonic — the "KAPaF" memory aid
"K-A-P-a-F" — after the כף (spoon) of seif 1
- Kli ben yomo: used in a kli rishon within 24 h → the bedieved criterion.
- A plate: with 60, pot and dish permitted — only the spoon stays forbidden.
- Part dipped: we assess the 60 against what was dipped (שנתחב), not against everything.
- Filter the permitted taste: נ״ט בר נ״ט דהיתרא (water, new pot, honey) → bedieved permitted.
The ladder of the knife (סכין, seif 7)
- kli rishon, ben yomo, no 60 → all forbidden; knife → הגעלה
- kli rishon, ben yomo, 60 against the spot → permitted
- not ben yomo → קליפה only (and a little for the שמנונית)
- kli sheni → meat: קליפה · knife: נעיצה (thrust it into the ground)
6. The 4 classic pitfalls
❌ Pitfall 1 — Assessing against the whole spoon: the "some say" view (חם מקצתו חם כולו, the whole metal spoon) is not the halakha. We assess the 60 against the dipped part only (Rama: "עיקר · וכן נוהגין"). And if one does not know how far the spoon was dipped → we assume up to the top of the spoon (Shach s.k. 1, in the name of the Maharchal), no further.
❌ Pitfall 2 — Confusing ben yomo and not ben yomo: only a bat yoma spoon (kli rishon, 24 h) forbids even bedieved (seif 3). If it is not ben yomo, it is forbidden lechatchila only: bedieved, pot and dish are permitted, and so is the spoon (seif 4). Never treat a non-ben yomo spoon as though it had forbidden everything.
❌ Pitfall 3 — Applying חתיכה נעשית נבילה here: in seif 6, onions / vegetables saturated with meat cooked in a dairy pot → if one knows how much meat is saturated in them, one measures only 60 against that meat, not against everything. One does not say חנ״נ (Rama), since everything is still heter; one assesses only against what was saturated.
❌ Pitfall 4 — Forgetting the נ״ט בר נ״ט דהיתרא and the knife: (a) honey cooked in a bat yoma meat pan then poured hot into a bat yoma dairy bowl → permitted (taste of a permitted taste, seif 9); a new pot with two spoons → bedieved permitted (seif 5). (b) A dairy knife cutting boiling meat: without 60 against the spot → the whole slice forbidden; a knife not ben yomo → קליפה, and even then one peels a little on account of the שמנונית (grease) of the knife (seif 7).
For the halacha le-ma'aseh, consult your Rav.
7. Recap of the 9 seifim — one line each
| Seif | Topic | The essential |
|---|
| 1 | We measure against the dipped part; a metal כף | A dairy spoon dipped into the meat pot (or the reverse): we assess the 60 against the dipped part, if the spoon is ben yomo (kli rishon, 24 h). "Some": against the whole metal spoon (חם מקצתו חם כולו); but the first opinion is the עיקר, "וכן נוהגין" (Rama, see siman 98). |
| 2 | A spoon dipped twice | Dipped 2× with nothing known in between → by law, 2 × 60. Rama: some say a single 60 suffices — "וכן נוהגים" (Teroumat ha-Deshen 183). |
| 3 | There is 60 to nullify the spoon (ben yomo) | With 60 → pot and dish permitted, but the spoon forbidden (with meat or milk), since it is saturated with bassar be-halav; even bedieved it forbids as long as it is bat yoma. Without 60 → everything forbidden even בהנאה (the pot included); one may nonetheless put fruit or cold food in it. |
| 4 | A spoon not ben yomo | If the spoon is not bat yoma → pot and dish permitted, and the spoon forbidden lechatchila only; bedieved it does not forbid (it was not bat yoma). |
| 5 | NEW pot + 2 spoons; נותן טעם בר נותן טעם | New pot: water cooked + dairy spoon, then water + meat spoon, both bnei yomam, never 60 → forbidden to cook meat/milk in it, but one may cook other foods in it (new). Rama: if one transgressed and cooked meat/milk in it → permitted, it is נ״ט בר נ״ט. Vegetables/water + ben yomo spoon but the pot not bat yoma (or the reverse), or 60 in the dish → everything permitted. The custom is to be stringent (eat "on the side" of the ben yomo utensil) — but it is only a חומרא, mi-dina everything is permitted. |
| 6 | Vegetables saturated with meat in a dairy pot; no חנ״נ | Onions/vegetables saturated with meat cooked in a dairy pot: if one knows how much meat is saturated in them → only 60 against that meat. Rama: one does not say חתיכה נעשית נבילה (everything is still heter); one assesses only against what was saturated. All the more so: a dairy pot in which water was cooked within 24 h then meat → 60 against the milk saturated in the pot, not against all the water (Tour / Beit Yossef). |
| 7 | Hot meat cut with a dairy knife (סכין) | Boiling meat cut with a dairy knife: the whole slice forbidden if there is no 60 against the spot of the knife. A knife not ben yomo (or in doubt) → קליפה only. Rama: all this in a kli rishon; then a ben yomo knife without 60 → all forbidden and the knife requires הגעלה; in a kli sheni → meat קליפה, knife נעיצה (thrust into the ground). Even not ben yomo, one peels a little for the שמנונית of the knife (Tour / Sma"k). |
| 8 | Cheese fallen into a meat dish | Cheese, even moist, fallen into a panad"s oven (a meat dish), or hot cheese into a bat yoma meat bowl → it forbids only כדי קליפה (the thickness of a peel). |
| 9 | Honey cooked in a meat pan poured into a dairy bowl; נ״ט בר נ״ט | Honey cooked in a bat yoma meat pan then poured hot into a bat yoma dairy bowl → permitted, since it is נותן טעם בר נותן טעם דהיתרא (a permitted taste of a taste). |
8. Final flashcard
| Question | Reflex answer | Source |
|---|
| Against what do we assess the 60? | Against the dipped part (שנתחב), not the whole spoon | Mehaber seif 1; Shach s.k. 1 |
| Metal spoon: "חם כולו"? | Not accepted; we follow the first view "וכן נוהגין" | Rama seif 1 (siman 98) |
| Dipped twice without knowing? | By law 2×60; custom: 1×60 suffices | Mehaber + Rama seif 2 |
| There is 60 (spoon ben yomo)? | Pot/dish permitted; the spoon stays forbidden | Mehaber seif 3 |
| No 60? | Everything forbidden even בהנאה; fruit / cold permitted | Mehaber seif 3 |
| Spoon not ben yomo? | Forbidden lechatchila only; bedieved permitted | Mehaber seif 4 |
| New pot / hot honey transferred? | נ״ט בר נ״ט דהיתרא → bedieved permitted | Mehaber seif 5, 9; Rama |
| Dairy knife on boiling meat? | 60 against the spot; not ben yomo → קליפה; kli sheni → נעיצה | Mehaber + Rama seif 7 |
| Hot cheese in a meat dish? | Forbidden כדי קליפה (the thickness of a peel) | Mehaber seif 8 |
⚖ The reflex in 3 questions
- Ben yomo? Kli rishon within 24 h → forbidden even bedieved; otherwise, lechatchila only.
- Is there 60 against the dipped part? With 60 → everything permitted except the spoon; without 60 → forbidden even בהנאה (fruit/cold aside).
- A neutral intermediary? A knife? A permitted taste via water/pot/pan = נ״ט בר נ״ט → bedieved permitted; a knife on hot meat = 60 against the spot, otherwise קליפה / הגעלה / נעיצה.
For the halacha le-ma'aseh, consult your Rav.
🎓 Recap of the study path
| Level | Content | Acquired |
|---|
| 🌱 Level 1 — Base |
Text of the 9 seifim, translation, clear tables |
Overall understanding |
| ⚡ Level 2 — Lamdan |
Yesod of the שיעור against the dipped part, נותן טעם בר נותן טעם דהיתרא, the knife debate (whole blade vs the spot), חם מקצתו חם כולו |
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 צ״ד in the original Choulhan Aroukh (Hebrew) with the Shach and the Taz
- Study the adjacent Simanim: 91 (contact, salting, תתאה גבר), 92 (chalav that fell into the pot, חנ״נ), 95 (נ״ט בר נ״ט and the prohibition בעין — the egg), 96 (knife and cut foods), 98 (tasting / 60 and the measure)
- Delve into the yesod of נותן טעם בר נותן טעם דהיתרא (Hullin 111b) and the status of metal "חם מקצתו חם כולו"
- Discuss personal cases with a Rav (spoon, knife, cooktop, dishes) — 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 צ״ד · Level 3 — Synthesis / Review · דין התוחב כף חולבת בקדרה של בשר
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