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Siman 98 — A Prohibition Mixed into Permitted Food and Its Nullification
דין איסור שנתערב בהיתר ואופן ביטולו
The foundation of ביטול בששים: מין במינו / מין בשאינו מינו, the non-Jew's tasting (קפילא) and its abandonment, how to assess the sixty, the utensil that does not become נבילה, the sixty-one for the egg, the fifty-nine for the כחל, and the prohibitions that are never nullified (חמץ בפסח, יין נסך, what gives taste)
Structured review, master grid, fast memorization
Source: Shulchan Aroukh, Yoreh De'ah צ״ח — 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: a prohibition mixed into permitted food — מין במינו or מין בשאינו מינו
- The 3 reflex questions: same kind · measurable · how much
- The master grid: ביטול בששים and its variants
- The 5 golden rules
- Mnemonic — the "SHISHIM" memory aid
- The 4 classic pitfalls
- Recap of the 9 seifim — one line each
- Final flashcard
1. The axiom: a prohibition mixed into permitted food — מין במינו or מין בשאינו מינו
The starting point:
Siman 98 is the founding siman of ביטול בששים. A prohibition has been mixed into permitted food: everything first depends on whether it is מין במינו (same kind, e.g. meat in meat) or מין בשאינו מינו (a different kind, e.g. חֵלֶב — forbidden fat — in meat). In a different kind the taste is perceptible: the Mehaber (seif 1) accepts a non-Jew's tasting (קפילא) — no taste, or a degraded taste (פגום) → permitted; otherwise → one assesses by sixty. In the same kind, "ליכא למיקם אטעמא" (there is no way to judge by taste) → one assesses straightaway by sixty. The Rama rules: "אין אנו נוהגין לסמוך אטעימת עובד כוכבים" — we no longer rely on the non-Jew's tasting, and we assess everything by sixty.
| Path | מין במינו (same kind) | מין בשאינו מינו (different kind) |
|---|
| Torah status | בטל ברוב (by the majority — אחרי רבים להטות) | טעם כעיקר: the taste counts; 60 required by the Torah |
| Rabbinic requirement | 60 (a rabbinic decree — Taz s.k. 3) | 60 (by law) |
| In case of doubt (spilled, not measurable) | לקולא (we are lenient) | לחומרא (we are strict) |
💡 The marker: before any calculation, ask same kind or different kind? In מין בשאינו מינו one tastes (קפילא) or, absent a non-Jew, assesses by 60; in מין במינו one goes straight to 60 because the taste cannot be judged. And for us (Rama), קפילא is abandoned: one assesses everything by sixty.
2. The 3 reflex questions
■ SAME KIND? (מין במינו / בשאינו מינו) — same kind → bittul by majority from the Torah, 60 by rabbinic decree → in doubt we are lenient. Different kind → טעם כעיקר, 60 from the Torah → in doubt we are strict (seif 1).
↓ we look at whether it is measurable
■ IS IT MEASURABLE? (נשפך / לפנינו) — spilled (נשפך): מין במינו → permitted if we know the permitted was the majority; מין בשאינו מינו → forbidden even then (the taste is perceptible). But before us (לפנינו) and impossible to measure → forbidden, even a rabbinic prohibition (seif 2-3).
↓ we compute the quantity
■ HOW MUCH? (ששים against the WHOLE prohibition) — we assess 60 against the whole prohibition (we do not know how much came out), thus against the whole pot / the whole part dipped. Known quantity → 60 against what was absorbed only (seif 4-6).
⚖ The "נשפך" and the סלק את שאינו מינו (seif 2)
מין במינו spilled: permitted if we know the permitted was the majority (רובו היתר), otherwise forbidden (Rama: we follow the name / שם, not the taste). מין בשאינו מינו spilled: forbidden even if the permitted was the majority (because the taste is perceptible = a Torah prohibition). Mixed into its kind AND into another kind, and spilled: if the permitted of its kind was the majority → one sets aside the non-kind as if it did not exist (סלק את שאינו מינו), and the majority kind nullifies it.
3. The master grid: ביטול בששים and its variants
An absolute must to memorize. Basis: Mehaber seifim 1-9, read with the Rama, the Taz (s.k. 1, 3, 6, 8) and the Shach (s.k. 1).
| Situation | Decisive criterion | Result |
|---|
| מין במינו (same kind) |
בטל ברוב deoraita, 60 derabbanan |
🟢 60; doubt (spilled) → לקולא |
| מין בשאינו מינו (different kind) |
טעם כעיקר — קפילא, else 60 |
🔴 60 deoraita; doubt → לחומרא |
| For us (Rama) |
קפילא abandoned |
🟡 everything assessed by 60 |
| Before us (לפנינו), not measurable |
No "spilled" leniency |
🔴 forbidden even a rabbinic prohibition |
| Forbidden pot / ladle bat yoma |
60 against the WHOLE utensil (fire) |
🔴 unless 60 against the whole pot / dipped part |
| Absorption through salting (מליחה) |
כדי קליפה only (Rama) |
🟢 60 against the peel suffices (siman 69) |
| Known quantity (כמה בלע) |
Utensil ≠ נבילה |
🟢 60 against the known absorbed (no חנ״נ for a כלי) |
| Egg (chick / drop of blood) |
The forbidden egg counts itself |
🟡 sixty-one (61) is needed |
| כחל (udder) |
Already half permitted |
🟡 nullified in fifty-nine (59) |
| חמץ בפסח / יין נסך / what gives taste |
Forbidden in itself + נותן טעם |
🔴 never nullified (even in a thousand) |
📌 Key reading: the master rule is 60. But it has a threshold below (חמץ בפסח, יין נסך, and anything that gives taste while being forbidden in itself → never nullified) and shifted thresholds (the egg counts itself → 61; the כחל already half-permitted → 59). And one always assesses 60 against the whole prohibition, not only against what one imagines was released.
4. The 5 golden rules
- מין במינו vs מין בשאינו מינו. Same kind → בטל ברוב deoraita, 60 derabbanan, doubt לקולא. Different kind → טעם כעיקר deoraita, 60, doubt לחומרא (Taz s.k. 3).
- "אין אנו נוהגין לסמוך אטעימת עובד כוכבים". We no longer rely on the קפילא; everything is assessed by 60 (Rama seif 1). נ״ט לפגם permitted, unless סופו להשביח.
- 60 against the WHOLE prohibition. We do not know how much came out → 60 against the whole pot / the dipped part; absorption through fire = the whole utensil, through מליחה = כדי קליפה only (Mehaber + Rama seif 4).
- A utensil does NOT become נבילה. Known quantity → 60 against the absorbed only; we do not say חתיכה נעשית נבילה for a כלי (debate old/new/חרס — Rama seif 5).
- 61 / 59 and what is never nullified. The forbidden egg counts itself → 61; the כחל already half-permitted → 59; what gives taste while forbidden in itself (salt, spices, חמץ בפסח, יין נסך) is never nullified (seif 7-8).
5. Mnemonic — the "SHISHIM" memory aid
"SHISHIM" — after the sixty (ששים) of the siman
- Same kind? מין במינו (60 derabbanan) or מין בשאינו מינו (60 deoraita).
- Heter of the non-Jew (קפילא) abandoned → everything by 60 (Rama).
- In full: 60 against the WHOLE prohibition (pot, ladle, dipped part).
- S(utensil) כלי ≠ נבילה: 60 against the known absorbed only.
- Heights (shifted thresholds) — egg 61, כחל 59.
- Inimitable: what gives taste in itself (חמץ בפסח, יין נסך, salt, spices) — never nullified.
- Mitstaref: two prohibitions of different tastes each combine to nullify the other (seif 9).
The ladder of thresholds (seif 6-8)
- 59 → the כחל (udder), already half-permitted
- 60 → the master rule: every prohibition in force today
- 61 → the forbidden egg, which counts itself
- ∞ → חמץ בפסח, יין נסך, what gives taste in itself: never nullified
6. The 4 classic pitfalls
❌ Pitfall 1 — Confusing מין במינו and מין בשאינו מינו: this is no detail. In same kind, the Torah nullifies by majority (the 60 are only a rabbinic decree) → in doubt (spilled) we are lenient. In different kind, the taste counts (טעם כעיקר): 60 are required by the Torah → in doubt we are strict (Taz s.k. 3). The status of the doubt follows directly from this distinction.
❌ Pitfall 2 — The "doubt" that is not one (seif 3): a prohibition before us (לפנינו) yet impossible to measure remains forbidden, even a rabbinic prohibition. The "spilled" leniency does not apply here: it is not a real ספק, only our inability to measure ("ספק הבא ממיעוט הכרה", Taz s.k. 6). Do not equate it with an ordinary ספק דרבנן taken leniently.
❌ Pitfall 3 — Thinking a utensil becomes נבילה: when one knows the quantity absorbed (a new ladle or one not bat yoma that absorbed a kazayit), 60 against that kazayit suffices: we do NOT say חתיכה נעשית נבילה for a utensil, even if it was used to stir something forbidden (seif 5). For an old ladle that is bat yoma we assess against everything (we do not know how much). The Rama: for חרס (which cannot be purged by הגעלה) some are strict; it is good to be stringent (cross-ref siman 92).
❌ Pitfall 4 — Forgetting what is never nullified (seif 8): all prohibitions in force today are nullified in 60, except חמץ בפסח and יין נסך. And provided the prohibition gives no taste: what gives taste (עבידי לטעמא) while forbidden in itself — salt, spices — is not nullified in sixty as long as its taste is perceptible ("even in a thousand"), cross-ref end of siman 105. And do not forget the shifted thresholds: 61 for the egg, 59 for the כחל.
For the halacha le-ma'aseh, consult your Rav.
7. Recap of the 9 seifim — one line each
| Seif | Topic | The essential |
|---|
| 1 | מין בשאינו מינו / מין במינו; the קפילא | Different kind (חֵלֶב in meat): a non-Jew tastes → no taste, or a degraded taste (פגום), permitted — unless סופו להשביח and provided the non-Jew does not know he is relied upon; absent a non-Jew → 60. Same kind (ליכא למיקם אטעמא) → 60. Rama: we no longer rely on the non-Jew → everything by 60. |
| 2 | נשפך; the שם; סלק את שאינו מינו | מין במינו spilled: permitted if the permitted was the majority (רובו היתר), otherwise forbidden (Rama: we follow the name / שם, not the taste). מין בשאינו מינו spilled: forbidden even then. Mixed into its kind and into another kind, and spilled → set aside the non-kind (סלק את שאינו מינו), the majority kind nullifies. |
| 3 | לפנינו and not measurable | All this when spilled; but a prohibition before us (לפנינו) and impossible to measure → forbidden, even a rabbinic prohibition. The "spilled" leniency does not apply here. |
| 4 | 60 against the WHOLE prohibition; utensils; removal | A prohibition cooked with permitted food, even whole and then discarded → 60 against the whole prohibition (we do not know how much came out). Pot bat yoma / ladle dipped → 60 against the whole pot / the dipped part. Rama: absorption through fire = the whole utensil; through מליחה = כדי קליפה (siman 69). Recognizable → one removes it (milk congealed by cold water). Re-fallen into another pot → re-nullify; twice in the same one → a single 60 (siman 94). |
| 5 | Known quantity (כמה בלע); כלי ≠ נבילה | One knows how much: a new / non-bat-yoma ladle that absorbed a kazayit → 60 for the kazayit suffices (a utensil does NOT make חנ״נ). An old, bat-yoma ladle → assess against everything. Rama: the first opinion prevails; some distinguish חרס (becomes נבילה) from other כלים; it is good to be stringent (siman 92). |
| 6 | Half a kazayit | Half a kazayit of prohibition mixed into permitted food → sixty half-kazayit of permitted food are needed to nullify it; even for a rabbinic prohibition, one does not neglect the measure (לא תזלזל בשיעורא — Taz s.k. 9). |
| 7 | The egg: 61 | An egg containing a chick (אפרוח) or a drop of blood, cooked with others → sixty-one are needed to nullify its emission: since the forbidden egg counts itself, one needs 60 others + it = 61. |
| 8 | The כחל: 59; what is never nullified | The כחל (udder) is nullified in fifty-nine. Rama: all prohibitions in force today in 60, except חמץ בפסח and יין נסך; and provided the prohibition gives no taste. What gives taste (salt, spices — עבידי לטעמא) while forbidden in itself is not nullified in 60 (end of siman 105). |
| 9 | מצטרף לבטל (the combination) | 59 kazayit of permitted food into which two kazayit fall — one of blood, one of milk — : each combines with the 59 to nullify the other. Likewise 29 + blood in one pot and 30 + milk in another, mixed by mistake (בשוגג) → permitted. Rama: all the more so two kazayit, one of cheese and one of meat, each nullifying the other. |
8. Final flashcard
| Question | Reflex answer | Source |
|---|
| Same kind or different kind? | במינו → 60 derabbanan, doubt לקולא; בשאינו מינו → 60 deoraita, doubt לחומרא | Mehaber seif 1; Taz s.k. 3 |
| Tasting by a non-Jew (קפילא)? | For us: abandoned → everything by 60 | Rama seif 1 |
| Spilled (נשפך)? | במינו: permitted if majority; בשאינו מינו: forbidden even then | Mehaber + Rama seif 2 |
| Before us (לפנינו), not measurable? | Forbidden even a rabbinic prohibition | Mehaber seif 3 |
| Forbidden pot / ladle bat yoma? | 60 against everything; fire = the whole utensil, מליחה = כדי קליפה | Mehaber + Rama seif 4 |
| Does a utensil become נבילה? | No; 60 against the known absorbed (known quantity) | Mehaber seif 5 |
| Forbidden egg / כחל? | Egg → 61; כחל → 59 | Mehaber seif 7-8 |
| What is never nullified? | חמץ בפסח, יין נסך, what gives taste in itself | Rama seif 8 |
| Two prohibitions of different tastes? | Each combines with the permitted to nullify the other | Mehaber + Rama seif 9 |
⚖ The reflex in 3 questions
- Same kind? במינו → בטל ברוב deoraita, 60 derabbanan, doubt לקולא. בשאינו מינו → טעם כעיקר, 60 deoraita, doubt לחומרא.
- Measurable? Spilled → במינו permitted if majority; לפנינו not measurable → forbidden even a rabbinic prohibition.
- How much? 60 against the WHOLE prohibition; utensil ≠ נבילה; egg 61, כחל 59; what gives taste in itself → never nullified.
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 טעם כעיקר and of בטל ברוב, the סלק את שאינו מינו, the Shach / Taz machloket on the spilled שאינו מינו, the כלים that do not make חנ״נ |
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״ח in the original Choulhan Aroukh (Hebrew) with the Shach and the Taz
- Study the adjacent Simanim: 92 (the drop of milk and חתיכה נעשית נבילה), 94 (hot on cold and re-falling), 99 (יבש ביבש and the כלים), 105 (diffusion and what gives taste), 112 (the bread of non-Jews)
- Delve into Hullin 97-98 and 108a (טעם כעיקר) and the yesod of ביטול בששים
- Discuss personal cases with a Rav (a prohibition fallen into a dish, a utensil, a mixture) — 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״ח · Level 3 — Synthesis / Review · דין איסור שנתערב בהיתר ואופן ביטולו
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