TB Khulin 103-4 An introduction to the prohibitions of milk and meat

At the very bottom of daf TB Khullin 103b we begin eighth chapter of our massekhet. This chapter deals with the laws of mixing milk and meat together. Because the verse “you shall not cook a kid in its mother’s milk–לֹֽא־תְבַשֵּׁ֥ל גְּדִ֖י בַּחֲלֵ֥ב אִמּֽוֹ” appears three times in the Torah, the rabbis derive three Torah prohibitions. One is not permitted to cook milk and red meat together. One is not permitted to eat milk and meat together that has been cooked together. One is not permitted to derive any benefit from a mixture of milk and meat together, for example, giving a milk and meat mixture to your pet dog.

The Mishnah begins “It is prohibited to cook any meat of domesticated in milk, except for the meat of fish and grasshoppers, whose halakhic status is not that of meat.” (Sefaria.org translation) The Gemara discusses whether chicken and undomesticated animals are included in this Torah prohibition or is the mixture only prohibited according to rabbinic law. Although the Gemara doesn’t come to a conclusive answer today, the final consensus is that mixing milk and chicken is only prohibited by rabbinic law. This has practical implications we shall learn later. If there is a doubt when red meat and milk has been accidentally mixed together in a proportion more than 60:1 (for example, some milk fell into a beef stew), the entire mixture must be thrown away. We are always stringent when comes to not transgressing a Torah prohibition. If there’s a doubt concerning an accidental mixture of chicken and milk, one need not throw out the mixture because we may act leniently in a case of a rabbinic prohibition.

If the prohibition of mixing chicken and milk together is a Torah prohibition then all three above prohibitions apply. If the prohibition of mixing chicken milk together is only a rabbinic prohibition, do all three prohibition apply? I was surprised to learn that no. Both Rambam and the Shulkhan Arukh both poskin that one is only forbidden to eat chicken and milk together.

“Similarly, the meat of a wild beast and the meat of a fowl together with the milk of a wild beast or the milk of a domesticated animal is not forbidden according to Scriptural Law. Therefore it is permitted to cook it and it is permitted to benefit from it. It is forbidden to partake of it according to Rabbinic Law so that people at large will not be negligent and come to violate the Scriptural prohibition against milk and meat and partake of the meat of a kosher domesticated animal [cooked] in the milk of a kosher domesticated animal. For the literal meaning of the verse implies only the meat of a kid in the milk of its actual mother. Therefore, they forbade all meat in milk.” (Mishneh Torah Forbidden Foods 9:4)

“The prohibition of the mixture applies only to that of meat and milk from a pure animal: if one of the two comes from an impure animal, cooking as well as enjoyment is permitted. Cooking and enjoyment are permitted if the meat comes from a wild animal or poultry, even if both the meat and milk come from pure animals. Such a mixture is even prohibited to eat only by rabbinic ordinance. Whereas the flesh of fish and locusts is not even prohibited by rabbinic ordinance.
GLOSS: It is customary to put poultry meat in almond milk, seeing that such a mixture, even if the milk were real, is only prohibited by rabbinic order; but when it comes to beef, a few almonds must be left in the milk to avoid suspicion, as stated earlier, § 66, regarding blood.” (Shulkhan Arukh, Yoreh De’ah  87:3) Today where plant-based milk’s are very common, one need not suspect an observant Jew violating the  Rama’s custom when a glass of plant-based milk is on the table without some kind of the container on the table

The second Mishnah teaches another important halakha. One may not place chicken and milk on the same dining room table lest people unthinkingly eat them together. However, one may place chicken and milk together on the kitchen countertop because nobody usually eats from that countertop. “The meat of birds may be placed with cheese on one table but may not be eaten together with it; this is the statement of Beit Shammai. And Beit Hillel say: It may neither be placed on one table nor be eaten with cheese. Rabbi Yosei said: This is one of the disputes involving leniencies of Beit Shammai and stringencies of Beit Hillel. The mishna elaborates: With regard to which table are these halakhot stated? It is with regard to a table upon which one eats. But on a table upon which one prepares the cooked food, one may place this meat alongside that cheese or vice versa, and need not be concerned that perhaps they will be mixed and one will come to eat them together.” (Sefaria.org translation) Our Mishnah records one of the six times when Beit Shammai is more stringent than Beit Hillel and as usual we follow the opinion of Beit Hillel.

The imperative of justice #shoftim#devartorah#parashathashavua

Throughout the Bible God has commanded us to exercise justice in our dealings with others. Now that the Israelites are about to enter the Promised Land this week’s Torah portion, Shoftim, exhorts us: “You shall appoint magistrates and officials for all your tribes, and all the settlements that the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall govern the people with to justice. You shall not judge unfairly: you shall show no partiality; you shall not take bribes, for bribes blind the eyes of the discerning and upset the plea of the just. Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may thrive and occupy the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” (Deuteronomy 16:18-20)

The prophets like Micah remind us what God wants from us. “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).

The prophets like Jeremiah rebuked our ancestors for perpetrating injustice in their day which should act as a warning signal how we should live our lives today as well. “They know no limits in deeds of evil; they do not judge with justice the cause of the orphan, to make it prosper, and they do not defend the rights of the needy.” (Jer. 5:28). “They have held fast to deceit, they have refused to return. I have given heed and listened, but they do not speak honestly; no one repents of wickedness, saying ‘What have I done!’”  (Jer. 8:6)  

We should be concerned that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is acting as the President’s personal attorney by prosecuting his enemies rather than representing the American people. Vindictive prosecution seems to be their major occupation of today’s DOJ. Heather Cox Richardson writes:

“The Department of Justice has been caught repeatedly misleading grand juries or committing misconduct in getting indictments. Hearn’s lawyers were suggesting that the Department of Justice engaged in the same misconduct in the indictment of David Hearn for damaging the bottom of the reflecting pool.

In their filing, they noted that a judge and former federal prosecutor in the District of Columbia had recently stated that “[g]enerations of presidential administrations and public officials” have reinforced the idea, called the “presumption of regularity,” that public officials do their jobs properly, operate in good faith, and follow correct procedures. But, the judge noted, “In just six months, the President of the United States may have forfeited the right to such a presumption.” (August 2, 2026)

Our national elections are just a few months away. I encourage you to vote for the candidates who uphold the rule of law and hold those who pervert justice accountable.

 

Khullin 98 Why is the annulment ratio for eggs different?

What is the ratio of permitted taste to annul the forbidden taste in a mixture? Although later on in our daf TB Khullin 98 a disagreement concerning this ratio is presented, the accepted halakha is a ratio of 60:1. There must be 60 times more of the permitted taste to annul the forbidden taste in order to make the mixture permissible to eat. One exception is eggs.

“The Gemara continues its discussion of nullifying forbidden foods. Rav Shemen bar Abba says that Rav Idi bar Idi bar Gershom says that Levi bar Perata says that Rabbi Naḥum says that Rabbi Biryam says in the name of a certain elder, and his name was Rabbi Ya’akov, that the Sages in the house of the Nasi said: If a non-kosher egg is mixed with kosher eggs, if there are sixty eggs they are all forbidden, but if there are sixty-one eggs they are all permitted.

“Rabbi Zeira said to Rav Shemen bar Abba: See, one can infer from your words that you fix a limit to permit the eggs if there is a total of sixty-one eggs, including the non-kosher egg. This is a revelation, because the two most eminent Sages of the generation did not clarify this matter. These two eminent Sages were Rabbi Ya’akov bar Idi and Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani, and both of them said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: In a case where a non-kosher egg is mixed with kosher eggs, if there are sixty eggs they are all forbidden, but if there are sixty-one eggs they are all permitted.

"And a dilemma was raised before these Sages: When Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said they are permitted if there are sixty-one eggs, does that mean there are sixty-one eggs altogether, with the non-kosher egg, or does it perhaps mean that there must be sixty-one kosher eggs aside from the non-kosher egg? And they did not resolve this dilemma. And yet, it appears as though the Master, Rav Shemen, has resolved the dilemma, because you implied that the mixture is kosher if there are a total of sixty-one eggs including the non-kosher egg. “The Gemara continues: It was stated that Rabbi Ḥelbo says that Rav Huna says: If a non-kosher egg becomes mixed with kosher eggs, if there are sixty kosher eggs in addition to that non-kosher egg, the entire mixture is forbidden. But if there are sixty-one kosher eggs in addition to that one non-kosher egg, the mixture is permitted.” (Sefaria.org translation)

We’re used to buying the same size eggs in a carton at the supermarket. Somebody has measured the eggs and put the extra large eggs in one carton and the medium eggs in another. That was not the case in days gone by. Ramban suggests that egg sizes are not uniform. When the purchaser bought a dozen eggs, eggs came in all different sizes. To make sure that the ratio would actually be 60:1, the rabbis bumped up the ratio to 61:1 to compensate for smaller eggs.

TB Khullin 91 Not so bad to be human after all

Angels are perfect and we human beings are flawed is a well-known fact. Psalm 8: 5 says that God made humans “a little lower than the angels” and John Steinbeck in his book Travels with Charlie cynically adds “slipping ever since.” Daf TB Khullin 91b teaches that’s not true. In many ways human beings are superior to the Angels.

“Rav Ḥananel said that Rav said: Three groups of ministering angels recite a song every day from the verse “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord”; one says: “Holy,” and another one says: “Holy,” and another one says: “Holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:3). (The Kedusha during the Shakharit and Musaf Amidah proclaims God’s sovereignty. This pattern is duplicated in the Kedusha modeled after the Roman custom. A Roman king was coronated with the choir repeating a verse and coming together for the third time.-gg)

“The Jewish people are more dear to the Holy One, Blessed be He, than the ministering angels, as the Jewish people may recite a song of praise to God at any time, but ministering angels recite a song of praise only one time per day. And some say that the ministering angels recite a song of praise one time per week. And some say that they recite a song of praise one time per month. And some say that they recite a song of praise one time per year. And some say that they recite a song of praise one time in every seven years. And some say that they recite a song of praise one time per Jubilee. And some say that they recite a song of praise one time in the entire history of the world.

“And furthermore, the Jewish people mention the name of God after two words, as it is stated: “שְמַע (1) יִשְרָאֵל (2)  ה' -Hear, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). But the ministering angels mention the name of God only after three words, as it is written: “And one called unto another, and said: “קָדוֹשׁ (1) קָדוֹשׁ (2) קָדוֹשׁ (3) ה' צְבָאוֹת -Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:3). (In other words we human beings have a close relationship with the Holy One then the angels!)

“And the ministering angels do not recite their song above until the Jewish people recite their song below, on earth, as it is stated: “When the morning stars sang together” (Job 38:7), referring to the Jewish people, who are compared to stars; and only then does the verse state: “And all the sons of God shouted for joy,” which is a reference to the angels. This baraita teaches that the angels mention the name of God only after three words, i.e., after saying the word “holy” three times, whereas according to what Rav Ḥananel stated that Rav said, the third group of angels says the word “holy” once and then immediately mentions the name of God. (Sefaria.org translation)

Angels only proclaim God’s sovereignty in heaven while we human beings proclaim God’s sovereignty both in heaven and on earth. In fact the rabbis limit the status of angels. The righteous can rise above them for three reasons. 1, Angels do not have the evil inclination and can do no wrong; consequently, they don’t get a lot of credit for their behavior. On the other hand human beings who overcome their evil inclination can exceed the level of angels. 2, Doing God’s will, humans make God imminent on earth. By observing the mitzvot they extend God’s rule on earth. Three, angels receive no credit for observing divine commands. Human beings who have a choice and choose wisely, they get credit for complying and overcoming the disposition of disobeying.

All these understandings underscores Israel superiority over the angels. Humans capacity to make the presence of God palpable on earth and by extending God’s rule here on earth by observing the mitzvot demonstrate we can do what angels can’t.

Not so bad to be human after all.

 

 

TB Khullin 96b-97 Basic kosher concepts concerning mixtures

Starting with the Mishnah on daf TB Khullin 96b and continuing for the next four days we shall be studying basic kosher concepts when it comes to mixtures.

There are two different types of mixtures. The first type of mixture is יָבֵשׁ בְּיָבֵשׁ two dry objects. For example, if one nonkosher hotdog accidentally becomes mixed in with two kosher hotdogs, the nonkosher hotdog becomes annulled and all three hotdogs may be eaten with the proviso not at the same time. Annulment in cases of יָבֵשׁ בְּיָבֵשׁ only requires a majority of kosher items.

The second type of mixture is לָךְ בְּלָךְ two liquids mixed together. If the forbidden taste permeates the liquid mixture, נוֹתֵן טַעַם, the mixture is forbidden to eat because we consider the taste to be synonymous with the forbidden liquid, טָעָם כְּעִיקָר.

To transfer taste we need heat and a medium. The medium can be a liquid or even fat because the fat when cooked will liquefy. Obviously cooking over a fire is a heat source. Salting the meat is considered a heat source like roasting while pickling something in the liquid for 24 hours is considered a heat source like cooking.

How do we determine whether taste has been permeated when we can’t taste the mixture lest it be trief? The Gemara provides three solutions. 1, we create a working model. One relates to it as though the forbidden food were meat imparting flavor to a turnip. If meat the volume of the forbidden food would impart flavor to a turnip the volume of the permitted food when they were cooked together, then the entire mixture is forbidden. 2, Give the mixture to a non-Jewish chef to taste and ask him whether the forbidden taste has permeated the food. Rashi demands that the chef innocently answers the question without understanding the halakhic implications. Tosefot ד"ה סָמְכִינַן אַקַפִילָא teaches that we may rely on a professional chef because he won’t lie and ruin his reputation. 3, If there are 60 more times the permitted substance in the forbidden substance, the forbidden substance is annulled.

“The Gemara summarizes the guidelines that determine when an item cooked with another item affects the status of the mixture. Rava said: The Sages said that there are cases where one relies on a Jew tasting the food (e.g. terumah is mixed with non-sacred food. Only a kohen is permitted to eat terumah while an Israelite may not. Consequently, one may ask the kohen the question whether the taste has been transferred), and the Sages said that there are some cases where one relies on a gentile cook to taste the food,  and the Sages said that there are cases where the mixture is permitted if there is sixty times as much permitted food as forbidden food. Therefore, in a case where the mixture is a type of food mixed with food not of its own type, so that there is a difference in taste between the two components, when there are Jews for whom the mixture is permitted, one relies on a Jew tasting the mixture. This is the halakha when teruma is cooked with non-sacred food. When the mixture is potentially forbidden, e.g., in the case of meat cooked with milk, one relies on a gentile cook to taste it.

"And if the mixture is composed of a type of food mixed with food of its own type, where one cannot ascertain whether the forbidden component has imparted flavor; or if it is composed of a type of food mixed with food not of its own type when the mixture may be forbidden and it is a case where there is no gentile cook available to taste it, the mixture is permitted if there is sixty times as much permitted food as forbidden food.” (Sefaria.org translation)

 

As we continue to learn about mixtures in the coming days, I shall share with you other key principles and ideas.

 

 

Be visible, show up, and be responsible #Re’eh#devartorah#parashathashavua

Eiton Cooper, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Schechter Institute, pointed out that this week’s Torah portion begins with an admonition to see: “Re’eh,” and concludes with the commandment “Yira’eh” (you are to be seen), which obligated all Jews to appear with gifts and offerings at least several times a year in the Temple in Jerusalem

This bookend of two types of seeings teaches us that to fulfill our human potential and become in the image of an invisible God, we actually need to be visible, show up and be responsible for each other.

We should be on the lookout for people who remain invisible. These are the forgotten people; they are overlooked as we go about our daily life. How many of us turn away in order to not see the homeless, the poor, and the beggars on our city streets? How many lonely people are out there waiting for us to see them and reach out to them to assuage their loneliness? How many people in the hospital and nursing homes are forgotten because nobody visits them? Who are the invisible people in our synagogue? They are the singles, widows and widowers.

Woody Allen once said, “Showing up is 80 percent of life. Sometimes it’s easier to hide at home in bed. I’ve done both.” He is partially correct. Hiding in bed and not seeing is certainly easier. But God demands more of us. Just being visible and showing up is not enough. God wants us not only to see those who are invisible but to help all them so they too can be seen and thrive. 

 

TB Khullin 90 If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a million times not to exaggerate

At one time or another we all exaggerate. Exaggeration, or hyperbole, is a literary technique used to intensify emotions, create vivid imagery, and add humor or irony by overstating facts. By twisting reality, authors emphasize key points, create relatable scenes, and make writing more memorable or dramatic. It is widely used to satirize situations or heighten the intensity of romantic feelings. 

The rabbis and even the authors of the Bible exaggerated from time to time. I find their self-awareness is refreshing.

“We learned in a mishna there (Tamid 28b): There was a circular mound of ashes in the center of the altar, and sometimes there was as much as three hundred kor of ashes upon it. Rava said: This description is an exaggeration [guzma]; the tanna means merely that there was a significant quantity of ashes.

“Similarly, it is taught in a mishna (Tamid 30a) that before slaughtering the daily offering the priests gave the lamb selected for the daily offering water to drink in a golden cup, in order to render the animal easier to flay after slaughter. With regard to this mishna, Rava said: It is an exaggeration, as the priests did not actually let the animal drink from a golden vessel.

“The Gemara provides other examples of statements not meant literally. Rabbi Ami says: In some instances, the Torah spoke employing exaggerated [havai] language, the Prophets spoke employing exaggerated language, and the Sages spoke employing exaggerated language. The fact that the Sages spoke employing exaggerated language is evident from that which we stated above, concerning the mound of ashes and the lamb of the daily offering.

“The Torah spoke employing exaggerated language, as it is written: “Hear, Israel: You are passing over the Jordan this day, to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than you, cities great and fortified up to heaven” (Deuteronomy 9:1), whereas the fortifications obviously did not actually reach up to heaven. The Prophets spoke employing exaggerated language, as it is written with regard to the coronation of King Solomon: “And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them” (I Kings 1:40), where the verse means merely that the sound was very loud.

“Rabbi Yitzḥak bar Naḥmani says that Shmuel says: In three places the Sages spoke in exaggerated language, and they are with regard to the circular mound of ashes on the altar; the vine; and the Curtain separating the Sanctuary and Holy of Holies. The case of the circular mound of ashes is that which we said.

“The case of the vine is as we learned in a mishna (Middot 36a): A golden ornament in the form of a vine was standing at the entrance to the Sanctuary, and it was hung upon poles. And whoever would donate an ornamental golden leaf, grape, or cluster of grapes to the Temple would bring it to the Temple and hang it upon the vine. Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Tzadok, said: There was once an incident, and three hundred priests were enlisted to move the vine because of its immense weight. According to Shmuel, this description is also an exaggeration.

“The case of the Curtain is as we learned in a mishna (Shekalim 8:2): Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says in the name of Rabbi Shimon, the deputy High Priest: The Curtain is the thickness of a handbreadth [tefaḥ]. It is woven from seventy-two strands [nirim] of yarn, and each and every strand [nima] of those seventy-two is made from twenty-four threads consisting of six threads each of sky-blue wool, purple wool, scarlet wool, and fine linen. Its length is forty cubits, the height of the Sanctuary, and its width is twenty cubits, the width of the entrance. And it is made from eighty-two ten-thousands, i.e., 820,000 dinars. And the overseers of the Temple make two new Curtains every year. And the Curtain was so heavy that when it was immersed, three hundred priests would immerse it.” (Sefaria.org translation)