Ask the Rabbi

  • Shabbat and Holidays
  • Kashering Dishes

Whiskey glasses on Pesach

undefined

Rabbi David Sperling

Adar 17, 5773
Question
I have seen and heard conflicting opinions regarding kashuring whiskey glasses for pesach. what is the halachic conclusion that ashkenazim follow regarding this question?
Answer
Shalom, Your question about koshering whiskey glasses for Pesach is a good one. But firstly let me make it clear (as I am sure you know) that whiskey itself is forbidden on Pesach as it is chametz! So, if you aren't going to be drinking whiskey you may have no need to kosher the glasses at all, and they can be just put away with the rest of the chametz dishes for Pesach. If for some reason you want to use the glasses on Pesach (for kosher for Pesach drinks) then you are correct that there is indeed an argument about this. The Aruch HaShulchan (451,50) permits koshering them by soaking them for three days in cold water and changing the water every 24 hours. His logic is that the stricture of the Rema not to kosher glass for Pesach does not apply to glass used only for cold use. And even though whiskey if left to stand in the glass will be adsorbed even if cold, he argues that this will not happen in the small amount of time the drink is left in the glass (as opposed to a decanter of whiskey in which the drink sits for more than 24 hours, which he holds cannot be koshered at all). On the other hand, many Rabbis are of the opinion that because whiskey is so strong ("charif") even the small time it stands in the glass will make it impossible to kosher - see for example Igrot Moshe (Orech Haim volume 1, 151 [near the end]). Rav Eider in his work on Passover also rules strictly in this question, and applies the Mishna Brura (451,120) who states that alcohol use make vessels (nearly) impossible to kosher. In general today, as glasses are so inexpensive, the tendency is to rule strictly and require new glasses for Pesach. If you have a special situation that makes this particularly difficult, please feel free to consult us once again with the particulars details of your situation. Blessings.
את המידע הדפסתי באמצעות אתר yeshiva.org.il