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Medications: Difference between revisions
From Halachipedia
→Children's Medication
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==Children's Medication== | ==Children's Medication== | ||
# Children's medicine liquid medicine are generally sweet. If it contains glycerin and one doesn't have information that it is the kosher type of glycerin one shouldn't use the medicine until one first dilutes it 12 ml of another food to 1 ml of medicine.<ref>Rabbi Dovid Heber in [https://www.star-k.org/articles/articles/medicine/452/a-kashrus-guide-to-medications-vitamins-and-nutritional-supplements Kosher Kurrents 2005] wrote that glycerin in medicines is a safek deoritta since much of it is made from animals even though some of it is made from plants. However, since it is only a safek it is permitted to mevatel it. One can do so if one dilutes the medicine 1 to 12 of another food without lossing the potency of the medicine. See Mesorah Journal v. 7 pp. 91-97 by Rabbi Dovid Heber for a potential justification of giving medicines to children even if there are non-kosher ingredients. </ref> However, the [https://www.star-k.org/resource/list/RR8I4NNG/Pain-Relievers-and-Fever-Reducers Star-K has an updated list] of kosher children's medicines which as of December 2018 includes Infant and Children's Advil and Tylenol. See [https://www.star-k.org/resources_medicine here] for more brands or medicines. | # Children's medicine liquid medicine are generally sweet. If it contains glycerin and one doesn't have information that it is the kosher type of glycerin one shouldn't use the medicine until one first dilutes it 12 ml of another food to 1 ml of medicine.<ref>Rabbi Dovid Heber in [https://www.star-k.org/articles/articles/medicine/452/a-kashrus-guide-to-medications-vitamins-and-nutritional-supplements Kosher Kurrents 2005] wrote that glycerin in medicines is a safek deoritta since much of it is made from animals even though some of it is made from plants. However, since it is only a safek it is permitted to mevatel it. One can do so if one dilutes the medicine 1 to 12 of another food without lossing the potency of the medicine. See Mesorah Journal v. 7 pp. 91-97 by Rabbi Dovid Heber for a potential justification of giving medicines to children even if there are non-kosher ingredients. His argument is as follows: Feeding an isur derabbanan to a child is a machloket rashba and rambam (Bet Yosef OC 343). It might only be an isur derabbanan if it is a chatzi shiur in a tarovet. Also the isur is only a safek isur. Therefore, possibly there's a safek safeka, safek if it is a muter glycerin and if it is asur perhaps it is derabbanan (chatzi shiur btarovet). On the rabbinic level it is muter since it is a safek derabbanan. Additionally, a child is a choleh for whom some allow feeding a derabbanan isur. Either way it is a leniency based on complex factors. </ref> However, the [https://www.star-k.org/resource/list/RR8I4NNG/Pain-Relievers-and-Fever-Reducers Star-K has an updated list] of kosher children's medicines which as of December 2018 includes Infant and Children's Advil and Tylenol. See [https://www.star-k.org/resources_medicine here] for more brands or medicines. | ||
==Toothpaste== | ==Toothpaste== | ||
# There are ingredients in some toothpaste which are non-kosher animal products such as glycerin. Nonetheless, many poskim are lenient to allow a person to use such toothpastes since the non-kosher ingredients are inedible, mixed with kosher ingredients, and a person doesn't intend to eat the toothpaste but rather to brush with it, which is the halachic equivalent of tasting.<ref>Har Tzvi 95 was lenient with non-kosher toothpastes because the ingredients were processed so that they were inedible, they were mixed with kosher ingredients, and also a person is justing tasting the toothpaste and spitting it out. [http://www.tzohar.org.il/?p=2422 tzohar.org] quotes Ama Dvar p. 155 quoting Rav Mordechai Eliyahu who agreed. They also quote Mishneh Halachot 9:153 who disagreed. [https://oukosher.org/blog/consumer-kosher/kashruth-issues-of-toothpaste/ OU] wrote that some rabbis don't feel one can rely on the Har Tzvi today since the toothpastes have a good taste. But others still rely on the Har Tzvi. They cited Rav Henkin responsa 75 who mostly agreed with the Har Tzvi but wouldn't be lenient with toothpastes with glycerin.</ref> | # There are ingredients in some toothpaste which are non-kosher animal products such as glycerin. Nonetheless, many poskim are lenient to allow a person to use such toothpastes since the non-kosher ingredients are inedible, mixed with kosher ingredients, and a person doesn't intend to eat the toothpaste but rather to brush with it, which is the halachic equivalent of tasting.<ref>Har Tzvi 95 was lenient with non-kosher toothpastes because the ingredients were processed so that they were inedible, they were mixed with kosher ingredients, and also a person is justing tasting the toothpaste and spitting it out. [http://www.tzohar.org.il/?p=2422 tzohar.org] quotes Ama Dvar p. 155 quoting Rav Mordechai Eliyahu who agreed. They also quote Mishneh Halachot 9:153 who disagreed. [https://oukosher.org/blog/consumer-kosher/kashruth-issues-of-toothpaste/ OU] wrote that some rabbis don't feel one can rely on the Har Tzvi today since the toothpastes have a good taste. But others still rely on the Har Tzvi. They cited Rav Henkin responsa 75 who mostly agreed with the Har Tzvi but wouldn't be lenient with toothpastes with glycerin.</ref> | ||
