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==Gel Caps - Not in the Normal Manner== | ==Gel Caps - Not in the Normal Manner== | ||
# One who is sick is permitted to eat a non-kosher food (which is normally ossur b'achilah) in an unusual manner.<ref>Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 155:3, Shach 14, Mishna Brurah O.C. 466:1. An example of this is giving someone non-kosher food through intravenous. </ref> Based on this, the opinion of some poskim is that swallowing a pill made from a [[gelatin]] coating is permitted, since it is for a <u>sick person</u> and it is not the usual manner of eating.<ref>Opinion of Harav Henkin zt”l quoted in Edos L’Yisroel page 132, opinion of Harav Shachter Shlita as expressed in OU document I-97. He adds that the gel-caps have no taste to them and are nifsal from feeding to a dog. [https://www.yutorah.org/sidebar/lecture.cfm/894931/rabbi-hershel-schachter/berachos-73-38b-39a-ta-am-matzah-and-maror-non-kosher-pills-kavush-kemevushal-kezayis-beriah/ Rav Schachter (Brachot Shiur 73 min 18-30)] ruled that strictly speaking it is permitted to take non-kosher pills. If kosher ones are available he should get those to avoid the spiritual determinants of non-kosher like Rama about sucking non-kosher milk. He explained that certainly if a person is a choleh shein bo sakana it is permitted since it is shelo kderech achilato. But furthermore, the gelatin pills are permitted since it is nifsal machila and even if it is reconstituted it isn’t considered non-kosher (Chavot Daat YD 103). There's no achshevei since it is eaten in a reconstituted form and not when it is mixed with other ingredients (Rav Chaim Ozer 3:31). That's in Rav Schachter's opinion why Rav Soloveitchik was lenient to take non-kosher pills. See Yachava Daat 2:60 who assumes it is shelo kderech achilato if it doesn't taste good.</ref> However, there are poskim who maintain that swallowing a pill is the regular manner of consumption.<ref>Refer to Nodeh B’Yehuda Y.D. 35, Pischei Teshuva Y.D. 155:6, Har Tzvi Y.D. 97, opinions of Harav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach zt”l and Harav Elyashiv Shlita quoted in Medicines and Kashrus page 57:footnote 17, Yeishiv Moshe page 165, Shemiras [[Shabbos]] K’hilchoso 40:footnote 169, Halichos Shlomo Moadim ([[Pesach]]) 1:page 69. This is the opinion of Harav Yisroel Belsky Shlita quoting the opinion of Harav Henkin zt”l, see www.koltorah.org. </ref> Others are lenient and maintain that swallowing a pill is considered an unusual manner.<ref>Halichos Shlomo 1:17:1 (although he is quoted in the footnote above as saying otherwise), see Toras Chaim (Chullin 120) who is lenient</ref> In addition, even those who are stringent by [[gelatin]], it would not apply to medicines. However, according to the stringent opinion above regarding [[gelatin]], one who only has a headache<ref>Refer to Halichos Shlomo Moadim ([[Pesach]]) pages 71-72 who is unsure if this should be permitted with a slight pain. See Minchas Shlomo 1:17:3. </ref> or slight discomfort<ref>This does not apply to one who is bedridden (Halichos Shlomo Moadim [[Pesach]]) pages 71-72:8. The Shach 13 says this heter of the Rama is even for a healthy person. See Mishnah L’melech Hilchos Yesodei Hatorah 5:8 in depth, Zera Emes 2:48. Refer to Pri Megadim M.Z. O.C. 328:11, Shagas Aryeh 74, Binas Adom 52:page 86, Shevet Ha’Levi 7:135 who argue. Harav Yisroel Belsky Shlita maintains if one has a headache he should not swallow gel-caps without wrapping it in a tissue. </ref> should take a pill which has no [[gelatin]] or wrap the gel-cap in a tissue (in the next issue we will iy"h continue our discussion on gel-caps).<ref>Refer to Mesora 14:page 92. Others say the custom is to be lenient with one who has even a headache (Chai Ha’Levi 3:111:2). </ref> | # One who is sick is permitted to eat a non-kosher food (which is normally ossur b'achilah) in an unusual manner.<ref>Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 155:3, Shach 14, Mishna Brurah O.C. 466:1. An example of this is giving someone non-kosher food through intravenous. </ref> Based on this, the opinion of some poskim is that swallowing a pill made from a [[gelatin]] coating is permitted, since it is for a <u>sick person</u> and it is not the usual manner of eating.<ref>Opinion of Harav Henkin zt”l quoted in Edos L’Yisroel page 132, opinion of Harav Shachter Shlita as expressed in OU document I-97. He adds that the gel-caps have no taste to them and are nifsal from feeding to a dog. [https://www.yutorah.org/sidebar/lecture.cfm/894931/rabbi-hershel-schachter/berachos-73-38b-39a-ta-am-matzah-and-maror-non-kosher-pills-kavush-kemevushal-kezayis-beriah/ Rav Schachter (Brachot Shiur 73 min 18-30)] ruled that strictly speaking it is permitted to take non-kosher pills. If kosher ones are available he should get those to avoid the spiritual determinants of non-kosher like Rama about sucking non-kosher milk. He explained that certainly if a person is a choleh shein bo sakana it is permitted since it is shelo kderech achilato. But furthermore, the gelatin pills are permitted since it is nifsal machila and even if it is reconstituted it isn’t considered non-kosher (Chavot Daat YD 103). There's no achshevei since it is eaten in a reconstituted form and not when it is mixed with other ingredients (Rav Chaim Ozer 3:31). That's in Rav Schachter's opinion why Rav Soloveitchik was lenient to take non-kosher pills. Also, Rabbi Yitzchak Abadi in Or Yitzchak 1:24 permits all medicines that are bitter or don't have a taste since they aren't food. He says that even though it is shelo kderech achila there's no isur derabbanan of achsheveh since it is for medicine. | ||
* See Yachava Daat 2:60 who assumes it is shelo kderech achilato if it doesn't taste good. | |||
* [https://oukosher.org/halacha-yomis/many-medications-encased-gelatin-capsules-may-used/?category Rav Belsky] held that hard capsules can be eaten by a choleh and the soft capsules can be eaten in a tissue paper. This is only when there are no alternatives.</ref> However, there are poskim who maintain that swallowing a pill is the regular manner of consumption.<ref>Refer to Nodeh B’Yehuda Y.D. 35, Pischei Teshuva Y.D. 155:6, Har Tzvi Y.D. 97, opinions of Harav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach zt”l and Harav Elyashiv Shlita quoted in Medicines and Kashrus page 57:footnote 17, Yeishiv Moshe page 165, Shemiras [[Shabbos]] K’hilchoso 40:footnote 169, Halichos Shlomo Moadim ([[Pesach]]) 1:page 69. This is the opinion of Harav Yisroel Belsky Shlita quoting the opinion of Harav Henkin zt”l, see www.koltorah.org. </ref> Others are lenient and maintain that swallowing a pill is considered an unusual manner.<ref>Halichos Shlomo 1:17:1 (although he is quoted in the footnote above as saying otherwise), see Toras Chaim (Chullin 120) who is lenient</ref> In addition, even those who are stringent by [[gelatin]], it would not apply to medicines. However, according to the stringent opinion above regarding [[gelatin]], one who only has a headache<ref>Refer to Halichos Shlomo Moadim ([[Pesach]]) pages 71-72 who is unsure if this should be permitted with a slight pain. See Minchas Shlomo 1:17:3. </ref> or slight discomfort<ref>This does not apply to one who is bedridden (Halichos Shlomo Moadim [[Pesach]]) pages 71-72:8. The Shach 13 says this heter of the Rama is even for a healthy person. See Mishnah L’melech Hilchos Yesodei Hatorah 5:8 in depth, Zera Emes 2:48. Refer to Pri Megadim M.Z. O.C. 328:11, Shagas Aryeh 74, Binas Adom 52:page 86, Shevet Ha’Levi 7:135 who argue. Harav Yisroel Belsky Shlita maintains if one has a headache he should not swallow gel-caps without wrapping it in a tissue. </ref> should take a pill which has no [[gelatin]] or wrap the gel-cap in a tissue (in the next issue we will iy"h continue our discussion on gel-caps).<ref>Refer to Mesora 14:page 92. Others say the custom is to be lenient with one who has even a headache (Chai Ha’Levi 3:111:2). </ref> | |||
==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. 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. | |||
* [https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/731730/rabbi-daniel-stein/רפואות-שנתערבו-בהם-גליצערי-ן/ Rabbi Daniel Stein] in an article permits children medicines with glycerins for a number of reasons: 1) If the taste is bad even though there's other flavors added and it leaves a bad aftertaste perhaps that's considered nifsal machila. It seems difficult because donkey urine isn't considered nifsal machila (RSZA 1:17). 2) Though it might be shelo kderech achila since it isn't taste good. Then for a sick person it is muter. 3) They're safek made from plants. 4) Isur Shenishtana since it changed from the taste and look from animal fat. 5) Maybe made inedible in the processing. 6) If its taste is masked by the other flavors you only need bitul brov since it doesn't have any taam and we can use kefilah. 7) It is only chatzi shiur of isur in a taarovet and for a sick person perhaps it is muter. He quotes Rav Schachter and Rav Willig as agreeing with him.</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== | |||
# 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> | |||
# Some say that one shouldn't use mouthwash with glycerin in it since one might swallow some and glycerin can be made from teref animals.<ref>Rav Belsky (cited in article "Kashrut Rulings From Rabbi Belsky ZT"L" p. 37) held that since sometimes a person swallows some mouthwash it is forbidden to use it if there's an ingredient in it that isn't kosher such as glycerin (similar to Taz 98:2). He didn't consider mouthwash to be considered inedible.</ref> | |||
==Credits== | ==Credits== | ||
