View source for Waiting between Meat and Milk

[[Image:Meat_and_Milk.jpg|250px|right]]
In order to separate between eating milk and meat together, Chazal instituted certain procedures to solidify this distinction. 

==Explanations for Waiting between Meat and Milk==
In the Gemara Chulin 105a, Rav Chisda says it’s permitted to eat meat after cheese but forbidden to have cheese after meat. Mar Ukva relates that his father would wait a whole day after having eaten meat to eat cheese, while his practice is to wait from meal to meal. Rashi (Chullin 105a s.v. Asur) explains we’re more strict regarding meat because the taste from the meat and it’s fat stays in the mouth for a very long time. However, the Rambam (Maachalot Asurot 9:28) writes that the reason is that there’s a fear that meat is stuck between one’s teeth. The Tur YD 89:1 says that if one according to Rashi if one just chewed on meat (and didn’t swallow) one doesn’t have to wait because there’s not a strong taste when just chewing meat, if meat is found between one’s teeth after the allotted time one must remove the meat since it still has the taste of meat. However, according to the Rambam if one chewed on meat one must wait as there is a real concern of meat getting stuck in one’s teeth but if meat is found between one’s teeth after the allotted time one doesn’t have to remove it because the one only waited that time so that the meat between one’s teeth would become digested and lose the status of meat. The Tur 89:1 concludes that one should be strict for both opinions. This is the accepted ruling by the S”A 89:1, Shach 89:2, Biur HaGra 89:3, and Taz 89:1. The Pri Megadim (YD M”Z 89:1) writes that according to both reasons (taste of meat and meat stuck in teeth) if one only chewed on a cooked meat dish (not actual meat) one shouldn’t have to wait, however, it’s proper to wait. This is quoted by the Pitchei Teshuva 89:1 and Kaf HaChaim 89:3.

* Some Rishonim (Tosfot Chullin 104b quoting רבינו תם and Bahag) hold that there’s no minimum amount of time one only needs to wash one’s hands and wash out one’s mouth. The Baal HaMoer, Yerayim (Siman 149) and Raah (Bedek HaBayit pg 83) agree with this. 
* Some Rishonim (Tosfot 105a) say that one shouldn’t have it the same meal but if one makes [[Bracha Achrona]] and then eat meat. The Mordechai quotes the Ravyah who agrees to this.
* The majority of Rishonim (Rosh and Rif) that it’s the time span between the morning and afternoon meal (because in those days they usually only ate two meals). Based on this, the Rambam writes that one must wait the time between one meal and another which is 6 hours. This is also the opinion of ריטב"א, מאירי, and Ran. This is codified in S”A YD 89:1.

==Accepted Minhagim==
# There are basically four different possible minhagim: 
## waiting 6 hours<ref>Rambam (Machalot Asurot 9:28), Shulchan Aruch YD 89:1. The Gra 89:2 explains that 6 hours is based on Mar Ukva in Chullin 105a who said one should wait from one meal to another and the fact that the scholars used to eat their morning meal at 6 hours into the day and roughly there would be 6 hours until the dinner meal. The Dagul Mirvavah (Shach 89:3) agrees. Rosh Chullin 8:5 writes that one should wait the amount of time between the morning meal and the night meal. The Badei Hashulchan 89:8 writes that one shouldn't </ref>
## waiting less than 6 hours<ref>[http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=21349&st=&pgnum=59 Mateh Efraim by Rabbi Efraim Ardit p. 28b] writes that when the Rambam says like 6 hours he means less than 6 hours. http://www.shtaygen.co.il/?CategoryID=1623&ArticleID=6477 cites the Kol Bo no. 106 s.v. veachar basar as quoting some who thought that shorter than 6 hours is also long enough if one cleans out one's teeth. See there.</ref>
## waiting 3 hours<ref> The Rabbenu Yerucham (Isur Ve'heter no. 39) writes that one can wait 3 or 4 hours, however, he contradicts himself in his book Toldot Adam Vechavah 15:5 where he writes that one should wait at least 6 hours. See further in an article on [https://daf-yomi.com/Data/UploadedFiles/DY_Item/14587-sFile.pdf daf-yomi.com]. Darkei Teshuva 89:6 quoting the Mizmor Ledovid defends the practice of 3 hours based on the fact that in some places in the winter there was only 3 hours time between the morning meal and dinner. The Darkei Teshuva quotes those who dismiss this practice. The Badei Hashulchan 89:35 writes that he didn't find a source for his minhag other than the Chaye Adam 127:10 who says that some are lenient to wait a few hours.</ref>
## waiting 1 hour<ref>Rama 89:1 writes that the minhag is to wait one hour. The Taz 89:2 explains that really this opinion is based on the Rabbenu Tam and Bahag that one doesn't have to wait any period of time; rather one simply needs to wash out one's mouth with liquids and solids, wash one's hands, and end the meal with a bracha achrona.</ref>
# Sephardim generally hold that one should keep 6 hours. <Ref>S”A YD 89:1, Kaf Hachaim 89:20 </ref> 
# Some Ashkenazim of German descent have the minhag to keep 3 hours, some Ashkenazim of Dutch descent have the minhag to wait 1 hour, and most Ashkenazim keep 6 hours. <Ref>Rama 89:1. Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 46:9 says one should wait 6 hours. Rama 89:1 writes that the minhag is to wait 1 hour but concludes that it’s appropriate to wait 6 hours. Shach 89:8 explains that anyone who has a sense of Torah should keep 6 hours. Mishneh Halachot 16:9 agrees and encourages everyone to keep 6 hours. The Biur HaGra explains that the source for the 1 hour minhag is based on the Zohar. Meiri (Chullin 105a) mentions that one should wait 6 hours or close to that. Sh”t Yabia Omer YD 1:4 explains that the hours weren’t precise because they didn’t have an exact way to keep track of time.  </ref> 
# For a child some say that one should gradually build it up, at the age of 2 to wait 1 hour, at age 5 to wait 3 hours, and at age 9 to wait 6 hours <Ref>Rav Yakov Kamenetsky (Emet L'Yakov 89 no. 36) said that until the age of 3 there's certainly no reason to have the child wait to drink milk and even until the age of 6 is a big chumra. Sh”t Teshuvot VeHanhagot 1:435, Children in Halacha pg. 35 writes that for below the age of 3 a child may eat dairy immediately after but should wash out the mouth, between 3 and 6 should wait at least an hour, beyond 6 should wait the full time </ref> while others say that under the age of 9 it’s sufficient to wait one hour (with washing one’s hands and mouth). <Ref>Sh”t Chelkat Yacov 2:88-9, 3:147. Sh"t Yabea Omer YD 1:4 also says for children it is enough to wait only 1 hour </ref> However, once a child reaches within one year of their Bar/Bat Mitzvah, they should wait the full time <ref> Yalkut Yosef Dinei [[Chinuch]] Katan pg. 267 </ref>

==Cases==
===Chicken===
# Even for poultry one should wait 6 hours. <Ref>Shulchan Aurch YD 89:1 </ref>
===Meat Dish===
# One should wait 6 hours even between a meat dish, parve food cooked with meat, and a dairy dish even if one didn't actually eat any meat. <ref>Yam Shel Shlomo (Chullin 8:5) says one should wait 6 hours between meat dish and a milk dish and even though not everyone says that and you only need to wait between meat dish and cheese but Badai Hashulchan 89:82 says one should be strict.</ref>
# Food that was cooked in a meat pot is considered parve and one doesn't need to wait 6 hours after eating it, though it can't be eaten together with dairy.<ref>Rama YD 89:3</ref> This applies even to a dvar charif such as leeks.<ref>Rabbi Akiva Eiger 89 on Shach 89:19</ref>
===French Fries===
# Some say that one doesn't have to wait 6 hours after eating french fries fried in oil used for chicken or meat as long as the intention wasn't to have taste of the chicken or meat get into the fries.<ref>
[https://www.yutorah.org/sidebar/lecture.cfm/871104/rabbi-hershel-schachter/basic-kitchen-kashrut-for-young-couples/ Rav Schachter ("Basic Kitchen Kashrut" end of shiur)] explained that one doesn't need to wait 6 hours after having french fries from a restaurant that fried them in the same deep fryer that was used to fry chicken. This is true if the cook didn't intend for the meat taste to be imparted into the french fries and just uses the same oil for convenience. In that case the fries aren't even considered tavshil basar. This ruling is based on the Rama YD 89:3 and Shach YD 89:19.</ref>

===Chewed but Didn't Swallow===
# If one chewed meat but didn’t swallow one should wait 6 hours. <Ref>Shulchan Aruch YD 89:1 </ref>
# If one only chewed on a cooked meat dish (cooked with real meat) one should wait the allotted time. <ref>Pri Megadim (YD M”Z 89:1), Pitchei Teshuva 89:1 and Kaf HaChaim 89:3 </ref>
# If one tasted meat without chewing and immediately spit it out whole then one doesn’t have to wait until eating dairy <Ref>Kaf HaChaim 89:4, Rav Yakov Kamenetsky (Emet L'Yakov 89 no. 35) </ref> however, one should first wash out one’s mouth. <Ref> Darkei Teshuva 89:12, 13, 22 </ref>
===How Are Six Hours Calculated?===
# 6 hours is calculated with 60 minute hours and not [[Shaot Zmaniot]]. <Ref>Kaf HaChaim 89:5 </ref>
# 6 hours begins from when one stopped eating meat and one should wait to begin the dairy meal until then. <Ref>Kaf HaChaim 89:9 and Hilchot Baser BeChalav 1:8 based on the Dagul Mirvava 89:1 against the Aruch HaShulchan 89:4 who says to wait from the end of the meal (even not meat foods). Mishneh Halachot 5:97 and Divrei Shalom YD 24 agree with the Kaf Hachaim. </ref>

===Meat Stuck in One's Teeth===
# If one found meat between one’s teeth after 6 hours one should remove the piece of meat before eating dairy. <Ref>S”A YD 89:1 </ref>
# If one is not concerned and generally there is not meat stuck between his teeth after 6 hours, then one doesn’t need to check before eating dairy, however, if one has gaps in between one’s teeth or the like so that it’s likely that meat got stuck one should check before eating dairy. <Ref>Kaf HaChaim 89:15 </ref>
===In the Same Meal===
# If one ate a meat meal and continued the meal with parve food for 6 hours one may not have dairy as part of the same meal rather one must make [[Birkat HaMazon]] and then have dairy. <Ref>Kaf HaChaim 89:17 </ref> 
===Unsure if Six Hours Passed===
# If one is unsure whether 6 hours passed, some say that one should wait until 6 hours surely passed and some say that one may be lenient and certainly in a case where one only ate chicken and not meat. <Ref>Hilchot Baser BeChalav 1:20. Badei Hashulchan 89:9 writes that someone who is lenient doesn't lose anything. Mishneh Halachot 5:97:3 writes that initially one should be strict to wait a complete 6 hours.</ref> Sephardim are lenient.<ref>Yalkut Yosef Isur Vheter v. 3 p. 386 explains that it isn't considered a dvar sheyesh lo matirin since it is possible to have dairy now and later. It is comparable to the Tzlach Pesachim 9b that with respect to moving muktzeh there's no dvar sheyesh lo matirin. He cites the Zer Hashulchan 89:29 who is strict and says that it isn't comparable to the Tzlach since one isn't going to eat that piece of cheese twice. He also points out that Rabbi Akiva Eiger Megillah 5b seems to disagree with the Tzlach.
* Regarding the application of the Tzlach see Taharat Habayit v. 3 p. 268 who quotes the Pri Hasadeh 2:38 and Maharam (Daat Torah YD 199) who limit the Nodeh Beyehuda YD 53 to say that it would not be considered a dvar sheyesh lo matirin for a woman to go back to mikveh if she had to wait an entire night. Similarly, Nodeh Beyehuda EH 2:38 applies his own concept to a woman be able to get married within 24 months if there's a doubt if she was pregnant from a Jew or non-Jew since she could be married now and later and it isn't considered a dvar sheyesh lo matirin to wait.</ref>

===Sick===
# Someone sick who needs to eat milk within 6 hours may eat as long as he waited one hour<ref>Pitchei Teshuva 89:3 quoting Chatom Sofer 73, Shevet Halevi 2:35, Ben Ish Chai (Shana Sheni Shelach no. 11), Kaf Hachaim 89:21, Yabia Omer 1:4:11, Yalkut Yosef 89:22</ref> said a bracha achrona on the meat, washed out one's mouth with a food and a drink, brushes one's teeth, and washes one's hands.<ref>Badei Hashulchan 89:36, Shoel Vnishal YD 2:26. He adds that if it is hard to wait even one hour it is permitted to eat even within one hour as one as long washes one's mouth with a food and a drink, brushes one's teeth, and washes one's hands.</ref>
===If One Already Made a Bracha===
# If one forgot that one recently ate meat and now made a bracha on the dairy he should take a bite of the food so that it isn't a bracha livatala as long as one hour passed since one ate the meat.<ref>Yachava Daat 4:41 </ref>

==Meat Stuck in Your Teeth==
# The pasuk in parshat Behalotcha says הַבָּשָׂר עוֹדֶנּוּ בֵּין שִׁנֵּיהֶם<ref>Bamidbar 11:33</ref> and according to Chazal this teaches us an interesting insight into [[Kashrut]]. The Gemara Chullin 105a infers from the pasuk that if one finds meat in one’s teeth it is still considered meat one’s teeth it is still considered meat and may not be eaten with milk. Practically, if a person finds a piece of meat between his teeth, before eating dairy he must remove it from his teeth.<Ref>The Tur YD 89 says that according to Rashi if one finds meat between one’s teeth before eating dairy one must remove the piece of meat, while according to the Rambam once 6 hours has passed the meat has become digested and lost its status of meat. Shulchan Aruch YD 89:1 rules that even after 6 hours has passed and one finds meat between one’s teeth one must remove it. </ref>
# If a person swallows a piece of meat that was in one's mouth after one finished eating some poskim hold that one needs to restart the 6 hours.<ref>Badei Hashulchan 88:13 cites the Haflah 89:1 who writes that if one swallows the piece of meat found in one's mouth after a few hours that would require restarting waiting 6 hours. However, he notes that the minhag isn't like that.</ref> However, some poskim argue that one doesn't need to restart waiting.<ref>Rav Belsky in Shulchan Halevi 22:2 p. 208 writes that a small piece of food stuck in one's mouth after some time doesn't have any taste and doesn't require restarting. He didn't want to establish at what point this would be the case. Or Hahalacha by Rav Makis (Halacha Bahira 88:1) is lenient since there's no taste in a small piece stuck in one's mouth and chazal said to wait after finishing eating and were not concerned with small crumbs which commonly are left in one's mouth. Hari Yehuda YD 1:10 at great length shows that one doesn't need to restart the clock. One reason is that according to Rashi that we're concerned about taste it should be permitted in this case since the food in one's mouth begins to break down and that combines with the digestion of the stomach. </ref>

==Waiting Between Milk and Meat==
# After one eats or drinks dairy one doesn't have to wait before eating meat. It is permitted to eat meat as long as one has washed one's hands, ate something that cleans one's teeth such as bread or fruit, and drank some liquid.
# The halacha is that one doesn't need to separate between a meal of dairy and meat with a bracha achrona.<ref>Even though the Shlah and Zohar are strict, the Rama OC 494:3 and Mishna Brurah 494:16 don't require a bracha achrona after dairy before eating meat.</ref>
==Hard cheese==
# Ashkenazim hold that one should wait six hours after eating hard cheese before eating meat. <ref>Teshuvat Maharam Rotenburg cited by Bet Yosef OC 173, Rama YD 89:2. Darkei Teshuva 89:2 quotes the Arizal who wouldn't eat meat for the rest of the day after having eaten hard cheese. Yalkut Yosef YD 89:46 writes that it is permitted according to the strict halacha for Sephardim not to wait to have meat after having hard cheese as long as one washes out one's mouth and washes one's hands.</ref>
## American cheese is not included in this custom. <ref>[http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/776128/Rabbi_Hershel_Schachter/Reishit_Bikkurim:_A_Guide_to_Shavuot_Observance Rav Hershel Schachter in a published pamphlet about Hilchot Shavuot] (p. 5) quoting Rav Soloveitchik</ref>
# According to many poskim, mild cheddar, feta, mozzarella, and muenster cheeses are considered soft cheeses, however, medium, sharp and aged cheddar, and parmesan cheeses are considered hard cheeses. <ref>[http://www.oukosher.org/pdf/daf19-9c.pdf Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer in OU's Daf HaKashrus] Tamuz 5771 p. 55. Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 46:11 writes (based on the Shach) that hard cheese is cheese that was aged for 6 months. </ref>

==Clearing off the Table==
# One can not eat milk on the same table that he has previously eaten meat on until one clears off any pieces of bread that were left over from the previous meal and change the table cloth. <ref> Shulchan Aruch 89:4, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 46:12 </ref> 
# The requirement to clear off bread may also include other types of food that were on the table, depending on how they were eaten from. For instance, if people used their own utensils to take from the salad then the salad must also be removed. <ref> Badei HaShulchan 89:99 </ref> 
# There is a machlokes if we are still required to remove the table clothe since we eat on plates and not on the table itself <ref> Pischei Teshuva ad loc. </ref> but our minhag is to still require a place setting <ref> Badei HaShulchan 89:102 </ref>
==Sources==
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[[Category:Kashrut]]