Waiting between Meat and Milk

The פסוק in parshat Behalotcha הַבָּשָׂר עוֹדֶנּוּ בֵּין שִׁנֵּיהֶם according to Chazal teach us an interesting insight into Kashrut. The Gemara Chullin 105a says that if one finds meat in one’s teeth one may not eat dairy because even while the food is between one’s teeth it’s still considered meat (as is implied by the פסוק). The Tur YD 89 says that according to Rashi if one finds meat between one’s teeth 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. S”A YD 89:1 rules that even after 6 hours has passed and one finds meat between one’s teeth one must remove it.

Source

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

Five basic minhagim:

• waiting 6 hours
• waiting 5½ hours
• waiting 5 hours
• waiting 3 hours
• waiting 1 hour

1. Sephardim generally hold that one should keep 6 hours. However, for children it’s enough to wait 1 hour.
2. 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 between 5 and 6 hours.
3. 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 while others say that under the age of 9 it’s sufficient to wait one hour (with washing one’s hands and mouth).

Cases

1. If one chewed meat but didn’t swallow one should wait 6 hours.
2. If one found meat between one’s teeth after 6 hours one should remove the piece of meat before eating dairy.
3. Even for poultry one should wait 6 hours.
4. If one only chewed on a cooked meat dish one should wait the allotted time.
5. If one tasted meat and immediately spit it out whole then one doesn’t have to wait until eating dairy however one should first wash out one’s mouth.
6. 6 hours is calculated with 60 minute hours and not Shaot Zmaniot.
7. 6 hours is begins from when one stopped eating meat and should continue until the beginning of one’s dairy meal.
8. 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.
9. If one ate a meat meal and continued the meal with parave 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.
10. 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.

Hard cheese

1. Ashkenazim hold that one should wait six hours after eating hard cheese before eating meat. American cheese is not included in this custom.
2. 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.

Clearing off the Table

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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 but our minhag is to still require a place setting