Meat and Dairy
From Halachipedia
Source for the Biblical Prohibition
- The Torah states three times "לֹא-תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ-You shall not cook a kid (baby goat) in its mother's milk" (Exod. 23:19; 34:26; Deut. 14:21). Our Sages learn from the repitition of the verse that their is a prohibition to cook, eat, and have (monetary) benefit [1] from milk cooked in meat (or vice versa).[2]
- The Torah only refers to a "גדי"; however, our Sages have taught us that a "kid" refers to all kosher domesticated animals (e.g. sheep, cows). We were also taught that all types of milk are prohibited to cook with, not only the milk of the mother. Rather, the reason why the Torah was so specific is because it was speaking in the present [3] (i.e. that the verse spoke in terms which are similar to the way the world functioned at the time).[4]
Contemporary Issues
- If one uses a microwave for meat and for dairy (at different times), some authorities hold that one should preferably double wrap all foods[5], however, some authorities hold that covering it well with one covering is sufficient. Some also advise using different trays one should dairy and one for meat. [6]
References
- ↑ Maimonides in Ma'akhalot 'Asorot 9:2 explains that when the Torah only mentions the prohibition of cooking milk and meat together it means to say that in addition to not eating or having benefit from it, cooking is also prohibited. Rendering it unnecessary to mention the consumption of and the benefit from milk and meat. Similar to how the verse only prohibits one to have relations with his daughter's daughter, but makes no mention of not having relations with one's own daughter; the latter, unmentioned portion, is taken as a given.
- ↑ S"A Y"D 87:1
- ↑ Maimonides in Guide to the Perplexed 3:48 even suggests that the practice of cooking a kid in its mother's milk may have been an idolatrous one.
- ↑ S"A Y"D 87:2
- ↑ The OU quotes Rav Yisrael Belsky who says that preferably one should double wrap food put in a microwave if it's used for meat and dairy (at different times).
- ↑ Yalkut Yosef (Isser Veheter, vol 3, pg 167) rules that if the microwave works only on radiation (without a heater) one should make sure to cover all food very well and then it would be permissible to use it for meat and dairy one after another. THis is also the opinion of Rabbi Mansour at Dailyhalach.com Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz writes that one covering should suffice to inhibit the splattering of food and steam from being released, however, he adds that it is advisable to use separate plates for dairy than for meat.
