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Passover: When To Finish Kashering
When kashering an oven or utensils for Passover, you may kasher:
  • By Libun
  Anytime, including on chol ha'moed (but not on Jewish festivals or Shabbat).
  • By Hag'ala
  Until one hour before halachic midday on Passover eve (but b'di'avad it is OK until
  just before sunset of Passover eve).
 
Introduction to Food Nullification: Utensils (Kashering)
Food Nullification in Utensils: Torah-Law and Rabbinic Decree
By Torah law (d'oraita), any clean utensil, countertop, etc., automatically reverts to neutral/pareve and kosher after not being heated to more than 120° F (49° C) for 24 hours.
But by rabbinic decree, utensils do not automatically become neutral/pareve even after 24 hours and must be kashered by heat (libun—direct heat; hag'ala—boiling in a pot; or eruy rotchim—pouring boiling water over item) or, if some types of glass, by soaking in water (meluy v'eruy ).
 
Changing Gender of Utensil
You may kasher a pot or cooking/eating utensil from:
  • Non-kosher to kosher, or
  • Year-round use (chametz) to kosher for Passover.
 
You may not intentionally kasher a utensil in order to change it from dairy to meat or meat to dairy; you must first kasher it from accidentally (or intentionally) non-kosher to kosher/pareve, or from non-Passover to Passover/pareve. You may then use it for either dairy or meat.

Once you have used it for that gender, the item retains that gender (unless you re-kasher it for Passover or you make it non-kosher first, then kasher it to neutral/pareve).
But if you accidentally heat meat with a dairy utensil or vice versa, you may kasher it back to its original gender by any one of the kashering methods, depending on how it became non-kosher.
 
Items/Materials that Can Be Kashered
The following materials can be kashered:
  • Glass, including Corelle, if not used directly on the stove or oven. Glass does not change gender or other kosher status unless heated on a flame or in the oven. Unless it is heated in this way, glass does not ever need to be kashered (except for Passover) (see Meluy v'Eruy, below).Glass, including Corelle, if not used directly on the stove or oven. Glass does not change gender or other kosher status unless heated on a flame or in the oven. Unless it is heated in this way, glass does not ever need to be kashered (except for Passover) (see Meluy v'Eruy, below).Glass, including Corelle, if not used directly on the stove or oven. Glass does not change gender or other kosher status unless heated on a flame or in the oven. Unless it is heated in this way, glass does not ever need to be kashered (except for Passover) (see Meluy v'Eruy, below).
   NOTE  Glass used directly on fire or in the oven (kli rishon) cannot
  be kashered except by heating in a kiln.
  • Granite (not granite composite)
  • Marble
  • Wood, if smooth (see notes on Eruy Rotchim, below)
  • Metal, including stainless steel, cast iron, and aluminum.
Note While metal can be kashered if thoroughly cleaned, welded handles and other difficult-to-clean parts may render a metal utensil not kasherable. You might be able to use libun kal on the problematic area and still use hag'ala for the remainder of the utensil.
 
Items/Materials that Cannot Be Kashered
  • China
  • Corian
  • Corningware
  • Crockpot
  • Formica
  • Glass that has been used directly (kli rishon) on a stove or in an oven; however it can be kashered in a kiln
  • Granite (composite)
  • Knives with Plastic Handles (knives with wooden handles may be kashered if there are no cracks in the wood and if the rivets do not have spaces that catch food and prevent you from cleaning it completely)
  • Mixer-there might be exceptions. Consult a rabbi.
  • Plastic
  • Porcelain (Enamel)
  • Pyrex (if used directly on stove or in oven--kli rishon)
  • Rubber (synthetic)
  • Silestone
  • Silverstone
  • Stoneware
  • Teflon
  • Toaster/Toaster Oven
  • Waffle Iron.
 
Pot Lid Handle
Kashering
The handle on a pot lid does not need to be kashered for normal use during the year. 
Reason It does not normally get hot.
Cleaning
However, the pot lid handle must be removed and the lid cleaned where the handle attaches, if possible.
Note If the gap between the handle and lid cannot be completely cleaned, you may not use that lid for Passover and you normally may not kasher it if it becomes non-kosher. If the lid handle cannot be removed, consult a rabbi.

Pot or Pan Handle
A plastic handle that gets hot, especially if it is over a flame on a burner, may not be kashered. If the handle becomes non-kosher, it must be replaced. If a plastic handle connects directly to the metal of the utensil, consult a rabbi about what to do.
 
Food Nullification: Heat-Kashering
Three Methods of Heat-Kashering
Heat-Kashering is of three types:  Libun, Hag'ala, and Eruy Rotchim.
  1. Libun (Direct Heat)
    How It Works  Burns up any residual food taste
 
 What It Works On
Complete Burning (Libun gamur --heating metal red-hot).  Stoves, ovens, grills, grates, baking pans, roasting pans, etc., that were ever used with direct heat MUST be kashered by heating to red-hot (libun gamur). Libun gamur works on anything except pottery (this is a rabbinic injunction since you might not do a good job).
 
Light Burning (Libun kal--heating metal hot enough to burn paper on the side opposite the one being heated).  You may use this method whenever there is a question of whether an item needs libun. For example, food may have overflowed onto gas-stove grates. Due to safek, we use libun kal-- gas-stove grates do not need libun gamur.
 
 Process 
Libun Gamur The entire metal substance of a utensil, oven, or other cooking surface becomes red hot, but the item does not need to be red hot all at the same time: it may be heated sequentially as long as the entire surface gets red hot at some time. Libun gamur can be done by blowtorch or by placing the item in a kiln. 
 
Libun Kal
  • Direct a flame, such as a blowtorch, onto the inside of a pot. Pot is hot enough when a piece of paper that touches the outside of the utensil burns (it does not need to burst into flame, just to smolder), or
  • Put the pot into the oven at 500 ° F for 40 minutes. (First, remove any non-metal handles; they will need to be kashered separately or not used.)
 
   Waiting Time  You do not need to wait at all before kashering by libun--and certainly not the 24 hours needed before kashering by hag'ala.
 
  1. Hag'ala (Boiling)
     
How It Works
Any non-kosher or meat or milk taste is removed from the walls of the utensil during boiling (hag'ala). You may kasher a pot or utensil by either:
  • Boil Method Boiling water within the pot to be kashered, and making the boiling water overflow, or
  • Dip Method Dipping a smaller pot or utensil to be kashered into a larger pot of boiling water.
What It Works On   
Pots and utensils that are used with liquids (meaning, liquid all the time) can be kashered by being immersed in boiling water (hag'ala). The utensil being kashered by hag'ala must be made of a material that can release flavor, such as metal or wood. Materials that cannot be kashered (except in a glazing furnace!) are pottery--and, by extension--china, enamel, and similar materials. 
 
Note  The Boil Method only helps if the utensil became non-kosher due to food inside the utensil. If the non-kosher food was on the outside of the utensil, you may only kasher it by the Dip Method or by libun kal.
 
Note The boiling water must reach at least the same temperature during kashering as when the utensil became non-kosher.
 
Note Once the Passover holiday has begun, chametz cannot be nullified with hot water/hag'ala (only libun can kasher something during Passover). You may only kasher during chol hamoed, not during the first and last (festival) days.
 
Note Whenever hag'ala is effective, you may instead use libun kal, since libun kal is a stronger form of kashering. Sometimes you may find it more convenient to use libun kal to kasher an item that needs only hag'ala.
Situation A metal pot of the opposite gender went through a dishwasher cleaning.
What To Do Even though the pot only needs hag'ala, you may instead kasher it by libun kal by putting it in an oven at 500° F (for this application).

Process
The Boil Method can be used as:
  • Batel BaShishim ("nullifying in 60 times" the volume), or
  • Batel BaRov ("nullifying in a majority"--that is, boiling the item in water that is more than twice the volume but less than 60 times the volume of the non-kosher element).
NoteIf a pot is hot (over 120° F, or 49° C) when only part of the pot becomes non-kosher, the entire pot is non-kosher and its volume is figured into the volume of water needed for boiling.
NoteFor whether the lid becomes non-kosher, consult a rabbi.

In Batel BaShishim, by the actual halacha, you do not need to wait at all before kashering. But the custom is to wait 24 hours--except in extreme circumstances--because it is too hard to figure out 1/60th. In Batel BaRov, you must wait 24 hours.
 
The Boil Method: Batel BaShishim
Using batel ba'shishim for the Boil Method is not customary.  You may use it for emergencies ONLY; ask a rabbi in this case.
Example To kasher a spoon with the batel ba'shishim type of hag'ala, immerse the spoon in boiling water of a volume at least the volume of 60 spoons. No waiting is needed before kashering with this method.
 
The Boil Method: Batel BaRov
To kasher a pot or utensil by hag'ala using batel ba'rov:
  • Clean the pot or utensil well.
  • Wait 24 hours after the pot or utensil was last heated to more than 120° F, or 49° C (such as when it was cleaned).
Reason Waiting 24 hours allows the taste to become “ruined” and then to be nullified (batel) in a majority (ba'rov) of boiling water.
Note During the 24-hour waiting period, you could still “use” the utensil for watering plants, etc., as long as the water remains under 120° F.
  • Fill the pot to the brim with water.
  • Bring the water in the pot to a boil.
  • Cause the water to overflow the entire rim of the pot by:
    • Plunging something hot into the pot (any item that will not cause the water to stop boiling is OK), or
    • Tilting the pot to slosh water over all of the pot's rim.
  • Cool off the pot by dipping it in cold water or putting it under cold running water.
Note If you did not put the utensil under cold water, it is still kosher b'di'avad.
 
The Dip Method
To kasher a smaller pot or any other kasherable cooking or eating utensil by hag'ala, you may dip the pot or utensil into a large, kashered pot containing boiling water.
  • If the pot in which you are kashering the items had been heated to 120° F (49° C), with food of that gender in the pot, or more within the previous 24 hours, the items you are kashering will assume the gender of the pot.
  • If the pot in which you are kashering the items had NOT been heated to 120° F or more for at least 24 hours, any items that are kashered in it will become kosher and pareve.
Note When kashering a utensil by hagala, you may dip it into boiling water one part at a time; that is, you do not need to immerse the entire utensil under the water all at the same time. This is different from doing tevila since for tevila, the entire utensil must be immersed completely.
 
Calculating 24-Hour Waiting Time
Once a pot has become non-kosher due to any reason, if it gets heated to 120° F (49° C) or more with any food or liquid in it, you must wait another 24 hours from the latest heating before you can kasher it, since everything inside the utensil becomes non-kosher again.
 
Calculating Volume
If only part of a pot becomes non-kosher, as long as the pot was hot (over 120° F, or 49° C), the entire pot becomes non-kosher and its volume gets figured into the volume of water needed for boiling.
 
 
  1. Eruy Rotchim (Hot-Water Pour)
 
Process  Pouring hot water over, for example, a sink to kasher it.
 
Waiting Time You must wait 24 hours before kashering by eruy rotchim.
 
Note Only items that became non-kosher by being poured onto, may be kashered via eruy rotchim.
 
Note Smooth-surfaced wood may be kashered through eruy rotchim (pouring boiling water) but ONLY if it became non-kosher through eruy. If it became non-kosher by being cooked or heated in an oven, it may not be kashered via eruy rotchim.
 
Note A wooden cutting board may be kashered if the board is smooth. If it has cracks and crevices, it can be sanded until smooth and then kashered.

 
Food Nullification: Meluy V'Eruy
Meluy V'Eruy To Kasher Glass
Halachically, “glass” includes Arcoroc, Corelle, crystal, Duralex, and Pyrex.
NOTE In pre-war Europe, where glass was expensive and hard to obtain, it was customary to kasher drinking glasses, especially for Passover, by soaking the glasses for three 24-hour periods (meluy v'eruy), as follows:
Step 1: Submerge glasses in cold water for 24 hours.
Step 2: Empty water, refill, and submerge glasses again.
Step 3: Repeat Step 2.
NOTE If any of these materials were heated directly on a flame or other heat source, they cannot be kashered by meluy v'eruy!

Introduction to Toveling: Utensils
Tevila is the Hebrew word for immersion.  You must tovel (immerse in a mikva or other halachically purifying water) new utensils made of metal or other materials that require tevila unless you know that they were:
  • Made by a Jew,
  • Sold by a Jew, and
  • Not owned by a non-Jew in between.
Toveling: Utensils: How To Tovel
To tovel a utensil, you may go to any kosher natural mikva (see section on natural mikvas) or to a mikvat keilim (a small mikva for utensils, often attached to the outside of a regular mikva building). To tovel several items, some of which require a blessing and some on which there is doubt whether a blessing is necessary, say the blessing over the item that requires the blessing and have in mind that the blessing will cover all the rest of your items.
Remember to remove all stickers, rust, etc., before you begin. Nail polish remover may help with stubborn stickers. Say the blessing al tevilat keilim and then let the item free fall through the water. Unlike with hagala, during which the item may be immersed in sections, when you tovel a utensil, the entire item must be in contact with the water at the same time, even if only for an instant.

Toveling: Utensils: What Gets Toveled?
Note The main halacha applies to metal utensils that will be used repeatedly.
Say the blessing al tevilat keilim on metal or glass items--including Pyrex, Duralex, and Corelle-- that come in contact with food. Items that require toveling include:
  • Bowls
  • Cups
  • Forks
  • Knives
  • Pans
  • Plates
  • Pots
  • Spoons
  • Storage containers (only if they are brought to the table).
The below chart is copied with permission from the Star-K (www.star-k.org):
 
 
Utensil Tevila Guideline   Utensil Tevila Guideline
Aluminum Pans, Disposable
if intended to be used more than once
Tevila with Brocha Meat Tenderizer Hammer,
Metal
No Tevila
Aluminum Pans, Disposable
to be used only once
Tevila w/o Brocha Melamine No Tevila
Blech No Tevila Metal Cutlery Tevila with Brocha
Blender with metal blade on bottom Tevila with Brocha Metal Flour and Sugar
Storage Canisters
Tevila w/o Brocha
Bone No Tevila Metal Pots Coated with
Teflon, Enamel or Plastic
Tevila w/o Brocha
Brush, Pastry No Tevila Metal Spoon Specifically for Medicine Tevila w/o Brocha
Brush for Grill, Metal No Tevila Microwave Turntable, Glass Tevila w/o Brocha
Can Opener No Tevila Mixer Beaters Tevila w/o Brocha
Cans, Reusable Empty
if opened by a Yehudi
No Tevila Paper No Tevila
China, Bone Tevila w/o Brocha Peeler, Vegetable Tevila with Brocha
China, Glazed Tevila w/o Brocha Plastic No Tevila
Colander, Metal Tevila with Brocha Porcelain Enamel Tevila w/o Brocha
Cookie Cutters, Metal No Tevila Racks, Cooling Tevila w/o Brocha
Cookie Sheets, Metal Tevila with Brocha Racks, Oven No Tevila
Cork Screw No Tevila Rolling Pins
Metal or Wood
No Tevila
Corningware Tevila w/o Brocha Sandwich Maker Tevila with Brocha
Crockpot Ceramic Insert Tevila w/o Brocha Silicone No Tevila 
Crockpot Glass Lid Tevila w/o Brocha Sink Racks, Stainless Steel No Tevila
Crockpot Outside Metal Shell No Tevila Spatula, Metal Tevila with Brocha
Dish Rack, Metal No Tevila Stoneware Tevila w/o Brocha
Dishes, Ceramic Tevila w/o Brocha Stoneware, Non-Glazed No Tevila
Earthenware, Non-Glazed
Dull Finish, e.g. Flower Pot
No Tevila Storage Utensils, Glass
not brought to the table
No Tevila
George Foreman Grill Tevila w/o Brocha Styrofoam No Tevila
Glass
(including Pyrex, Duralex & Corelle)
Tevila with Brocha Tea Kettle, Corelle Tevila with Brocha
Grater, Metal
used for foods that are ready to eat, eg, apples, onions
Tevila with Brocha Toaster
which will not break
Tevila w/o Brocha
Grater, Metal
used only for foods that need further cooking,eg potatos
Tevila w/o Brocha Toaster Oven
rack & tray only
Tevila with Brocha
Hamburger Maker Tevila with Brocha Trivet, Metal No Tevila
Hot Air Popcorn Maker, Metal Tevila with Brocha Waffle Iron Tevila with Brocha
Hot Water Urn, Metal Tevila with Brocha Warming Tray No Tevila
Knife, Arts & Crafts No Tevila Wood No Tevila
Knife Sharpener No Tevila Wooden Cask with
Metal Straps
Tevila w/o Brocha
Meat Thermometer No Tevila    
Introduction to Kashering: Pots and Utensils: Libun
Kashering: Pots and Utensils: Libun: How It Works  
Kashering by “burning” (libun) burns up any residual food taste and is of two types:
  • “Complete burning” (libun gamur), and
  • “Light burning” (libun kal).
Libun Gamur: Heating To Red-Hot for Direct-Heat Utensils
Libun gamur (complete burning) is when the entire metal substance of a utensil, oven, or other cooking surface becomes red hot.
When To Use Libun Gamur
Heating to red-hot (libun gamur) is required to kasher utensils that are used with direct heat, such as baking pans, roasting pans, and roasting grates. Libun gamur works on anything except pottery (this is a rabbinic injunction since you might not do a good job).
How To Do Libun Gamur
Libun gamur can be done by blowtorch or by placing the item in a kiln.

Libun Kal: Heating so Other Side of Pot Singes Paper

Heating so that the heat goes through to the opposite side of whatever is being kashered is called libun kal. 
When To Use Libun Kal
This method may be used whenever there is a question of whether an item needs libun or not, such as grates on a gas stove.Grates on a gas stove are considered questionable since food may have overflowed onto them and, due to safek, we kasher using libun kal.
Note Grates on a gas stove do not need libun gamur.
Note Whenever hag'ala is effective, you may instead use libun kal, since libun kal is a stronger form of kashering. Sometimes you may find it more convenient to use libun kal to kasher an item that needs only hag'ala. You may use libun kal instead of hag'ala since libun kal is a stronger form of kashering.
Situation A stainless steel pot of the opposite gender went through a dishwasher cleaning.
What to Do Even though the pot only needs hag'ala, you may instead kasher it by libun kal by putting it in an oven at 500° F (for this application).
How To Do Libun Kal
Direct a flame, such as a blowtorch, onto the inside of a pot. Pot is hot enough when a piece of paper that touches the outside of the utensil burns (it need not burst into flame, just to smolder and be consumed).

 
Kashrut: Dairy/Meat: Spills: Food onto Opposite Gender Utensil: Flow Chart
WERE BOTH FOOD AND UTENSIL LESS THAN 120° F?
YES
What to Do Wash off with cold water and soap.
Status Everything is kosher and may be used immediately.
 
NO
WAS THE UTENSIL CLEAN AND UNUSED at 120° F or more FOR MORE THAN 24 HOURS?
Note Clean means no residual food, including pareve; this IS essential since the food or utensil or both were hot! If used at 120° F or more for pareve within 24 hours, ask a rabbi.
YES
Status
  • Food is kosher
  • Utensil requires kashering
What to Do
  • Wash utensil with cold water and soap.
  • Wait 24 hours after the spill occurred before kashering it.
Note If you wash off the utensil with hot (above 120° F) water, you must wait 24 hours after cleaning the utensil before kashering it.
 
NO
IS THE SPILLED FOOD LESS THAN 1/60th of the volume of the commonly used capacity of the utensil (if the utensil is empty) OR less than 1/60th of the actual volume of food contained within the utensil?
YES
Status
  • Food is non-kosher.
  • Utensil is kosher.
What to Do Wash utensil with cold water and soap and wait 24 hours before using the utensil.
Note If utensil had food in it and the spilled food was less than 1/60th of the volume of the food in the utensil, you may use the utensil immediately after cleaning it and you need not wait 24 hours.
 
NO (Spilled food was 120° F or more, utensil not clean, utensil used within 24 hours, spilled food is more than 1/60th of the utensil's volume)
Status
  • Food is non-kosher.
  • Utensil is non-kosher.
What to Do Utensil must be kashered.  See Hag'ala/Boiling or Libun/Direct Heat for instructions on how to kasher each material.



Note In this section, meat spilled onto a dairy utensil and dairy spilled onto a meat utensil are treated the same.
Kashrut: Dairy/Meat: Spills: Food onto Opposite Gender Utensil: Flow Chart
WERE BOTH FOOD AND UTENSIL LESS THAN 120° F?
YES
What to Do Wash off with cold water and soap.
Status Everything is kosher and may be used immediately.
 
NO
WAS THE UTENSIL CLEAN AND UNUSED at 120° F or more FOR MORE THAN 24 HOURS?
Note Clean means no residual food, including pareve; this IS essential since the food or utensil or both were hot! If used at 120° F or more for pareve within 24 hours, ask a rabbi.
YES
Status
  • Food is kosher
  • Utensil requires kashering
What to Do
  • Wash utensil with cold water and soap.
  • Wait 24 hours after the spill occurred before kashering it.
Note If you wash off the utensil with hot (above 120° F) water, you must wait 24 hours after cleaning the utensil before kashering it.
 
NO
IS THE SPILLED FOOD LESS THAN 1/60th of the volume of the commonly used capacity of the utensil (if the utensil is empty) OR less than 1/60th of the actual volume of food contained within the utensil?
YES
Status
  • Food is kosher.
  • Utensil is kosher after 24 hours.
What to Do Wash utensil with cold water and soap and wait 24 hours before using the utensil.
Note If utensil had food in it and the spilled food was less than 1/60th of the volume of the food in the utensil, you may use the utensil immediately after cleaning it and you do not need to wait 24 hours.
 
NO (Spilled food was 120° F or more, OR the utensil not clean, OR the utensil was used within 24 hours, and spilled food is more than 1/60th of the utensil's volume)
Status
  • Food is non-kosher.
  • Utensil is non-kosher.
What to Do Utensil must be kashered.  See Hag'ala/Boiling or Libun/Direct Heat for instructions on how to kasher each material.

In Every Generation
The hagada tells us that in every generation, a person must see himself as if he had personally gone out of Egypt.  If so, why didn't our Sages suggest how to visualize or recreate the experience?
 
It is not possible to actually see ourselves as having left slavery. Rather, we should feel our obligation to do the mitzvot (commandments) as the Israelites felt when they left Egypt, as they switched from being slaves to serving Hashem. We can be freed (b'nei chorin) from physical or spiritual slavery.
Women: Singing with Men or When Men Present
Rabbi Heinemann's view is that women should not sing zmirot, Hallel, songs in the Hagada, and other prayers with men or when men are present, but he notes that there are other major opinions that say it is permitted.
Four Cups, Four Roles
Each of the four cups has a different role:
  • First Cup: Kiddush to sanctify the holiday.
  • Second Cup: Sanctifying the hagada.
  • Third Cup: Sanctifying Birkat ha'mazon.
  • Fourth Cup: Sanctifying Hallel.
Four Sons
Only three of the Four Sons' questions are mentioned in the Torah (which all related to the Passover sacrifice), since the fourth (smallest) child cannot ask questions. Regarding this child, the hagada says, "Aht p'tach lo" (in the feminine).
Reason  The mother is supposed to be a child's primary teacher while the child is young.
There is a difference in attitude between the wise son and the evil son: The wise son says "Eloheinu" (OUR God); he is asking a question and seeking and answer. The evil son makes a statement (sort of a rhetorical question), instead of asking a question for which he seeks an answer.
Why is there a “wise” (chacham) son and not a “righteous” (tzadik) son, which would be the logical counterpart to the “evil” (rasha) son? 
We don't know who is a tzadik. We cannot be sure by external appearance or even by seeing certain behaviors. We can tell who is a chacham by hearing him speak or by discussing Torah with him.
Yet, regardless of the sons' level of observance, it is a commandment to teach them about going out of Egypt.
Seder: Purpose
It is praiseworthy to tell the story of Passover even if you know all the details and interpretations (as did the great rabbis of the Talmud), because of the principle of “in order to remember” (lema'an tizkor): that we should remember everything God did for us when taking us out of Egypt.
The Three Discussion Points
The most important part of the seder is discussing:
  • Passover offering (Pesach),
  • Unleavened bread (matza), and
  • Bitter herbs (maror).
These three segments should be read from the Passover hagada in the Hebrew.  If anyone does not understand the Hebrew, these paragraphs and the concepts they express must be explained in whatever language he or she can understand.
Children at the Seder
Children are an integral part of the sederWe try to get children to ask questions and then we teach them the answers.  The Torah says to do this!
Acknowledging God's Miracles
We acknowledge God's miracles in sending the plagues against the Egyptians and their gods and in taking the Children of Israel out of slavery and Egypt.
Telling Our History
We tell our history beginning with Jacob (Yaakov) and Laban (Lavan) and on to slavery and, finally, to achieving freedom.