S0454 - Meleches Shabbos - Klal 17 Siman 3 - Tochain 7 - Ain Techina B'Ochlin - 3

What is Daily Dvar Halacha?

Rav Eliyahu Reingold, Rosh Kollel in the Yeshiva of Greater Washington, spent many years learning in the Telshe Yeshiva and Kollel where he was recognized as one of their foremost talmidim. He taught in the Telshe Mechina before coming to the Yeshiva of Greater Washington. He is a noted Baal Halacha and Baal Mussar, serving as a well-respected posek for the Yeshiva and community. Besides his responsibility in leading the Kollel, he delivers a high level shiur to advanced students, and provides many halacha shiurim throughout the year. His heartfelt weekly mussar shmuess in an inspiration to all.

This podcast is powered for free by Torahcasts.
Start your own forever free Torah podcast today at https://torahcasts.com/sign-up/ and share your Torah with the world.

Tochain 7 - Ain Techina B’Ochlin 3 (Klal 17 Siman 3) Hilchos Shabbos - S0454

We are continuing in siman 3, where the Chayei Adam is discussing chopping up meat. The Chayei Adam wrote that it is muttar to chop up the meat, even if it is hard, provided others are able to consume it without chopping it up. Another example of this halacha is chopping up food for a baby. Since the food can be eaten in its larger form by adults, there is no issue with chopping it up for the baby.

We learned that there is a machlokes whether animals are considered gidulei karka or not. If an item is considered gidulei karka, tochain will apply even when the item was edible before it was chopped up. If the item is not considered gidulei karka, tochain only applies if the act of tochain changed the item from inedible to edible.
The fact that the Chayei Adam holds that if the meat is inedible to everyone it is assur to chop it up means that the Chayei Adam holds that even if meat is not considered gidulei karka, the change effected in the item by chopping it up is significant enough that it will be tochain either way. If so, although the Chayei Adam does not give a final psak regarding the question of whether meat is gidulei karka, the question becomes largely irrelevant, since making the meat edible will make it assur either way.

The Rema adds to this point, and writes that if one wishes to give meat to birds, and they cannot eat the meat unless it is chopped up, it is assur to chop it up. The Mishnah Berurah clarifies that if the meat in question could be fed to dogs without being cut up, it is not assur to cut up the meat for birds. Thus, neveilah, which is generally fed to dogs, can be chopped up and fed to birds. Kosher raw meat, which is not fed to dogs, cannot be chopped up and fed to birds.

Regarding a kli, we learned that one can use a knife, but cannot use a grater. Using something in between, such as a cheese slicer, is a machlokes. The Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasa holds it would be muttar, because it should be considered as multiple knives positioned next to each other. An egg slicer would be viewed in the same manner. Regarding the issue of uvda d’chol, the poskim are not concerned, since these items are used for one specific purpose, rather than as being unique for tochain in general. However, according to Rav Moshe’s criteria of uvda d’chol, that it performs the action in a professional manner, there would be an argument that it is assur. Nevertheless, if the concern of uvda d’chol is that it may lead to other actions which are assur, we do not have that concern here, so it will be muttar.

Summary
If an item is gidulei karka, tochain applies even if it was previously edible.
If an item is not gidulei karka, tochain only applies if it changes from inedible to edible.
Regarding animal products (meat and dairy), it is not clear whether they are considered gidulei karka, but any chopping which takes the product from inedible to edible will be assur either way.
A cheese or egg slicer is considered by the poskim to be looked at as multiple knives, and therefore is muttar to use on Shabbos.