Dosh 11 - Squeezing Pickled or Cooked Foods (Klal 14 Siman 5) Hilchos Shabbos - S0373

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Dosh 11 - Squeezing Pickled or Cooked Foods (Klal 14 Siman 5) Hilchos Shabbos - S0373

Sponsorships for the upcoming Klalim, which discuss the 39 melachos of Shabbos, are available. Please contact Rabbi Reingold for more information at [e-mail] or 301.996.5910

We are beginning siman 5, where the Chayei Adam discusses the halachos of kevashim and shelakos, items which are pickled and cooked in water. Kevashim generally refers to something pickled in a brine, and shelakos generally refers to something cooked in water for a long time to the point that it has absorbed a large amount of water. The Chayei Adam will discuss what to do regarding the liquid, both in a case where one does not want the liquid at all and where one would like to use the liquid for a different purpose.

We will begin with an introduction. The Gemara brings an opinion that it is muttar to squeeze excess liquid from kevashim and shelakos, and this opinion is accepted as the halacha. The question is why is it muttar and not an issue of dosh. The rishonim give two explanations. One is that we learned that when it comes to squeezing fruits for the purpose of getting rid of the liquid, we are machmir on grapes and olives but meikil on other fruits. If so, kevashim and shelakos should be no worse than other fruits.
Another reason is that the melacha of Dosh is to extract the kernel in order to use it. If so, if one extracts the liquid to discard it, it is not connected to Dosh, because the extraction of liquid to discard it does not approximate the extraction of the kernel from the husk to use it.

If one squeezes the kevashim or shelakos in order to actually use the liquid, at first glance one would assume it is unlike grapes and olives. Since it does not have the status of mashkeh, it should be akin to other fruits and should be muttar.

However, if the liquid involved is one of these en mashkin, like water, wine or honey, one could argue that for example, squeezing honey out of a fruit, whereas the honey is not the natural product of the fruit but was absorbed from the outside, it will retain it's status of a mashkeh, and extracting it it would be considered dosh. Similarly, over here, the brine or liquid absorbed by the fruit is completely external to the fruit, so it could be an issur deoraysa to squeeze it out.
Alternatively, one could argue that since the liquid or brine functions to serve the food, it loses its mashkeh status once it becomes absorbed by the fruit, and it does not regain that status when it is extracted at a later time. If so, it is no longer an issue of an issur deoraysa. Nevertheless, it may be an issur derabanan.

We will learn the text of the Chayei Adam in the upcoming shiur, be’ezras Hashem.

Summary
It is muttar to squeeze the liquid out of kevashim and shelakos if one does not have any interest in the liquid. If one wishes to keep the liquid, it may be an issur derabanan to squeeze them.