Am I allowed to enjoy the smell emanating from a non-kosher place that cooks using milk and meat mixture?

Question

I know that one cannot gain "Hana'ah" from meat and dairy mixtures. I understood the term "hana'ah" to mean "pleasure" or "benefit".

My neighbor makes wonderful-smelling Italian cooking. The smell wafts through the building walls, into the hallways, etc. It's almost impossible to avoid the smell, and most of the time it smells good. But, I can't exactly ignore the smell of her lasagna (I know what she cooks b/c I ask her.) which has meat sauce and cheese. Do I have to wear a clothes pin on my nose to avoid "hana'ah"? I don't know if they make such large clothes pins, nowadays!

Answer 1

Mishne Berurah (Biur Halacha 216:2 s.v. haMusk) writes that one should not deliberately smell nonkosher food out of concern that they may be tempted to eat it.

He reiterates his position in regards to smelling Chametz on Pesach which is also assur bahana'ah and all year long people eat it that one may not smell it on Pesach.

However, closing one's nose is not necessary for unintentional smelling, as the issur is only with intentional smelling.

(Although min HaTorah there is no meilah for sound, sight, and smell, they are all assur miderbanan . See Pesachim 26a and Rambam (Meilah, 5:16). Additionally, Orach Chaim 217:5 explicitly writes that it is forbidden to smell the spices of Avodah Zara)

Answer 2

The Kaf Hachayim on Yore Deah 108:70 and Darkei Teshuva 108:102 conclude that one may not smell those things that are Assur Behana'ah, but one may smell things that are only Assur Ba'achilah.

Answer 3

As a general principle in halacha, קול ומראה וריח אין בהם משום הנאה: sound, sight, and smell are not considered benefit. This comes from the rules of me’ilah (improper personal benefit from sacred items), but should extend to other matters as well. (At Nullifying Ancient Israelite Idols, note that Rabbi Dov Lior applies this principle to avodah zarah, which is also assur b’hana’ah.)