1

Does a kettle 1, whose body made of plastic, need tevila? (Do we consider the body, or the metallic resistor?)

1 A very classic electrical kettle, ie a jug with a warming resistor immersed into the liquid. There is an electric-connected base so that when the you put the kettle on the base, current flows through the resistor and water comes to ebullition. Afterwards you take the jug from the basis and you can bring it to the table.

Improve this question
2
  • Always CYLOR for a final decision in real halachic matters.
    – ezra
    Commented Apr 2, 2018 at 13:04
  • Without a picture or clearer description of the kind of item you are talking about, I don't see how anyone can answer this. Some people below made guesses (maybe not even the same guesses) but that's not how this site is supposed to work and just adds to the lack of usability of the answers
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Apr 2, 2018 at 13:07

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
5

Plastic doesn't require tevila but metal does (d'oraita according to many, see OU here under A). As such, if the metallic resistor touches the water (and I assume it does) then you need tevila with a blessing.

On utensils made of metal and plastic, kashrut.com (on top, letter b) writes

A utensil made of a material requiring tevilah should be immersed inclusive of any plastic or wooden parts attached to it. A utensil made of wood or plastic requires tevilah if any metal is attached to it, providing that the metal touches the food and is vital for the utensil’s use. A utensil made of separable parts requires tevilah only for its metal parts.

The OK writes

Electrical equipment that comes into direct contact with food requires tevila – for example, if one has an electric water urn, electric hot plate or popcorn maker, one needs to toivel at least the parts (if they come apart) of the equipment that touches the food. The wire does not need to be toiveled. (Some poskim hold that the wire should be toiveled.) It is preferable to wait a few days until the appliance is completely dry after it was toiveled before using. If one is concerned that it may get ruined, one should discuss this matter with a rov.

Kashrut.com here says the same for a pyrex kettle and practicalhalacha here for a tea kettle.

For more sources see Kof-K bottom of p. 5.

And as always (thanks Ezra for the reminder), don't trust what strangers write on the Internet and ask a rav for practical rulings.

Improve this answer
2
  • OK, I see there is two problems here: 1) how to determine the essential material of a keli made of several 2) whether an electrical earth makes the keli "made to be connected to the ground". The question was about the first part, even if a practical psak (that is not the intent here) on the kettle problem depends also of the second part. So, your link from Kashrut.com (item b) answers to the question. Maybe consider editing your answer to emphasize it and quoting it?
    – yO_
    Commented Apr 2, 2018 at 20:03
  • @yO_ this is a good point, thanks for this - and I did adaopt your suggestion
    – mbloch
    Commented Apr 3, 2018 at 4:42
-1

There are many poskim that hold that electric items do not need tevila at all since they are not really food utensils.

Any object that is made to be used when connected to the ground does not need tevila.

This is derived from the Shev Yaakov (Question 31) who talks about large pots that are fixed to ovens. From this the modern poskim derived that toasters etc do not require tevila.

A long discussion about this (in Hebrew) can be found here: enter link description here

Improve this answer
16
  • Are there really that many poskim who hold this?
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Apr 2, 2018 at 12:10
  • @DoubleAA The link is well worth the read. I saw a few days ago that Rav Shlomo Zalman said it too but now I can't find the link. So, I can't substantiate that.
    – theblitz
    Commented Apr 2, 2018 at 12:29
  • @DoubleAA One important point is that most electrical items are earthed so they really are connected to the ground. BTW, my the rav Rabbi Cooper said this MANY years ago.
    – theblitz
    Commented Apr 2, 2018 at 12:30
  • I don't see why it's relevant how many years ago Rabbi Cooper said this. Also it's factually not true that these items need to be attached to the ground; a car battery on the counter will totally do the trick. Remember as well that everything not flying in the air is grounded. The fact that some electrical appliances have a metal edge which allows them to be grounded via a very low electric resistance pathway is obviously halakhically irrelevant, unless you want to define a maximal number of Ohms required to be "grounded".
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Apr 2, 2018 at 12:34
  • 1
    @theblitz I don't see anywhere in that link that you can choose which opinion you want to follow!!
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Apr 2, 2018 at 13:03

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .