Questions tagged [bugs]
Questions pertaining to insects.
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Killing insects
Are we allowed to kill insects?
I read different opinions. On the one hand they are God's creatures and on the other they can be harmful to health or property. This article takes a middle road: https:...
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Removing/destroying a spider web on Shabbos
In response to the question, "Can you destroy a spider web on Shabbos?" asked on this website, part of the reply was a citation from Rabbi Yehoshua Neuwirth (1989) in section (23:9), “...
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NYC Tapwater filter
I recently moved to NYC and am concerned about copepods etc. in the tap water. I can't install a fancy under-sink filter nor do I want to refill a Brita pitcher all the time. Are there any other ...
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Are cicadas kosher?
I'm not Jewish so please be patient with me :)
I've been seeing a lot of news about an upcoming cicada emergence, including talk of how delicious they are, and it got me wondering if they are kosher ...
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Are frozen organic blueberries kosher?
Do frozen organic blueberries require certification / checking for insects? Apparently, according to the CRC and Star-K, frozen blueberries should not need kosher certification. Is this also the ...
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Were there insects in the garden of eden?
I was recently thinking, we create comfort for ourselves by keeping nature at bay.
Flies and mosquitos are annoying, would Adam and Eve have thought the same?
There were certainly serpents, maybe ...
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Do pre-washed and packaged vegetables and greens fall under a miut she'eno hamatzui? [closed]
Does anybody know if the tolaim level in triple-washed lettuce bags is a miut sh'eino hamatzoi. I am specifically asking regarding the popular company "Organic Girl" which is sold in every heimesh ...
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What is the difference between non-kosher food and insects regarding "transference"?
My understanding of the "transference" of non-kosher status to a kosher item.
If I cook a non-kosher piece of chicken in the same pot as a kosher piece of chicken, the kosher piece and the pot are ...
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How do you check dates with pits on shabbos?
Dates may contain insects and should be checked before consuming (source). The only way to do this (that I am aware of) for dates with pits is to open the date and remove the pit to examine the area ...
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Does boiling lettuce remove insects?
If one were to submerge lettuce in a pot of boiling water, cover the pot with a lid, let the lettuce boil for a minute and then discard the water; would doing so remove all the bugs?
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Checking strawberries with a magnifying glass
Most resources mention some type of process of rinsing with detergent etc.
Can I just use a magnifying glass in order to see a potential bug?
Also, why do the resources say to use soap or detergent.....
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Can one bake silkworms in a kosher oven?
Raising silkworms can be a fun project. If you're trying to get silk thread, the last step of the process, after they finish spinning their cocoon, is to bake them in the oven to kill them (if they ...
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How did animals with short lifespans survive on Noah's ark?
Some animals have short natural lifespans, of less than a year. Given that they were prohibited from reproduction
(see Rashi here), how did they survive in Noah's ark?
These are mainly insects, such ...
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A bug that falls in noodles [duplicate]
If a small non-poisonous bug jumps into a pot of noodles cooking, instantly dying because of the boiling water, and then is scooped out right away is there a problem with either the noodles or the ...
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Regurgitating Living Forbidden Species
The endurance artist David Blaine is covered in this video showing the technique where one could learn to swallow certain live animals. And, at will, regurgitate the live animal (for example, a frog). ...
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Non Jews checking vegetables [duplicate]
Does a non-Jew need to check their lettuce for infestation. The thrips and other insects there may very well be alive. Would that violate "aver min hachai"?
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Are there kosher bug-inspected brands of rice and flour? [duplicate]
I've seen kosher bug-inspected produce such as lettuce and similar greens in kosher markets. But, I have frequently noticed that when I buy rice, barley, and flour and leave these around for a while, ...
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Are wild figs kosher?
Here in Eretz Israel, many figs have wasp larvae on them. Are wild figs kosher? Or kosher if you inspect them? I find it hard to believe that one of the shivat haminim is treif.
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Why Are Bugs Not Batul Bshishim?
Particularly in the case of tiny bugs on plants, fruits, and vegetables. Why are they not considered batul bshishim since they are obviously not there on purpose (or desirable) and they make up a tiny ...
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Do "triple washed" salad greens need to be inspected for bugs?
I've seen a few bags of salad greens marked "triple washed". I did a Google search and there seems to be some debate on whether it needs to be rewashed after you buy it.
This article says
If you'...
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Are hydroponic produce typically checked for bugs?
I know that many soil-based fruits and veggies are checked for bugs. I assume that it may be primarily due to bugs that crawl on the ground or on the tree that causes this problem.
Is hydroponic ...
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Why don't we worry about the transfer of taste with bugs?
I was told that if one finds a bug in food, one may simply take it out and continue eating. Why don't we have the usual concerns about blias/taamim/imparted taste with bugs?
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Can chewing food very well eliminate the issue of eating bugs?
If the prohibition of eating prohibited foods does not take place until it passes ones throat (Hanaat Grono), would chewing fruits and vegetables (that have a bug concern) very well be enough to ...
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Do you have to check bagged lettuce with a hechsher?
I am aware of this question and of the CRC's lenient policy on lettuce without a hechsher. However, everywhere I've been, it is assumed that one needs to check (pre-washed, even triple-washed) bagged ...
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Is checking for bugs halachically required?
Various methods of checking for bugs in produce, i.e., lettuce, are officially recommended by kashrus agencies and other halachic professionals. However, is use of one/any of these methods--or even a ...
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Who accepts the "chazaka" method of checking vegetables?
Several sources endorse a method of checking produce in which the batch of produce is washed, three random samples from the batch are inspected for bugs, and, if these samples are entirely clear of ...
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Modern bug checking sources
Where are modern she'elot and tshuvot that deal with circumstances surrounding bug checking?
Looking for sources that talk about things like freezing and blending.
Where can I find such things?
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What was the "tzir'a"? [duplicate]
Exodus 23:28:
וְשָׁלַחְתִּ֥י אֶת־הַצִּרְעָ֖ה לְפָנֶ֑יךָ וְגֵרְשָׁ֗ה אֶת־הַחִוִּ֧י
אֶת־הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֛י וְאֶת־הַחִתִּ֖י מִלְּפָנֶֽיךָ׃
And I will send the hornet before thee, which shall drive ...
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If you check for bugs according to halachic requirements, and then there is a bug in the food, are you liable?
If one or one's wife does everything that is needed for checking, but one accidentally eats a bug anyway, is one liable for the sin(s)?
I'd also be interested in knowing whether one would be liable ...
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Does anyone know about a recent brocolli bug problem?
I'm not sure if this is a recent localized problem or not.
A few people in my neighborhood (New York City area) have told me that local Rabbinical councils have forbidden buying broccoli, as there is ...
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Can olives infected with worms from the olive fly be used for making olive oil
Here, in Portugal they produce olive oil from olives that contain worms (from the olive fly). In our harvest we see an infection that is above the 80%. We spoke with locals in the area and they told ...
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Is mosquitos a good enough reason not to eat in the sukkah?
There's a principle that if you are pained from sitting in the sukkah you are exempt from eating in it. The typical applicaiton of this ruling is when it rains.
In my back yard we have a lot of ...
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Why does Rashi claim "מלקוש" is locust terminology like "לקש" if "לקש" isn't "locusts"? (תענית ו ע״א)
Someone in my synagogue posed the following question to me; stumped, I pose it to you:
The Bavli, Taanis 6 amud 1, notes that מלקוש is good rain. It then proposes that, perhaps, that's mistaken; ...
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Is there a concern regarding the kashrut of microorganisms?
Since I have seen many religious people drink fresh spring water, I assume that there is no concern regarding the kashrut of microorganisms in the water such as hydra and paramecia, among other ...
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What's the way to check a mushroom for worms
Is there a way, and if so, what's the best practice for checking a mushroom to verify it is clear of worms?
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Do Strawberries acquired from a supermarket require washing to be kosher?
This question comes from someone who's interested in preparing and selling food items with strawberries as a main ingredient. In a scenario where many strawberries are being used at once, would each ...
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Restaurants with hechsher for locusts
Are there any restaurants in Israel (or other) that have a hechsher endorsing the preparation and eating of locusts in their restaurants?
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Which insects are not kosher?
In Vayikra (11:23) it says:
But all winged swarming things, which have four feet, are a detestable thing unto you.
On which Rashi (quoting the Sifra aka Toras Cohanim) says: Go and learn if there ...
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Spiders in Judaism
I'm interested in sources regarding spiders from any jewish source, preferably ones that portray them as 'good'.
For example, I remember seeing they are called 'Buchya' in aramit since they are found ...
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Does fish need to be inspected for non kosher fish, flies and worms?
I'm not sure if commercial fish is inspected in any way. I know that most commercial fish is caught in nets, so I don't think that bait is used.
When individuals go fishing, they use worms, flies, or ...
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Do popcorn kernels have to be checked for bugs?
There are many vegetables, legumes etc which according to poskim need to be checked for bugs due to insect infestation. Can anyone tell me if this is also true for popcorn kernels?
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Contemporary approaches to kashrut of dates
What are contemporary approaches regarding dealing with bug infestation of dates? Do Kashrut agencies (e.g. the Orthodox Union) regularly inspect crops to determine infestation levels? And if so, what ...
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Do kashrut agencies inspect pickling spices for insects before adding them to brined meat?
I noticed that pickled meats such as corned beef, pastrami and tongue are covered with seeds twigs and leaves. (Most of it seems to be allspice.)
Considering that kashrut agencies have been so ...
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Frozen raspberries without supervision
My wife was told by a friend that a certain legitimate kashrus organization says that frozen raspberries do not require supervision, and upon calling the organization, she was told that the process ...
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Were there specific locusts in reserve for the 8th plague?
Hashem's instructions to Moshe to bring the locusts reads as follows:
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל משֶׁה נְטֵה יָדְךָ עַל אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בָּאַרְבֶּה וכו
And Hashem said to Moses, "stretch out your ...
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How big can insects be before falling into kashrut halacha?
So we typically clean vegetable matter of bugs because, while it isn't an aveirah to eat a bug part if it's smaller than a(n) (halachic) olive, it is still prohibited to eat any non-kosher living ...
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Is there a custom to use beeswax candles for Hannukah?
I have heard that there is a custom to use beeswax candles on Hannukah (at least for the shamash). Does this custom have a source? Why beeswax as opposed to other types of wax? Chabad.org notes
...
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Does killing a pest make a person unclean?
I know there were previous questions asking whether it is OK to kill a pest, say a fly, but the consequences are unclear. So I'm asking if killing a pest makes a person unclean.
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Medjool Dates (bugs?)
We have a 2 lbs box of medjool dates. Very fancy. But it has been on the shelf for about 2 months. At first, when we split it, no visible bugs. Now we are seeing small white spots near the seed, salt ...
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What is the purpose of the mosquito?
Everything created was created for the purpose of serving G-d's ultimate plan for his creation which is to acknowledge G-d. What lesson or use can we make from mosquitos?
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