Questions tagged [bugs]
Questions pertaining to insects.
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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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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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Liability for bed bugs
If one tenant in an apartment brings in bed-bugs (and that can be proven), and they spread throughout the building, and the other tenants have to vacate their apartments to be fumigated, or whatever ...
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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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Techelet from the Kineret
Is the Murex trunculus (used by Ptil Tekhelet) found exclusively at the Kineret? Or is at found at the Kineret as well as other locations?
The reason I am asking this question is because the Arizal ...
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Why aren't Yemenites an ed echad on locusts?
I've heard that the reason we (most of us) don't eat the locusts enumerated as kosher in the Torah is that we cannot identify them. That is, we don't know what type of locust is referred to by the ...
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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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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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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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Killing insects on Yom Tov
Is one allowed to kill an insect on Yom Tov that is "bothering" them (causing some sort of tzar)?
(I'm inclined to think, based on the Halachic concept of "m'toch", that since we are allowed to shecht ...
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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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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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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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Does bagged lettuce need a hechsher?
Does one need a hechsher on commercially available bagged lettuce? Or is the standard washing process used by the producers sufficient to remove all insects of halachic significance?
Anecdotally, I'...
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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 ...
CommunityBot
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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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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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In light of modern science, why is bee honey still kosher?
My understanding of why bee honey is kosher is because the talmud says that the honey is not a by-product of the bees. They simply store the nectar in their body to transfer it and then expel it, ...
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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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Was the Shamir worm used for the second Beis Hamikdash?
Shlomo Hamelech used a 'Shamir' worm to quarry and cut the stones for the first Beis Hamikdash. Did they still have this worm for the second Beis Hamikdash?
If not, how were the stones cut (as no ...
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Does a pot that cooked food with a bug in it need to be kashered afterward?
If one were cooking a pot of pasta or a soup and later found a bug or many bugs in the pasta or soup, would the pot need to be re-kashered after it was thoroughly cleaned?
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Tzar Balay Chaim- Killing Pests?
Are you allowed to kill flies and other pests (mice, mosquitoes, etc.) or would that go under the prohibition of Tzar Balay Chaim?
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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?
CommunityBot
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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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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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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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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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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 ...
CommunityBot
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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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Laundry during the nine days in the case of bed bugs
There is a halacha not to launder clothes or linens during the nine days, or at least during Shavua She'Chol Bo (the part of that period that's during the week of Tish'a B'Av). Is there room for ...
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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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Trapping mosquitoes on Shabbat
If there's a mosquito found on a wall on shabbat, are you allowed to place a cup over it and slide a sheet of paper under it and remove it from the house?
The reason for doing this would be that you ...
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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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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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Confectioners glaze - non alcoholic
Recently I read an article by Rabbi Yirmiyohu Kaganoff regarding confectioners glaze.
Confectioners glaze is manufactured from shellac, "a glandular secretion of the lac insect, Kerria lacca, a ...
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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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