The  Basur  IS  Asur

                                Blood Spots in Eggs

by Rena Hanfling and Chani Kaufman  

            It says in parshas Vayikra, (7:26) “V’chol dam lo tolchu b’chol moshvosechem l’of v’labihema.” This is interpreted to mean such that “And any blood you should not eat in any of your dwellings, neither fowl nor beast.” This pasuk is the source to many different halachic issues regarding blood and food. This includes meat, fish, birds, and eggs. According to the Chachmas Adam, the punishment for eating blood on purpose is kares. Should one eat blood accidentally, one is over an isur diorisa.

            Chickens serve three different purposes. Some chickens could be used  for the slaughtering of poultry  or some  to lay eggs that will become chicks. While others would lay eggs that farmers intended to sell for table eggs. Nowadays there are different farms for the chickens to serve each purpose. On the farms which the hens are supposed to lay eggs used for table eggs roosters are not allowed in. Thus one is sure that the eggs were not fertilized. These eggs as well as eggs that were checked for blood spots are categorized as Grade A and AA eggs in America. (R.J.J. Journal XL)

Years ago when one would want to check for blood spots the method candling was used. Candling is, when one would hold an egg up to the light and look for blood spots. There are two main reasons why blood would be found in eggs. One reason could be because the egg is fertilized. The other reason would be due to a tissue defect. When blood is found due to fertilization this could be an issue of isur diorisa. The exact spot where the germination begins is called the kesher. After the blood is formed in the kesher it quickly spreads to the Chelmon which is the yolk.  According to the Rambam and the Shulchan Aruch Yorah Deah (66:8) this makes the entire egg asur.

The Chachmas Adam says that the reason why eating a fertilized egg is asur is because this is the beginning of the formation of a chick. Therefore eating this blood is like eating the blood of a chicken, and this is considered meat.

            If one were to come across a blood spot in the white of the egg this would be due to a tissue defect. The Shulchan Aruch and the Rambam ( Hilchot Machalot 83) agree that one would only have to remove the blood spot, and the rest of the egg is mutar. The Gemara Chulin adds that a the blood spot along with a klephah should be removed. There is a small group of rishonim that say that it is only asur to eat a egg after the embryo begins to form. There are even a few rabanim that say that even the blood is mutar and can be eaten. In the Shulchan Aruch, Yorah Deah the Shach quotes Rashi who excepts this view.  However, it is not the excepted halacha to do so. (R.J.J. Journal) In the Aruch MeShach the Ran says that the reason one may not eat blood from the egg that was laid by only hens is due to the concept of marit ayin.

            There is no halacha diorisa that requires one to check the eggs before using them. There are many reasons that justify why it is unnecessary to check. It is a requirement for the United States department of Agriculture to check all eggs before labeling them Grade A or AA eggs. There is a never a reason to check twice. There is also no need to check for blood spots that come from hens alone, since we know they were not fertilized. The chances of finding a blood spot among Grade A or AA eggs is one in a thousand. It is normally not required to check for a rare prohibition. Usually as one cracks the egg he will notice the blood spot and can remove it then. The custom for checking for blood spots never applied when it was difficult to see. In recent times there are many different ways of cooking eggs that make it hard to check for blood spots. In a  letter that  Rav Moshe Tendler wrote he mentions that when Rav Moshe Feinstein would eat a hard boiled egg, he would peel off the white and check the yolk for dark spots.(R.J.J. Journal)

 Despite the fact that there is no halacha to check ones eggs for blood spots, those who do are considered “hamachmir tavo alav bracha.” This can be interpreted to mean that those who are more stringent are blessed.  Another reason why one would check their eggs for blood spots is because,  checking could prevent all possible problems that could arise from mixing a treife eggs with other foods. This is the reason why many ashkenazi families follow the minhag of checking for blood spots in eggs. When a person buys brown eggs, organic eggs, eggs sold at a farm market, and free range eggs they should check it. Since there is a greater chance of the egg being fertilized. Although there are fewer regulations regarding checking organic and free range eggs they are required to mention how the egg was produced. Therefore it is easier to get into the habit of checking all eggs rather then being concerned of the type of egg it is(R.J.J. Journal).  The Rama states that if one is making a dish with many eggs, one should take the precaution and check each egg for spots. (Shulchan Aruch)

            There were many Rabanim that questioned whether or not  checking done by the United States Department of Agriculture was considered to be checked according to the minhag. However, the American people do not want to purchase eggs with blood spots. This is what the regulation is coming to prevent. Therefore, relying on eggs that were checked using this method is dependable.

            Many Ashkinazim follow the custom to throw out the entire egg despite whether or not the blood spot was found on the yolk or the blood spot. However, most Sifardim hold that if the blood spot is found on the white it should be removed kide klepah..

            The Shulchan Aruch says that if one forgets to check the eggs and finds a blood spot in the white among the mixture then the mixture is mutar. If however the blood spot is found amongst the yolk the entire mixture is asur. However if the blood spotted yolk  is cooked among other foods, both the saucepan and the food is asur. If the egg was cold when it was served the saucepan and the cutlery should be washed off with medium cold water (The New Practical Guide to Kashruth). 

            The Chachmas Adam says that after stirring up many eggs and comes across a blood spot in a yolk, the whole mixture is asur. The reason for this is because since they are all mixed up together the blood spread through the mixture completely. If the combination of eggs was not beaten up, according to the chachmas adam one may remove the egg and the rest of the mixture is mutar.

            The Rama does not make a differentiation between whether or not the combination was actually mixed. He says to throw out the mixture of eggs because it becomes a ikur asur min hatorah.

            The Rabanim show us a way to make these situations mutar, if one has a mixture of sixty one eggs the asur egg would be batel bisheeshim.(Chachmas Adam).  The commen practice today is to follow the “rule of majority”. This is where if one asur egg is cooked among two or more kosher eggs only the egg with the blood spot is treife .

            The Shulchan Aruch says that if one finds a blood spot in the white among a mixture of other whites, one may remove the yolks and use them for further use. In addition the Shulchan Aruch states that one may eat roasted eggs even though they were not checked. This is based on the fact that vast majority of  eggs do not contain blood spots.  

            According to the Pische Halacha, initially one should not rely on the majority and one should check each egg by itself. However, after one mixes it with other foods it could be asur and should ask ones Rabbi. If the eggs were cooked in a pot a sheila should be asked concerning the pot and the other utensils as well.

            According to the Shulchan Aruch if when the egg was boiled it was intact the pot and any other food that was in the pot is mutar.

            Even if the hen sat on the non fertilized egg for three days the eggs are still mutar.(Shulchan Aruch). One might assume that if the hen only sat on the fertilized egg for one day it is mutar because it would not have had time to germinate. However in reality this is not so, and the egg is still asur.(Chachmas Adam). 

            If someone finds a blood spot among the food that they are eating one should seize to eat the food, and spit out any food that remains in their mouth. Not only must he rinse out his mouth, but he also must chew a solid food. Neither the liquid that was used to rinse out his mouth or the food that was chewed may be swallowed.