| 38:1 |
 Our sages forbade the eating of
bread made by idolaters.
In some places they are not stringent
and purchase bread from an idolater baker,
if there is no jewish baker there,
or even if there is
but his bread is inferior to that (of the idolater).
The bread of a private person
who is an idolater, is not allowed,
except in an emergency.
Someone who is travelling
if he can obtain kosher bread (further on)
he should wait (for this) up to a distance of a parsah,
and not accept bread from a private person
unless it was baked for his own family,
but if it was made to be sold as with a bakery,
even though this is not his normal practice.
Similarly, a baker who (bakes)
for the members of his household,
by order of the head of the house,
there are those who say,
that in a place where a bakery cannot be found,
it is allowable (to eat)
even from privately baked bread,
and it is not neccessary to wait,
until (he can obtain) kosher bread,
and this practice is acceptable. |
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| 38:2 |
If a jew throws
even one (piece of) wood
in the furnace of the oven (of the idolater),
the bread can be eaten,
and it is no longer considered as bread
of an idolater. |
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| 38:3 |
(They) did not forbid bread
(baked by) an idolater
except that of the five species of grain (see Ch. 41).
But bread made from legumes
are not considered as bread
and also are not (included in) the prohibition
of (eating food) cooked by idolaters,
because it is considered as (food)
which is not fit to be served at the table of kings. |
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| 38:4 |
Bread smeared over with egg
is forbidden because of the eggs on it,
which is as food cooked by idolaters.
Types of waffles which are cooked on a grill,
and there is concern that the grill was smeared
with (non-kosher) oil,
are forbidden in all cases
due to (the prohibition about)
swallowing something which is forbidden. |
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| 38:5 |
The bread of a jew which was baked by an idolater,
is less preferable to that of an idolater,
under the rule of idolater's cooking,
unless (a jew) koshers the oven (before baking)
by throwing in (a piece of) wood.
Therefore, one should be careful,
when sending (bread) to be baked
or roasted
to an idolater baker,
that a jew should throw (a piece of) wood
into the oven (before the baking starts),
or the jew should place
the bread or the baking tin
into the oven. |
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| 38:6 |
An article (of food) that is not eaten
in its natural state,
and is fit to be served at the table of kings,
as a relish eaten with bread,
or as a dessert,
if cooked or roasted by an idolater,
even in the utensils of a jew,
and in the house of a jew,
is still forbidden (food)
because of being cooked by an idolater.
However an article (of food) that is eaten
when raw,
or is not considered a delicacy,
and is not fit to be served at the table of kings,
is not affected by the rules of idolater's cooking
nor do we worry about the utensils (it was cooked in)
because we normally assume with utensils,
that no (cooking) has been done in them,
during the past twenty four hours. |
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| 38:7 |
An idolater servant,
(who is employed by) a jewish household,
and cooks for them,
we are lenient (and allow to eat this food)
because (we consider) that it was not possible
that nothing was done
by one of the (jewish) members of the household
with the fire. |
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| 38:8 |
However, if she cooks
(anything) just for herself
it does not normally have contact with a jew,
and we can also assume
that these things are of a lower quality
than what she cooks for the jews.
Therefore if she cooked anything,
that comes into this category
of idolater's cooking,
not only the food is forbidden
but also the utensil (she used) is forbidden,
for future use by jews,
(and if used), then afterwards,
a halachic sage should be asked (what can be done). |
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| 38:9 |
Food cooked by an idolater on the Sabbath
for a sick person,
cannot be eaten after the Sabbath,
even by the sick person himself
if it is possible to cook other food for him,
and the utensils can be used
after a full day has gone by. |
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| 38:10 |
An egg, even though it can be had raw,
in any event,
it is preferable
only to eat in an emergency.
If cooked by an idolater then it is forbidden,
and similarly for all such cases. |
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| 38:11 |
Fruits which have not ripened
on the tree to their full amount
and are not eaten raw
except in an emergency,
and have been preserved (by an idolater) in sugar,
are forbidden because of idolater's cooking. |
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| 38:12 |
Drink made from crops (like beer)
or from wine (mead)
are normally allowed,
even to drink them at home,
when sold by an idolater.
This is not considered idolater's cooking
because the crop (part) is neutralised by the water.
However, one needs to check
that they were not stood
in wine as a preservative.
In places where the jews are not careful,
and use idolater's wine,
a scrupulous person will be more strict
on himself, also in connection with (these) drinks.
Concerning drinking coffee (of an idolater),
without milk,
(because with milk it is definitely forbidden),
similarly (drinking) chocolate and tea
at a idolater's house,
should be avoided by a G-d fearing person.
Some authorities permit
drinking (with an idolater) on a casual basis,
but forbid it as a regular practice. |
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| 38:13 |
Milk which has been milked by an idolater
and was not overseen by a jew
is prohibited, even to make cheese from it.
A jew should be present at the outset,
from the beginning of the milking,
to see that the milk pail is clean.
We are strict
and not use for milking the pail
normally used by the idolater
for milking.
Should an (idolater) servant milk the cows
on the premises of a jew or in his barn,
anywhere there is not
an idolater's house intervening,
and it is not feared that (milk may be drawn)
from an unclean animal,
the use of this milk is permitted.
However, if the house of an idolater intervenes,
it is necessary for a jew to be present (at the milking)
even a boy or girl
aged nine years is enough (for this purpose). |
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| 38:14 |
The cheese of an idolater is forbidden.
However, if a jew saw the milking
as well as the making of the cheese,
and if during the processing
the cheese (already) belongs to the jew, it is permitted.
However, if it belonged, during the processing,
to the idolater, it is forbidden. |
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| 38:15 |
Concerning butter, there are different local customs.
There are places where they do not eat butter
of idolaters,
and there are places where they do eat it.
One who goes
from a place where (butter) is not eaten
to a place (where it is the custom) to eat it,
even if he intends
to return to the first place (where butter is not eaten),
he may eat with them.
One who goes from a place
where (idolater's butter) is eaten
to a place where it is not eaten,
should not eat there.
In our time, it is known that fake butter is made
using pig's fat,
and a G-d fearing person should be very careful. |
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