Quiz #1 SHULCHAN ARUCH 98-103

1. When Yaakov asked Pierre to add his Magic Spice, is that called “m'vatel issur l’chatchila”?
When Yaakov asked Pierre to add his "Magic Spice", it is not a case of mevatel issur l'chatchila. This is because Yaakov had no awareness that there was any issur involved.
2. Is Yaakov allowed to directly ask Pierre to taste the soup and can we believe Pierre?
Pierre is certainly a k'faila so we can believe his expert opinion. After Pierre tastes the soup, Yaakov can taste it, so Pierre wouldn't lie and tell him there is no milk taste if in fact there is. As the case is given, Pierre doesn't know that the soup will be permitted to Yaakov if he says there is no taste -- based on Yaakov's prior statement, Pierre thinks the soup is forbidden. He has no incentive to lie. Thus Yaakov can believe him and hold by his expertise. L'halacha though the Rema (98.1) paskins that we do not rely on the taste of a goy, and the Kaf HaChaim (98.2) says that the minhag of the Sephardim is to follow the Rema. In that case whatever Pierre says is not relevant and so he cannot be asked.
3. If we do not know for certain that there was 60 against the piece of meat that Pierre added, what is the din of the meat and the sauce?
This is a case of nishpach. In this case, the meat in question is ossur d'oraisa as either treif or nevaila, so we cannot be maikil. This is also a case of min b'mino v'aino mino. In such a case we hold like the Rashba that we view the ta'aruvos as if the sauce isn't there; the two pieces of meat mevatel the other piece. Now that the 3 pieces of meat are permitted, the sauce is also permitted -- once the piece is mutar it doesn't need further bitul to matir the sauce. L'halacha, we have here a machlokes Shach and Taz. The Taz (5) allows the meat and the sauce while the Shach (8) only allows the meat.
4. Is the chopped liver muter?
The question is whether the liver is ch'r'l. According to the Taz (10) since cut pieces of skin are ch'r'l even though each individual piece is not a ch'r'l so too chopped liver would be a ch'r'l. According to the Nekudas Hakesef each piece must be a ch'r'l therefore chopped liver is not a ch'r'l and in our case would be batel in 60. The halacha is like the Nekudas Hakesef (Sifsai Da'as).
5. Is the bone soup ossur?
The bones will not ossur the stew unless they are soft (Shach 1). The only thing we have to worry about is the marrow. If there is 60 against the marrow of the ossur bones the stew is muter. According to the Mechaber we can be mitztaref the ossur bones to be mevatel the marrow and according to the Rama we can only be mitztaref the bones in a hefsed m'rubeh.
6. Can the rest of the chicken soup be eaten since we found three ants?
The soup must be strained (Simon 100:4) or each spoonful can be checked.
7. Can the soup be eaten even though it was cooked in a ben yomo milk pot?
No. Even though there was linas layla, since 24 hours did not pass from milk to meat the soup is ossur.
8. Did the ladle ossur the soup?
If there is 60 against the half cup of milk it would not ossur the soup (Since the milk is heter there is no ch'n'n on the ladle).
9. What happens if the ladle was used twice?
This was not brought in Ta'aruvos. We learned in Basar B'chalav that according to the Mechaber 120 against the spoon is needed and according to the Rama only 60 is needed. However, since this is chicken and milk the Mechaber does not hold of ch'n'n since it is only ossur mid'rabbanan so he would agree to the Rama.
10. Is the coffee pot a kli sh’mshtamshin b’shefa?
Yes, since even one cup of coffee has more than 60 against a drop. However, according to the Taz it can only be used if the drop will be pogaim the coffee.