Halachic Highlights

Question: Should you pick up and try to return a relatively cheap yet identifiable item in a semi-protected area, such as a baseball mitt in the corner of a dugout in a public baseball field?

Question: What should a person do if he toveled a utensil but forgot to make the brachah?

 Short Answer: The person should do nothing, as the utensil is still toveled, but no brachah may be recited at this point. However, some poskim allow the person to make the brachah if he remembers immediately (“toch k’dei dibur”) after the immersion.

Question: Pursuant to the mitzvah of Hashavas Aveidah, must one inform his friend that the friend accidentally left the lights on in his car?

Question: Must you completely let go of the utensil when you immerse it in the mikvah?

 Short Answer: Ideally, you should completely let go of the utensil during the immersion, and if you do not, a second immersion should be performed, but without a brachah. However, if your hands were previously wet from the waters of the mikvah, a second immersion is not necessary.

Question: Must a person tovel electric kitchen appliances?

 Short Answer: While some poskim apply certain leniencies to electric kitchen appliances, many poskim and kashrus organizations, including Rav Yisroel Belsky zt”l (from the OU) and the Star-K require t’vilah, as it often can be performed safely and without ruining the utensil.

Question: Must caterers, kosher hotels, and restaurants tovel their utensils?

 Short Answer: Many poskim require caterers, kosher hotels, and restaurants to tovel their utensils. If the utensils are not toveled, the majority of poskim do not allow a patron to eat there. Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l, though, allows a patron to eat certain foods there, as detailed herein.