Summer 2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q: I am traveling, and there is no keilim mikvah<\/em> in this area. May I tovel<\/em> new utensils in a lake or river?<\/p>\n\n\n\n A: Metal, glass and glazed ceramic utensils which are purchased from a non-Jew and are used in the preparation and consumption of food require tevila<\/em> before use.[1]<\/a> A person may tovel<\/em> utensils in \u201cspring water\u201d \u2013 water that flows naturally from under the ground. If a river has such water as its source, he can tovel<\/em> his utensils in the river.[2]<\/a> The river must contain at least forty se\u2019ah<\/em> of water, which calculates as 175 gallons of water.[3]<\/a> An ocean or sea is halachically considered to be \u201cspring water.\u201d[4]<\/a> Therefore, a person may tovel<\/em> utensils in an ocean, sea, or river which has such water as its source. However, regarding a river which has \u201cspring water\u201d as its source, if it has recently rained so heavily that there is a possibility that there is more rain water (and rain water runoff) than spring water present in the river, he cannot tovel<\/em> utensils at that time.[5]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n A person may tovel<\/em> utensils in a naturally occurring lake or in a man-made lake which has naturally filled with rain water.[6]<\/a> As with spring water, the lake must contain at least 175 gallons of water.[7]<\/a> However, there is a major difference between tevila<\/em> in spring water and tevila<\/em> in a lake. Although tevila<\/em> in spring water is permissible when water is flowing, tevila<\/em> in a lake is valid only when the water is stagnant.[8]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n It is common for lakes to have drainage pipes in order to prevent water from overflowing when it rains. When water is draining through those pipes, the water above the pipes is not stagnant, whereas the water below the pipes is stagnant. If there are 175 gallons of stagnant water below the pipes, a Sefardi may tovel<\/em> his utensils in all of the water in the lake,[9]<\/a> including in the water above the pipes.[10]<\/a> An Ashkenazi, however, cannot tovel<\/em> his utensils in any of the water in the lake,[11]<\/a> including in the water below the pipes.[12]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n A person may not tovel<\/em> utensils in a man-made lake which had been filled with water that was piped in from a nearby water source.[13]<\/a> It can be hard to find out how a lake was filled and to ascertain that no drainage is taking place. A person should therefore avoid performing tevilas keilim<\/em> in a lake without first investigating these issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To summarize: A person may tovel<\/em> utensils in an ocean or sea. If it has not rained heavily recently he may also tovel <\/em>utensils in a river which has an ocean or sea as its source, or in a river which flows naturally from under the ground. He should not tovel<\/em> utensils in a lake without first investigating how it was formed. An Ashkenazi would need to investigate the drainage issues, as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [1]<\/a> \u05e2\u05d9’ \u05d1\u05e9\u05d5”\u05e2 \u05d9\u05d5”\u05d3 \u05e1\u05d9’ \u05e7\u05db \u05e4\u05e8\u05d8\u05d9 \u05d4\u05d3\u05d9\u05e0\u05d9\u05dd<\/p>\n\n\n\n [2]<\/a> \u05e9\u05d5”\u05e2 \u05e9\u05dd \u05e1\u05e2\u05d9’ \u05d0<\/p>\n\n\n\n [3]<\/a> \u05d1\u05e9\u05d5”\u05e2 \u05e9\u05dd \u05de\u05d1\u05d5\u05d0\u05e8 \u05e9\u05d4\u05de\u05e2\u05d9\u05d9\u05df \u05e6\u05e8\u05d9\u05da \u05d0\u05e8\u05d1\u05e2\u05d9\u05dd \u05e1\u05d0\u05d4 \u05de\u05d9\u05dd, \u05d5\u05d1\u05e9\u05d9\u05e2\u05d5\u05e8\u05d9\u05df \u05e9\u05dc \u05ea\u05d5\u05e8\u05d4 \u05db\u05ea\u05d1 \u05e9\u05d0\u05de\u05d4 \u05d4\u05d5\u05d0 58 \u05e6”\u05de, \u05d5\u05dc\u05e4\u05d9”\u05d6 \u05e9\u05d9\u05e2\u05d5\u05e8 \u05de\u05e7\u05d5\u05d4 \u05e9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d0 \u05d0\u05de\u05d4 \u05e2\u05dc \u05d0\u05de\u05d4 \u05d1\u05e8\u05d5\u05dd \u05d2’ \u05d0\u05de\u05d5\u05ea \u05d4\u05d5\u05d0 586 \u05dc\u05d9\u05d8\u05e8. \u05d0\u05de\u05e0\u05dd \u05d4\u05d7\u05de\u05d9\u05e8 \u05e9\u05dd \u05d5\u05db\u05ea\u05d1 \u05e9\u05e9\u05d9\u05e2\u05d5\u05e8 \u05de\u05e7\u05d5\u05d4 \u05d4\u05d5\u05d0 \u05dc\u05d0 \u05e4\u05d7\u05d5\u05ea \u05de\u05df 750 \u05dc\u05d9\u05d8\u05e8 \u05d5\u05d1\u05e9\u05e2\u05ea \u05d4\u05d3\u05d7\u05e7 \u05e2\u05db”\u05e4 \u05dc\u05d0 \u05d9\u05e4\u05d7\u05ea\u05d5 \u05de\u05df 648 \u05dc\u05d9\u05d8\u05e8.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [4]<\/a> \u05e9\u05d5”\u05e2 \u05e9\u05dd \u05e1\u05e2\u05d9’ \u05d4<\/p>\n\n\n\n [5]<\/a> \u05e9\u05d5”\u05e2 \u05e9\u05dd \u05e1\u05d9’ \u05e8\u05d0 \u05e1\u05e2\u05d9’ \u05d1. \u05d5\u05e2\u05d9’ \u05d4\u05d9\u05d8\u05d1 \u05de\u05e9”\u05db \u05d1\u05d6\u05d4 \u05d4\u05d2\u05e8”\u05d9 \u05d1\u05e2\u05dc\u05e1\u05e7\u05d9 \u05e9\u05dc\u05d9\u05d8”\u05d0 \u05d1\u05e9\u05d5”\u05ea \u05e9\u05dc\u05d7\u05df \u05d4\u05dc\u05d5\u05d9 \u05e4\u05e8\u05e7 \u05db\u05d3 \u05d0\u05d5\u05ea \u05dc\u05d6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [6]<\/a> \u05e9”\u05da \u05e9\u05dd \u05e1”\u05e7 \u05d9\u05d1<\/p>\n\n\n\n [7]<\/a> \u05e9\u05d5”\u05e2 \u05e9\u05dd \u05e1\u05e2\u05d9 \u05d0<\/p>\n\n\n\n [8]<\/a> \u05e9\u05d5”\u05e2 \u05d5\u05e8\u05de”\u05d0 \u05e9\u05dd \u05e1\u05e2\u05d9’ \u05d1<\/p>\n\n\n\n [9]<\/a> \u05e9\u05d5”\u05e2 \u05e9\u05dd \u05e1\u05e2\u05d9’ \u05e0<\/p>\n\n\n\n [10]<\/a> \u05dc\u05d7\u05dd \u05d5\u05e9\u05de\u05dc\u05d4 \u05e9\u05dd \u05e9\u05de\u05dc\u05d4 \u05e1”\u05e7 \u05e4\u05d5 \u05d5\u05e9\u05d5”\u05ea \u05d0\u05de\u05e8\u05d9 \u05d9\u05d5\u05e9\u05e8 \u05d7”\u05d0 \u05e1\u05d9’ \u05e7\u05dc<\/p>\n\n\n\n [11]<\/a> \u05e8\u05de”\u05d0 \u05e9\u05dd \u05e1\u05e2\u05d9’ \u05e0<\/p>\n\n\n\n [12]<\/a> \u05dc\u05d7\u05dd \u05d5\u05e9\u05de\u05dc\u05d4 \u05e9\u05dd \u05e9\u05de\u05dc\u05d4 \u05e1”\u05e7 \u05e4\u05d6 \u05d5\u05de\u05e8\u05d7\u05e9\u05ea \u05d7”\u05d0 \u05e1\u05d9’ \u05dc\u05d8 \u05d0\u05d5\u05ea \u05d8\u05d6<\/p>\n\n\n\n [13]<\/a> \u05e9\u05d5”\u05e2 \u05e9\u05dd \u05e1\u05e2\u05d9’ \u05d2<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Summer 2013<\/p>\n Q: I am traveling, and there is no keilim mikvah in this area. May I tovel new utensils in a lake or river?<\/p>\n A: Metal, glass and glazed ceramic utensils which are purchased from a non-Jew and are used in the preparation and consumption of food require tevila before use.[1]<\/a> A person may tovel utensils in \u201cspring water\u201d \u2013 water that flows naturally from under the ground. If a river has such water as its source, he can tovel his utensils in the river.[2]<\/a> The river must contain at least forty se\u2019ah of water, which calculates as 175 gallons of water.[3]<\/a> An ocean or sea is halachically considered to be \u201cspring water.\u201d[4]<\/a> Therefore, a person may tovel utensils in an ocean, sea, or river which has such water as its source. However, regarding a river which has \u201cspring water\u201d as its source, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,131,27,102],"tags":[229,253,209],"class_list":["post-13191","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kashurs-kurrents-2013","category-insights-from-institute","category-kashrus-kurrents","category-summer-kashrus-kurrents-2013","tag-kashrus-kurrents","tag-toveling","tag-travel"],"yoast_head":"\n
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