Spring 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We are an Am Kadosh<\/em>, a Holy People, who are mandated by Hashem to imbue all aspects of our lives with holiness. We elevate even the mundane activity of eating and vest it with special kedusha<\/em> (sanctity): the food on our plates must be kosher and the table on which we eat is likened to the holy mizbe\u2019ach<\/em>. The plates themselves, and all keilim<\/em> (vessels and utensils) used to prepare our food, must likewise be infused with kedusha<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just as an aino Yehudi<\/em> must tovel<\/em> in a mikvah in order to become Jewish, so too must keilim<\/em> acquired from an aino Yehudi<\/em> undergo tevila<\/em> in a mikvah before being used by a Jew. This is the mitzva of tevilas keilim<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If a kli<\/em> requires tevila<\/em>, it may not be used even once before it is toveled<\/em>. If a kli<\/em> was used numerous times without tevila<\/em>, one is still required to immerse it before its next use. Keilim<\/em> may either require tevila<\/em> with a bracha<\/em>, tevila<\/em> without a bracha<\/em>, or no tevila<\/em> at all \u2013 depending on what material they are made of and what their intended use is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anyone may tovel keilim<\/em>, including a small child or an aino Yehudi<\/em>. The tevila<\/em> must be done in the presence of a Jewish adult to verify that it was performed correctly. The recitation of a bracha<\/em> can only be said if an adult Jew does the immersion. If many keilim<\/em> are to be immersed with the help of a child or an aino Yehudi<\/em>, the Jewish adult should initiate the tevila<\/em> process by immersing a kli<\/em> with a bracha<\/em>, after which the child or aino Yehudi<\/em> can take over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The immersion must be done in a mikvah that is kosher for tevilas nashim<\/em>. One may also tovel<\/em> in the ocean. Natural rivers that rise due to rain or melting snow may be used only after they settle back to their normal level. A competent halachic authority should be consulted before using a lake or pond, as they may be used for tevilas keilim<\/em> only when they meet certain halachic criteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tevilas keilim<\/em> may be performed during the day or night, except on Shabbos or Yom Tov. In case of necessity, if one needs to use a non-toveled<\/em> kli<\/em> on Shabbos or Yom Tov, it should be given to an aino Yehudi<\/em> as a gift and the Jew should borrow it back. After Shabbos, if the Jew re-purchased the kli<\/em> from the aino Yehudi<\/em>, it requires tevila<\/em> with a bracha<\/em>. If the Jew continues to use the kli<\/em> without re-purchasing it, it will require tevila<\/em> without a bracha<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The kli<\/em> to be immersed must be completely clean \u2013 free of dirt, dust, rust, stickers, labels or glue. If the kli<\/em> was toveled<\/em> with a label, a rabbinic authority should be consulted. If the label is intended to stay on permanently, such as a warning label, one is not required to remove it before tevila<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If a bracha<\/em> is required on multiple keilim<\/em>, one wets his or her hand in the mikvah water prior to the immersion, holds one of the keilim<\/em> in the wet hand, says \u201cBaruch\u2026.al tevilas keilim<\/em>,\u201d and immerses the kli<\/em>; the remaining keilim <\/em>are then toveled<\/em> without another bracha<\/em>. If only one kli<\/em> is being immersed, the bracha<\/em> is \u201cal tevilas keili<\/em>\u201d (in the singular).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The entire kli<\/em> must be submerged in the mikvah water at one time. Care must be taken that keilim<\/em> being toveled<\/em> are not touching each other in a way that would prevent water from getting in between them. One must ensure that there are no air bubbles trapped in the kli<\/em>, as they would prevent water from touching the entire kli<\/em>. For this reason, a narrow-necked bottle should be toveled<\/em> neck-up so that the inside of the bottle will fill completely with mikvah water. Similarly, a pocket-knife used for food should be toveled<\/em> in its open position so that the water will touch all areas of the blade. Equipment made of multiple components that are assembled as a single unit should be toveled<\/em> in the manner used and not piece by piece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An electric appliance that will certainly be ruined if toveled<\/em> may be used without tevila<\/em>, as it is impossible to fulfill the mitzvah. One can assume that an appliance with a digital display or a computer chip will be ruined if toveled<\/em>. For this reason, a Keurig machine may be used without tevila<\/em> (see Sidebar).<\/p>\n\n\n\n An electric appliance which likely will survive the tevila<\/em> process should be toveled<\/em> (though there is no guarantee it won\u2019t be damaged). Simple electric devices generally fall into this category. After tevila<\/em>, it is important to let the appliance dry very well \u2013 for at least three days \u2013 before using it, as it is more likely to short-circuit if it is damp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A purchased kli<\/em> requires tevila<\/em> if the manufacturing company is owned by an aino Yehudi<\/em>, even if all the workers are Jewish. Unless one has information to the contrary, one should assume that all companies outside Eretz Yisroel have some aino Yehudi<\/em> ownership. Tevila<\/em> is not required when one borrows or rents a kli<\/em> from an aino Yehudi<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the manufacturing company is Jewish-owned, and the kli<\/em> is crafted by Jews and sold directly to Jews without any aino Yehudi <\/em>middleman, the kli<\/em> does not require tevila<\/em>. For example, a kiddush cup manufactured in Israel and purchased there from a Jewish-owned store would not require tevila<\/em>. However, one manufactured outside Israel would require tevila<\/em> with a bracha<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A kli<\/em> requires tevila<\/em> whether it is bought or received as a gift from an aino Yehudi<\/em>. This requirement would apply even if the Jew owned the kli<\/em> originally, sold it to an aino Yehudi<\/em>, and subsequently bought it back. If someone converts to Judaism, their keilim<\/em> require tevila<\/em> (without a bracha<\/em>) even if they were only used for kosher food, since the keilim<\/em> were transferred from the possession of an aino Yehudi<\/em> to the possession of a Jew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If a person buys a kli<\/em> to give as a present, he can choose to tovel<\/em> it beforehand, but this is not required. He should inform the recipient if he toveled<\/em> it. If the item might be returned to the store unused, the giver should not tovel<\/em> it before gifting it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If a person buys a kli<\/em> and fills it with food to give as a present (such as mishloach manos<\/em>), the tevila<\/em> requirement will depend on the worth of the kli<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If one received a used kli<\/em> from an aino Yehudi<\/em> which had been used with non-kosher food, it must be kashered first before it is toveled<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Any kli<\/em> that requires both kashering and tevila<\/em> should be kashered first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If a kli<\/em> that requires tevila<\/em> was mixed with keilim<\/em> that have already been immersed, and the untoveled keili<\/em> is unidentifiable, all of the keilim<\/em> should be re-toveled<\/em>. If this poses a difficulty or expense, a rav<\/em> should be consulted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If one is invited to eat at a friend\u2019s house and it is known that the keilim<\/em> have not been toveled<\/em>, a rav<\/em> should be consulted. If the host is a shomer Torah u\u2019mitzvos<\/em>, one may assume that he fully complies with halacha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If, in error, a non-toveled<\/em> kli<\/em> was used to prepare food, the food is still considered to be kosher. The food must be transferred to a properly toveled<\/em> kli<\/em> before further cooking or consumption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is impossible to address all the issues and questions that may arise regarding tevilas keilim<\/em>. When in doubt about a particular facet of this mitzvah, always consult a competent rabbinic authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See the STAR-K site for a handy list of keilim<\/em> and their tevila<\/em> requirements.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n (See also a related article, “Tevila Exemption for Appliances with Electronic Components<\/a>,” by Rabbi Zvi Holland.)<\/p>\n\n\n\nKeilim Requiring Tevila With a Bracha<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Keilim Requiring Tevila Without a Bracha<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/em><\/strong>Keilim That Do Not Require Tevila<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Who May Tovel<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Where to Tovel<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
When to Tovel<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to Tovel<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ownership Issues Affecting Tevila<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Miscellaneous Tevila Issues<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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