The Types Of Vessels That Require Tevilla

This shiur follows on from last week's shiur -- shiur 1. It may be necessary for the reader to familiarize himself with the last section of shiur 1 entitled "When The Obligation Of Tevillah Begins."

Publicly owned companies may have a number of Jewish shareholders, and in many cases, the majority of the shares may be owned by Jews. It has been claimed, therefore, that vessels purchased from such companies do not require tevillah. According to this reasoning, it becomes almost impossible to be sure, in many cases, whether a vessel requires tevillah. Since one may make a brachah over a mitzvah only when there is definitely an obligation, it follows that one would seldom be able to make a brachah over the mitzvah of tevillas keilim.

The Rav has discussed the Torah perspective on the ownership of stocks with Rav Eliashiv on several occasions. With regard to tevillas keilim, a person is considered as having true ownership, if he has the right to use the vessel at any time. A partnership which would allow any one member to use the merchandise without the express permition of the other members would be considered Torah ownership.

With publicly owned companies, this is clearly not the case. Shareholders do not have the right to take vessels from the factory, therefore they are not considered to have Torah ownership in this case. Accordingly, one who purchases a vessel from a store and is unaware of its origin, can assume that the manufacturer was not Jewish, and can immerse the vessel with a brachah. (The same principle applies regarding the prohibition of chometz on Pesach. One who owns stocks in a company that produces chometz need not sell it for the duration of Pesach. Nevertheless, it hasbecome customary to mention such stockholdings in the sale-of-chametz document)

The Gemara in Mesechas Avoda Zorah asks why the mitzvah of tevillas keilim applies only to vessels used for food. If the purpose of the purification is not to remove the tastes that have been absorbed from non-kosher food, but rather as an extra purification, then even scissors should require tevillah! The Gemarah answers that the vessels confiscated from the Midianites in battle, were all vessels used for eating. Since the mitzvah of tevillas keilim is derived from the parshah that discusses the battle with Midian, it follows that only vessels used for meals (klei seudah) require tevillah.

Rabbi Akiva Eiger discusses whether very large barrels, which are used to brew beer and are too big or heavy to be immersed in a conventional mikvah, need tevillah. There are several reasons why such vessels may not require tevillah:

1. These vessels are not used in a meal, but rather are only for storage of food.
   
   
2. Theses vessels are neither used to eat from, nor are they brought to the table to hold food.

Rabbi Akiva Eiger is prepared to rely on this reasoning, in conjunction with the fact that these barrels were made of metal-coated earthenware, , a material which may well not require tevillah. (metal-coated earthenware will be discussed later at greater length)

The Chachmas Adam cites an additional argument: The vessels taken from Midian were the types of vessels that are used for food that is ready for consumption. It follows, then, that these barrels, which are used to hold beer that is still unfit for consumption, will not require tevillah.The Chachmas Adam nevertheless concludes that such vessels do require tevillah.

Since it is impossible to immerse these large barrels in a conventional keli mikvah, this raises a serious problem for manufactures that use such vessels. The Chachmas Adom suggests a solution:

One can make a small hole in the barrel, so that it can no longer be used. Once the barrel can not be used, it is no longer a vessel. If a Jew were to then fix the barrel, the barrel will - so to speak - have been manfactured by a Jew and will thus not require tevillah.

Although the example mentioned above might not be applicable today outside of factories, many practical applications can be learnt by applying the reasoning advanced by those Poskim.

According to Rabbi Akiva Eiger, there is a doubt as to whether vessels used only for storing food, such as a jar used to store flour or coffee, require tevillah. (According to the reasoning of the Chachmas Adam, however, storage vessels would require tevillah.) As explained earlier, one may make a brachah over a mitzvah only when there is definitely an obligation. Accordingly one should immerse vessels that are to be used for storage without a brachah.

The articles on this website are not not intended as halachic rulings.
Where necessary, one should consult a competent halachic authority.