Duchka D'Sakina - Status Transfer

QUESTION: I cut an onion with a fleishig knife. I cut it again with a pareve knife. Is the pareve knife still pareve?

ANSWER: The status of the knife depends on a disagreement between the Magen Avrohom (OC 451:31) and the Even Ha’ozer (YD 96:3). According to the Magen Avrohom, not only does a davar charif (spicy food) draw out a full measure of taste from the fleishig knife, but it will also transfer a full measure of taste from the spicy food into the pareve knife. According to this view, the pareve knife would now become fleishig. The Even Ha’ozer disagrees. He writes that although the spicy food draws out a full measure of taste from the fleishig knife and therefore becomes fleishig, nevertheless when it is cut again, it only gives off a secondary taste (“nat bar nat”) and bedi’eved (after the fact) the knife remains pareve. Most poskim agree with the Even Ha’ozer.

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