Kashrus - Soap (Cont'd)

QUESTION: A previous Halacha Yomis mentioned that soap made from animal fat cannot be considered non-kosher, since it is completely inedible. Does this mean that one could even eat soap if they wanted to?

ANSWER: When a non-kosher food (such as animal fat) becomes completely inedible, the Torah prohibition is removed. However, there is still a rabbinic prohibition to eat this food. The Rosh (Pesachim 2:1) explains that if one burns chametz before Pesach, one may benefit from the ashes, but one may not eat the ashes on Pesach. This is because eating the ashes would demonstrate that you do not consider the food to be ruined. This concept is known as “achshevei” (lit., demonstrated importance). Even though most people consider this food to be ruined, if you eat it, you are demonstrating that you consider it to be edible, and as such it is still forbidden. Therefore, one may not eat non-kosher soap, even though it is inedible. However, since it is no longer edible, you may wash your hands with this soap.

The Chok Yaakov (Orach Chaim 442:19) adds that since eating the soap is only a problem because of achshevei, if some of this inedible soap would inadvertently fall into a food, it can still be consumed as long as the majority of the food is kosher. Even though he has intention to consume the mixture, since one has no intent to consume the soap, this is not considered achshevei.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.