presented as a public service by
the eleventh grade students of
Torah Academy for Girls
Bais Yaakov of Long Island
Revised 2003
Copyright Rabbi B. Forst
A Summary of the One who acquires food utensils from a non-Jew must immerse the utensils in a kosher mikveh prior to use. One may not use a vessel even once unless tevilah has been performed. However, food prepared in vessels that had no proper tevilah, is nevertheless kosher.

a) Only vessels made of gold, silver, iron, steel, copper, tin, brass, lead, glass, pyrex, corelle and crystal require tevilah with a b'rachah. Unglazed earthenware, wood, rubber and plastic utensils require no tevilah. Corningware, porcelain (china), enameled pots, teflon coated pans and aluminum vessels require tevilah without a b'rachah. Disposable aluminum pans require no tevilah.

b) A utensil made of a material requiring tevilah should be immersed inclusive of any plastic or wooden parts attached to it. A utensil made of wood or plastic requires tevilah if any metal is attached to it, providing that the metal touches the food and is vital for the utensil's use. A utensil made of separable parts requires tevilah only for its metal parts.

c) Tevilah is required only for those utensils used for eating, drinking or the preparation of food. Only those utensils which come into direct contact with the food require tevilah. One who purchases a food utensil for a non food related use (e.g., a knife purchased for cutting cardboard) need not immerse it. However, it should not be used, even temporarily, for food use.

d) Those utensils that do not prepare the food for its final edible state (e.g., a kneading hook) require tevilah without a b'rachah.

e) Vessels that are used merely for storage should be immersed without a b'rachah.

f) One may purchase and eat food or drinks directly from their jars or bottles. Once the jar is emptied of its contents, some poskim permit reuse of a glass jar for other foods without tevilah. A metal container, however, should not be reused without tevilah. Some poskim permit reuse of a tin can that was opened by a Jew.

g) Electrical appliances that come into direct contact with food require tevilah. An appliance that cannot be immersed in a mikveh should not be purchased. Thus, an electric urn requires immersion in a mikveh. It is impossible to do a proper tevilah on an urn unless it is completely immersed in the water. A Rov should be consulted as to the proper method of tevilah.

h) Only utensils that belonged to a non-Jew require tevilah. These include: utensils manufactured by a non-Jewish company (even if partly owned by Jews), those manufactured by a Jewish company but sold in a non-Jewish store or even those sold in a Jewish store, if they had been purchased from a non-Jewish wholesaler. If there is sufficient reason to suspect that the utensils never belonged to a non-Jew, tevilah should be done without a b'rachah.

i) Only those utensils owned by a Jew require tevilah. One who borrows a vessel from a non-Jew (when no kashrus problems apply) may use it without tevilah.

j) One who wishes to eat in the home of a Jew who has not immersed his dishes should consult a Rov.

k) During tevilah the utensil must be clean and free from any foreign object. Therefore any rust, dirt or labels must be removed prior to tevilah. When removing labels, one must be sure to remove all glue as well. Stubborn stickers or glue can be removed with nail polish remover or by spraying with WD 40 silicone spray.

l) One should not permit a minor (a boy below the age of 13 or a girl below the age of 12) to perform tevilah unless supervised by an adult. A minor doing tevilah with adult supervision recites the b'rachah as well. One should preferably not allow a non-Jew to perform tevilah even when supervised by a Jew.

m) Tevilah should be done only in a kosher mikveh (some men's mikvaos are not kosher for tevilas keilim). If a store has its own mikveh, one must inquire whether it is under the supervision of a competent rov. One may do tevilas keilim in the ocean as well. One who wishes to immerse utensils in a lake should consult a Rov.

n) Before grasping the vessel to be immersed, one should wet one's hands in the mikveh. One recites the b'rachah and immerses the vessel without grasping the vessel too tightly. Better yet, one should first grasp the vessel with one hand and transfer it to the other hand while the vessel is under water. One may immerse the vessel in a basket, but dishes should not be piled one atop another so as not to obstruct the water from reaching all surfaces of the dishes.

o) Utensils made of separable parts (e.g., a meat grinder or thermos bottle) should preferably be immersed in an assembled manner.






A LIST OF MATERIALS


Aluminum tevilah no b'rachah1
Bone china tevilah no b'rachah3
Brass tevilah b'rachah
Copper tevilah b'rachah
Cork no tevilah
Crystal tevilah b'rachah13
Earthenware (unglazed) no tevilah
Glass tevilah b'rachah
Gold tevilah b'rachah
Ivory no tevilah
Plastic no tevilah
Porcelain tevilah no b'rachah
Pyrex tevilah b'rachah24
Silver tevilah b'rachah
Stainless Steel tevilah b'rachah
Stone no tevilah
Stoneware (glazed) tevilah no b'rachah3
Tin tevilah b'rachah
Wood no tevilah
Rubber no tevilah


A LIST OF ITEMS

(note any item requiring tevilah, if it is made of aluminum the tevilah is done without a b'rachah)

Apple slicer/corer tevilah b'rachah
Barbecue grill (grill only) tevilah b'rachah
Blender (blades & glass bowl) tevilah b'rachah2
Bottle warmer no tevilah4
Bowl (steel or glass) tevilah b'rachah
Bread box (metal) tevilah no b'rachah5
Broiler tray (steel) tevilah b'rachah6
(disposable aluminum) no tevilah
Butter dish (glass or metal) tevilah b'rachah
Cake decorator
with metal spout tevilah b'rachah7
Cake plate cover no tevilah4
Can opener no tevilah8
Canister (storage) tevilah no b'rachah5
Canister cover no tevilah4
Cast iron pots tevilah b'rachah
Cheese slicer tevilah b'rachah
Chicken shears tevilah b'rachah9
Chopper tevilah b'rachah
Coffee pot tevilah b'rachah
Coffee mill tevilah no b'rachah10
Coffee maker (electric) tevilah b'rachah11
Colander tevilah b'rachah
Cookie baking sheet
(stainless) tevilah b'rachah
Cookie shaper tevilah no b'rachah10
Corkscrew no tevilah4
Corn popper tevilah b'rachah
Corn-on-cob holder (metal) tevilah b'rachah
Corning ware tevilah no b'rachah
Creamer tevilah b'rachah
Creamer (ceramic) tevilah no b'rachah3
Crock pot (ceramic insert) tevilah no b'rachah12
Crock pot (metal insert) tevilah b'rachah
Cutting board
(wood or plastic) no tevilah14
Decanter tevilah b'rachah
Disposable tins no tevilah
Double boiler tevilah b'rachah15
Dough hook tevilah no b'rachah10
Drinking glasses tevilah b'rachah
Egg yolk brush no tevilah
Egg cup (ceramic) tevilah no b'rachah3
Egg beater tevilah b'rachah
Egg slicer tevilah b'rachah
Electric Knife tevilah b'rachah16
Enameled pots tevilah no b'rachah17
Flatware (stainless or silver) tevilah b'rachah
Flour canister tevilah no b'rachah5
Flour sifter (metal) tevilah no b'rachah10
Food processor (metal blades) tevilah b'rachah16
Fork tevilah b'rachah
French fry cutter tevilah b'rachah18
Fruit basket (metal) tevilah b'rachah
Frying pan (Teflon coated) tevilah no b'rachah17
Frying pan tevilah b'rachah
Grater tevilah b'rachah
Grill (see barbecue) tevilah b'rachah
Grill (electric "George Forman") tevilah b'rachah
Honey dish (china) tevilah no b'rachah3
Honey dish (glass or silver) tevilah b'rachah
Hot water urn tevilah b'rachah
Hot plate no tevilah4
Ice cream scooper tevilah b'rachah19
Immersion heater tevilah no b'rachah
Juicer (even electric) tevilah b'rachah
Kiddush cup tevilah b'rachah
Kneading hook tevilah no b'rachah10
Knife sharpener no tevilah
Knife tevilah b'rachah
Ladle tevilah b'rachah
Measuring cup (steel or glass) tevilah b'rachah
Measuring spoon tevilah b'rachah
Meat grinder tevilah no b'rachah10
Meat tenderizer tevilah no b'rachah10
Meat slicer tevilah b'rachah
Melon baller tevilah b'rachah
Mixer (beaters & glass bowl) tevilah b'rachah20
Mixing spoon tevilah b'rachah21
Nut cracker (used at table) tevilah b'rachah
Onion chopper tevilah b'rachah
Oven rack no tevilah4
Pancake flipper tevilah b'rachah
Parsley shredder tevilah b'rachah
Pasta machine tevilah no b'rachah
Peeler (even electric) tevilah b'rachah
Pepper mill tevilah b'rachah22
Percolator tevilah b'rachah
Pizza cutter tevilah b'rachah
Pocket knife no tevilah23
Pot cover tevilah b'rachah
Potato peeler tevilah b'rachah18
Poultry shears tevilah b'rachah9
Pyrex kettle tevilah b'rachah
Rolling pin (wooden or plastic) no tevilah
Salt-shaker tevilah b'rachah
Sandwich maker tevilah b'rachah
Saucer no tevilah25
Scale (food) tevilah b'rachah
Shabbos blech no tevilah4
Shredder tevilah b'rachah
Sieve tevilah b'rachah
Skewers tevilah b'rachah
Spatula (metal) tevilah b'rachah
Spoon tevilah b'rachah
Spoon rest (metal) no tevilah
Stove grate no tevilah4
Strainer tevilah b'rachah
Sugar canister tevilah no b'rachah5
Sugar bowl tevilah b'rachah
Tea kettle tevilah b'rachah
Tea cups (glass) tevilah b'rachah
Tea cups (china) tevilah no tevilah
Tea pot (ceramic) tevilah no b'rachah3
Tea pot (metal) tevilah b'rachah
Teflon coated pan or pot tevilah no b'rachah17
Thermos bottle tevilah b'rachah
Toaster tevilah no b'rachah26
Toaster oven (tray and rack) tevilah b'rachah27
Tongs tevilah b'rachah
Tray no tevilah4
Tupperware no tevilah
Vegetable steamer tevilah b'rachah
Waffle iron tevilah b'rachah
Washing cup no tevilah
Wine bottle tevilah b'rachah
Wooden mixing spoon no tevilah

NOTES

1) There is reason to question whether aluminum requires tevilah, therefore a b'rachah should not be recited.
2) The blade and glass jar only.
3) Porcelain and china require tevilah without a b'rachah, see section a.
4) A vessel that does not touch the food requires no tevilah, see section c.
5) A vessel that is used for storage only requires tevilah without a b'rachah, see section e.
6) A disposable pan requires no tevilah.
7) See section b.
8) It is not meant to touch the food.
9) Assuming it is used for roasted chicken as well. If, however, it is used for raw chicken only, a b'rachah is not recited.
10) See section d.
11) Electric coffee makers (e.g., Mr. Coffee) require tevilah.
12) Ceramic insert only. A glass or metal insert requires tevilah with a b'rachah.
13) Crystal is glass.
14) If wood or plastic.
15) Often the bottom pot is used for food as well, if not, no tevilah is required.
16) Blades only.
17) The surface that touches the food is not a material requiring tevilah.
18) If used to cut other vegetables as well. If, however, it is used exclusively for potatoes, no b'rachah is recited on the tevilah.
19) If metal.
20) Only the beaters.
21) If wooden, no tevilah is required.
22) Some poskim contend that a b'rachah should not be recited.
23) If one plan to usually use it for food, tevilah is required.
24) Pyrex is glass.
25) If to be used as saucers only. If, however, they will be used as plates, tevilah is required.
26) Some poskim contend that it requires no tevilah. Consult your Rav.
27) Only the shelf and tray.

The students of the eleventh grade of Torah Academy for Girls - Bais Yaakov of Long Island - have completed a thorough course in the dinim of Tevilas Keilim. They present this booklet as a public service. The students compiled lists of most utensils found around the house. After studying and reviewing the dinim, they discussed their application to the various utensils. This was done under the guidance of their halacha instructor, Rabbi Binyomin Forst, who assumes responsibility for the halachos presented herein. Any questions should be addressed to him. The nature of this work did not permit source material to be presented. In addition, other opinions may be at variance with those presented here. In case of conflict, one should consult one's Rov.

Apple slicer/corer
Blender
Bowl (metal or glass)
Bread box
Broiler tray
Butter dish (glass)
Cake decorator with metal spout
Cake plate cover
Can opener
Cheese slicer
Chicken shears
Chopper
Coffee maker (electric)
Coffee pot
Cookie shaper
Cookie baking sheet
Corkscrew
Corn popper
Corn-on-the-cob holder
Creamer (ceramic)
Creamer (metal or glass)
Crock pot
Dish washer racks (metal)
Double boiler
Dough hook
Egg beater
Egg cup (ceramic)
Egg yolk brush
Egg slicer
Electric Knife
Flour cannister
Flour sifter (metal)
Food processor
Fork
French fry cutter
Fruit basket (metal)
Fruit bin
Frying pan (teflon coated)
Frying pan
Garlic press
Grater
Honey dish (metal or glass)
Honey dish (ceramic)
Hot water urn
Ice cream scooper (metal)
Juicer (electric)
Kiddush cup
Knife sharpener
Measuring spoon
Measuring cup
Meat thermometer
Meat slicer (electric)
Melon baller
Mix master
Mixer
Nut cracker
Onion chopper
Oven rack
Pancake flipper (metal)
Parsley shredder
Pasta machine
Peeler (electric)
Peeler
Pepper mill
Pizza press
Pizza cutter
Pot cover
Potato peeler
Pyrex kettle
Refigerator racks
Salt shaker
Sandwich maker (electrical
Skewers
Spatula (metal)
Splatter guard (metal)
Spoon rest (metal)
Spoon
Strainer
Sugar cannister
Tea kettle
Tea pot (ceramic)
Tea pot (metal)
Toaster
Toaster oven
Tongs
Vegetable steamer (metal)
Waffle iron (electric)
Washing cup
Wooden mixing spoon








laws of Tevilas Keilim