- Q. Hello Rav, My family occasionally stays at the home of a frum ashkenaz relative for up to a week. In their home, they have one microwave that they will use for meat and dairy and apparently were told by their Rav that they can use it for any food as long as they cover the food with a paper towel (ie. nothing is really "sealed"). Additionally the bottom plate is not changed, but It did look clean.
In our home we have 2 separate microwaves for meat and daily and I've always understood that 2 separate microwaves are ideal, and that using one microwave would require either kashering in between (for those who agree to that) or fully sealing at least one of the food types (meat or dairy).
I've also see Rav Heinemen's shilta opinion that if you are just warming the food up briefly so that the walls of the microwave won't get to Yad Soledet Bo, then you could be lenient to put any food in uncovered if the mircrowave is fully cleaned. When we are visiting this family, we try to not bring up our halachic differences too much as it makes everyone very uncomfortable.
However, there are times when we would like to use a microwave. Is there any room for this leniency they are holding by? Should I rely on it as use the microwave the same way they do or should I just avoid the microwave or wrap the food well? Would the psak apply to my children? Any differences for us sephardim? Thanks!
A.Our
Rabbonim maintain that in
similar oven shailos it
is proper to just wrap the food in foil paper as is often done
anyway, and it will not cause any insult or inconvenience.
When
using a microwave the same effect could be attained by wrapping with
a similar high themp wrap. The
Saran Brands website states their brand name wrap can be microwaved.
Horav
Shlomo Miller”s Slit”a opinion
is similar.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by, Horav Yaakov Hirschman, Horav Dovid Pam, Horav Aharon Miller, Horav Chanoch Ehrentreu and Horav Kalman Ochs Shlit'a
Important Numbers
