Q. I’m planning to spend Pesach in a hotel that maintains an excellent kashrus supervision and are careful with gebrochts. On prior occasions I have noticed that many of my co-guests, who don’t have that minhag, place pieces of their matzo on their soup. Should that be a concern for me because of the shared dishes? How about when we invite someone to the Seider and he does the same?
A. Some hotels encourage their clients to ask the waiters for disposable soup bowls and spoons if they want to put matzo in their soup. If this is not the case or instructions are not being followed, Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit”a advices that it would depend on the particular minhag one has in regards to utensils. He then added that considering the numerous other serious shailos common in hotels, (such as the rings on food-handlers hands when touching hot wet foods without gloves), this concern may be the least of his problems.
As far as inviting guest who eat gebrochts, there is an interesting approach of Rabbi Yehoshua Noibirt (Moriah Y. 27- 11,12), where he points out that in regards to Pas Akum, if it is of better quality than Pas Isroel, and if the guest eats it, it is permitted even for the Baal Habais too, for this complete seudah in honour of his guest. (OC. 168,5). Then again, he points out, the guest are not allowed to impose their leniencies on the Baal Habaith. In practice this last point should be followed.
Rabbi Abraham Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit"a.
Important Numbers
