Hi Rabbi. I read your piece about bishul akum and I am a bit confused as to the status of rice or pasta. Rice or pasta would fall under bishul akum prohibition becuase it cannot be eaten raw and is fit to be on a kings table. Assuming that i check to make sure that it is prepared in a vegetarian friendly manner, in a hotel or a catered event how would that be permissible? A hotel or a catered event wouldn’t qualify for commercially produced, correct?
First of all, pasta falls under the category of “Pat Akum,” not Bishul Akum, because it is a mezonot product made from the five grains. Just as commercially baked bread (“Pat Palter”) is permitted, commercially prepared pasta is also permitted. It does not have to be packaged supermarket pasta specifically; even when served in a restaurant, hotel, or catered event, it is still considered commercially prepared food and is not a Bishul Akum issue.
Rice is more complicated because it is not considered Pat. However, in hotels, catered events, and similar settings, there are still grounds for leniency. Nowadays the food is generally prepared by employees in a commercial kitchen rather than by a personal cook preparing a meal in a private home. In addition, many Poskim distinguish between classic Bishul Akum and modern industrial or commercial food preparation.
Each factor alone may not necessarily be enough to permit it. However, in Halachic psak we often rely on a “צירוף” — a combination of multiple supporting considerations — particularly regarding Rabbinic prohibitions. Therefore, together with checking that the ingredients themselves are acceptable, there is room to be lenient in these situations. Additionally, any time there is a safek, we would say safek derabanan l’kulah.
Hello,
I understand that these prohibitions are related to fear of mixed marriages and maybe Avodah Zarah. The question is, under the concept of safek, can a non Jewish family member (my wife has non Jewish relatives for example) cook for you? I am talking siblings, parents, very close family members that you would never marry with them. Or, can very close friends with wife and family can cook something for you? Obvously providing that everything is Kosher?
The issue is that even when the original reason for a gezerah does not really apply to a particular situation, Chazal generally did not limit the gezerah only to the exact cases of concern. Once enacted, it applies broadly. So even if we are talking about close non-Jewish relatives or lifelong family friends where there is obviously no concern of marriage or idol worship, the basic rules of Bishul Akum still technically apply.
That being said, since Bishul Akum is a Rabbinic prohibition, any legitimate safek is generally sufficient to be lenient. For example, if there is doubt whether the food qualifies as something “fit for a king’s table” (עולה על שלחן מלכים), or doubt whether the food could be eaten raw, or other similar uncertainties, there is room to be lenient.
Also, much of the original concern behind the gezerah was tied to ancient pagan idol worship and excessive social integration leading to intermarriage and eventual assimilation into idolatrous cultures. The reality of the modern world is very different. Chazal were primarily worried about the pagan societies of their time. Nevertheless, a gezerah remains a gezerah even when the original concern is less common.
Practically speaking, there are many simple ways to avoid the issue altogether. A Jew can participate minimally in the cooking process — turning on the fire, placing the pot down, stirring once, flipping the food, or doing some recognizable act in the cooking — and that is sufficient to remove the concern of Bishul Akum.
So in real life, if you are dealing with close relatives or friends, there are usually very workable solutions without creating discomfort or tension. The details depend heavily on the exact scenario — what food is being cooked, how it is prepared, who participated, whether the food is commercially made, etc. If you give specific examples, I can explain how the halacha would likely apply in those situations.
Thank you Rabbi for your answer. I will write 3 specific cases:
1. Sometimes, during the week, my daughter’s non-Jewish grandfather pick her from school and take her to his house while I am still at work. Sometimes I pick her up and due to time I eat there. He usually made us fish (salmon or white fish), salad and pasta or rice. I am not there most of the times to help with cooking, sometimes I am. In my humble opinion the meal as a whole is a very simple meal that is not necessarily of a king’s table, but, whet could be the concerns here?
2. If we go to a kids party, for example, or a meal/dinner with many guests, we usually eat the Kosher options or bring something when it apply. Is this a potential issue of Bishul Akum if the hosts cooked the meal but the meal was planed for more people, not just my family. In these cases the usual option are salads, pasta, rice and fish and we always ask the ingredients and cooking method.
3. We have the prohibition of drinking in a non-Jewish bar or in the gathering of non-Jews and even forbidden to eat and drink in the party of non-Jews. Are these issues related to the Gezderah of Bishul Akum or nowadays there is room for leniency? I have non Jewish friends that I appreciate a lot and sometimes we get together at the house of some of them to drink a beer and talk, play domino, etc.
1. Salmon and many types of white fish are commonly eaten raw nowadays in sushi and similar preparations, so they are not considered a Bishul Akum problem. Salad is obviously not a problem. Pasta is generally fine as well, since commercially produced pasta is dried with very high heat in the factory and is already significantly processed/cooked before it ever reaches the kitchen. Additionally, these are very simple meals and are generally not considered “oleh al shulchan melachim” in the classical sense discussed by Chazal. Therefore, the meals you described are fine.
2. The same principles apply here as well. Simple foods such as salads, pasta, rice, fish, and similar items prepared for general gatherings or children’s parties are fine when the ingredients and preparation are otherwise kosher.
3. Regarding the older prohibitions about drinking in non-Jewish establishments or social gatherings, those discussions were connected to a very different social reality and tavern culture than what exists today. The original concern was not merely social interaction, but intermarriage within pagan and idolatrous societies. Modern casual social settings, such as having a beer with friends, sitting together, talking, or playing games, are not comparable to the environments discussed in the classic sources. Additionally, the original decrees focused on specific beverages (like from dates or honey) and formal drinking settings that are no longer common today. Therefore, the type of normal social interaction you described is fine.
More generally, it is important to remember that Bishul Akum is only a Rabbinical prohibition, and Chazal themselves built many limitations and exceptions into it. Whenever there is any genuine doubt whether the prohibition applies, we are lenient. A “safek” in Halachah does not mean only a perfect 50/50 uncertainty. Even when one side appears stronger than the other, as long as there is a legitimate possibility that the prohibition does not apply, it is still considered a safek. It could be an 80/20 safek or a 20/80 safek and it’s the same as a 50/50 safek. Many people mistakenly think that unless the doubt is evenly balanced it is not a safek, but that is not how Halachah works, especially regarding Rabbinical laws.