I posted this very serious Shayala for many frum Northern Californian Jews on my facebook wall the other day and got some very good halachic responses that are hard to come by since most robbonom have little experience with pot smoking. It’s not that I smoke much pot, but since many people in my neck of the woods do I figured we could finally get down to smoking pot in a manner that is compliant fully with shulchan aruch and many other commentaries. Obviously, the lack of grow lights and prevalence of bitter cold winters made it hard for pot to be grown in Eastern Europe and therefore the mesorah for pot smoking was lost, but I still feel it an important halachic issue that effects many members of out kehilla.
In all honesty, the real question should not have been wondering whether a Jewish owned bong needs to be dipped in the mikvah prior to usage, but really whether or not one could smoke from a non-Jewish bong. If bishul akum is assur, wouldn’t someone’s keli that was used by a non-Jew to cook be assur without a proper kashuring and/or toivel? This is for another time, since pot may be considered “lo ruey lemelech” it may not be a problem, but let’s keep things straight. Do bongs, commonly used to smoke herbs and tobacco need to be dipped in the mikvah?
Here are some of the responses by some of the leading poskim of facebook:
- Miryam Elisheva SegalThat is maybe the tackiest wedding gift I’ve ever heard of.
- Elisheva CreveI think not. 馃檪
- Bruce BernfeldFantastic shailah. On the surface I would say no but it needs further review. What is it made of? Will it hold water or wine? Will the wine be me mevushal? What kind of hechsher will the herb have? Will it have a handle? How hot will the bowl get? Is it possible to get it completely clean after use? In what room of the house will it be predominantly used? Will it be passed from man to woman and back to man? Too many questions to paskin right now. I will try and have an answer by 4:20 PST
- Skylar Kochava CurtisSince it’s “cooking” in a sense something that enters your body, I’d guess yes.
- Matthue RothSo glad marriage is making you frummer.Yesterday at 9:25am 路 路 8
- Chesky Randno, your the one being cookedYesterday at 9:27am 路 路 4
- Yosef WisemanNo it does notYesterday at 9:28am via mobile 路
- Miriam BenIsn’t that like, what is the beracha for cigarettes?Yesterday at 9:30am 路 路 1
- Dani KleinDoes weed need a hashgacha?Yesterday at 9:32am via mobile 路
- Adam StrossIt depends what it is made of and if you plan on drinking the bong water.Yesterday at 9:33am 路 路 1
- Aryeh MarkovicOnly If your drinking the bong water
- Berel Rapoportdefinitely need to make sure teruma and maiser were taken if gown in israel.. not to mention the laws of shmita
- Kristalyn Frey LeonardI know people who act like they drink Bong water.
- David LernerAs an actual Rabbi, I’m inclined to say no. The only ones requiring tevilah are ones used for achilah, shtiya and the preperation thereof. You DO, however, need to check the schwag for bugs before using it in edibles.Yesterday at 9:52am 路 路 4
- Aryeh MarkovicWeed doesn’t need a hashgacha, but must be checked for bugs.Yesterday at 9:54am via mobile 路
- Jacob Alperin-SheriffI know the Bat Ayin rav said weed was kitniyot but what’s his rationale; you don’t consume the seeds …
- Jacob Alperin-SheriffWhat do you say on cigarettes? ?????? ???? ?????Yesterday at 9:57am 路 路 1
- Jonathan Sima Greensteinno. i asked a shailah.
- Chaya Miriam FriedThis is a shaila, not a wedding gift!Yesterday at 10:26am via mobile 路
- Israel LoebChaya miriam – tell thatt to the judge
- Nicole Hadassah DeJackLOL- i sure hope not!
- Jonathan Helleryes, with bong water.
- Marc Kalvarionly if ur eating out of it
- Marc Kalvarits for pesach
- Marc Kalvariif its for pesach u need a new one
- Rabbi Joseph Kolakowski the Rabbanut said that pot is kitniyos so only Sefardim can use it on Pesach, and they would not require a new one for Pesach
- Sam Bernstein So @Rabbi Joseph Kolakowski….. i have always wondered in regards to rabbanut saying it is kitniyot, why can only sfardim smoke it? If the issur is just eating kitniyot (i.e your allowed to get “ha-nu-uh” from kitniyot,) and by smoking it, you are not eating it, nor are the “scoobie snacks” that might enter your mouth in anyway “achilas kelev”, shouldnt it be allowed for everyone?
Find out about kashering your bong on 4torah.com
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