Rav Dovid Feinstein and Rav Chaim Kanievsky Rule: No Kashrus Concerns Regarding Orange Juice

Matzav.com has learned that Rav Dovid Feinstein, senior posek and rosh yeshiva of Mesivta Tiferes Yerushalayim in New York, has ruled that there are no kashrus concerns with drinking orange juice.

Some weeks ago, fears were spread about the concern of bugs in orange juice rendering it problematic to consume. Rav Feinstein has ruled unequivocally that here is no concern whatsoever.

Rav Chaim Kanievsky has likewise ruled that there is no kashrus concern. The following, regarding Rav Kanievsky’s ruling, was provided by Rabbi Yair Hoffman:

Mr. Larry Gordon, owner of the Five Towns Jewish Times, visited Rav Chaim Kanievsky on Sunday afternoon shortly before 4:00 p.m. and presented him with a number of halachic shailos from the United States. These shailos were written in Lashon Kodesh and Rav Chaim read them himself and then responded. His responses were videotaped.

In a previous article regarding Tropicana orange juice, I had presented 4 factors in which poskim might either forbid or permit the orange juice, even though scale bugs are found in each cup of the juice.

The fourth factor dealt with whether there is an obligation to remove an item that cannot be identified as a bug to the naked eye of a trained expert within the mixture, even though he may be able to identify it as a bug were it not in a mixture.

Below is the first question that was posed and Rav Chaim’s response. Rav Chaim said that Tropicana juice would be permitted.

יש חוקרים בחו”ל שמצאו במין אחד של מיץ תפוזים תולעים (בשם סקייל באגז). ורק מוציאים את התולעים עם מגדלת לאחר שסיננו את המיץ עם בד דק דק. ואי אפשר לראות את התולעים בתוך ה”בד הסינון” בלא המגדלת. ולוקחים את התולעת על ידי מחט ומניחים אותו על נייר. ועכשיו שאין התולעת בתוך המיץ – אפשר למומחה לראותו בעינים אף בלי מגדלת מה שלא היה אפשר לפני-כן. ובכל כוס וכוס התולעים האלו נמצאים. האם זה נחשב למוחזק בתולעים? האם יש חיוב לסננן את המיץ לפני ששותים אותו?

Translation: There are investigators in chutz la’aretz who found scale bugs in orange juice. They only find the bugs with a jeweler’s loupe magnifying glass after they strained it with a very thin cloth. It is not possible to see the bugs in the cloth without the magnifier. They take the bug with a needle and place it on a piece of paper. Now that the bug is no longer in the juice, an expert can see it – even with his eyes – which was not possible beforehand. In each and every cup, these bugs are found. Is this considered muchzak betolayim? Is there an obligation to filter the juice before one drinks it?

Rav Chaim’s response: לא צריך לחשוש. (Translation: There is no need to be choshesh.)

[A talmid chochom who was present when the question was posed explained that it was on account of the fourth factor that Rav Chaim ruled in this manner.]

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