Torah · Halacha YomitBorer - Are you really separating?Rabbi Uri Nahum · November 10, 2026 · 39 Melachot-15Play+30Position0:00—Save⌄ShareTranscript0:01So we've been speaking about the different conditions of0:05borer. We said there's so much to talk about borer, we're going to try to finish up this week0:09just some of the halachot of borer, because it's very common. We're talking about it a lot more.0:14So we said, solet, if you have a mixture of two different ingredients,0:18solet b'toch ochel is a problem. Take out what you don't want from the mixture is a problem.0:23So in halacha, we find the following case.0:26Today, again, if you're going to do it or not do it, that's up to you to decide.0:30But let's make an example that you would do it.0:31The case of this rawdam, the guy has a cup of wine, and a fly was flying0:36and got a heart attack right above the cup of wine, dropped dead right into the person's cup of wine.0:43They have a dead fly swimming—not swimming anymore,0:47right?—floating on top of a person's cup of wine.0:48So now this is called a mixture.0:51You have the liquid and the fly, even though the fly is on top of it, but it's really mixed with the water.0:57And assuming that people don't, you know, don't eat bugs because it's asur to eat bugs, assuming, right?1:02So obviously the fly is not wanted.1:04To take out the fly from the wine would be solet b'toch ochel, right?1:10You're taking out the unwanted from the mixture.1:12That would be asur on Shabbat. What do you do in such a1:15case? So I just want to, before I continue, I just want to tell you that when it comes to a mixture,1:22there's a machloket if liquid and solid are called a mixture.1:27Some poskim say that the mixture that we find is two solids, but a liquid and liquid, there's no concept of mixture.1:34Liquid and liquid mixes together; you can't separate them, right?1:37For example, if I mix coffee and milk. Right, these are two liquids. Go ahead, try to separate it.1:43It's impossible to1:44separate. Salad and salad, you could separate1:46when they're mixed together. That's what everybody agrees on.1:49When it comes to liquid and mixture, that means in a case like we just said, a fly that goes into your wine,1:54a tea bag in your cup of tea. There we find a machloket if that's called a ta'arovet or not.2:02That means the guy who takes out the tea bag, the guy takes out the fly, is that called separating?2:07Was it even a mixture in the first place?2:09So it's a2:10machloket Acharonim. When it comes to the fly in the wine, according to the opinions that say it is a mixture, what do you do in such a case?2:18So of course, you could always drink around it.2:21It's not so appealing, especially if you want to serve it to your2:24guest. They don't have to know what went on in the kitchen.2:26But at least in front of them, you can't tell them, okay, drink around the fly or the mosquito.2:30So what you could do is, you take a spoon and you pick up, together with the fly, you pick up some of the wine with it.2:38So this way you separated from the wanted and unwanted.2:41How does that work? Why is that2:44exactly mutar? So the Chazon Ish explains that this is—you never did a separation.2:49I think so, actually. You never did an actual separation because the fly and the wine together, that mixed together, there was still the ta'arovet still there.2:59Remember, the problem is if I have ta'arovet, which means a mixture, and I3:03separated, but the mixture is still there.3:05The mixture didn't become separated.3:07I still have the fly with the water.3:09So therefore, in that case, that will not be a problem.3:12Based on this logic, this opens up a door to many, many other cases.3:18That means, why is it mutar for a person to peel an apple?3:22You can tell me derech achilah, like we learned yesterday.3:25You could peel an apple3:26derech achilah. But now, based on this, we have another reason why it's3:28mutar. You know why? Because I never made a separation from the not wanted.3:34Think about the apple peel that you don't want to eat.3:37It's always when you peel it, unless you really have a professional tool, but that tool will be asur anyway on Shabbat.3:43But if you're peeling the apple, there's always from the flesh of the apple in the peel,3:49like the way it is with the cucumber as well,3:51like the way it is also with pineapple.3:53There's always from it on it.3:55So therefore, even when it's sliced in half and I could technically just eat from it,3:59and let's say the derech is to eat from the middle of the apple without, you know, ignoring the peel,4:03it would still be mutar to peel because you're never really separating the bad from the good,4:11because the bad and the good remain always connected.4:13And that'll be the same in other cases as well.4:16If a person has a case where he has to take out some pistachios that got mixed with the almonds,4:21what should he do?4:23Take together with the almonds and the pistachios together, so this way that mixture remains together.4:28Now although there's people who argue on this halacha, but there's enough Acharonim to4:35bring it to halacha, and therefore we can be somech on it when it's necessary.