Kashrut and Dinosaurs

Asked by Samwise · August 21, 2003 · Kashrut

Question

Dear Rabbi, 1. Why do we have to investigate what else is cooked in the pot/griddle at McDonald's in order to eat eggs there? Haven't you said in the past that setam keilim einam bnei yoman also applies to a restaurant that continuously uses its keilim? (I am putting aside the issue of bishul akum for the moment). 2. Why can we rely on setam keilim einam bnei yoman even lechatchila if, for example, it is not permitted to use an eino ben yomo meat pot to cook milk lechatchila? 3. Is it prohibited to believe that dinosaurs existed or that fossils are really, really old? I thought that this was an issue that could be reconciled with the Torah.

Answer

Answered by Aaron Abadi

1) If the pot is clean & we are just worried about residual flavor (Bliot), that's OK, but if there is food there from the last thing cooked there, that is a no-no. 2) The Torah requires Kashering. 3) Who cares?! I ignore scientific evidence that suggests time frames like 132 billion years old. How do they determine that it wasn't 131 billion years? I don't trust them at all. These dinosaurs could have been 80 years old, too. & they can easily be any other animal or human giant. (Og Melech Habashan for example) AA