sources
Question
Is the prevelant view of Orthodoxy regarding onions a "popular opinion" or is it a legitimate halachic point of view? Aren't you doing a disservice to your surfers when you encourage them to use the word "myth" to describe the dominant Orthodox opinion? By all means tell your truth, but don't disdain the truths that others hold dear. At the very least, why not say "my father taught that onions are not charif; most of orthodoxy does not agree" EDWARD ANDERTON
Answer
Answered by Aaron AbadiOrthodoxy that does not agree are the ones not studying these laws. They are busy with Yevamot, which is when a man dies without children, his wife is required to either marry his brother or do Chalitzah. If this happens, I certainly don't want to go head to head with those people. But what nerve do they have having a prevalent view without properly studying it. It turns out that their truth that they hold dear is not a truth at all. The issue at hand is for a person to buy a sliced onion from a non-Jewish place; of course it is with a clean knife. They say it is "Davar Charif," and therefore not allowed. Wrong! I go with the main view of the learned Rabbis of the "Observant" Jewish mainstream. This is how the Halachah is in the Jewish books of law. There are opinions that Batzel AKA onion is not called Davar Charif at all. The Shulchan Aruch is Machmir, but he holds that if the knife is clean and it isn't Ben Yomo, it's OK. We say Stam Keilim Ainum Beney Yoman. The Pri Chadash says that a majority of Poskim hold a clean knife is not subject to the Davar Charif law. Tzenon you say is "Radish" that cannot be, because then you can't fit in that translation to the Gemara in Shabbat regarding Muktzah. There the Tzenon has a cone shape. Well maybe it was part of the radish family. The onion could be part of the Batzel onion family, but not necessarily "Davar Charif." The Poskim seem to hold that Davar Charif's criteria is if the item is not edible because of it's sharpness, then it could be called Charif, if not, it's not Charif. Our type of onion is edible alone and thus not Davar Charif. There are thousands of types of onions.... In order for the knife to even become an issue is if it was used in a Keli Rishon. This is not done today. I can go on & on..... These are the "prevalent" Halachic opinions by our mainstream Poskim. Which religion, and which set of rules do you follow? When those people who have been disrespectful are prepared to apologize, I expect them to post their full names, or I will not accept the apology. AA