Someone who has a gemach of glass celim (for serving food on, etc) do they need to be toveled? Or is it like they are “omed l’sechorah” and patur from tevillah.
Answer:
They should be toveled without a berachah. It is advisable for the owner of the gemach to have intention to actually use the keilim for himself, which will fully obligate him in tevilah with a berachah.
Sources:
The Shulchan Aruch and Rema (Yoreh De’ah 120:8) rule that vessels that are not intended for use by their owner do not require tevilah when lent out to others, yet the Shach (16) and the Taz (10) require tevilah.
According to all opinions, the obligation appears to be that of the owner. The Shulchan Aruch understands that because the owner is not using the vessels for himself, there is no obligation on the renter, and the Shach/Taz understand that because the owner can use them for himself if he wishes to, it follows that there is an essential obligation of tevilah, and the renter must tovel the vessels before using them.
The same dispute will apparently apply to the keilim of a gemach, and there is therefore an obligation to tovel them without a blessing, due to the dispute.
It is advisable for the owner of the keilim (the owner of the gemach) to have intention to actually use the keilim for himself, which will fully obligate him in tevilah with a berachah.
If he would not do this, and he would later decide to use them for himself, he would have to immerse the keilim again, once again without a berachah.
