If one sleeps with a food item in his pocket – does it have a din of ruach ra’ah?
Answer:
Ruach ra’ah only applies to food items placed under one’s bed, and only to sleep at night (sheinas keva). It does not apply to somebody who dozes off with his clothes on, and not to food in the person’s pocket.
The reason for the prohibition of leaving food under the bed is because of ruach ra’ah, as the Gemara states (Pesachim 112), and therefore a short nap, for which there is no ruach ra’ah (there is no obligation of netilas yadayim), does not constitute a problem. In addition, Darchei Teshuvah (Yoreh De’ah 116) suggests that the problem exists only in a bed which is suitable for cohabitation.
Note that bedieved, even if food is placed under a bed Pischei Teshuva cites from Shevus Ya’akov that one may be lenient (although Binas Adam 63 writes that one should be stringent), and She’arim Metzuyanim be-Halachah points out that the Beit Yosef writes that in all cases of rauch ra’ah, the food is permitted bedieved.
A further discussion is which foods are included in the prohibition. Although Darchei Teshuvah (116:36) understands that the problem only applies to cooked foods, and this is also suggested by the Binas Adam (cited in Pischei Teshuvah, partially based on the custom of peasants to keep vegetables under the bed), the common custom is to be stringent concerning all foods. This is supported (as mentioned in Pischei Teshuvah) by the Gemara in Bava Basra (58a), which states that a Torah scholar should keep only his shoes under the bed, Rashi explaining that this is because of the ruach ra’ah which dwells on food.
