Kvod haRav, what is the proper way to clear the table after a Shabbos meal to avoid borer? In particular:
1. are forks/spoons considered mixed with leftover food in serving bowls or with food scraps left on plates, so that there is a borer issue with removing the forks/spoons to put them in a dishpan (either on Friday night for washing after the meal, or on Shabbos day for washing after Shabbos)? It seems the requirement of “l’alter/miyad” is missing since the fork/spoon is not needed now and will not be washed until after Shabbos.
2. I assume separating edible food left on plates from food scraps on the same plate, to store the edible food for future use, is borer gamur?
Thank you.
Answer:
1. There is no problem with separating the dishes and cutlery from the leftover food. This is not considered a “mixture,” but rather “serving dishes in a salad” (the salad is not “mixed together” with the serving dishes), so that no borer issue applies.
2. If the edible and the scraps are mixed together then this will be a problem. However, there is no problem of moving off the edible part that is not mixed up with scraps. Usually, there is only a small area of mixed up food (edible with inedible), whereas the majority is not mixed up.
Best wishes.
