Question:
Hi,
Due to our small kitchen counter space we had not designated areas on the counter to be meat or milk. We have always been careful not to put something down when there is residue from the opposite min (basar or chalav). However, I realize now after some time that this could have led to problems such as putting a hot pot down on the counter when it was wet (with water, but not with residue from the opposite min) or putting a hot lid from a pot down on the counter facing down.
Please advise lechatchila and bedieved.
Thank you for your help.
Answer:
Ideally [lechatchila], you should do what you can to have separate places for milk and meat. After the fact in the cases you mention the pot and it’s contents remain kosher. A hot pot placed on a cold counter can not absorb more than a small amount [kdei klipa] which won’t get past the surface of the pot. In addition, there is no certainty that in that spot there is actually absorbed taste of the opposite food [meat or milk]. Generally we do not assume so without reason [ain machzikim issura], especially here where we are dealing with a small amount, and a secondary taste [nat bar nat].
