Question:
My question that leaves me in wonder refers to kashering. When new dishes and kitchen utensils are bought from a non Jewish store, is it then an obligated must for the items to be dunked into the Mikvah for the purpose of purification?
Thanks and Happy Holidays!
Answer:
You are right. The Torah tells us after the war with Midyan and the Jews captured all of their possessions, G-d told Moses that the vessels that were captured had to be purified before they could be used. The Torah says ( Numbers 31-23) “However the gold, silver, copper, steel, tin, or lead, anything that came in contact with fire, and it should be purified”, that the vessels of a gentiles that now came into the possession of a Jew need to be purified, and immersed in a mikvah. The Talmud explains the reason for this mitzvah is just like when a person becomes a ger and elevates himself to the status of a Jew he undergoes a purification process of going to the mikvah, so too the vessels now went from being a gentiles to being a Jews also need this purification process. Note; This only apples to utensils made of metal or glass, but not the utensils made of wood, pottery, or other materials.
Sources:
See Bais Yosef Yorah Deah 120 in the name of the Talmud Yerushalmi.
