Kashrus and the Kitchen (7)
Maris Ha’ayin by Basar Becholov. Chazal prohibited us from doing certain things with milk and meat, even though they are permitted according to Torah law, because they appear to be assur and “look bad.” For example, almond milk and a mother’s nursing milk which are really pareve, cannot be consumed together with meat (1). (See further for a leniency.) It is prohibited even if no one else is there to see, like all the other cases of Maris Ha’ayin issurim which may not be done even in a closed room. The Ran (2) gives two reasons for this: 1) A person might think he will not be seen and in reality, he will be noticed. 2) If he gets into the habit of doing it, he will start to do it in public too.
Maris Ha’ayin by Rabbinical Issurim. At first glance, the RM’A (3) seems to say that there is no decree of Maris Ha’ayin where, at most, it will look like he is only doing a Rabbinic issur. Therefore, eating chicken with almond milk is permitted. Most Poskim (4) argue on this, although they do concede that in private, which is an extra chumra, one can be lenient by chicken, and eat it with almond milk. The Yad Avraham says that even the RM’A only meant to be lenient in private.
Cooking. Most Poskim (5) (except for the Shach 7) hold that the issur of Maris Ha’ayin is not just on the eating but also on the act of cooking. From Rav Akiva Eiger on that Shach it seems that benefiting is also prohibited.
Situations When Maris Ha’ayin Does Not Apply.
Putting pieces of almond into the milk (6) or next to the milk (7).
Placing a sign, container, or wrapper that the milk is pareve (8).
If he doesn’t eat them together, but rather one after the other. This would permit pareve ice cream after a meat meal even without the leniency in the next paragraph. (In this case, the Acharonim disagree on whether he can have them together on the table or only bring them to the table one after the other (9).
For a sick person, even if there is no threat to life.
Cases in the next paragraph.
Nowadays. It has become very common today to produce pareve food items that look just like classic milchig or fleishig foods. Some examples are: Margarine that looks like butter, tofu that looks like cheese, soy schnitzel and hot dogs that look like meat, pareve ice cream and whipped cream, etc. The Poskim (10) conclude that in places where these items are very common, one need not be concerned about Maris Ha’ayin. Regarding the pareve schnitzel, it would seem to this writer that there should be a difference in ruling between Eretz Yisroel where it is a common food item, and America, where it is less common. Regarding the original issur of almond milk, since it is quite prevalent today, along with soy and rice milk, one would have what to rely upon if this is a common item where he is located.
(1) יו"ד פז:ד (2) ביצה ט. (3) יו"ד פז:ג (4) יש"ש חולין ח:נב, ש"ך פז:ו, ועוד (5) שם (6) רמ"א שם (7) רע"א יו"ד סו:ט (8) דעת תורה פז:ג, אג"מ או"ח ב:סד (9) ע' פסקים ותשובות פז:קלה (01) שו"ת חושב האפוד א:כ, הגמו"ר אלישיב זצ"ל הובא בשו"ת ישא ברכה יו"ד א:ג
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