[Avodah] [Areivim] Tommy Hilfiger

[Zev Sero]

On Areivim, Elliott Shevin <eshevin at hotmail.com> wrote:
> TorahMike wrote:
 
>  > This is likely based on a teshuva of R'MF that perfumes with alcohol are
>  > considered raooey leachila since some desperate alcoholics will drink
>  > them for the alcoholol.

> Surely those desperate enough to drink perfume represent a minuscule 
> portion
> of the population. At the risk of being accused of monumental chutzpah for
> challenging R'MF: why don't we pasken batar rov in this case?  

Because if we are dealing with actual chametz, rather than merely
taarovet chametz, then it doesn't matter what most people would eat,
the only question is whether it is *possible* to eat it.  If it's
simply not possible to eat it, so that not even a "dog" (a proxy for
a creature with an undiscriminating palate) would do so, then it's
no longer food, and not subject to the laws of chametz.  But if it's
still food, and the only reason most people don't eat it is because
it doesn't taste good, then it's still assur.

If it's merely a taarovet, however, then you're right, what matters
is whether it's "maachal benei adam haberi'im".  If normal people
wouldn't eat it, then one may keep it and derive benefit from it.

-- 
Zev Sero               Something has gone seriously awry with this Court's
zev at sero.name          interpretation of the Constitution.
                      	                          - Clarence Thomas