[Avodah] Trying to understand the rationale for Pas Yisroel when eating an Oreo

[Danny Schoemann]

R' Akiva Miller wrote:

<quote>
This leads me to a question that has bothered me for a long time, and
which is hinted at in RAY's question: Why are Oreos exempted from
being Pas Akum?

This time of year, various publications remind us to eat only Pas
Yisroel. Many of them point of that these halachos apply to both Pas
Lechem and also to Pas Habaa Bkisnin. The would indicate that the
original gezera of Pas Yisroel applied to both categories. But it
seems to me that cake and cookies are not an essential food the way
bread is. And I can't imagine that they were *ever* such an essential
food. So when the people put their foot down, and said, "No! This is
going too far! We can't do it!", did they really reject this halacha
for cookies too?

</quote>

The source of this seems to be in Yerushalmi, Shevi'is, Ch.8, Hal' 4.
It's the sugya of "Im'um"; the 4 gezeiros that were ratified/ambiguous.
You can hear RYGB give shiur on it at
http://www.yerushalmionline.org/audio/097.mp3 - starting at 1:30:00
with the Pas Akum starting at 1:33:40

- Danny (whose pre-Daf-Yomi Mishna shiur happened to be up to there tonight.)