[Avodah] Kashrus Question

[Zev Sero]

Richard Wolpoe wrote:

> May one drink the coffee brewed in a hotel lobby on Shabbat - since it 
> was brewed ion Shabbat pimarily for Genitles?

Why not?  There's no problem of "shema yarbeh bishvilo", since the
goy makes an entire pot at a time, and doesn't even know which guests
drink how much.

I would go further and say that even at home, if the goy makes an
entire pot of coffee, on the sort of coffeemaker that makes it
inconvenient to brew less than a whole pot at a time, one could drink
his leftovers, since it's "ner le'echad ner lishnayim"; i.e. he would
have made the same amount even if he knew he would end up spilling out
the leftovers, and he could not have made more even if he knew you
wanted some.  The same logic might also apply if he pops an entire
package of popcorn, though there perhaps we should worry that next
time he might make two packages.
 

> A gentile owned enterprsiee NEVER needs to sell its hametz!  The only 
> issue it MIGHT have is if it BUYS after Passover  hametz that had been 
> owned by Jews during the course of Passover!

I think not even then.  Chametz she'avar alav hapesach is a kenas.
It's not an inherent issur on the food itself.  So the intermediate
goy should "wash" it.

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