[Avodah] Ten Minute Halacha - The Starbucks Controversy- Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz

[Zev Sero]

On 30/03/2011 7:21 PM, Micha Berger wrote:

> Realize that it has been common for quite a while to go into a treif
> restaurant and get their coffee. And that often included relying on
> stam keilim einum ben yonam on the mug you were drinking out of. Which
> is really hard to understand if the restaurant gets more customers in
> a day than they own cups.

Indeed, according to a former (treife) restaurant owner I know, in a
commercial establishment there is no such thing as a keli she'eno ben
yomo.  If a piece of equipment is not used at least once a day it's not
worth keeping around.

I have never until now heard of this practise of drinking coffee in the
restaurant's mugs (other than glass, for which there are kulos available).
And of course at Starbucks there is only paper, and thus no sha'alah,
until this issue with the brew basket came up.   Indeed, years ago when
researching a certain rabbi who in my opinion takes a cavalier attitude
in his hechsherim, I found that he had personally sued a restaurant for
refusing to serve him coffee in a paper cup.  So even this mekil (for
others, at least) would not drink from the restaurant's klei cheres.

(I also think suing the restaurant was ridiculous; they are not obligated
to cater to our mishugasen, and there is no shortage of coffee or of
places to buy it.)

-- 
Zev Sero                      The trouble with socialism is that you
zev at sero.name                 eventually run out of other people’s money
                                                      - Margaret Thatcher