[Avodah] Why is it necessary to Kasher counters/workbenches for Pe sach?

[kennethgmiller at juno.com]

R' Meir Rabi asked:

> I dont know any kitchens where hot [or even cold] chamets is put
> directly onto the workbench surface.
> As often as I have made this observation, the response is that
> stuff falls off the platter onto the workbench.
> Is that enough to require kashering the benchtop?

As I read this question, RMR seems to concede that hot chometz does occasionally fall off the platter onto the workbench, and he is asking whether that is enough to require kashering. As I read the Mechaber 451:20, the answer would be, "Yes, exactly."

The Mishneh Brurah there is even stricter than the Mechaber, and he explains his reasoning is because of those who "occasionally - l'faamim" place a hot pashtida directly on the table.

But even those who always use plates, and *never* place hot chometz directly on the table, still need to be concerned about the occasional soup or pasta which spills from the plate onto the table, as the Mechaber did.

In contrast, I have seen several places (such as Rav Shimon Eider, pg 172) which say that a baby's high chair is an example of a table where hot food is *never* brought, and therefore does not need any kashering (though it does still need to be cleaned and/or covered because of what gets stuck to it).

Akiva Miller

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