[Avodah] Maris Ayin

[Akiva Miller via Avodah]

.
R' Meir G. Rabi wrote:

> we can bring any red blood looking liquid to the dining table
> and drink it, but not not fish blood. Fish blood is Kosher
> but it resembles animal or fowl blood which is not Kosher.
> What is the difference between any blood looking liquid and
> fish blood?

Maybe there's no difference, and we are *not* allowed to bring red
blood looking liquid to the dining table and drink it. Can you bring a
source that says we are allowed to?

> we can bring any white milk looking liquid to the dining table
> at which we are serving meat and drink it, but not not almond
> milk. What is the difference between any white milk looking
> liquid and almond milk?

Maybe there's no difference, and we are *not* allowed to bring white
milk looking liquid to the meaty dining table and drink it. Can you
bring a source that says we are allowed to?

I suspect that in both cases, you are noting the explicit prohibition
against doing these things and then you are presuming that these
prohibitions apply *only* to these specific foods. Then, having made
that presumption, you are asking why this distinction exists.

I suggest that this is an improper procedure. It would be more correct
to note the prohibition about these specific things, and then to *ASK*
whether the prohibition also applies to similar things. You might find
that the prohibition *does* extend to other things:

Example #2: Soy milk. When pareve coffee creamers first became easily
available, they were all soy-based. Yet the hashgachos warned us to
serve it only in the original container, precisely because of the
halacha you cite.

Example #1: Suppose you have a lightly-cooked steak in your plate.
Some "red blood looking liquid" is leaking out of the meat onto the
plate, and is absorbed into the mashed potatoes. There's no issur
against those potatoes. I'm pretty sure you can even mix it up into
the potatoes deliberately, or dip your bread into it and eat it. But
can you pour it out of the plate, into a glass and *drink* it? I don't
know.

Akiva Miller