Yet another Halachic snow question based on the in-climate weather that we have been having here in the Northeast. The question was asked in Halacha, is it permissible to dip new dishes in the snow?
This is a question that is brought down by the Pitche Teshuvah in Yore Da’at seman 108. The Pitche Teshuva brings down from the Sefer Chachmat Adam that says that if you have 40 Sea’a of snow, which would be about 200 gallons, in one area that is all connected to each other, you may then dip glass vessels in the snow. For example, a person’s back yard where he has a whole area of snow that would accumulate to 200 gallons; it would be permissible to dip. Only glass, which its obligation is Rabbinical, it would be permissible to dip it in the snow so long as the entire dish is immersed under the snow and it’s not in any air pockets, and all the snow is touching the actual vessel itself. However, metal vessels, one should not dip in the snow.
So the Halacha, it would be permissible to dip glass dishes in an area of about 200 gallons so long as the snow is all connected and it is placed in the snow where there is no air space, but rather actually touching the whole snow.
