QUESTION: I barbecued kosher fish and kosher meat on separate racks of a grill at the same time, but I closed the barbecue cover. May the food be eaten?

ANSWER: In a previous halacha we have seen that one may not roast kosher and non-kosher meat in an oven at the same time, because of the concern that the reicha (aroma) from one food would spread to the next. However, if this was already done, the food may be eaten. What about fish and meat? Mixing fish and meat is a matter of sakana (danger). Is mixing the aroma of fish and meat also included in this sakana?

This is a matter of dispute between the Rema and the Shach. The Rema (Shulchan Aruch YD 116:2) rules that although this should not have been done, bedieved (after the fact) the aroma of fish would not affect the meat (and the aroma of meat will not affect the fish). The Shach (YD 116:1), however, rules that because this is a question of sakana, we must be stricter than we would be with non-kosher, and both the fish and meat may not be eaten. The Aruch Hashulchan (YD 116:10) writes that the halacha follows the lenient position of the Rema.

Our discussion relates to dry fish or meat. If the fish or meat contains liquid, there is an issue of zeiya (steam) and there may be a concern even bedieved if baked together.

However, so long as the cover of the barbecue was left open, there would not even be an issue of reicha, and according to all opinions the meat and fish would be fine. Alternatively, if either the fish or the meat was wrapped in foil, there would be no issue of reicha.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.