Q. I have seen in a number of supermarkets in town knives and eating utensils made of metal, imported from Israel with a hechsher that certifies they are exempted from tevila immersion on a mikva.
That should be incorrect since after all they were bought by the Gentile store owners and companies and thus should be obligated in proper tevila. Should not the Rabbonim make a public announcement on that respect?
A. Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion is that they do require proper immersion in a mikva since they were acquired by non-Jews, and now bought from them. (Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 120).
However, the Rov added that the tevila should be without a brocho or preferably with another utensil that requires a brocho with certainty. The reason being that the Gentile buyers acquired those utensils only for the purpose of trading with them and reselling them, and not for using them themselves as klei achila or eating utensils. Poskim disagree whether such utensils have to be immersed or not.
The Rov urges that the community at large should be informed.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller, Horav Yaakov Hirschman, Horav Moishe M. Lowy, Horav Dovid Pam and Horav Aaron Miller Shlit”a.