Notes on Pas Akum (5784)

Tur 112:1
R”N: The bread of an Akum is assur even if a Jew is involved with the preparation.

RMB”M: The bread of an Akum is מותר if a Jew is involved with any of the 3 steps of preparation

RaSHB”A:
Torat Ha-Bayit: אסור (Agrees with the R”N)
Teshuvot Ha-Rashba: מותר (Agrees with the RMB”M)

Beit Yosef: Agrees with the RMB”M
+Sour Dough, if it was prepared by an Akum but a Jew mixed it with regular dough, and a Jew takes the dough and bakes it, מותר.

+Khiddush on Ha-R”N: If a Jew owned the flour, gives it to an Akum who kneads and shapes it into dough.

Tur: אסור (Agrees with the R”N)

Assur to drink at the parties of Akum even if it’s not wine
Assur: Dates, Taanim, Tzemokim
Rambam, Muttar: Apple Cider and Pomegranate
Also, Muttar: Honey

Shulhan Arukh 112:3
There are those that say that if a baker invites a Jew, then it is like having the bread in his home (at the home of the Akum baker) and is Assur. This assumes that the intention is more important than the location.

GR”A: Opposing opinion from the RaSHB”A: The bread, that was baked in bakery of an Akum, is מותר, even if it was not purchased from the baker. The GR”A is implying that location is more important than intention.

Shulhan Arukh 112:4
In a place where there is no Jewish baker, the opinion of the Shulhan Arukh is lenient. Thus, you can buy the the bread of the Akum baker until the Jewish baker arrives, and if he arrives, then the bread of the Palter Akum is assur to buy until the bread of the Jewish baker runs out (none left to sell), and if/when the Jewish baker runs out, then you can return to the Akum baker.

Shulhan Arukh 112:5
There are some [poskim] that say: That whomever there is, in his hand, the bread or baked goods of a Jew, and that there is an Akum baker making nicer than what he has [from the Jew] or that [the Akum baker] has another type of bread that the Jewish baker does not have, it is מותר to buy from the Akum baker [in this case] in a place where the minhag (custom) is [to be lenient and] allow the bread of an Akum baker since he (the buyer) enjoys the bread which is considered harder to acquire [since the Akum baker doesn’t have it].

Shulhan Arukh 112:6
In a place where the custom is to be lenient with the bread of an Akum baker, even though he kneaded it with eggs or spread egg on it, is מותר. However, an Inepanadah, that’s baked by an Akum is assur. Such a pastry may contain meat. The concern is that because it may contain meat, there may be an issue of Bishul Akum.
RM”A: Stringent opinion: [An Akum baker] spreads egg(s) on top of the bread, before it is baked, אסור because the egg is more noticeable than [example] butter/similar, so here too, we are concerned about Bishul Akum. Also, the egg could be cooked (bishul) and not baked (Afeh).

Shulhan Arukh 112:7
The bread of an Akum Ba’al Ha-Bayit (homeowner) [in his home] is forbidden always even if the Akum baker bought it from the Akum homeowner and even if the bread was sent to a Jew, to his home even if a Jew sent it, but the bread of a Jewish baker is permitted always even if it was acquired by an Akumi homeowner.

The reason: We don’t look at a prohibition (איסור) from its current point but rather its origin.