??"?

by
Rabbi Zushe Yosef Blech

Of the innumerable creatures that inhabit the world, insects serve as prominent examples of many aspects of Halacha and Hashkafa. The classic example given in the ???? of compounded  ?????? is reflected in ??' ???? (?"? ?"?) ??? ???? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ???' , while at the same time, the lowly ant is given as the paradigm for industriousness and wisdom - ?? ?? ???? ??? ??? ????? ????) ???? ?' ?'( .  Food ingredients derived from insects range from shellac (resinous glaze) to cochineal - but perhaps the most famous is bee honey. Although the bee is not a Kosher species, the  ???? ?????? ?' ?"? states unequivocally that bee honey is Kosher.  Honey, however, is not the only food ingredient produced by the bee, and the Halachic status of these items will be the ?? ??????   (??' ??' ????? ?"? ?"?)  of this article.

Bees produce five distinct items that are used as food ingredients.  Honey is a sweet, viscous liquid produced by bees (and certain other insects see below).  Bees collect sugary fluids, called nectar, from flowers, which they process in a cavity within their body called a honey sac.  The sugar in the nectar is primarily sucrose, which is inverted into glucose and fructose using enzymes secreted by the bee.  The bee also concentrates this liquid by removing some of the water from the inverted nectar, and the resulting honey is stored as food for the bee colony.  Honey has been used as a food for thousands of years, and until the advent of sugar refining, it was the most common food sweetener.   Another product manufactured by bees is beeswax, secreted by the bee from special wax glands, which it uses to construct the chambers of the hive. Beeswax has found a use as a polish for candies, fruits and nuts, and beeswax extract is used as a flavor. Another set of glands, called pharyngeal glands, produces a special food used to nourish newly hatched larvae as well as the queen bee.  This material, rich in certain proteins and vitamins, is called royal jelly or bee milk, and various claims have been made as to its healthfulness as a nutritional supplement.   While any possible health benefits from eating royal jelly are, as of yet, merely conjecture, this material has lately enjoyed a popularity among certain health food experts. Bees also produce a food called bee bread by compacting pollen together with royal jelly, which is also used by some health food experts. Another product is called propolis.   This natural "putty" is composed of pollen and resin collected by the bees, which are mixed with the bees' saliva and wax.  It is used to coat the inside of the hive and seal fissures and cracks in the hive. It also has natural bacterial and antifungal qualities, and is placed at the entrance of the hive to disinfect bees entering it and protect the health of the hive.  Discussion of propolis goes back to Pliny, the Roman naturalist.  It has been claimed to cure everything from the common cold and sore throats to stomach ulcers. Given the practical applications of these five items as food ingredients, their Kosher status must be determined.

Despite the fact that honey derives from a non-Kosher insect, there is no question but that bee honey is ????.  There is, however, a ?????? as to the reason for this status.   According to one opinion quoted in the ???? in ?????? , based upon a  ????in??' ??????? , honey is permitted because it is not excreted from the insect itself but is merely reprocessed nectar and not an actual excretion of the insect -???? ???????? ???? ????? ????? ????? ???? ?????.    A second opinion, quoted in the name of ?' ????, holds that the ???? for honey is based upon a????? ?????  that not everything coming from a  ???is ???? .   The ???? notes that the difference between these two?????  is reflected in the Halachic status of honey derived from other insects, which the????  notes can be derived from insects known as  ????? and ??????. [The exact translation of these species is not clear.  However, one source may be the "honey ant", which stores honeydew (itself a byproduct of the digestion of sap by various aphids and other insects) and converts it into a sweet syrup.]   According to the ???? in ???????  such honey is subject to the same ???? , since it is merely reprocessed nectar.   According to ?' ???? , however, only regular honey is included in the????? ????? ????? , since it has no ?? ????  (associated name).  Bees' honey is referred to simply as "honey", whereas similar products from other insects are referred to as "wasp honey", etc.  The ???"? ?"? ???' ?????? ?????? ?"?  and ????? ?? rule that ??? ????? (??????)  is permitted, whereas the ??"?  and the ???"?  rule that it is prohibited.  The ???? ??"? ??' ?"? ??' ?' first quotes the opinion of the ???"?  to permit ??? ?????? ??????? , and then states ??? ?? ????? .  However, since this is a  ??? ????? ???????? the consensus of the  ?????? is to be?????  (??' ???? ??? ?? ?"? ?"? ).

The Halachic status of royal jelly, however, has only recently been dealt with by the ??????.  The  ??"? ??? ?????? in ??? ?"? ??' ?"?  discusses this issue at length, and permits its use as a medicine based upon a number of considerations.  First, the ??? ??????  establishes that royal jelly is certainly included in the ????? ?????  of honey.  The disability of ?? ????  that the ???? attributes to ??? ?????? is based upon the fact that this type of honey bears the name of the ??? and not because it is not called simple honey (??' ????? ????? ??????? ??, ??? ???? ??"?, ???? ???????).   Royal jelly, on the other hand, is not referred to as such, and is included in the ???"?  of honey.  The ??? ??????  further notes that even according to the ???"?  who holds that??? ?????  is ???? ????? ???? ????? ????? , there are several reasons to permit the use of royal jelly.  First, it is not clear that royal jelly is Halachically significantly different from honey.  Despite the fact that honey contains enzymes and other chemicals that are secreted by the bee, it is nonetheless considered to be in the category of ???? ????? ????? .   The ??? ?????? quotes the??? ???? ???' ?"? ??"?  as follows: ??? ???? ????? ??? ????? ???? ????? ??? ????? ??"? ?? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ???? ?????? ????? ???? ????? ?? ????? ?????? ??? ?????? ??' ???, ??? ???? ???????? ??? ?????? ????? ???? ????? ??"?).  In essence this approach assumes that secretions of insects, even though they contain material produced by the insect, are not considered????? ??? , an approach that would similarly apply to royal jelly (see below concerning Rav Moshe Feinstein's ??"? approach to a similar (????.  Second,  the use of such a material may be permitted for medicinal purposes (???"? ????? ????? ).  In addition, royal jelly has an unpleasant, putrid taste (sour and bitter), and as such would be considered???? ?"? ???????  or perhaps even???? ????? .   In summary, the ??? ??????  permits the use of royal jelly for medical purposes even where the person is not considered a true???? . [???' ?????? ??"? ?????? ??????? ???????? ????? ??? ?????? ?? ???? ??.]

Another authority who has dealt with this issue is???"?  Rav Isser Yehuda Untermann ??"? , in  ??"? ??? ?????? (??? ????? ??' ??"? (.  Rav Untermann notes a seeming discrepancy in the ???? of ?' ????  between the ???? ??????  quoted above and the?????? (?????? ??? ? (.  The ???? states that ??? ????? ???????  is prohibited due to its having a ?? ???? , whereas the ?????? states that the reason is that it is a  ??? (an exudation).  Rav Untermann further notes that??"? ?????? ?? ?"? ??? ???????  makes a statement a seemingly unnecessary statement that "??? ????? ??? ???????" .  He further notes the ??"? ?? ?"? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??"? ??? ??? ???? ?? ???? ??? ????? ????? ??? ?????? , which sheds further light as to the nature of ???"?  that permits honey.  Rav Untermann therefore argues that the ???"?  permitting honey relates to those products of the insect which are classified as a ?????, as opposed to mere secretions.  He defines  ????? as something created by the insect that is retained.  For example, the larvae are called a  ?????since they are intended to remain in the hive, although clearly not included in the ????. Honey is similarly classified as a????? - hence the emphasis ??"?  places on the fact that ??? ????? ??? ??????? .  This is contradistinction to a ???, a mere exudation of other insects that do not have a hive, where the liquid is not designed for storage and there not classified as a ????? . Rav Untermann argues that the intention of the ????  to consider ??? ????? ???????  as having a ?? ????  is precisely this point - they are not considered "honey - ????? " that is the specific  ???"? that a applies to honey.  Rav Untermann continues that even according to the ???? ????"? there would be other reasons to permit royal jelly (due to its bitterness, etc.), especially where it is mixed with other ingredients.  Rav Untermann concludes his opinion by stating that there are many reasons to permit the use of this material even for a healthy person and certainly for one who is ill (even if his life is not in danger) where needed, and there is therefore no reason to question its use whatsoever.

Additional support for permitting royal jelly may also be derived from ?????? ????? ??? ??"? ?"? ??' ?"?  in his discussion of the permissibility of shellac (also known as lac resin or resinous glaze).   In this ?????,  ????"? advances several reasons to be permit the use of shellac.  He states that according to ?? ????, the ???"?  that permits the use of honey extends to all secretions of insects.  The only reason that ??? ?????? ??????? is prohibited is due to the ????? of the???? , which is limited to secretions that have a ?? ???? .  He therefore reasons that the concept of ?? ????  applies only in situations where there are indeed two types of material (i.e. honey), one known as the ???  version and one that bears the name of the ???.  In the case of shellac, however, since only one version exists and does not bear the appellation of the??? , it would be permitted.  It would seem, therefore, that the same rationale can be used to permit royal jelly, since it does not have a?? ???? .  [ ????"?does note, however, that this ???? would not allow for a ????  for shellac according to the ????"? , who understands the???"?  to apply to bees exclusively.] 

????"? also points out that according to the ???? of the ???"? , who holds that the ???? of honey is based upon the fact that it is ???? ????? ????? and not because of a ???"? , shellac would definitely be permitted. He states categorically that according to the ???"? who holds ??? ????? is ???? , other similar secretions from insects - such as shellac - are equally permissible. Even though shellac is a glandular secretion of the lac insect, ????"? must hold that the concept of ??? ????? ????? can be applied even to such secretions. Indeed, we find a similar ???? in the ???? (??"?) ??' ?"? ?"? , who states that beeswax is ????? ?? ???? ????? (?"? ?? ???? ??????? ????? ???? ???) . While beeswax is clearly a glandular secretion, the ???? nevertheless considers it ???? ????? ????? . As such, royal jelly should similarly be considered as ???? ????? ????? and included in the ???? of ??? ????? even according to those ????? that hold that there is no specific ????? ????? to permit honey. [This approach may also be used to explain why honey is considered ???? ????? ????? according to the argument of the ??? ???? quoted by the ??"? ??? ?????? , see above.]

A further point noted in the ????? is that shellac would be considered an ????? ???? that is ???? , and therefore ???? even if it is ????? ???? .  [This is in contradistinction to an ????? ????? ????? that would remain ???? if it were ????? ???? .]   In the case of royal jelly, the material is very bitter, and it can be argued that it is also in the category of an ????? ???? ????? .   Even if this were not the case, however, it would still be permitted due to the fact that royal jelly is always mixed with other materials to make it more palatable and would therefore be ??? ???? , which is another of the reasons upon which Rav Moshe relies to permit shellac.

An additional proof to the permissibility of royal jelly could be based upon the mere fact that it is found in the hive itself.  Although we find ??????? who deal with the problem of (non-Kosher) insect pieces found in honey, no similar mention is made of royal jelly "contaminating" the honey. Royal jelly is produced and stored in the hive, and were it considered a ???? ????? it would certainly have been the subject of such a discussion.

On the other hand, a number of authorities have questioned the permissibility of royal jelly.  ??? ???? ???? ??????? ??"? , in a letter to ??"? ??? ?????? ????? ????????? ????"? (published in ??"? ??? ?????? ??? ?"? ???? ?"? , is reluctant to permit its use.  ?? ???? ???? questions whether we are sufficiently ?????? in what constitutes ???? ?????? , and therefore writes that although he had previously permitted it use, he is now more reticent, ??"? ???? ??? ???? ???? ??? ?? ????? ??? ???? ??"? .  However, it would seem that the position of ???? ???? ??? ?????? in his ??"? ??? ????? ??' ?"? poses the most cogent argument in this regard.  He posits that if royal jelly is indeed ????? ????? , then it would technically be prohibited according to all ????? (??"? ??? ????? ????? ???? ???' ????"?, ??? ??? ?' ???? ??"? ????? ???? ???"? ??? ??' ???? ????? ?"? ???? ???? ????? ?????.  [???' ?????? ???? ?????"? ??"? ??' ?"? ????? ?? ????? ???? ??"? ???' ???? ??? ???? ?? ??? ??? ????? ????? ?????, ??? ???? ???? ????? ??"? ?????? ?? ?' ?"? ?"? ??? ???? ??? ???' ???? ???? ???? ???? ????? ?? ???? ??? ??? ??? ?????? ???"? ]).  However, Dayan Padua still permits its use for two reasons.  First, he argues that it is a ????? ????? and therefore ???? ??????? , and second that since it is bitter it is certainly ??? ???? .  As such, he concludes his ????? with the following aphorism ??"? ????? ??? ??? ??? ????? ????? ??'?? ???, ?? ??? ???? ?? ??? ???? ???????, ??? ?????? ??? ????? ??? ???? ???? ??? ?? ???????? ??"?.

As noted above, beeswax is also a glandular secretion and, although not generally eaten as a food it is permitted. This can be deduced for several reasons. First, the ???? quoted above states clearly that beeswax has the same Halachic status as honey.  In addition, honey is considered one of the ???? ????? , and the relationship between honey and the wax comb would create a quintessential problem of ???? were the wax to be ???? .  Further, the ???"? in the ????? ??????? explains the ???? in ?????? ?"? ??"? to mean that the entire honey comb was routinely melted to remove the honey.  Were the wax not to be considered ???? , it should pose the same concern as that noted by the ?????? regarding (non-Kosher) bee parts that are heated together with honey [see below]. A further proof can be brought from the ???? used for ????? . ???"? ????? holds that one should not use candles made of pork fat, since?? ????? ?????? ???? ??? ?? ???? ????? ???? .  Nevertheless, the ??"? ???' ???"? states that the custom is to use candles of ????? .  It is therefore obvious that ????? is considered a permitted product.

Bee bread is nothing more than pollen held together with royal jelly, and should therefore be subject to the same considerations as royal jelly. Propolis would seem to be the quintessential ???? ????? ????? , and should pose no Kashrus concern.

Another fascinating concept in ???? is based upon a discussion of another aspect of honey production.  Parts of bees, which are not permitted, are routinely found in raw honey before it is purified.  Such honey is routinely heated to remove these impurities, giving rise to concerns of contamination of the honey itself.  The ???  and the '???? ??"? ??' ?"? ???' ? quote the ( ??"? (??"? ??"? to the effect that such pieces of insect are considered to be ???? ??? ???? and are therefore of no consequence.  The ??? ???? also quotes  (???? ?"?   (???' ??' ?"? ?"? ?"? ?"? ???? , who holds that ???"? would not resolve the concern, since all insects are ?????? and yet are still considered ????? .  Rather, he considers bee legs (and wings - ??"? ) to have the Halachic status of bones, which are permitted even if they are from non-Kosher species.  ????? ???? , quoted in the ( ??"? ??' ????? ?"? ??' ?"? ) however, assumes the ???? for such impurities to be based on the concept of ????? .   According to ????? ???? , honey has the ability to convert non-Kosher materials into Kosher honey, and he uses this approach to permit musk derived from a non-Kosher source.  Indeed, the ( '??"? (???"? ??? ?"? ??' ?  uses this approach of ????? ???? to consider honey into which wheat flour had been added permissible for use on ??? .  [Interestingly, this propensity of ??? to convert insects applies only to pieces of insects - whole insects tend to be preserved in honey (??' ??"? ??' ?"? ???' ?"? ??"? ?? ?"? ?"? ).]   Please note that the entire concept of ????? is the subject of significant discussion among the ( ?????? (??' ??"? ??"? ??' ??"? ???' ?' ????? ????"? ??????? ????, and is beyond the scope of this article.

Pure honey poses few other Kashrus concerns. The various types of honey, such as "clover" and "orange blossom", are usually devoid of any added flavorings.  The "flavor" refers to the flowers on which the bees feed.  Since honey is essentially concentrated nectar, the flowers from which the nectar is collected play an important role in determining the flavor of the resultant honey.  While unscrupulous processors have been known to adulterate honey with corn syrup (and thus raise concerns for ??? ), this is quite rare today.   The only other additive that is routinely added to honey is an anti-foam that, although requiring Kosher verification, is insignificant in the final product.

No Halachic discussion would be complete, however, without recognizing any relevant health issues, as ??"? note ????? ????? ??????? .  It seems that while honey is a safe and wholesome food for children and adults, honey should not be fed to infants less than one year of age.  Honey may contain bacterial spores that cause infant botulism, a rare but serious disease that affects the nervous system of young babies.  Infant botulism is different from food borne botulism.  Food borne botulism is caused by a toxin produced by a pathogenic organism found in food.  Infant botulism is caused when conditions in the digestive tract permit a spore known as Clostridium botulinum to grow and form toxin in the digestive system.  While this organism is commonly found in many uncooked foods, adults and children develop intestinal bacteria that inhibit the growth of this offensive spore.  Infants do not have this bacterial protection until about six months of age.   Heat treatment will destroy C. botulinum, and honey can therefore safely be used in processed foods for infants.  Raw honey, however, should be avoided.

As we have seen, the ????? of honey gives us an opportunity to comb through a number of significant Halachic issues. The ???? is often compared to honey, and the ( ???? (???? ?"? ?"? states that ??? ??? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ????? ?? ??? .   The ???? of ??? affords us the opportunity of gaining tremendous insights into the Halachic aspects of the foods we eat.