[Halachically Speaking will appear on YWN each week, Tuesdays and Thursdays]

The�halachos�of�maris ayin�arise quite frequently. For example, one may go into a�Kosher�supermarket and see�kosher�shrimp with excellent�hashgachas.[1]�It has become very common today for people to consume�surimi�products. Real shrimp is obviously not�Kosher�since it does not have the necessary�simonim[2]�for a�kosherfish. Therefore, is there a problem of�maris ayin�since people may see one eating this product? Can one use�pareve�creamer with coffee? Is there a need to place the bottle next to the coffee? There is a restaurant which recently began making cheeseburgers using�pareve�cheese. Is there a concern of�maris ayin�while eating this, since people see that one is eating them? Can one walk into a non-kosher�restaurant to use the bathroom? Is one allowed to walk into a non-kosher�restaurant to meet with clients? Is there a concern of�maris ayin�with a�mashgiach�walking into a non-kosher�restaurant in order to do reverse certification (see footnote)?[3]�All these questions and others will be discussed below.

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What is�Maris Ayin�?

Some�poskim�say that if one is doing a permitted act but it appears that it is forbidden then there is�maris ayin.[4]�Others say if one does something many times which may be forbidden and now one is doing it in the permitted manner, then there is�maris ayin.[5]�

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Harav Moshe Feinstein zt�l[6]�says that�maris ayin�means �someone thinks that I violated something, and he thinks that someone inappropriately ate something non-kosher. However, it does not include doing something permitted that people may mistakenly think is forbidden due to the fact that they do not know the�halacha.�

What is�Cheshad�?

Some say�cheshad�is something that a person does and it could be translated into either permitted or forbidden.[7]

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In Private

When something is not allowed because of�maris ayin, then it is not permitted in one�s room either (chadrei chadurim -�privately).[8]�Some say this is only something which is perceived as an�issur d�oraisa, and not something which is perceived as an�issur d�rabbanan.[9]

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Surimi

Surimi is a Japanese word which refers to a food product typically made from white fleshed fish that has been pulverized to a paste and has a rubbery consistency when cooked. Surimi is used to imitate crab legs, lobster, and shrimp.

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Eating Imitation Food

The�Gemorah�in�Chulin[10]�says that Yalta the wife of Rav Nachmun said that for every non-Kosher�food there exists a counterpart which is�Kosher.[11]�In response to this, her husband ordered that one of the foods be heated for her. The reason why�Hashem�did this is to give�Klal�Yisroel�reward for watching the�mitzvahs.[12]

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Rashi[13]�says one should not say �I do not have a desire to eat pork.� Instead one should say �I want it but I do not eat it because�Hashem�said I can not eat it.�

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Based on the above, one would be able to eat�kosher�products which are meant to serve as a replica of the real non-kosher�food,[14]�such as surimi.�Some were not so happy with the fact that it says �shrimp� on the bag,[15]�but the custom of many is to be lenient with this.[16]

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Milk from Almonds

The�Rama[17]�says one who drinks milk made from almonds (pareve) in the same meal as animal meat should place some of the almonds next to him so there will be no concern of�maris ayin.[18]�Some say one should do so even when eating chicken.[19]

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However, if this is not possible, one may still eat the meat (or chicken) and�pareve�milk together.[20]�Some say the whole concern of�maris ayin�in this regard is by a big�seuda, but if one is eating these foods at home there is no need to place the almonds on the table.[21]

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Pareve�Creamer

The custom is that using�pareve�milk is permitted for a number of reasons. Eating chicken with almond milk was not part of the�gezeirah. Therefore we should not be adding concerns of�maris�ayin�which are not mentioned in the�Gemorah.[22]�Furthermore,�pareve�milk is so common[23]�that no one would think one is using real milk for a coffee while eating a�fleshig�meal.[24]�There is no need to place the bottle of creamer on the table in order to let people know that the milk used is�pareve.[25]

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Pareve�ice cream

One is permitted to eat�pareve�ice cream after a meat meal without placing the package on the table.[26]�Similarly, one is permitted to put margarine on meat,[27]or butter on a soy burger since it is known to all that there exists�pareve�meat etc. In the company of people who do not know that there are such�pareve�products one should let them know what he is eating in order for them not to think he is doing incorrectly.[28]�One who wishes to drink�pareve�milk (which is not known to people) with meat should place the container on the table.[29]

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Based on the aforementioned, there is no�maris ayin�issue involved in eating surimi. Since people know that surimi shrimp etc exists, we do not have to worry that one will think he is eating a non-kosher�product.

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�Kosher�Cheeseburger�

There is a store on the Upper West Side of Manhattan which recently started making a�kosher�cheeseburger by using�pareve�cheese. Is there a�maris ayin�issue by eating this burger? (We will not discuss whether eating this is permitted�hashkafically).[30]�Harav�Yisroel Belsky Shlita�said to avoid issues of�maris ayin: The restaurant menu and receipts (for phone orders) must have on them the statement: �cheeseburger made with�pareve�cheese.�[31]

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Walking into a non-Kosher�Restaurant

The opinion of�Harav Moshe Feinstein zt�l[32]�is that it is forbidden to enter a non-kosher�restaurant because of�maris ayin. However, one who is famished, and has nowhere else to eat (in place of�tzar�and loss) is allowed to walk into a non-kosher�restaurant and eat any�kosher�food which they may serve (coffee etc). The reason why entering is permitted is because one who suffers a great loss may override a rabbinic prohibition to remove his suffering.[33]

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Based on the above, one who does not have a different place in which to use the bathroom other than a non-kosher�restaurant may enter the non-kosher�restaurant to use their bathroom.

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Others are lenient with walking into a non-kosher�restaurant to use the bathroom even if there is another bathroom available.

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Attending a meeting in a non-Kosher�Restaurant

If one�s boss asks him to meet a client in a non-kosher�restaurant, one is permitted to do so if he will otherwise lose his job. However, if his job is not in jeopardy if he does not go to the non-kosher�restaurant, then he should not go. In any case, one who finds himself in this situation should discuss it with a�Rav.

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Entering a Cafeteria

If a company cafeteria sells all types of items, including a few which happen to be certified as�kosher, then one may�buy food from the cafeteria and eat at the tables. This is��because it is well known that cafeterias sell both�kosher�and non-kosher�items and that people eat all types of food there.[34]

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Reverse Certification

It is permitted for a�mashgiach�to enter a non-kosher�establishment for reverse certification. Since it is a requirement for the�hashgacha�organization it is permitted since�maris ayin�is permitted in the place of a loss.[35]

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Walking into a Coffee Shop

The question arises if there is a concern of�maris ayin�with walking into a coffee shop to get a coffee, which sells�kosher�and non-kosher.�Lemaseh, since a coffee shop sells�kosher�items (coffee) as well as non-kosher, there is no�maris ayin�concern.[36]�This is common when walking into a store at a rest stop.[37]�Walking into a store which sells only non-kosher�would be a problem.[38]�Those who are�makpid�to only drink�cholov yisroel, should be careful not to drink from an opened�cholov yisroelbottle at a rest stop unless you see the person in the store opening it, since you can not verify that�cholov yisroel�milk is in there.

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Other Cases of Maris Ayin

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Entering a Reform Temple

The opinion of�Harav Moshe Feinstein zt�l[39]�is that one is not permitted to enter a reform temple�at the time of�davening�to�daven�in a room which is designated for Orthodox prayer. One who sees him may think that a�frum�person�davened�there or someone may learn from this and say �davening�in a reform temple is permitted.�

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Going in a Car after Candle Lighting

It is very common for a man to drive to�shul�(a short distance) after his wife has lit candles. This is permitted and not considered�maris ayin,�since it is well known that a��man can do�melacha�until eighteen minutes after his wife has lit candles. Even if a few people might think he did something wrong, it is not�maris ayin�since those who think he did something wrong are ignorant.[40]

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Water Sprinkler -�Shabbos

One who wishes to have his sprinkler running on�Shabbos�may do so by setting it to go on during�Shabbos.[41]�However, the sprinkler may only run in the backyard where it will not be seen by the public.[42]�Others permit running a sprinkler on�Shabbos�even in front of ones house (if it was set before�Shabbos).[43]

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Non – Leather Shoes on�Yom Kippur

Some say non-leather shoes that look exactly like leather shoes may not be worn on�Yom Kippur�because of�maris ayin.[44]

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Eating Human Blood

One is not allowed to eat human blood which separated from the body because of�maris�ayin, however, blood which is still in one�s mouth (i.e. from brushing teeth) can be swallowed,[45]�but if it is not in the mouth it is not permitted because of�maris ayin.[46]�People may think it is blood from an animal etc which is forbidden�m�d�oriaisa�to eat.[47]

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According to some opinions, if one sucks a bloody wound and spits out the blood there is no concern.[48]

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Blood which is in one�s mouth but came onto a piece of bread is forbidden to be eaten unless one removes the blood.[49]

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Sleeping and eating at a Widow�s Home

Harav Moshe Feinstein zt�l[50]says that there is no concern of�maris ayin�if a man wants to stay at a widow�s home when she is out of town. We are not concerned with the fact that some people may think that she was home and he is transgressing�yichud�since there are many ways in which one can avoid�yichud, therefore, there is no�maris ayin.

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After note

We have discussed the�halachos�of�maris ayin�and how people may perceive one�s actions. The�Gemorah�in�Yoma[51]�says that one should act in a way that people will say �fortunate is his father and�rebbe�who taught him�Torah.� One should do things which will be a�kiddush Hashem�and people will say with admiration: �he is a�frum�Jew.�