In order to separate between eating milk and meat together, Chazal instituted certain procedures to solidify this distinction.
Explanations for Waiting between Meat and Milk
In the Gemara Chulin 105a, Rav Chisda says it’s permitted to eat meat after cheese but forbidden to have cheese after meat. Mar Ukva relates that his father would wait a whole day after having eaten meat to eat cheese, while his practice is to wait from meal to meal. Rashi (Chullin 105a s.v. Asur) explains we’re more strict regarding meat because the taste from the meat and it’s fat stays in the mouth for a very long time. However, the Rambam (Maachalot Asurot 9:28) writes that the reason is that there’s a fear that meat is stuck between one’s teeth. The Tur YD 89:1 says that if one according to Rashi if one just chewed on meat (and didn’t swallow) one doesn’t have to wait because there’s not a strong taste when just chewing meat, if meat is found between one’s teeth after the allotted time one must remove the meat since it still has the taste of meat. However, according to the Rambam if one chewed on meat one must wait as there is a real concern of meat getting stuck in one’s teeth but if meat is found between one’s teeth after the allotted time one doesn’t have to remove it because the one only waited that time so that the meat between one’s teeth would become digested and lose the status of meat. The Tur 89:1 concludes that one should be strict for both opinions. This is the accepted ruling by the S”A 89:1, Shach 89:2, Biur HaGra 89:3, and Taz 89:1. The Pri Megadim (YD M”Z 89:1) writes that according to both reasons (taste of meat and meat stuck in teeth) if one only chewed on a cooked meat dish (not actual meat) one shouldn’t have to wait, however, it’s proper to wait. This is quoted by the Pitchei Teshuva 89:1 and Kaf HaChaim Y.D. 89:3.
- Some Rishonim (Tosfot Chullin 104b quoting רבינו תם and Bahag) hold that there’s no minimum amount of time one only needs to wash one’s hands and wash out one’s mouth. The Baal HaMoer, Yerayim (Siman 149) and Raah (Bedek HaBayit pg 83) agree with this.
- Some Rishonim (Tosfot 105a) say that one shouldn’t have it the same meal but if one makes Bracha Achrona and then eat meat. The Mordechai quotes the Ravyah who agrees to this.
- The majority of Rishonim (Rosh and Rif) that it’s the time span between the morning and afternoon meal (because in those days they usually only ate two meals). Based on this, the Rambam writes that one must wait the time between one meal and another which is 6 hours. This is also the opinion of ריטב”א, מאירי, and Ran. This is codified in S”A YD 89:1.
Accepted Minhagim
- There are basically four different possible minhagim:
- Sephardim generally hold that one should keep 6 hours. [5]
- Some Ashkenazim of German descent have the minhag to keep 3 hours, some Ashkenazim of Dutch descent have the minhag to wait 1 hour, and most Ashkenazim keep 6 hours. [6]
- For a child some say that one should gradually build it up, at the age of 2 to wait 1 hour, at age 5 to wait 3 hours, and at age 9 to wait 6 hours [7] while others say that under the age of 9 it’s sufficient to wait one hour (with washing one’s hands and mouth). [8] However, once a child reaches within one year of their Bar/Bat Mitzvah, they should wait the full time [9]
Cases
Chicken
- Even for poultry one should wait 6 hours. [10]
Meat Dish
- If one ate a meat dish, parve food cooked with meat, one can eat a dairy dish, parve food cooked with dairy.[11] The minhag is to wash one’s hands and mouth with a liquid and wash one’s mouth with a food.[12] However, some say that the minhag is also to wait six hours.[13]
- Food that was cooked in a meat pot is considered parve and one doesn’t need to wait 6 hours after eating it, though it can’t be eaten together with dairy.[14]
Sharp Foods
- This applies even to a dvar charif such as leeks.[15]
French Fries
- Some say that one doesn’t have to wait 6 hours after eating french fries fried in oil used for chicken or meat as long as the intention wasn’t to have taste of the chicken or meat get into the fries.[16] Others disagree.[17]
Chewed but Didn’t Swallow
- If one chewed meat but didn’t swallow one should wait 6 hours. [18]
- If one only chewed on a cooked meat dish (cooked with real meat) one should wait the allotted time. [19]
- If one tasted meat without chewing and immediately spit it out whole then one doesn’t have to wait until eating dairy [20] however, one should first wash out one’s mouth. [21]
How Are Six Hours Calculated?
- 6 hours is calculated with 60 minute hours and not Shaot Zmaniot. [22]
- 6 hours begins from when one stopped eating meat and one should wait to begin the dairy meal until then. [23]
Meat Stuck in One’s Teeth
- If one found meat between one’s teeth after 6 hours one should remove the piece of meat before eating dairy. [24]
- If one is not concerned and generally there is not meat stuck between his teeth after 6 hours, then one doesn’t need to check before eating dairy, however, if one has gaps in between one’s teeth or the like so that it’s likely that meat got stuck one should check before eating dairy. [25]
In the Same Meal
- If one ate a meat meal and continued the meal with parve foods for 6 hours one may not have dairy as part of the same meal rather one must make Birkat HaMazon and then have dairy. [26]
- Even according to the opinion that one only need to end the meal of meat in order eat dairy one shouldn’t intentionally say Birkat Hamazon to complete the meal and then be permitted to eat dairy.[27]
Unsure if Six Hours Passed
- If one is unsure whether 6 hours passed, some say that one should wait until 6 hours surely passed and some say that one may be lenient and certainly in a case where one only ate chicken and not meat. [28] Sephardim are lenient.[29]
Sick
- Someone sick who needs to eat milk within 6 hours may eat as long as he waited one hour[30] said a bracha achrona on the meat, washed out one’s mouth with a food and a drink, brushes one’s teeth, and washes one’s hands.[31]
If One Already Made a Bracha
- If one forgot that one recently ate meat and now made a bracha on the dairy he should take a bite of the food so that it isn’t a bracha livatala as long as one hour passed since one ate the meat.[32]
Dirty Pot
- If one cooked parve in a dirty meat pot whether one needs to wait 6 hours after eating that food is a dispute.[33] Others are strict.[34]
Meat Stuck in Your Teeth
- The pasuk in parshat Behalotcha says הַבָּשָׂר עוֹדֶנּוּ בֵּין שִׁנֵּיהֶם[35] and according to Chazal this informs us an interesting insight into Kashrut. The Gemara Chullin 105a infers from the pasuk that if one finds meat in one’s teeth it is still considered meat one’s teeth it is still considered meat and may not be eaten with milk. Practically, if a person finds a piece of meat between his teeth, before eating dairy he must remove it from his teeth.[36]
- If a person swallows a piece of meat that was in one’s mouth after one finished eating some poskim hold that one needs to restart the 6 hours.[37] However, some poskim argue that one doesn’t need to restart waiting.[38]
Waiting Between Milk and Meat
- After one eats or drinks dairy one doesn’t have to wait before eating meat. It is permitted to eat meat as long as one has washed one’s hands, ate something that cleans one’s teeth such as bread or fruit, and drank some liquid.[39]
- If one used silverware, he doesn’t have to wash one’s hands but it is proper to do so since it is easy.[40]
- The halacha is that one doesn’t need to separate between a meal of dairy and meat with a bracha achrona.[41]
Dairy Dish
- If one ate a tavshil of dairy one can eat meat afterwards as long as one washes out one’s mouth.[42] Some say that it is also necessary to wash out one’s mouth with a liquid and a solid food.[43]
- A tavshil of meat is a food that was cooked with meat but one isn’t eating the actual meat such as a potato in a chullent. A tavshil of milk is a food that was cooked with cheese or milk but one isn’t eating the actual cheese or milk.[44]
Dvar Charif
- If one made a food with a sharp food in a dairy pot some say that one cannot eat it while one is waiting 6 hours. Others are lenient.[45]
Stuck in One’s Teeth
- If one finds cheese between one’s teeth after some time some say that it isn’t called cheese and one doesn’t need to remove it if one wants to eat meat. However, most argue and hold that one must remove it.[46]
Hard cheese
- Ashkenazim hold that one should wait six hours after eating hard cheese before eating meat. [47] Sephardim don’t have this minhag and it is permitted to have meat after hard cheese as long as one washes out one’s mouth and washes one’s hands.[48]
- American cheese is not included in this custom. [49]
- Many poskim define hard cheese as anything that was hardened for six months.[50]
- Accordingly, many poskim hold that mild cheddar, feta, mozzarella, and muenster cheeses are considered soft cheeses, however, medium, sharp and aged cheddar, and Parmesan cheeses are considered hard cheeses. [51] However, some hold that any cheese that appears hard requires waiting six hours.[52] See the OU list of hard cheeses.
- Some poskim are lenient that one doesn’t need to wait after eating hard cheese which was melted.[53]
- Crackers or popcorn made with hard cheeses such as Parmesan or hard Cheddar cheeses (e.g. Cheez It Duoz) don’t require waiting 6 hours afterwards since they are cooked.[54]
Clearing off the Table
- One can not eat milk on the same table that he has previously eaten meat on until one clears off any pieces of bread that were left over from the previous meal and change the table cloth.[55]
- The requirement to clear off bread may also include other types of food that were on the table, depending on how they were eaten from. For instance, if people used their own utensils to take from the salad then the salad must also be removed.[56]
- There is a dispute if we are still required to remove the tablecloth since we eat on plates and not on the table itself [57] but our minhag is to still require a separate tablecloth or placemat. [58]
Taken from Halachipedia – Waiting between Meat and Milk