As the tevilas keilim season comes into full swing, we would like to provide you with some important notes, which were reviewed By HaRav Yisroel Belsky, Shlita. Please note that tevilas keilim is an obligation (chiyuv), and if not done properly, a k'li may not be used until Toveled correctly.
a. All chatzitzos (i.e., dirt, glue and stickers or other items or markings not part of the k'li which neither the owner nor most people would use with this item on the k'li) must be removed prior to submersion.
b. The entire k'li (even if oversized) must be fully submerged all at once (not one-half first, then the other half immediately thereafter).
c. Do not hold the k'li tightly, so that the mikva water can reach everywhere. You can tovel the k'li by moving your hand to another part of the k'li while holding it below the water level; or you can dip your hand in the mikva first, and then take hold of the k'li and submerge it in the mikva.
d. Using baskets--
All keilim should be submerged right side up or on a slant, but not upside down, so that no air is trapped in the utensil.
Items should be placed in the basket side by side and not on top of each other.
The basket may be submerged in water, and then you may drop utensils into the basket, so that each utensil is surrounded by water as it falls in.
e. The brocha--
Brochos are made for metal and glass utensils only.
"Al tevilas keli" for one item, "al tevilas keilim" for more than one item.
Hold the k'li in your hand (or basket) and be ready to tovel immediately after making the brocha.
When toveling storage utensils or utensils which come into contact with the food while it is not yet edible, no brocha is made.
Submersion must be supervised only by an individual over Bar/bas mitzvah. A child may be tovel keilim if an adult sees him or her do it.
Important Numbers
