Tevilah for Spice Containers
Question
i’d like to give my friends a gift of cloves in a small travel jar for havdalah when they are away from home, but i’m wondering about the jar for the besamim spices… Since you don’t injest them does it matter if the vessels are toiveled in a mikvah or not? Also, what if i dip the dried cloves in organic clove oil to make sure the scent lasts longer- is there anything problematic there?
Answers
Because the Besamim container is not used for food use there is no need to toivel it. The Besamim, themselves, are not designated as food (despite the fact that cloves are used in cooking), therefore there is nothing to be concerned about. There is also no problem with adding organic clove oil to strengthen the smell.
Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team