Basar Shenitalem Min Ha’ayin - Meat Left Unattended
Question
We deliver food to an elderly woman who lives alone. Sometimes she isn’t home, and we leave the food in the stairwell near her door. The food is in plastic containers, which are placed inside tied plastic bags.
Is there any concern here of “basar shenitalem min ha’ayin” - meat that was left unsupervised?
Answer
Shalom uVracha,
Ashreichem for the kindness you’re doing - such a beautiful mitzvah.
As for your question, if you let her know exactly what food you prepared, for example, “meatballs in tomato sauce” or “meat seasoned with mustard”, then there’s no concern, since she can recognize that it’s the same food and nothing was switched.
Alternatively, if you make some kind of identifying mark, like a unique way of tying the bag or sealing the container with a specific sticker or tape, so it would be obvious if it was opened, then there’s no problem of basar shenitalem min ha’ayin.
