Meat to Milk: Waiting Time

Why do we wait 6 hours after eating meat before eating dairy?

Shalom!

Thank you for your question.

We are required to wait between meat and dairy for two reasons. One reason is because the taste and fatty residue of meat lingers in the mouth and palate for an extended period of time. The other reason is that meat often gets stuck between one’s teeth, and it takes about six hours for such meat to decompose to the point that it is no longer considered to be meat. The halacha is in accordance with both explanations. Therefore, one who vomits after a meat meal must still wait the required amount of time and one who merely swallowed meat without chewing it must wait, as well.

One who merely tastes meat, without chewing or swallowing it, is not required to wait any amount of time before eating dairy. One is merely required to rinse one’s mouth before doing so. One who is ill, or is otherwise required to consume dairy products frequently, need only wait one hour after eating meat.

Regarding children: Children under 3 years old do not need to wait between meat and milk but, rather, they should merely eat something pareve in between. Children 3-6 years old should wait one hour. Children between 6 and their bar/bat mitzvah should wait the amount of time they generally go between meals, and at the very least, 3 hours.

A pareve food that was cooked together with meat, such as a potato taken from a meat stew, is considered to be meat, and the required waiting time must be observed before eating dairy.

Rashi, Chullin 105a; Rambam, Hilchot Ma’achalot Assurot 9:28; YD 89 and commentaries