Food Stored Under Plane Seat and Taken into WC

Hi, I was traveling by plane and slept throughout the journey, and under my seat was my suitcase with food inside am I allowed to eat the food since I slept in my seat above it? I also took the suitcase with the food inside into the WC may I still eat the food?

Thank you for your very interesting and intriguing question.

The Talmud, Tractate Pesachim (page 112a), lists a number of instances which a person should be cautious about, as these could lead to spiritual or physical danger. One such caution pertains to not eating food that was placed under one's bed while one was sleeping, as it could cause a bad spirit (רוח רעה) to rest on the food. This Halacha is brought in the Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh De’ah, Siman 116, Seif 5).

שולחן ערוך יורה דעה הלכות מאכלי עובדי כוכבים סימן קטז סעיף ה

“ולא יתן תבשיל ולא משקים תחת המטה, מפני שרוח רעה שורה עליהם”.

“One should not place a cooked dish or drinks under the bed, because an evil spirit rests upon them”

It is important to note that Le’halacha one shouldn’t place the food le’chatchilah under a bed as mentioned in the Shulchan Aruch above, however, Be’dieved the food is always permitted to be eaten (Pischey Teshuvah: Siman 116,5). The opinion of the Gaon (brought in Binas Odom Siman 63) is that it is forbidden even Be’dieved to eat the food, so therefore there are those who are stringent not to eat the food that was placed under the bed.

Explains the Pischey Teshuvah (ibid,5) in the name of the ‘Binas Odom’ and the Gaon of Vilna that even though the Shulchan Aruch uses the term ‘cooked food’ nevertheless this Halacha also applies to uncooked food like a radish etc. However medicine that was placed under the bed are permitted since this stringency applies only to food.

Some are stringent about not placing cooking pots under the bed, even though cooking vessels are not mentioned in the text of the Shulchan Aruch mentioned earlier. However, Rabbeinu Gershon (Tractate Baba Batra, page 58a), does mention that 'it is forbidden to place food, drinks, and vessels under the bed wher one sleeps since this will cause the evil spirit to rest upon them.' Therefore, there are those who are Mehadrin and either immerse these vessels that were placed under the bed in a mikvah or rinse them three times.

Your question raises a few points with regard to this Halacha which would need to be analyzed:

#1 – Does this stringency apply even to food that was covered?

The Talmud writes as follows:

תלמוד בבלי מסכת פסחים דף קיב עמוד א

תנא: אוכלין ומשקין תחת המטה, אפילו מחופין בכלי ברזל - רוח רעה שורה עליהן.

“It was taught: food and drinks that were placed under a bed even if they were covered in an iron container – nevertheless the evil spirit rests on them”.

We see from this that even food that was placed in a suitcase nevertheless when placed under the bed when sleeping the evil spirit rests on it.

#2 - Does this stringency apply even when sleeping on a chair or does it only apply when sleeping on a bed?

The Halacha mentioned above stresses not to place food under a bed so we can learn from this that the halacha applies only to place that is fixed for sleeping like a bed, so putting food under the chair since it is not a place fixed for sleeping the food does not become forbidden and it is permitted to eat.

According to this, the food that you placed under your seat is permitted to be eaten. Even according to those who are stringent and follow the opinion of the Gaon. However, le’chatchilah, it is better not to place food there if one intends to sleep.

Food that was taken into the bathroom by mistake :

Food that was taken into the bathroom is permitted to be eaten and there is no evil spirit on the food, this Halacha is deducted from the Sharey Teshuvh (Siman 3,2) that writes that one may not eat in the bathroom so one can deduce that only eating is forbidden but the food itself that was taken into the bathroom is permitted, to be eaten outside the bathroom. So Le'chatchilah one shouldn't take food into the bathroom even if it is covered,  but if there is no choice one may take the suitcase into the bathroom and the food is permissible to eat.

Wishing you well.