Question: I have always stored food under my bed and have just found out that one
shouldn't place food there. Do I need to dispose of it?
Answer: The Gemara (Pesachim 112a) writes that one shouldn't store food under a
bed, as a ruach ra’ah, evil spirit, will pass over it. While the Shulchan
Aruch (YD 116:5) paskens this way, Rambam (Hilchos Rotzeach 12:5) gives
a different reason as he holds that this evil spirit no longer exists (See
Lechem Mishne, Hilchos Shevisas Asor 3:2).
R’ Yitzchak
Yaakov Weiss (Minchas Yitzchak 4:117) writes that one may place food at
the bottom of a buggy, even if the baby is sleeping.
Medications are not considered food and may be
stored under one’s bed (Halichos Shlomo, Tefilla 13:17; Tzitz Eliezer 17:35).
R’
Ovadia Yosef (Yabia Omer 1: YD 9) writes that as the Vilna Gaon and many others
were stringent, if one did inadvertently place food under a bed, one should
dispose of it. If the food was expensive, however, one may rely on the more
lenient authorities. There are other factors, however, which would make the
food permissible, including if the food was raw, if it was a child’s bed, or a
carpeted / tiled floor (Yabia Omer 1: YD 10; Tzitz Eliezer 10:35).
Most people follow other Poskim (Aruch
Hashulchan YD 116:11; Pischei Teshuvah YD 116:4; Rivevos Ephraim 1:8:1; 5:8) who take a more lenient
approach, and allow such food to be consumed.In conclusion, one must be careful not to store food under one's bed. If one inadvertently does so, one need not dispose of it.
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