Originally posted Fri, 17 Mar 1995 07:17:32 +0200

Rabbi Nahman said in the name of Rab, "It is forbidden to eat ice cream with the fingers." But the sages say, "[when it is] in a cone^*, it is permitted [to eat this way].

But was it not taught, "Ice cream is finger food, you fool!" [Renee, Sig 2a]?^# There is no difficulty. Here it is talking about ice cream, here frozen yogurt.

One may not consume premium ice cream for it is written, "Only The butterfat you must not eat, [For it is to be burnt on the altar for atonement, (Lev. 17:10a-11a)]. Rav Sheset says, [this applied only] when the Temple is standing.

^*According to Rashi. Other Rishonim explain this as meaning a sandwich.

^#OK, you'd have to be on the m-debate listserver to understand this reference....It's from "Renee"'s signature.

MISHNAH: With what may one sprinkle [his ice cream], and with what may one not sprinkle? One may sprinkle with jimmies, dry nuts, flaked coconut, or crushed candy. One may not sprinkle with hot fudge, butterscotch, wet nuts, or wet fruits. What is the reason? "[The garment] shall be washed the second time, and shall be clean" {Lev. 13:58}^*

GEMARA: We are concerned here with a cone. For a dish this does not apply.

Rabbah said: [Eating] a banana split is especially meritorious, for it reminds us of the mitzvah of tefillin. It once happened that Rabbi Yohanan was traveling in Yemen, and he saw those at the beis midrash wearing a banana in their head tefillin. Why? They said to me, "for the parasha says 'between your eyes' [Heb. bein einecha]. Between my eyes [Heb. bein einei] I wear a banana, in order to fully concentrate on the mitzvah. The whipped cream (Heb. zivdah), cherry, walnuts, and pineapple are reminders of the gift (Heb. zeved) of the first fruits, and the three scoops of ice cream reminders of the three pilgrimage festivals. Abaye asked, "What of the hot fudge sauce?" Rabbah answered: "[It is there because] it tastes good"

^*If it seems farfetched to associate ice-cream dripping with leprosy, remember the great kabbalist Ibn Weytin-Anour points out that the gematria for "shichat glidah (he has ruined ice cream)" is the same as "tza'arat (leprosy)"

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