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Adapted by Rabbi Ariel Ovadia[1]
Why is honey kosher?
The Gemara in Bechorot[2] poses the following problem: if the general rule is that what emanates from what is non-kosher is non-kosher (i.e. camel milk is not kosher), why then is honey kosher? After all, honey emanates from non-kosher bees.
The Gemara cites two opinions as to why bee’s honey is permitted. According to Hachamim, honey is permitted because it is not a secretion. Rather, honey is the collected nectar in a processed form, which is expelled from the bee. Ribbi Ya’akov says that the permissibility of bee’s honey is derived from a Talmudic exegesis of the verse in VaYikra[3]: “However, this you may eat from among all the flying insects…” According to Ribbi Ya’akov these words are meant to imply that honey – which is derived from a flying insect – is permitted.
Wasp-Honey
The Gemara continues to explain that the status of wasp-honey is contingent on these two opinions. The Hachamim who allow bee-honey because it is not a secretion of the bee, would also allow wasp-honey, which is not a secretion of the wasp. In contrast, Ribbi Ya’akov derives the allowance of bee-honey from a specific verse in Vayikra. The Gemara proves that, for various reasons, this applies only to bee-honey, and not to any other types of honey.
Maran in the Shulhan Aruch[4] first brings the opinion that it is permissible, and then adds that there is an opinion that it is forbidden, while the Rama follows the strict opinion that wasp-honey is not kosher. Although we generally follow the first opinion that Maran quotes as the main opinion, the Aharonim such as the Pri Hadash and Kaf HaHayim write that in this instance we must not rely on the lenient opinion.
In any event, the Rama writes that “because wasp-honey is not commonly used, we need not suspect that bee-honey is adulterated with wasp-honey”.
“Honeydew” Honey
Aside from producing honey, bees also collect a sugary liquid material secreted by aphids and some scale insects. This substance is known as “honeydew”. Honeydew is collected by bees and transformed into a dark strong honey, which is called “honeydew honey”. Both Rav Belsky זצ”ל and יבלחט”א Rav Schachter are of the opinion that honeydew honey is not kosher.
They argue that this should be the case according to both opinions cited in the Gemara to allow bee-honey. Hachamim consider bee-honey as kosher because it is not a secretion of the bee. While honeydew honey is the same, nonetheless, the base of the product, honeydew, is a non-kosher material, which remains non-kosher even when transformed into honey. Ribbi Ya’akov derives that honey is kosher from the verse in Vayikra. We would not have a basis to broaden this allowance to include honeydew honey, which is the byproduct of a non-kosher insect.
Beeswax
Beeswax is a secretion from a gland located in the abdominal section of worker bees. It has important applications in the food industry. For example, it is used as a coating for cheese to protect the food as it ages, and as a coating on high-end candy to help lock in the flavor. Since beeswax is a glandular secretion, it would seem that we must assume it to be non-kosher as we mentioned previously.
However, Rav Belsky ruled that beeswax is kosher because it is tasteless and has the status of “Nifsal M’Achila” – unfit for human consumption. In fact, there are many proofs from the Rishonim and Aharonim that beeswax is kosher.
As a side bar, Rabbenu Hannan’el writes in his commentary to Masechet Shabbat[5] that beeswax is a waste product of honey. This seems to conflict with the contemporary scientific view that beeswax is a secretion of the bee. Rav Belsky suggested that Rabbenu Chananel considers beeswax a waste product of honey because bees consume their own honey and then convert the sugar in honey into wax and secrete the wax from special glands. In this sense, beeswax is indeed a waste product of honey.
Sources:
[1] Based on the OU’s “Kashrus Halacha Yomis”
[2] 5b – 7b
[3] 11:21
[4] Yoreh De’ah 81:9
[5] 134a