Isi possible to kasher a water bar for Pesach if you take a bowl you haven’t used for 24 hours and pour the hottest water possible from the water bar into the bowl and let the steam rise for a few seconds.
Explanation:
There are few sections to his question.
1)Can chametz from a mug travel up the hot water stream and make the spout chametz and the inside as well?
2)The chametz steam which rise up into the spout, does that make the whole thing Chametz?
The first issue:
The Gemara in Avoda Zara 72b: The Mishna says Nitzok, the stream, water on an incline and moistness don’t connect two things together nor Tumah nor Tehara. Sitting water connects for Tumaah and Tehara. Rav Huna added that all three connect for Yayin Nesech.
The Gemara continues that Rav Chisda said to those wine sellers when you measure out wine to a Non-Jew do you ‘Katef Kitufi” -Rashi: and you stop the flow of the upper pitcher before it reaches the Non-Jew’s pitcher beneath so it shouldn’t create a connection through the stream makes the upper wine Yayin Nesech). Or do you Naftzi Nafutzei )Rashi: stand from further away and throw the wine into the Non-Jew’s pitchers.)
The is a disagreement if we rule like Rav Huna or not.
Rashi , the Rif, Rambam, Rashba all rule like Rav Huna who says Nitzok is considered a connection for Yayin Nesach. Since Rav Huna got the idea from his Rebbi and Rav Chisda supports Rav Huna.
Rabbeinu Tam does not rule like Rav Huna since the Gemara could not find any source for his Halacha.
Tosfot rules in a case of little loss one should be stringent like Rashi that Nitzok chibur in a case of great loss one may be lenient like Rav Huna.
The Shulchan Aruch (YOD 126:1) writes: One who pours wine in a bowl that has Non-Jewish wine which is forbidden to derive benefit from it cause the wine in the upper pitcher to become forbidden as well which stream connects the two wines and it is as if they are mixed together. If you pour and cut off the stream before it hits the bottom bowl the wine is permitted.
The Shulchan Aruch continues that we are only stringent by small loss but by a major loss we can be lenient that the stream does nothing.
Why are we more stringent by Yayin Nesech?
The Raavan explains because of the extreme stringencies of Avoda Zara and anything related. As the Yerushalmi explains that Avoda Zara is forbidden even the tiniest bit.
If so, we can compare Yayin Nesech to chametz which is also extremely stringent and forbids even the tiniest bit. And therefore, Nitzok would also forbid. However, since no one mentions it we can’t be stringent because of a Svara and equalize the two.
Steam is a different issue.
If there are people who use the hot water and pour it directly on chametz like a instant Ramen soup then if the steam does not make the spout Yad Soledet then it does become chametz. I f it does get that hot then you can Kasher it like other utensils.
The Mishna in Avoda Zara 75b: One who buys a utensil from a Non-Jew that which …needs to be immersed in boiling water because it was coked need sot be immersed. That which absorbed by fire needs Libun in fire. However, the flavor was absorbed that is how it can be removed. So ruled the Shulchan Aruch in YOD 121:1.
The Water bar are plastic and the way to Machshir plastic is to reverse the process of absorption steam or pouring and that is enough.
