Volume 19 Number 16
Produced: Wed Apr 5 22:51:12 1995
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Chometz in paper - v19#13
[Yehudah Edelstein]
Igros Moshe - Sium
[Yehudah Edelstein]
Mutual Funds on Pesach
[Chaim Stern]
Oats - Matza - v19#13 and previous postings
[Yehudah Edelstein]
Peanut Butter for Pesach
[Yisroel Rosenblum]
Peanuts
[Richard Friedman]
Pesach Question - Lactaid
[Dr. Menachem Fishbein]
Rapeseed (V19#13)
[Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer]
Reclining at the seder
[J. Bailey]
Reclining at the Seder (2)
[Shimon Schwartz, Josh Backon]
Shalom Bias vs. Halakhah
[Robert Israel]
Shmurah Matzoh
[Laurie Solomon]
Siyum/Igros Moshe
[Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer]
Spelt Matzot
[Norman Tuttle]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: <yehudah@...> (Yehudah Edelstein)
Date: Mon, 3 Apr 1995 21:20:02 +0200
Subject: Chometz in paper - v19#13
Since I am employed at A.I.P.M. (paper mills), I was also told that
starch from wheat was used and sometimes starch from corn origin. In the
U.S.A. I believe Dixie manufactures a full line of paper items, cups
plates etc., and I saw it carries the OU. Hogla, in Israel also markets
the Dixie products. The starch in the paper, is it fit for a dog to
eat? Would that make any difference. I've seen baking hand matza on
brown paper (rolling the dough), and then it would be thrown away , the
paper. True it was all cold contact. Would hot contact make any
difference?
Yehudah Edelstein "<yehudah@...>" Raanana, Israel
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: <yehudah@...> (Yehudah Edelstein)
Date: Mon, 3 Apr 1995 21:50:25 +0200
Subject: Igros Moshe - Sium
Vol 1, OC , siman 157, pg 276 & vol 4, OC, siman 12, pg 184
From what I understood on the 2 simanim, learning a Masechta
(tractate), calls for festive occasion and a Sium is apropriate. Also
learning Mikra (Tanach) B'iun (in depth) such as Sifri on Va'yikra, or
Midrash Raba on Bereshis calls for a Sium, but NOT Mikra with Rashi
alone.
Yehudah Edelstein "<yehudah@...>" Raanana, Israel
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Chaim Stern <PYPCHS%<EZMAIL@...>
Date: Mon 03 Apr 1995 12:15 ET
Subject: Mutual Funds on Pesach
What is the halacha regarding owning Mutual Funds on Pesach ? I'm
assuming that a small percentage of stocks in many funds are stocks of
"chometz" companies. So do I have to sell my mutual funds before Pesach
? Is there any difference if I want specific chometz companies to be
bought by the portfolio manager (e.g. An S&P-500 mutual fund which
should proportionally own stocks according to the S&P 500), or if I
don't care which stocks the portfolio manager selects ?
Chaim Stern
pypchs%<ezmail@...>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: <yehudah@...> (Yehudah Edelstein)
Date: Mon, 3 Apr 1995 22:08:56 +0200
Subject: Oats - Matza - v19#13 and previous postings
A note was publicized by Chabad (sichat hashavua), in Israel this past
Shabbat, which mentions the oats being imported from England, Rabbi
Asher Westheim supervision and baked in Israel. For contact call
03-5793595 or 02-384342.
Yehudah Edelstein "<yehudah@...>" Raanana, Israel
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: <Yisroel1@...> (Yisroel Rosenblum)
Date: Tue, 4 Apr 1995 16:36:18 -0400
Subject: Re: Peanut Butter for Pesach
I believe that it is OK to eat "natural" peanut butter on pescah (i.e. peanut
butter that conatains only peanuts + water and has no added stabilizers to
keep the oil from separating).
DISCLAIMER--so you don't think you can eat peanut butter on pesach because of
this: _Most_ halachikally observant ashkenazim do not eat peanuts on pesach,
but it is acceptable for all sephardim.
Chag Kasher v'Sameach,
Yisroel Rosenblum <-Yisroel1@...>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Richard Friedman <RF@...>
Date: 03 Apr 1995 19:28:19 GMT
Subject: Peanuts
In MJ 19:13, Zvi Weiss asks about a tshuva of R.Moshe Feinstein
regarding peanuts and kitniyot. I cannot supply a citation, but the
operative portion of the tshuva has been reprinted for a number of years
in a shul bulletin I receive. The tshuva states that peanuts are not
kitniyot, because none of the reasons underlying the prohibition on
kitniyot apply to peanuts. It continues by saying that nevertheless,
some communities in Europe had the custom of not eating peanuts, so
that, if you know that your ancestral community had this custom, you
should abstain, but otherwise, you may eat them.
In the same issue, Rabbi Michael Broyde asks about peanut butter.
Most commercial peanut butters have as ingredients not only peanuts, but
also hydrogenated vegetable oil and dextrose. I don't know the sources
for those, but it would seem that they could be kitniyot derivatives
even if the peanuts are permissible. There are commercial peanut
butters that are made solely from peanuts (Crazy Richard's is the brand
I buy, and it has the O-U), but I don't know whether any is made with
KLP hashgaha, or whether one could buy a jar before Pesah and use it
during the holiday.
Richard Friedman
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: <FISHB@...> (Dr. Menachem Fishbein)
Date: Mon, 3 Apr 1995 23:08:39 +0400 (EET-DST)
Subject: Pesach Question - Lactaid
Shalom
Can anyone tell me what is the status for pesach of "Lactaid" a pill to help
someone with lactose intolerance drink regular milk. It is clear that it
contains kitniyot derivatives, but if that is all, I believe it can be used.
Please post replies directly to me as well as to list, time is short.
Many thanks,
-Menachem
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: <sbechhof@...> (Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer)
Date: Mon, 3 Apr 1995 09:07:43 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Re: Rapeseed (V19#13)
A. M. Goldstein asks about rapeseed for Pesach in the US. In a class on Pesach
Kashrus two years ago, Rabbi Shandalov of the cRc said that the processing of
rapeseed for canola oil, its main use, is done in a way in which wheat from
adjacent fields inevitably gets mixed in, rendering Pesach supervision
impossible. There is kosher l'Pesach *g*rapeseed oil which people often
confuse with rapeseed/canola oil. The situation in Israel, or here over the
past couple of years, may have changed, I don't know.
Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: J. Bailey <jbailey@...>
Date: Mon, 3 Apr 1995 11:05:40 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Reclining at the seder
Akiva Miller asked about leaning and it reminded me of an interesting
approach to the origins of this seder element. It comes from a shiur
with Rabbi Saul Berman, who was quoting, I think, Rav Kasher's
Haggada. I'm in the middle of compiling a hebrew-english summary of the
shiur to accompany the haggadah (Davka helped out with a Hebrew version
of the Hagdadah for Dagesh softwere), so I was reviewing it last night.
R. Kasher believed that the term Hasava (leaning) comes from the root,
Samech-Vet-Vet. connecting it to a circle or "all togetherness". He
connects it to the Z'man Hamikdash seder in which there was a korban
pesach, an animal large enough to _require_ (forgetting the halachik
imperative for a moment) a large group of people to finish it. Thus,
they sat in a large group, or in a circle as was apparently traditional.
Support for this theory:
1) The leaning question replaced the Korban one in the Mah Nishtana;
2) To lean while one drinks is by no means luxurious, it's downright awkward;
3) The Gemara (I'm 99% sure) does not address leaning as a seder
requirement. This would make sense if the word was understood as
"get-together".
Today, we do it simply in commemoration of the original seder.
(As I am quoting a Rabbi who was quoting a Rabbi, any mistakes are my
own. But I'm pretty sure this was the idea.)
Jay Bailey
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: <schwartz@...> (Shimon Schwartz)
Date: Mon, 3 Apr 1995 12:30:04 +0500
Subject: Re: Reclining at the Seder
>From: <Keeves@...> (Akiva Miller) Subject: Reclining at the Seder
When I was younger, I would read the instruction in the Hagada to "lean
towards the left" and feel quite silly as I ate my matza in mid-air off
to the left side of my chair.
So my question is: What various ways do my fellow mj-ers have for
reclining at the seder? The standard leaning back upon a pillow on the
chair just doesn't feel like what was originally intended.
I generally find myself at the Seder with an arm-less chair. I rotate
the chair a quarter-turn clockwise, and recline onto the "back" of the
chair.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: <BACKON@...> (Josh Backon)
Date: Mon, 3 Apr 95 22:44 +0200
Subject: Re: Reclining at the Seder
Reclining (HASIVA) at the Seder is required for Achilat Matzah, Korech,
Afikoman, and the 4 Kosot. The reason for HASIVA is to show that we are
free men. Although there are two reasons why we do not recline to the
right (SHEMA YAKDIM KANEH L'VESHET and because reclining to the right
was not the way free men reclined) no one gives Pshat *why* the left IS
the way of free men. Permit me to give my pshat from some medical
research our cardiology group recently carried out that may shed light
on this topic.
Simply put: pressure on the left lateral decubitus position
(e.g. reclining to the left) actually DOES induce a physiological state
that would have the psychological concomitant of extraversion and
*arrogance*.
For those with a background in biology: in addition to differential
brain hemisphericity (different functions and affect for left versus
right hemisphere activation) there is also asymmetric neurochemical and
physiological (autonomic) activity in left vs. right hemisphere
activation. The skin pressure-vegetative reflex (originally found by the
Rambam and *rediscovered* in 1957 by Japanese physiologists) can affect
autonomic activity and by inference, brain activation and
hemisphericity.
References:
Takagi K, KObayasi S. Skin pressure-vegetative reflex. Acta Medica Biol
1955;4:3-57
Takagi K. Uber den Einfluss des mechanischen Hautdruckes auf die vegetativen
Funktionen. Acta Neurovegetativa 1957;16:439-447
Kumazawa T. Deactivation of the rabbit's brain by pressure application to
the skin. EEG Clin Neurophysiol 1963;15:660-671
Backon J, Kullok S. Why asthmatics shoudl not sleep in the right lateral
decubitus position. Brit J Clinical Practice 1990;44:448-449
Backon J. Conduction disturbances induced by postural changes: due to the
skin pressure-vegetative reflex ? Intl J Cardiology 1992;34:354
Backon J. The right lateral decubitus position via the skin pressure
vegetative reflex may prevent anxiety, adverse autonomic reactions and
syncope in blood donors. Vox Sanguinis 1991;60:242-243
Backon J. Forced unilateral nostril breathing: A technique that affects
brain hemisphericity and autonomic activity. Brain and Cognition 1990;
12:155-157
Backon J, Hoffman A. The lateral decubitus position may affect gastric
emptying through an autonomic mechanism: the skin pressure-vegetative
reflex. Br J Clin Pharmacol 1991;32:138-139
The work in this area is well known in otorhinolaryngology (see:
Haight et al. Topographical anatomy of pressure points that alter
nasal resistance. J Otolaryngology 1086;Suppl 16:14-20; J Applied
Physiology 1987;62:91-94; Archives of Internal Medicine 1952;10:234-242;
J Applied Physiol 1970;28:162-165;; Acta Otolaryngologica 1985;99:154-159).
Our work has definitively demonstrated that pressure on the LEFT thorax,
pelvic and pectoral girdles increases sympathetic nervous system activity
(as measured by power spectral analysis of heart rate variability) and
LEFT brain hemisphere stimulation as measured by stereo transcranial
Doppler sonography (blood flow velocity).
Nice VORT, eh ?
Josh
<backon@...>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Robert Israel <israel@...>
Date: Mon, 3 Apr 95 12:32:33 -0700
Subject: Shalom Bias vs. Halakhah
Karen Stein (<KS1800@...>) wrote in Mail-Jewish:
> My question is, is it better for me to keep the peace within my home and
> with my parents, or avoid driving home in order to keep both Shabbos and
> the Yom Tov?
It's your decision, based on your priorities. If you want to keep
Shabbos and Yom Tov in the traditional way, you won't drive. It is
important to keep peace with your family, but they should also
understand that you have certain basic principles on which you insist.
They will probably call you a religious fanatic (and if it's not on this
issue, it'll be another one), but they'll have to accept you the way you
are.
Having said that, let me encourage you to walk home the next morning, if
it's at all manageable. On a nice spring day, you might even enjoy it!
Wishing you a happy and kosher Pesach,
Robert Israel <israel@...>
Department of Mathematics
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Y4
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Laurie Solomon <0002557272@...>
Date: Tue, 4 Apr 95 12:59 EST
Subject: RE: Shmurah Matzoh
To answer part of Bob Klein's post of March 21 about the Cohen-Halperin
shmurah matzoh that was broken:
Yes, you SHOULD open the box(es) of matzoh before the seder to inspect them.
This is done not only because they may be all crumbled during shipping
but also if there are ceratin types of bubbles or cracks in the original
baked matzoh, you may not be able to use it as part of lechem mishnah or
in ceratin cases not use it at all. The bubble may have trapped flour
to possibly cause chometz. For more information, Rabbi Blumenkrantz's
annual Pesach Digest, is complete with pictures.
--- Of course, make sure you open and inspect the matzoh in a chometz free
environment! ---
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: <sbechhof@...> (Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer)
Date: Mon, 3 Apr 1995 09:01:40 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Siyum/Igros Moshe
The sources in Igros Moshe, according to the Yad Moshe index, are:
O.C. 2:12 and O.C. 1:157
Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: <ntuttle@...> (Norman Tuttle)
Date: Mon, 3 Apr 95 17:46:14 -0400
Subject: Spelt Matzot
In the Blumenkrantz "The Laws of Pesach: A Digest" for this year, appears the
following ad:
Are you allergic to wheat? Now available for the first time GREAT NEWS
SPELT MATZOS
* Organically grown
* Hand made
* Shmura Mishaas Ketzira
* Looks & tastes just like regular wheat Matzos
* Under strict
Hashgocho of Harav Yitzchok Lubavitch Shlita
Place your order early Limited amount available
Exclusively Available
In the City: Williamsburg Matzo Bakery, 18 S. 11 St. 718-599-5878 384-1581
In upstate: the Natural Place, 6 Maple Leaf Rd., Monsey, NY 10952
----------------------------------------------------------------------
End of Volume 19 Issue 16
