Volume 29 Number 08
Produced: Fri Jul 16 7:21:26 US/Eastern 1999
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Blood in Wine
[Robert Korolnik]
Business Meetings in non-Kosher Restaurants (5)
[Leah Amdur, Zvi Weiss, Josh Hoexter, Warren Burstein, Asher
Goldstein]
Halachic leniencies during Three Weeks
[Eliyahu & Sarah Shiffman]
Honoring One's Parents and Violation of Derabbanan / Stringency
[Tod]
Kosher Corrections
[Eric Jaron Stieglitz]
Reader Rabbit in Hebrew?
[Louise Miller]
Shir HaShirim and Megillas Esther
[Alexander Heppenheimer]
SOYah
[Donnie Stuhlman]
Tevila
[Gitelle Rapoport]
Wine
[Aryeh Blaut]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Robert Korolnik <RKOROLNI@...>
Date: 13 Jul 99 12:23:40 +0100
Subject: Blood in Wine
Just one interesting fact in addition to what Yisrael Medad wrote.
This method of cleaning the barrels (not to purify wine) has been used
for centuries. Just lately with the scandals in the EU with Dixon in the
Belgian meat and the issues with BSE the French authorities came into
action. There is a concept of "Jaweish Kaeitz" with respect to the
additives in the cheese production if they originate from a "beheima
Kasher" (mutar bemutar). I am not sure of the state of this blood in
the first place. But blood per say is not "Mutar" so the concept of
"mutar bemutar" would not apply in any way. (personal reasoning)
SO...Lechaim when you drink your next cup of French wine.
Pinchas Korolnik
<rkorolni@...>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Leah Amdur <amdur@...>
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 09:36:13 +0300
Subject: Business Meetings in non-Kosher Restaurants
Dear Anonymous
I would suggest that you change your job. Our parnosah comes from Hashem
and not from our job. On Rosh Hashanah it is decreed how much we will earn
for the year. Many people study Torah full time and Hashem still gives them
a parnassah. You are harming yourself spiritually by placing yourself in an
environment where you have to go to non-kosher restaurants even if you do
not eat there. I am an ex-South African now living in Jerusalem. When the
Jews came to South Africa from Lithuanai in the early 20th centuary they had
to work on Shabbas or would not be employed. They did so and what resulted
was that most South African Jews were not observant. It would have been
better had they not emigrated to South Africa but had come to Israel or gone
to another observant environment where they would not have to work on
Shabbas.
If you look hard enough I am sure that Hashem will bless you and you will
find work where you do not have to compromise on your judaism.
Leah Amdur
Jerusalem
Dear Aviva
I think the question of following in a parents ways depends on the level of
observance of a parent. For instance if a father does not where a kippah
and is not observant and the child becomes observant of course the child
should were a kippah. If the father non-observant father does not have
payos and the child should be allowed to grow them. In all cases one should
look at the circumstances of each situation. Also in certain countries
where Jews lost their traditions as in South Africa it has only been in the
last 30 years or so that Haredim have made an appearance there. Many young
people have been makarived are you suggesting that they should not where
payos if they decide that want to follow a certain Haredi derech. The Torah
says that one should not follow ones parents if they prevent you from
observing Shabbos and surely if a parent has no Torah knowledge a child with
Torah knowledge should follow his Rabbi and not his father.
Leah Amdur
Jerusalem
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Zvi Weiss <weissz@...>
Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 18:19:51 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: Business Meetings in non-Kosher Restaurants
At the Agudah "conference" on the "intergace between business and
halacha" (held shortly before this past Shau'os) , a speaker noted that
it was NOT considered a "problem" to go into a Non-Kosher BUSINESS
restaurant since it is "known" that business is conducted in such
locations and that one is there in order to conduct said business.
There was no comment as to what may be ordered in such a case....
--Zvi
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Josh Hoexter <hoexter@...>
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 11:18:13 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: Business Meetings in non-Kosher Restaurants
While I won't comment on entering the restaurant (definitely CYLOR), I'd
like to comment on a few suggestions made. I have heard the cap
suggestion before, but IMHO it may be worse than a yarmulke if you look
like an Orthodox Jew with a baseball cap on. A Jewish man in business
dress and a baseball cap (in this type of situation) looks like he's
trying to hide something. Besides, wouldn't the fact that you're not
eating any food be enough of a statement that it's not kosher?
I agree that water and kosher drinks in a glass should be OK (unless the
owner's Jewish, because of tevilas keilim [immersion of vessels]) but I
would avoid hot tea or coffee if served in a mug.
Josh Hoexter
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Warren Burstein <warren@...>
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 21:02:46 +0300
Subject: Re: Business Meetings in non-Kosher Restaurants
>From: Roni Grosz <roni.grosz@...>
>If the owner is Jewish, you can't use glass oder metall ustensils (not
>getoyvelt)
Do all authorities rule this way?
>if produce from Eretz Yisroel is used, problems of maaser, trumos, shmitta
If one is not in Israel, does one need to worry that the produce came from
Israel?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Asher Goldstein <mzieashr@...>
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 14:02:08 +0300
Subject: Business Meetings in non-Kosher Restaurants
In June, I was faced with the same situation--here in Israel. My
neighborhood rav told me that I could participate, but to wear a hat
that would not identify me as dati (religious). (I.E., no kippa; I don't
wear a black hat.) There was to be a "kosher table," with food brought
in from elsewhere, and so long as I knew that this food was indeed
kosher (in its own container and with plastic ware), there was no
problem eating it, he said. This, of course, begs the question of the
type of hat to wear in a non-kosher restaurant so as not to look
religious (ridiculous maybe, but not religious).
A. M. Goldstein
Editor, FOCUS
University of Haifa
Tel. 972-4-8240104
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Eliyahu & Sarah Shiffman <shiffman@...>
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 22:14:47 +0200
Subject: Halachic leniencies during Three Weeks
Rabbi Shimon Eider's booklet on the halachot of the three weeks
preceding Tish'a B'av says that "a person who usually shaves daily and
is required to do so during this period for reasons of business or
financial loss should nevertheless refrain from Rosh Hodesh Av or at
least during the week in which Tish'a B'av occurs." One is apparently
permitted to be lenient to some extent because of business.
I also recall certain leniencies because of the realities of business
with respect to the halachot of Hol HaMoed.
My question is, do these leniencies presume that you are living in a
non-Jewish society, doing most of your business dealings with
non-Jews? Would these leniencies apply in Israel, or even in hu"l in a
place where the majority of people are Jews? Should it matter whether
or not the Jews are observant?
Eliyahu Shiffman
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Tod <Ruckus95@...>
Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 17:55:42 EDT
Subject: Honoring One's Parents and Violation of Derabbanan / Stringency
If ones parents where to ask them to buy ice cream 2 hours after a
fleishig meal would one be allowed to bring them the ice cream or would
that fall into the category of "dont put a stumbling block before the
blind" and even if it would technically does the torah commandment of
honoring ones parents negate the minhag of waiting 6 hrs after eating
meat before partaking in a dairy meal?
Thank You, Todd
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Eric Jaron Stieglitz <ephraim@...>
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 23:10:09 -0400
Subject: Kosher Corrections
Does anyone know how to get in touch with any of the major kashrut
organizations (i.e. OU, OK, Chof-K, etc.) regarding corrections? I
recently purchased a soup product marked "pareve" and was somewhat
surprised to find cheddar cheese in the ingredient list.
-Eric
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Louise Miller <daniel@...>
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 13:04:10 -0700
Subject: Reader Rabbit in Hebrew?
I'm looking for a computer game for a child who is just learning
to put vowels and letters together in Hebrew. Sort of a cross
between Reader Rabbit and Alef Bet Bingo. (Alef Bais Bingo?)
Non-native Hebrew speaking.
He knows his letters, and we both find sitting down and drilling
very boring.
Software developers? Got something we can beta test?
Thanks,
Louise Miller
La Jolla, CA
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Alexander Heppenheimer <Alexander.Heppenheimer@...>
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 19:47:15 -0600
Subject: RE: Shir HaShirim and Megillas Esther
> Joseph Geretz wrote:
>Now my understanding of this is, that when the Gemara says the word
>'Shlomo' is *holy*, it means that not only does the name refer to
>H-shem, but that it is an actual Shem H-shem. This is in
>contradistinction to Megillas Esther where many times, HaMelech refers
>to H-shem but is not an actual Shem.
Actually, the Rambam states explicitly (Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah 6:9)
that "Shlomo" in this connection is merely a "kinnui" (a name that
describes an attribute of Hashem, such as "Almighty" or "Merciful One"),
not a "real" name which would be subject to the rules prohibiting
erasing it, etc.
I would venture to say that the distinction between Megillas Esther and
Shir HaShirim in this connection, then, is that Shir HaShirim has _no_
peshat (surface explanation) outside of the meaning assigned to it by
our Sages, that it is a dialogue between Hashem and the Jewish People;
whereas Megillas Esther does have a peshat (that it describes events in
the earthly King Achashverosh's court) which is separate from the deeper
explanations (remez and sod) that refer it to the dynamics of Hashem and
His Court.
Which means, in other words, that it's correct to say that Shir HaShirim
contains names of Hashem whereas Megillas Esther does not, because in
Shir HaShirim "Shlomo" refers to Hashem according to peshat, and has no
meaning at all as the name of a human king; while in the Megillah,
"HaMelech" refers, according to peshat, only to Achashverosh.
Kol tuv y'all,
Alex
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Donnie Stuhlman <ssmlhtc@...>
Subject: SOYah
Janice Gelb wrote:
> There's also a place called SOYah that makes meatless soy-based types of
> meals that claims to be kosher on their main page but doesn't mention
> this anywhere else (http://www.soyah.com/store.htm)
I have been corresponding with this company concerning kashrut
supervision. The products are not under supervision. The plant is
closed on Saturday, but sometimes in the winter remains open after the
start of Shabbat. They claim all ingregients are kosher, but don't want
the expense of formal supervision.
My son is vegetarian and we all like to eat vegetarain foods most of the
time. It would be great to have more varieties.
Please write to them to convince them it is a good idea to get formal,
proper supervision. Write to : Terry Soileau <ytsh@...>
Thanks,
Donnie Stuhlman
Chicago, IL 60645
<mail to:<ddstuhlman@...>
This is a private message-- not connected to my organization.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Gitelle Rapoport <giteller@...>
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 15:07:27 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Tevila
Ruth T. wrote:
> How can TeVilat Nashim not be a mitzva if you SAY- BARUCH ATA....
>*VETSIVANU* AL *MITZVAT* TEVILA? Is hadlakat nerot a mitzva? Is
>hafrashat hala a mitzva? These are the three mitzvat for women and they
>are central to the kiym of the Jewish people.
Whoa, there! Who said anything against tevila or against mikvah? I
didn't mean to indicate that I don't recognize its value. I was only
questioning the placing of tevila in the technical halachic category of
a time-bound mitzvah. It's not mandatory in the sense that those mitzvot
are. It's a necessary prerequisite to sexual relations but not an
obligation that women must fulfill at a certain time irrespective of
their personal situation.
BTW, regarding laws of niddah, hafrashat challah (separating some of
the bread dough for kohanim) and lighting Shabbat, these are not "the
three mitzvot of women." Anyone who bakes a certain amount must separate
challah and Shabbat candlelighting is technically a mitzvah upon the
household which is customarily done by women. A man is prohibited from
engaging in sexual relations with a niddah, although she is the one who
goes to the mikvah. These mitzvot are historically and socially
associated with women, but we obviously have lots more than these three!
Gitelle Rapoport
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Aryeh Blaut <rebbeb@...>
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 1999 00:52:34 -0400
Subject: Wine
I have been asked a number of questions regarding wine and why today the
halacha is still that a non-Jew may not have contact with it (obviously
I am refering to the non-boiled type).
Any sources that I can pass along in English to the person asking me
would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Aryeh Blaut
Seattle, WA
----------------------------------------------------------------------
End of Volume 29 Issue 8
