Archive for February, 2008

א וַיַּקְהֵל מֹשֶׁה, אֶת-כָּל-עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל–וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם:  אֵלֶּה, הַדְּבָרִים, אֲשֶׁר-צִוָּה יְהוָה, לַעֲשֹׂת אֹתָם.  ב שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים, תֵּעָשֶׂה מְלָאכָה, וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי יִהְיֶה לָכֶם קֹדֶשׁ שַׁבַּת שַׁבָּתוֹן, לַיהוָה; כָּל-הָעֹשֶׂה בוֹ מְלָאכָה, יוּמָת.  ג לֹא-תְבַעֲרוּ אֵשׁ, בְּכֹל מֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶם, בְּיוֹם, הַשַּׁבָּת.

This weeks parsha begins with Moshe Rabbeinu gathering together the Jewish people. The Chumash phrases this as follows: ויקהל משה – a phrase that Rashi feels compelled to explain. From the words of Rashi there seem to be two issues that need to be addressed:

The first issue - when did Moshe Rabbeinu gather together the Jewish people?

Rashi wants us to understand that this gathering happened on the day after Yom Kippur when Moshe Rabbeinu came down from Har Sinai. But this is curious – why does Rashi want us to know this? Would we have thought that Moshe Rabbeinu gathered the Jewish people together on a different day and, if so, so what? Would it really be so terrible if we didn’t know the exact date of this gathering?

Seemingly, there is some message or lesson that we need to derive from the fact that this gathering happened specifically on the day after Yom Kippur when Moshe came down from Har Sinai? But what that is we do not know. Furthermore, how does Rashi know that this happened on the day after Yom Kippur – what is his source and/or proof for this?

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Halacha Yomit: Hilchot Brachot

“And it was in the days of Achashveros…”

The Megillah begins in a strange way, although that strangeness is not readily apparent at first glance. The days of Achashveros – sounds innocent enough, but there’s one troubling word in that phrase – “Achashveros”. Why is he, of all people, the temporal reference point for our story? Why not and it happened in the days of Mordechai or Esther or even Haman?

Mordechai, Esther and Haman are the central figures of our tale – they are the active participants who create the drama and determine it’s outcome. Achashveros, on the other hand, is a much more passive personality – a drunkard who easily accepts whatever suggestions is put his way and is (seemingly) incapable of coming up with an idea of his own. Why then does the Megillah refer to the time setting of our story as the days of Achasveros and not of the seemingly more important subjects of our story?

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Halacha Yomit: Hilchot Brachot

Halacha Yomit: Hilchot Brachot

For years I have been asking Rabbis about the differences between the various types of Hechsherim (certificates of Kashrut).  And while I have gotten some general guidelines, I’ve found it difficult to get specific details. 

As such, I was excited when yesterday I met someone who recently switched from a Rabbanut Mehadrin Hechsher to a more stringent, although somewhat obscure, Hechsher (Rav Zaritzki if that means anything to you).  Upon meeting the owners of this restaurant I asked them what differences they noted between the two certifications.  Here are three differences that they reported:

1. The Mashgiach
   With Rabbanut Mehadrin they had two different Mashgiachim (the Mashgiach is the representative of the organization which certifies that a place or product is Kosher.  His job is to ensure that the establishment meets the criteria set down by the Kashrut organization).  The first one came in once a day (at a random time), ate a sandwich (which he wasn’t suppose to do), didn’t look around (which he was suppose to do) and cost 500 shekels a month. 

   This Mashgiach eventually got replaced by a second Mashgiach who also came in once a day (also at a random time), didn’t eat a sandwich and did look around.  He would check different things on different days (the labels, how they prepared the food, etc.) and then leave.  He was there for a few minutes each day and cost 1000 shekels a month.

   With the new Hechsher (which costs much more than 1000 shekels a month, although I don’t know exactly how much), the Mashgiach is there every day from opening until close (although I did notice he stepped out for a short while when I was there - but there may have been someone else there at the time who works for him, I’m not sure).  

   He also actively supervises what goes on in and around the Kitchen (although when I was there I didn’t seem him step foot in the kitchen).  I did, however, see him speaking with the owners of the store, answering their questions and (seemingly) explaining various halachic points to them (I didn’t listen in to their conversation).

2. Which products can be used
   The new Mashgiach is much more stringent about which products they can and cannot use (dry spices are out - bugs, leaving sugar overnight is out - bugs, raisons are out - bugs, and so on). 

   Interestingly enough, the store still sold Sushi under the Rabbanut Mehadrin Hechsher (the owners didn’t want to give up the business they got from the Sushi).  The new Hechsher won’t certify Sushi because of (you guessed it) - bugs.  The deal is that they can sell Sushi in the store, but it can’t be eaten in the store.  I.e., take out only.

3. Sifting flour and checking for bugs
   Another difference is that with the new Hechsher the Mashgiach sifts the flour (or appoints someone he trusts to do it for him).  I seem to remember them saying that the Rabbanut Mehadrin Hechsher also required that the Mashgiach oversee (or actually sift) the flour, but in practice that didn’t happen. 

   He also checks other products for bugs - and when he checks, he does so next to a powerful light.  And yes, they have found some of our multi-leg friends.  [That, in fact, was something I was most curious about - did they actually find anything.  It's nice to be stringent about checking, but if you never find anything it becomes a bit curious]. 

There are other details that they mentioned, but I don’t recall them off hand.  At the end of the day, the impression I got was that there was a real qualitative difference between the Hechsherim.  Now, I do not know (but I hope to find out), what this means in terms of halachic obligations.  Higher standards, while potentially beneficial, are not always obligatory.  But it’s good to know that in this case the difference between the Hechsherim (and the cost) is not just one of politics, but rather of standards.

Halacha Yomit: Hilchot Brachot

Halacha Yomit: Hilchot Brachot

Halacha Yomit: Hilchot Brachot

Halacha Yomit: Hilchot Brachot