Before we get
seriousness of Pessach Cleaning a Joke: Shmulik was Jew
and financial genius, left Brooklyn. For a job as Vice-President of a brokerage
firm in the State of Utah, known as the Mormons.
Pressure on the President was strong because the Board of
Directors. "Jews can't be run Our business. We religious people here,
"said the President.
The President took the stage on a motivated and explained
to him in no uncertain terms that it must remain celibate if he wants to
continue to hold this distinguished Office that comes with a six-figure salary.
Shmuel had no choice. With all the difficulties he had to
convert to Christianity, was not easy for him. Losing a job. He came home and
told his wife. "From Sunday. To go with the kids to church. "
So a few months passed and his wife kept nagging him
about it and told him: "it's hard for me, I miss Saturday, lighting
candles, Kiddush, holidays. The Fund Manager.
Shmulik. " And he that had plagued shmulik overcame
pangs of conscience in mind. Until one day came to the President, and told him:
"I can't go on like this. I am full of misery, money isn't everything, and
I can't sleep at night and my wife. Don't. This is heavy. I am Jewish, and I
want to die. If you want to quit. Quit without making a fuss. "
The President looked at him in amazement and told him.
"Samuel (so called Gentiles). I knew it was so hard, I thought it was a
real breeze to convert. You know what, stay with us and be a Jew. I take care
of the rest.
Returned home happy and Chris kind, running for his wife
who was sitting on the couch in front of the TV. Watching Ricki Lake's show and
told her: "don't believe, zipora happened to us a miracle! We're going to
be OK, I talked to the Manager and he keeps me working. " Tzipi looked him
and in the eye and told him fire spitters. "Tell me, are you crazy?"
And Samuel, she looked shocked and said, "But I
thought that's what you want. Every time I cry, you don't want to be a Jew in
the back? "He asked.
Tzipi looked him even more nervous and told him: "of
course I do, I Want. But now??? Two weeks before Passover??????? "
Brought back from past years Pessach Advice
and expanded
I bring these reminders down again even though I don’t like to
repeat myself because since I wrote the original posts my readership has more
than doubled and Pessach is very difficult to get ready for. Chabad has an
on-line Chametz selling form to fill out and mail to them.
This was published in a special blogspot on Sunday, April 1, 2012 Special Edition Legumes on Pessach, Omer and other info and a story
Some errors from last week (may be copied below so please heed) thanks to Ira: It was written - but the Camatz is pronounced awe instead of the Israeli ah that I decided to go by the Israeli Pronunciation Yisrael vs. Yisrael the second should have read YISROEL and the spell checker cleaned it up.
With the Ashkenazic Pronunciation
and Pessach I got mixed up or HaGefen that is a segol. Is that
what you meant? Vs. HaGofen Yes
[The rationale for having to eat
it on the same day (6) is that] it is forbidden to cook on one day of a
festival in order to eat the food on the second day or on a weekday. The zeroa
should be eaten during the day only, since it is forbidden to eat roasted meat
on the [first] two nights [of Pesach] (7). Nevertheless, even if the Zeroa and
the egg were roasted before Yom Tov began, they should not be discarded
afterwards. Rather, they should be placed in a dish that is cooked on the
second day of Yom Tov, and eaten then.
And if you have only one day of yom tov, what do you do? Right after Kiddush in the morning of the first day only if one wants to eat it then.
(2) Since the primary
reason for wearing the Kittle is for the joy and honor of Yom Tov, it is not
fitting for a mourner to adorn himself in such a garment
Isn't
public mourning forbidden on yom tov? Ira is correct and I see no reason not to wear a Kittle if it is
the man’s custom.
When the passage beginning: "Matza zoo
I think you meant zo. It was written that way in the original but
perhaps it is my mispronunciation.
More on Pessach – Why be difficult with a little more effort you could be completely impossible
This is a special post because of the Kitniyos aka legumes
If you are like me you may have bought too many books and audio CD’s that you don’t get too. So when I saw two newly published books in English I was about to skip over but two things make me stop. 1) The laws of prayer and 2) The laws of Pesach translated from Peninei Halchah by Rabbi Eliezer Melamed. I had heard about Rabbi Moshe Feinstein and Rabbi Aharon Kotler approving all sorts of things what the Israelis call Kitniyos for American Jewry but I never had a source.
In fact I discussed with my son the Mashgiach, Chaim, last year regarding Canola Oil and he agreed with me but since very highly qualified Rabbanim read my writing I did not want to go out on a limb without a Halachic Authority who held the same ideas as me. I remember buying Kosher Le Pessach corn oil margarine in 1970 in Borough Park with a good Heckshir on it. My late friend Dave Lavi (Loew) used to buy every Pessach peanut butter with a Heckshir. Here in Eretz Yisrael a bunch of Charedim basically took over the Heckshir market for Ashkenazi Community and they are placing their standards upon everybody else with millions of dollars involved it is good business. As my wife’s cousin said, “I wish every year was Shmita Year as I make great money”.
Rabbi Melamed Shlita goes into the origins of the Kitniyos Minchag. I don’t want to plagiarize so I will condense what he wrote in Chapter 9: Chametz prohibited by the Torah can be produced from one of the five varieties of grains: Wheat, barley, spelt, oats and rye - Only specially processed rolled oats can be used for Seder Matzos for Celiac Patients. Other species are not considered to become Chametz. Even if for example rice swells it may be eaten on Pessach Pessachim 35A.
During the period of the Rishonim in German 700 years ago some communities refrained from eating Kitniyos (perhaps due to crop rotation). Initially is was a few scattered communities but as the Chumra developed more and more took it upon themselves until the Minchag spread to all in a number of generations. They were forbidden for a number of reasons. 1) They are cooked in a pot like grain (2) They can be made into flour like grain (3) Sometimes their stems and kernels have similar appearance to grain. You might want to say this about buckwheat but humus, peanuts, green peas and maize or US corn are different. (4) From my standpoint this is the only real solid reason is that due to crop rotation, some items like coriander or fenugreek would get mixed up with some wheat.
Rice – Moroccan Jews and some Iraqi Jews don’t eat rice (Ben Ish Chai Shana Aleph Parshas Tzav 41) in Bagdad many ordinary Jews do not eat rice. There are those that do and should have a special Pessach Heckshir and checked three times each kernel for grains. As for me, if I were going to use rice, I would try to import it from China, Viet Nam or Burma where they have been growing ONLY RICE for centuries!
He covers spouses with conflicting customs and holds that the wife should take on the custom of the husband and that I have heard for years by oral Halacha in Eretz Yisrael. There is a difference of opinion if she has to do Heter Nedarim or not and Rabbi Ovadia Yosef is of the stricter opinion (Chazon Ovadia page 56 note 10). However, I have heard that she need not as it is the prevailing custom established for at least three generations since the holocaust in Eretz Yisrael and I tend to be lenient (Rabbi Moshe Feinstein Igrot Moshe, Orach Chaim 1:158 similar to Yoreh Deah 214.2 and Mishnah Berura 468.14).
Mustard and flax are not Kitniyos and the custom is to forbid them because they grow like Kitniyos. I was told that flax oil is good for producing insulin needed to digest Matzos and if one has a very dangerous diabetic condition, he should consult his MD and Rabbi regarding this. For a person to lose a limb heaven forbid over a Minchag is not worth it. However, one should make an effort to check out the purity of the flax oil or even make his own from flax seeds prior to Pessach.
Peanuts were used in Lithuania but if ones family was stringent with peanuts he may not eat them (Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3.63). Potato flour should also have been banned by the Kitniyos Minchag but they were not prevalent in Europe when it started and do not fall under the category.
Rabbi Melamed goes into what happens if Kitniyos fall into a dish being made by a very strict person. If it is less than one in 60 it is nullified the same way a drop of milk falls into a vat of meat being cooked. (Rama 453.1) also Mishnah Berura 9 on this while others who permit the use of Kitniyos Oil permit it. Condensed from many paragraphs who permit oils and who forbids them (Permitted by Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan in Beer Yitzchak 11 and the Emek Halacha 134 as well as Rav Kook too but the Nishmas Adam 33 and Avnei Nezer Orach Chaim 373 forbid this). Minchag Chabad – the Tzemach Tzeddek permits for poor people. The oil lecithin is produced from liftit and is added to chocolate and many authorities are stringent
Soybean oil did not arrive in Europe until 100 years ago so like in the case of potato flour one can be lenient. (This is a case of why be difficult when you could be completely impossible.) Cotton Seed Oil the Mikraei Kodesh 2,60 is lenient in the name of Rav Chaim Brisker and in Siddur Pesach K’hilchato 16.4 in the of Rav Moshe Feinstein; however, Minchas Chinuch 3,138 is stringent. Peanut oil as we already learned that the Litvaks eat peanuts so all the more so the oil. Igrot Moshe Aruch Chaim 3.63 only items not eaten were forbidden and peanuts were not even discovered until later on. (He brings down more permitting authorities vs. the Avnei Nezer Aruch Chaim 383 and another which prohibits) In conclusion regarding peanuts if one is not aware of any family custom to be stringent one can be lenient. The Charedi in Eretz Yisrael are stringent regarding lecithin and rapeseed aka Canola oil while most can go according to Rav Feinstein Igrot Chaim 3.63.
Since many American Jews lost their Minchagim due to all sorts of problems had by their past immigrant generation can rely on Rav Moshe Feinstein. The same goes for Baalei Teshuva and especially Gerim and potential Gerim one need not go over board and sort of throw out the pleasure of the Mitzva aka the baby with the wash. Even for Ashkenazim with strong Minchagim the Chayay Adam 127:1 permits eating Kitniyos in extreme situations see also Nishmas Adam 20. Rav Diskin once eat whole rice in Poland and ordered his congregation to do so too due to an outbreak of disease Chayay Adam 127:6. Mor U’Ketziya holds that the Minchag of Kitniyos should be abolished! Others hold that one may not eat Kitniyos even in extreme conditions. Again contra-acted by the Padava of Brisk 48 and the Chatam Sofer 122 and Mishna Berura 453:7 do not argue with the lenient opinions and to many the Mishna Berura is the final word! All the more so for a sick person!
If a person became a vegetarian on his own volition I would have him try to stick to his own Minchag unless he got a Heter Nedarim from three as Rav Ovadia Yosef holds for the woman who changes her customs for her husband (Chazon Ovadia page 56 note 10). While I am lenient for the woman as it is a well-known custom, for the vegetarian this is more a recent idea and therefore needs three Frum male Jews to annul the vow or custom. It might be too late for this Pessach but it is nice to know certain things.
A note of caution if you want peanut butter then grind up your own peanuts or by some ground, get Kosher Le Pessach oil, sugar, etc. and make your own as I doubt if the major brands have a Pessach Heckshir. I did not discuss fresh milk and eggs from a non-Jew which feed their animal Chometz on Pessach or the how one handles cosmetics as some hold applied to the skin is absorbed like eating. Medications I mentioned previously so I leave that for the individual to research at the site I gave.
5774: Kitniyos a 10 minute lecture against it. It started in France and
the Rishonim spoke out against it from Rabbi Yechiel of Paris, Maharam of
Padua, Baalei Tosfos and Maharam of Rotenberg: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFYAP_HBom0
On a simple level http://oukosher.org/passover/articles/story-behind-ou-kitniyot/ and http://oukosher.org/passover/articles/kitniyot-custom/ and if you live in Israel and follow the local custom since the
vast majority of Jews in Eretz Yisrael follow the Sephardic Custom be more
liberal with yourself and family for generations to come. Remember if you went
before a Beis Din before Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur and have cancelled your
vows in Hebrew – it says that “If I have observed something three times aka
Minchag I now renounce it whether it is good or bad” after this the vow is
annulled and therefore one need not follow that vow or behavior anymore. If you
don’t believe me ask your local Orthodox Rabbi the following: “Before Rosh
Hashanah I cancelled my vows and customs of behavior before a Beis Din and they
freed me for this behavior. Must I revert to a past custom or am I free to
choose what I want within Halacha?” [For my readers in my Yeshuv, I sent one
person to Rabbi Itamar Auerbach Shlita and the Rav agreed with me but I refused
to give a Psak as he is the official Rabbi of my local area.]
The OU and the very
Charedi Poskim hold that Quinoa like Tapioca and Potatoes are not Kitniyos and
are permitted on Pessach. http://oukosher.org/passover/
From the OU a pre-Pessach Survival Guide: http://www.ou.org/life/inspiration/pre-passover-survival-guide-cary-a-friedman/#.UTnYLSb8LIU
A 100 page Pessach Guide including USA last times for eating
Chametz in Daylight Standard Time. http://oukosher.org/passover/passover-guide/
According to the Rabbis Spelt Matzos if they are certified Gluten
Free are OK for the Seder if not one must skip them. (Some people use oats with
very low Gluten but an Allergist should be consulted prior to use) Lactaid Milk
for Lactose intolerance is permissible.
Please buy Matzos especially "Seder Matzos" however since I got one request in a direct post and special conditions in a kosher lePessach oven. I googled "halacha of baking matzos" which must be done from start to finish in a preheated over that the final products of the flour is withing 18 minutes. I suggest Mishnah Berurah or Code of Jewish Law. However where this person lives in the middle of nowhere I found this guide among them all it is a bit weak and many of us use brown paper on the table which is burned or destroyed after 18 minutes and new brown paper used. http://www.halachayomit.com/matza.html also http://www.star-k.org/kashrus/kk-passover-matzoh.htm Photos of making hand Matzos in 18 minutes: http://rabbi.bendory.com/cgi-bin/album/matzo Rabbi Lobel skipped the laws of baking Matzos http://www.torah.org/learning/halacha/pesach.html Shulchan Aruch Orach HaChaim http://www.torah.org/advanced/shulchan-aruch/classes/orachchayim/chapter34.html More on the baking of Matzos http://www.ou.org/torah/tt/5764/tzav64/matza.htm
Rabbi Ari Kahn Shlita: Sent by a friend; Soft
matzah, like the kind Syrians make, yes. I don't know about Teimani matzah.
They hold like the Rambam and allow salt in the recipe. Most Bal'adi Teimanim
(those less influenced in their Minchagim by trade with Syria) do include salt
in practice.
RHS is writing about straight flour and water. Matzos like Syrians, Persians, Babylonian and Moroccan Jews make. So I think your subject line is wrong.
And, the way Ashkenazim used to make it until a couple of generations before the Baal Ha Tanya. See SA HaRav on why Chassidim avoid eating Gebrochts, even though it was a new Chumerah. He said it's because the kind of matzos they were eating were also new.
(I spoke to RHS about soft matzah before buying from www.softmatza.com a decade or so ago. It had become an Avoda discussion, so I wanted to verify rumors.) In truth I find no reason not to have Halachically soft Matzos but since Minchag Avosaynu b'yadanu (we have at hand the custom of our fathers to use thin hard cracker like Matzo) therefore because of the custom it becomes difficult to do so.
RHS is writing about straight flour and water. Matzos like Syrians, Persians, Babylonian and Moroccan Jews make. So I think your subject line is wrong.
And, the way Ashkenazim used to make it until a couple of generations before the Baal Ha Tanya. See SA HaRav on why Chassidim avoid eating Gebrochts, even though it was a new Chumerah. He said it's because the kind of matzos they were eating were also new.
(I spoke to RHS about soft matzah before buying from www.softmatza.com a decade or so ago. It had become an Avoda discussion, so I wanted to verify rumors.) In truth I find no reason not to have Halachically soft Matzos but since Minchag Avosaynu b'yadanu (we have at hand the custom of our fathers to use thin hard cracker like Matzo) therefore because of the custom it becomes difficult to do so.
Warning Canola is a GMO but is kosher: Canola for Pesach http://arikahn.blogspot.co.il/2013/03/canola-for-pesach.html by Rabbi Ari Kahn Shlita
For those who have asked- I do allow the use of Canola oil for Pesach – for Ashkenazim (and Sefardim). It should have certification for Pesach.
This is following the ruling of Rav Moshe Feinstein regarding peanut oil, and is actually on even firmer ground, for the rapeseed was considered inedible, and it was only recently that the technology was developed to allow the oil of the rapeseed (canola) to be used.
Issues of cost, health are also taken into consideration. This would allow products which say “lecithin” or “ "לאוכלי לפתית"
Rabbi Ari Kahn
שו"ת אגרות משה אורח חיים חלק
ג סימן סג
בענין פינאט אם יש בו חשש איסור מנהג
קטנית כ"ד אדר תשכ"ו. מע"כ ידידי מהר"ר יעקב גאלדמאן שליט"א.
הנה בדבר הפינאט שכתבתי שבהרבה מקומות
אכלו אותם בפסח וכתר"ה תמה בטעם הדבר משום ששמע שעושין ממנו באיזה מקום גם קמח
וגם שמע שנזרעין בשדות כשאר קטניות, אבל ידע כתר"ה שאין זה ענין כלל, שכל הדברים
העושין מהם קמח נאסרו ממנהג זה, דאין לך דבר העושין ממנו קמח כתפוחי אדמה לא רק במדינה
זו אלא גם ביוראפ במקומותינו וגם בדורות הקודמים ומעולם לא חשו לאסור זה. וכן הטעם
שמיני חטים מתערבין בהם שכתב הטור נמי אינו כלל שכל המינים שיש לחוש למיני חטים ושעורים
שיתערבו נהגו לאסור, דהא עניס וקימעל שמתערבין בהן מיני חטים ושעורים כמפורש בט"ז
סק"א ובמג"א סק"ג וגם איתא שם דקשה לבודקם ובח"י סק"ט כתב
שלא יסמוך על בדיקת נשים וקטנים מצד קושי הבדיקה, ומ"מ לא אסרום כמפורש ברמ"א,
וחרדל כתב הרמ"א בסימן תס"ד שנוהגין לאסור דהוי כמיני קטניות אף שאין בו
הטעמים. ולכן אין לנו בדבר אלא מה שמפורש שנהגו לאסור וכן מה שידוע ומפורסם. וגם יש
ליתן טעם דדין מה שנאסר במנהג הא אין זה דבר הנאסר בקבוץ חכמים, אלא שהנהיגו את העם
להחמיר שלא לאכול מינים אלו שהיה מצוי לאוכלם מפני הטעמים דחשש מיני דגן שנתערבו שקשה
לבדוק ומפני שעושין קמחים, אבל כיון שלא תיקנו בקבוץ חכמים לאכול דברים שיש חשש שיתערב
בהן מיני דגן ודברים שעושין מהם קמח, אלא שהנהיגו שלא לאכול איזה מינים לא נאסרו אלא
המינים שהנהיגו ולא שאר מינים שלא הנהיגו מפני שלא היו מצויין אז, שלכן תפוחי אדמה
שלא היו מצויין אז כידוע ולא הנהיגו ממילא לאוסרם אינם בכלל האיסור דאלו מינים שנהגו
לאסור אף שיש אותו הטעם ממש דאין למילף ממנהג לאסור גם דבר שלא נהגו לאסור, וכשנתרבו
תפוחי אדמה במדינותינו לא רצו חכמי הדור להנהיג לאוסרן, אולי מפני הצורך, ואולי מפני
שהטעמים קלושים, עיין בב"י ר"ס תנ"ג, שהר"י קרא לזה מנהג שטות,
וגם משמע שהר"ר יחיאל ושאר גדולים היו נוהגין בהם היתר אף במקום שנהגו איסור דהרי
ע"ז כתב וקשה הדבר להתיר כיון שאחרים נהגו בהם איסור, לכן חכמי הדורות האחרונים
לא רצו להוסיף לאסור עוד המינים שניתוספו אח"כ רק שא"א להתיר מה שכבר נהגו
לאיסור. וכן בעניס וקימעל אפשר לא היו מתחלה רגילים לזורעם במקום שזרעו מיני דגן ולא
היה טעם להנהיג איסור ולכן אף אח"כ שהתחילו לזורעם במקום שזרעו מיני דגן שלכן
צריכים בדיקה לא רצו לאוסרם שוב. ולכן גם הפינאטס לא אסרו בהרבה מקומות עוד מכ"ש.
ובמקום שליכא מנהג אין לאסור כי בדברים כאלו אין להחמיר כדאיתא בח"י. ולאלו שיש
להם מנהג ביחוד שלא לאכול פינאט אסור גם בפינאט אבל מספק אין לאסור. ולכן שייך שיתן
הכשר שלא נתערב שם חמץ ויאכלו אלו שלא נהגו בזה איסור. וכן ראיתי שנותנים הכשר על פינאט
אויל מהאי טעמא. ידידו, משה פיינשטיין.
I wrote about this last year in my www.rabbipauli.blogspot.com regarding all oils and Rav Moshe. Since there is a Rav in
our Yeshuv, I sent my neighbor to him for approval as I refuse to Poskin
anything in my Yeshuv. Megilla Esther: 7:8 Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place
of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the couch whereon Esther was.
Then said the king: 'Will he even force the queen before me in the house?' As
the word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face. When there is a Rabbi who is a Posak for the town another
Rabbi is forbidden to infringe on him if he is in town or available.
For a Ger or a pair of Gerim, I would recommend not taking on the custom of banning Kitniyos. Rather, be lenient. Judaism is hard enough. If you happen to take on a stricter custom you can at least permit peanuts and all oils as Moshe Feinstein did. A Note on Potatoes as they might be classified as Kitniyos – the Iraqi, Chinese and Iranian Jews had as staple rice and it was their main diet in Europe it is potatoes. If I were a big enough Ruv, I would declare for all Jews from the Americas (Maize aka Corn) as the staple and permissible for Pessach. Prior to 1492 Maize was unknown outside of the Americas and when the Kitniyos Minchagim started the yellow flour cannot be mistaken for wheat, barley, rye, oat or spelt flour. Note that many corn products such as corn flakes may contain wheat so do not use this as a Heckshir but if you have the custom to eat corn products or kosher le Pessach baby food then enjoy. As for the rest of us we need a Moshe Feinstein figure to permit it but a Sephardic Person, Yemenite or Ger can use corn.
Films on how to Kosher your kitchen thanks to Eliora (I have not viewed the third one): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA3P1shmhME http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYru4JvCQqA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksG3C8VpRpw
Pets
need non-leavened pet food: I also want to mention cleaning up areas of pets from
leaven.
From Keren a great investment for a non-Jew: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/154126#.T3AlxNWPafN
One of the students who is becoming a Giyores asked me about Koshering the house for Pessach. My wife already cleaned the deep freezer and fridge. She put towels under the Chometz stuff. We have outside of vegetables bought all our Kosher L’Pessach food. I did the rugs with a vacuum turned them upside down vacuumed the other side then after a day or so turned it over and used Sano Rug cleaner scrubbed it in and after about two hours revacuumed and rolled up the carpet. For wall to wall carpets or a bedroom where one does not eat, we don't do the rug so thoroughly. The blogspot has the Halachos. Do you have Pessach Kosher pots and pans and the burners on the stove have to be either replaced by new ones for Pessach or cleaned and fired red hot to burn off all Chometz. Motzei Shabbos we hope to switch over everything pour boiling water on the kitchen counter and put either thick aluminum foil or in our case a pre-cut base which we use each year. We kosher the sinks and use a hand washing sink near the toilet to wash dishes for a week or use paper or plastic plates for a week.
On Wednesday or Thursday we stop using the Microwave and we put into a Styrofoam cup some soap and water assuming that we thoroughly cleaned it and let it go for 5 minutes 3 times as usually a 7 minute or 15 minutes which we need boils off all the water too soon.
The over has to be cleaned and then left on for an hour at top heat.
The same procedure is done if the oven is milky, meaty or non-kosher for koshering.
Recipes
Passover desserts are always a
challenge, especially those that are made without any matzo products and still
taste delicious. Here are some terrific desserts from some of my favorite
cookbooks (including my own)! These Passover desserts are too good to pass
over!
When I asked cookbook author Gil Marks to share one of his favorite Passover dessert recipes, he suggested this versatile chocolate mousse with its intense flavor. The recipe comes from his cookbook “The World of Jewish Entertaining.” An added benefit is that this dessert is non-gebrochts.
Gil Marks believes that dairy ingredients mute the flavor of chocolate. His motto is “Never serve a dessert on Passover that you wouldn’t eat the rest of the year!”
Gil Marks offers 3 different, delicious ways to serve this delectable mousse. The simplest method is to serve it in individual dessert dishes. A second option is to bake part of the mousse mixture in a pie plate. It will cave in after baking, forming a chocolate shell that is then filled with the reserved mousse. A third option is to bake part of the mousse mixture as a sheet cake, then fill it with the reserved mousse mixture and roll it up to make a scrumptious chocolate-filled log. The choice is yours - so why not make all 3 versions! Enjoy!
GIL MARKS’ VERSATILE PAREVE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
8 ounces semisweet chocolate
1/4 cup water
8 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1. In the top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, melt the chocolate and water, stirring occasionally (about 10 minutes). Remove from the heat and beat in egg yolks, 1 at a time. Stir in the vanilla and salt.
2. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, beating until stiff and glossy (3 to 5 minutes). Fold 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then gently fold in the remaining whites.
3. Pour into a bowl or individual serving dishes, cover, and chill until set (at least 4 hours).
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE PIE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch pie pan and dust with sugar. Pour 4 cups of mousse (above) into prepared pan, reserving remaining mousse in refrigerator. Bake until set (about 25 minutes). Cool for 30 minutes, then chill. (Center will fall, forming a shell.) Pour reserved refrigerated mousse into chocolate shell. Refrigerate until serving time.
JELLY ROLL MOUSSE CAKE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spoon 4 cups of mousse into a 15 1/2- by 10 1/2-inch jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper. Bake until firm (about 15 minutes). Transfer to a rack and let cool. Invert onto a piece of parchment paper placed on a flat surface, peel off the paper, and spread with the remaining mousse. Roll up from a long end. Refrigerate until needed. Slice and serve.
******
This show-stopping non-gebrochts dessert is one of the signature Passover recipes in Divine Kosher Cuisine: Catering to Family and Friends, by co-authors Rise’ Routenberg and Barbara Wasser. The cookbook, published by Congregation Agudat Achim in Niskayuna, NY, is available online at http://www.divinekosher.com. This chocolate nut delight is guaranteed to please your guests!
DR. RUTH’S FAVORITE PASSOVER NUT TORTE (Non-Gebrochts, Dairy)
A frequent visitor over the years to her local family who belongs to Congregation Agudat Achim, Dr. Ruth Westheimer calls this nut torte her favorite Passover dessert. (image shown above)
CAKE:
Potato starch for dusting pan
12 large eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cups finely ground walnuts
1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease three 9-inch round cake pans with removable bottoms. Line each pan with parchment paper, grease again and dust with potato starch.
2. Beat yolks on high speed with electric mixer until thick. Add sugar and lemon juice and beat until light yellow. Mix in nuts.
3. Beat whites in separate bowl at high speed with electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold gently into yolk mixture.
4. Divide batter into pans and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown or until tester inserted in center comes out mostly clean but moist. Loosen edges with knife immediately after removing pans from oven.
5. Cool completely. Remove from pans and peel off parchment.
FROSTING #1:
16 ounces heavy cream
4 teaspoons sugar
1. Whip cream at high speed with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
FROSTING #2:
8 ounces heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa, sifted
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1. Combine all ingredients and whip at high speed with electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
ASSEMBLY:
1. Place 1 cake layer on plate and top with scant half of Frosting #1.
2. Top with 2nd layer and spread with Frosting #2. Top with 3rd layer.
3. Frost top and sides with remainder of Frosting #1. Decorate with chocolate curls and chill until serving.
Yield: 10 to 12 servings.
******
Each year, I get many requests for Passover recipes that are suitable for people with diabetes, especially since the festive meals are so high in carbohydrates. I also get requests for recipes that are non-gebrochts - a double challenge!
Nechama Cohen, founder and CEO of the Jewish Diabetes Association, has written a wonderful diabetic cookbook, Enlightened Kosher Cooking: More Than 250 Good-Carb, Healthy-Fat, Sugar-Free Recipes, From the Simple to the Elegant (Feldheim).
Packed with magnificent photographs and recipes for all year round, Enlightened Kosher Cooking also contains a chapter with enticing Passover diabetic recipes and tips, as well as a list of common Passover ingredients and their nutritional values. Many of the flavorful recipes throughout the book can also be used for Passover (Read Nechama's column in Shabbat Shalom).
Nechama writes: "Holidays are an integral part of Jewish life. One of my favorite parts is that they afford me the opportunity to spend time with my family and friends, creating many cherished memories. And much of this time, especially during Passover, is spent sitting down together for festive holiday meals. Surprisingly, eating healthy foods and feeling good on Passover are not so difficult. With a little bit of advance preparation, and after discussing with your health-care team the recipes and suggestions in my book, you can enjoy Passover to the fullest, while remaining within your dietary boundaries."
Enjoy these tasty diabetic desserts from Enlightened Kosher Cooking during Passover and forget about feeling guilty!
NECHAMA COHEN’S SIMPLE ALMOND COOKIES
This dough also makes a great pie crust. For biscotti-like cookies, turn off the oven after they are baked and leave them in overnight. Then store in an airtight container.
Low Carb, Low Fat
2 1/2 cups ground almonds
Sugar substitute equal to 1 cup sugar
1 tsp almond and/or vanilla extract
2 egg whites
Almond halves, for garnish
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Blend the almonds and sugar substitute together in a food processor with the knife blade.
2. Add the almond and/or vanilla extract and egg whites, and blend until it forms a paste.
3. Roll into small balls in the palm of your hands. Shape each one like a crescent or keep round and place half an almond in the center.
4. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray or line with baking paper. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies should be slightly golden and soft to the touch. Remove from sheet and cool.
* Variation: Melt 2 small squares of bittersweet or baking chocolate and dip one end of each cookie in the chocolate. Place on cookie sheet to harden.
Nutrition Facts: 1 cookie (1/2 ounce) contains 70 calories, 2 g protein, 2.5 g carbs, 6.1 g fat, 0.4 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1.5 mg sodium, 0 mg calcium, 0.3 g fiber.
Yield: 20 servings. Exchanges: 1 fat.
NECHAMA’S CHOCOLATE CREAM
Low Carb, Fat Free
1/2 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
Sugar substitute equal to 3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp liquid sweetener
Dash of salt
1 cup hot water
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp potato starch
1. In a saucepan, mix the cocoa, sweeteners, salt and vanilla extract with the hot water until smooth.
2. In a separate bowl or cup, mix the starch with some of the liquid until smooth and return to the saucepan. Constantly mixing with a wire whisk or wooden spoon, warm over low heat until it starts to thicken.
3. Cool and refrigerate. It will thicken more as it gets cold.
Nutrition Facts: 2 tbsp (1 ounce) contains 44 calories, 2.6 g protein, 4.2 g carbs, 0.3 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 5 mg sodium, 14 mg calcium, 3 g fiber.
Yield: 2 cups. Exchanges: 1/2 starch.
*****
And for the easiest Passover cookie, try this quick and easy meringue cookie from my cookbook HEALTHY HELPINGS (Whitecap). For more Passover recipes, visit my website at http://www.gourmania.com and eat to your heart’s content. Wishing all my readers a happy and delicious Passover!
NORENE GILLETZ’ LEMON MERINGUE CLOUDS
These guilt-free treats taste a lot like lemon meringue pie! They’re easy to make and fat-free.
3 egg whites, at room temperature
1 tsp lemon juice
6 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp grated lemon zest
1. Preheat oven to 250 F. Spray a foil-lined baking sheet with non-stick spray.
2. In a large glass or stainless mixing bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until foamy. Drizzle in lemon juice and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar 1 tbsp at a time. Continue beating until stiff and shiny. Fold in lemon zest.
3. Drop cookie mixture from a tablespoon onto prepared baking sheet in small mounds. Bake for 1 hour. Turn off heat but don’t open the oven door. Leave cookies in the oven 1 hour longer. Remove cookies from oven and cool completely.
Yield: about 2 dozen cookies. Can be frozen or stored in a tightly covered container.
14 calories per cookie, 0 g fat (0 g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, trace protein, 3 g carbohydrate, 13 mg sodium, 7 mg potassium, 0 mg iron, 0 g fiber, <1 mg calcium
When I asked cookbook author Gil Marks to share one of his favorite Passover dessert recipes, he suggested this versatile chocolate mousse with its intense flavor. The recipe comes from his cookbook “The World of Jewish Entertaining.” An added benefit is that this dessert is non-gebrochts.
Gil Marks believes that dairy ingredients mute the flavor of chocolate. His motto is “Never serve a dessert on Passover that you wouldn’t eat the rest of the year!”
Gil Marks offers 3 different, delicious ways to serve this delectable mousse. The simplest method is to serve it in individual dessert dishes. A second option is to bake part of the mousse mixture in a pie plate. It will cave in after baking, forming a chocolate shell that is then filled with the reserved mousse. A third option is to bake part of the mousse mixture as a sheet cake, then fill it with the reserved mousse mixture and roll it up to make a scrumptious chocolate-filled log. The choice is yours - so why not make all 3 versions! Enjoy!
GIL MARKS’ VERSATILE PAREVE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
8 ounces semisweet chocolate
1/4 cup water
8 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1. In the top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, melt the chocolate and water, stirring occasionally (about 10 minutes). Remove from the heat and beat in egg yolks, 1 at a time. Stir in the vanilla and salt.
2. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, beating until stiff and glossy (3 to 5 minutes). Fold 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then gently fold in the remaining whites.
3. Pour into a bowl or individual serving dishes, cover, and chill until set (at least 4 hours).
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE PIE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch pie pan and dust with sugar. Pour 4 cups of mousse (above) into prepared pan, reserving remaining mousse in refrigerator. Bake until set (about 25 minutes). Cool for 30 minutes, then chill. (Center will fall, forming a shell.) Pour reserved refrigerated mousse into chocolate shell. Refrigerate until serving time.
JELLY ROLL MOUSSE CAKE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spoon 4 cups of mousse into a 15 1/2- by 10 1/2-inch jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper. Bake until firm (about 15 minutes). Transfer to a rack and let cool. Invert onto a piece of parchment paper placed on a flat surface, peel off the paper, and spread with the remaining mousse. Roll up from a long end. Refrigerate until needed. Slice and serve.
******
This show-stopping non-gebrochts dessert is one of the signature Passover recipes in Divine Kosher Cuisine: Catering to Family and Friends, by co-authors Rise’ Routenberg and Barbara Wasser. The cookbook, published by Congregation Agudat Achim in Niskayuna, NY, is available online at http://www.divinekosher.com. This chocolate nut delight is guaranteed to please your guests!
DR. RUTH’S FAVORITE PASSOVER NUT TORTE (Non-Gebrochts, Dairy)
A frequent visitor over the years to her local family who belongs to Congregation Agudat Achim, Dr. Ruth Westheimer calls this nut torte her favorite Passover dessert. (image shown above)
CAKE:
Potato starch for dusting pan
12 large eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cups finely ground walnuts
1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease three 9-inch round cake pans with removable bottoms. Line each pan with parchment paper, grease again and dust with potato starch.
2. Beat yolks on high speed with electric mixer until thick. Add sugar and lemon juice and beat until light yellow. Mix in nuts.
3. Beat whites in separate bowl at high speed with electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold gently into yolk mixture.
4. Divide batter into pans and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown or until tester inserted in center comes out mostly clean but moist. Loosen edges with knife immediately after removing pans from oven.
5. Cool completely. Remove from pans and peel off parchment.
FROSTING #1:
16 ounces heavy cream
4 teaspoons sugar
1. Whip cream at high speed with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
FROSTING #2:
8 ounces heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa, sifted
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1. Combine all ingredients and whip at high speed with electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
ASSEMBLY:
1. Place 1 cake layer on plate and top with scant half of Frosting #1.
2. Top with 2nd layer and spread with Frosting #2. Top with 3rd layer.
3. Frost top and sides with remainder of Frosting #1. Decorate with chocolate curls and chill until serving.
Yield: 10 to 12 servings.
******
Each year, I get many requests for Passover recipes that are suitable for people with diabetes, especially since the festive meals are so high in carbohydrates. I also get requests for recipes that are non-gebrochts - a double challenge!
Nechama Cohen, founder and CEO of the Jewish Diabetes Association, has written a wonderful diabetic cookbook, Enlightened Kosher Cooking: More Than 250 Good-Carb, Healthy-Fat, Sugar-Free Recipes, From the Simple to the Elegant (Feldheim).
Packed with magnificent photographs and recipes for all year round, Enlightened Kosher Cooking also contains a chapter with enticing Passover diabetic recipes and tips, as well as a list of common Passover ingredients and their nutritional values. Many of the flavorful recipes throughout the book can also be used for Passover (Read Nechama's column in Shabbat Shalom).
Nechama writes: "Holidays are an integral part of Jewish life. One of my favorite parts is that they afford me the opportunity to spend time with my family and friends, creating many cherished memories. And much of this time, especially during Passover, is spent sitting down together for festive holiday meals. Surprisingly, eating healthy foods and feeling good on Passover are not so difficult. With a little bit of advance preparation, and after discussing with your health-care team the recipes and suggestions in my book, you can enjoy Passover to the fullest, while remaining within your dietary boundaries."
Enjoy these tasty diabetic desserts from Enlightened Kosher Cooking during Passover and forget about feeling guilty!
NECHAMA COHEN’S SIMPLE ALMOND COOKIES
This dough also makes a great pie crust. For biscotti-like cookies, turn off the oven after they are baked and leave them in overnight. Then store in an airtight container.
Low Carb, Low Fat
2 1/2 cups ground almonds
Sugar substitute equal to 1 cup sugar
1 tsp almond and/or vanilla extract
2 egg whites
Almond halves, for garnish
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Blend the almonds and sugar substitute together in a food processor with the knife blade.
2. Add the almond and/or vanilla extract and egg whites, and blend until it forms a paste.
3. Roll into small balls in the palm of your hands. Shape each one like a crescent or keep round and place half an almond in the center.
4. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray or line with baking paper. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies should be slightly golden and soft to the touch. Remove from sheet and cool.
* Variation: Melt 2 small squares of bittersweet or baking chocolate and dip one end of each cookie in the chocolate. Place on cookie sheet to harden.
Nutrition Facts: 1 cookie (1/2 ounce) contains 70 calories, 2 g protein, 2.5 g carbs, 6.1 g fat, 0.4 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1.5 mg sodium, 0 mg calcium, 0.3 g fiber.
Yield: 20 servings. Exchanges: 1 fat.
NECHAMA’S CHOCOLATE CREAM
Low Carb, Fat Free
1/2 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
Sugar substitute equal to 3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp liquid sweetener
Dash of salt
1 cup hot water
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp potato starch
1. In a saucepan, mix the cocoa, sweeteners, salt and vanilla extract with the hot water until smooth.
2. In a separate bowl or cup, mix the starch with some of the liquid until smooth and return to the saucepan. Constantly mixing with a wire whisk or wooden spoon, warm over low heat until it starts to thicken.
3. Cool and refrigerate. It will thicken more as it gets cold.
Nutrition Facts: 2 tbsp (1 ounce) contains 44 calories, 2.6 g protein, 4.2 g carbs, 0.3 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 5 mg sodium, 14 mg calcium, 3 g fiber.
Yield: 2 cups. Exchanges: 1/2 starch.
*****
And for the easiest Passover cookie, try this quick and easy meringue cookie from my cookbook HEALTHY HELPINGS (Whitecap). For more Passover recipes, visit my website at http://www.gourmania.com and eat to your heart’s content. Wishing all my readers a happy and delicious Passover!
NORENE GILLETZ’ LEMON MERINGUE CLOUDS
These guilt-free treats taste a lot like lemon meringue pie! They’re easy to make and fat-free.
3 egg whites, at room temperature
1 tsp lemon juice
6 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp grated lemon zest
1. Preheat oven to 250 F. Spray a foil-lined baking sheet with non-stick spray.
2. In a large glass or stainless mixing bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until foamy. Drizzle in lemon juice and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar 1 tbsp at a time. Continue beating until stiff and shiny. Fold in lemon zest.
3. Drop cookie mixture from a tablespoon onto prepared baking sheet in small mounds. Bake for 1 hour. Turn off heat but don’t open the oven door. Leave cookies in the oven 1 hour longer. Remove cookies from oven and cool completely.
Yield: about 2 dozen cookies. Can be frozen or stored in a tightly covered container.
14 calories per cookie, 0 g fat (0 g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, trace protein, 3 g carbohydrate, 13 mg sodium, 7 mg potassium, 0 mg iron, 0 g fiber, <1 mg calcium
Passover
Blintzes (Crepes) and “Noodles”
Carb Free, Low Fat / Yield: 12 crepes or 2 cups noodles
These marvelous crepes are great on Passover and all year round. Once you get the hang of it, they really are easy to make. You can also use this recipe to make kosher for Passover noodles.
INGREDIENTS
7 eggs plus 7 egg whites
1 1/2 tablespoons potato starch
1/2 cup water, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil (or walnut oil for sweet blintzes)
non-stick cooking spray
salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Beat eggs and egg whites together with salt and set aside. Mix potato starch with part of the water to form a smooth paste. Add the rest of the water and beaten eggs and mix well. Add remaining ingredients and mix well again. (A blender or food processor is handy for mixing the batter, but be careful to mix just until blended. Over mixing will create a foam that must be removed, or it will affect the texture of the finished crepes.) Transfer batter to a pitcher that is wide enough to allow mixing.
Heat olive oil and non-stick spray in an 8- inch, non-stick frying pan. Pour off extra oil into a dish. Keep a paper towel in this dish to use for wiping the pan after every few crepes (this helps keep the amount of oil needed down to a minimum), or spray with non-stick cooking spray. When the pan is hot, lower the heat to medium and pour in 1/4 -1/2 cup of batter. Tilt pan to cover the bottom and pour any extra batter back into the pitcher. This will ensure very thin blintzes. As soon as the batter is firm, loosen the edges and turn over onto a dish towel or slightly greased piece of aluminum foil. Then return it to the pan to cook on the other side. (You can flip it with a spatula, but most people find it easier to turn it out and then return it to the frying pan.) Cook on the second side for no more than a few seconds and remove to a towel. Before making the next crepe, mix batter with a fork in order to blend in any potato starch that settles.
Unless you’re a real pro, the first 1 or 2 blintzes will probably not come out easily and will tear.
Carb Free, Low Fat / Yield: 12 crepes or 2 cups noodles
These marvelous crepes are great on Passover and all year round. Once you get the hang of it, they really are easy to make. You can also use this recipe to make kosher for Passover noodles.
INGREDIENTS
7 eggs plus 7 egg whites
1 1/2 tablespoons potato starch
1/2 cup water, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil (or walnut oil for sweet blintzes)
non-stick cooking spray
salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Beat eggs and egg whites together with salt and set aside. Mix potato starch with part of the water to form a smooth paste. Add the rest of the water and beaten eggs and mix well. Add remaining ingredients and mix well again. (A blender or food processor is handy for mixing the batter, but be careful to mix just until blended. Over mixing will create a foam that must be removed, or it will affect the texture of the finished crepes.) Transfer batter to a pitcher that is wide enough to allow mixing.
Heat olive oil and non-stick spray in an 8- inch, non-stick frying pan. Pour off extra oil into a dish. Keep a paper towel in this dish to use for wiping the pan after every few crepes (this helps keep the amount of oil needed down to a minimum), or spray with non-stick cooking spray. When the pan is hot, lower the heat to medium and pour in 1/4 -1/2 cup of batter. Tilt pan to cover the bottom and pour any extra batter back into the pitcher. This will ensure very thin blintzes. As soon as the batter is firm, loosen the edges and turn over onto a dish towel or slightly greased piece of aluminum foil. Then return it to the pan to cook on the other side. (You can flip it with a spatula, but most people find it easier to turn it out and then return it to the frying pan.) Cook on the second side for no more than a few seconds and remove to a towel. Before making the next crepe, mix batter with a fork in order to blend in any potato starch that settles.
Unless you’re a real pro, the first 1 or 2 blintzes will probably not come out easily and will tear.
For
Noddles:When blintzes are cool, roll up a few at a time and slice into
ultra-thin strips. For smaller noodles, slice down the length as well. Allow
noodles to dry a bit and then store in an airtight container or plastic bags.
These freeze well.
For crepes (blintzes):
Use the filling of your choice (see next page) and either fold the crepe around it blintz-style (like an envelope) or roll up. The unfilled crepes freeze well, either stacked or in layers divided by wax paper.
Fillings:
You can certainly use the standard mashed-potato filling, but if you want a lower crab count and something more interesting, here are a few suggestions:
Low-carb potato:
Mix equal amounts of cooked potato with cooked cauliflower and some fried onions. Add salt to taste.
Meat:
Mix ground meat and/or chicken with fried onions and seasoning.
Apple:
Grate apples; add sugar substitute, cinnamon and ground nuts.
Nut:
Beat 1 egg white just until shiny and starting to stiffen. Add ground nuts to form a paste. Add sugar substitute, cinnamon (optional) and juice from half a lemon.
Cheese:
Mix farmer cheese with 1 beaten egg white, sugar substitute, cinnamon and vanilla flavoring.
Tip
If you’re cooking for a crowd and want to save time, use a large frying pan and make extra-large crepes. Pile up cooled crepes, slicing off the sides to use for noodles. You will be left with nice-sized rectangles that can be used for folded blintzes.
Nutrition Facts
Serving size 1 crepe - 2–3 (Tbsps noodles) 1(oz) 30 (g)
Calories 37
Protein (g) 3.1
Carbs (g) 0.7
Fat (g) 2.3
Sat. Fat (g) 0.6
Cholesterol (mg) 85
Sodium (mg) 37
Calcium (mg) 11
Fiber (g) 0
Exchanges: Lean protein ½
Fresh and Natural Applesauce Low Carb, Fat Free / Yield: 20 servings
It’s hard to go back to store-bought applesauce after tasting this delicious, refreshing dessert. The trick to this great dish is tea bags. Be daring and try a variety of different flavors.
10 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced into eighths juice of half a lemon dash of salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3-4 flavored tea bags of your choice water sugar substitute, optional for fruit compote: use fruit of choice
Place apples in a 5-quart pot. Add lemon juice, salt, vanilla, tea bags and water, covering not more than half the apples so that the end result will not be too watery. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until apples are soft. Hand-blend and mash to desired consistency. For additional sweetness, you can add sugar substitute.
Variations:
For a crunchy fruit compote: Bring ingredients to a boil and cook on high heat for 7 minutes. Turn off heat and cover. Let stand overnight. In the morning, put into a jar and refrigerate. This can be frozen in an airtight container.
For a strawberry-rhubarb apple compote: Add 11/2 cups of sliced strawberries and 1 cup of sliced rhubarb to the apples. Rhubarb is quite tart, so add sugar substitute according to taste. Blend well and refrigerate.
For cinnamon applesauce: Add 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon to blended apples. For a beautiful crimson color, as well as additional flavor and fiber, add 1-1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries.
Nutrition Facts Serving size - ½ (cup) 2⅔ (oz) 80 (g)
Calories 34 Protein (g) 0.1 Carbs (g) 8 Fat (g) 0.2 Sat. Fat (g) 0 Cholesterol (mg) 0 Sodium (mg) 0 Calcium (mg) 5 Fiber (g) 0 Exchanges: Fruit 3/4
About The Jewish Diabetes Association
The Jewish Diabetes Association (JDA) was founded in 1985, less than one year after Nechama's diagnoses of diabetes. What began as a small support group in her home has now grown to an inter-continental organization with a growing world- wide membership. JDA is a leader in bringing the public the message about the correlation between obesity and diabetes, and the higher risk factors in the Jewish population. The JDA Connection for Healthy Living is proud and grateful to bring to the public this landmark book of Enlitened Kosher cooking. Please visit our website at: http://www.jewishdiabetes.org © Orthodox Union - All Rights Reserved.
The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the Orthodox Union and its agencies
For crepes (blintzes):
Use the filling of your choice (see next page) and either fold the crepe around it blintz-style (like an envelope) or roll up. The unfilled crepes freeze well, either stacked or in layers divided by wax paper.
Fillings:
You can certainly use the standard mashed-potato filling, but if you want a lower crab count and something more interesting, here are a few suggestions:
Low-carb potato:
Mix equal amounts of cooked potato with cooked cauliflower and some fried onions. Add salt to taste.
Meat:
Mix ground meat and/or chicken with fried onions and seasoning.
Apple:
Grate apples; add sugar substitute, cinnamon and ground nuts.
Nut:
Beat 1 egg white just until shiny and starting to stiffen. Add ground nuts to form a paste. Add sugar substitute, cinnamon (optional) and juice from half a lemon.
Cheese:
Mix farmer cheese with 1 beaten egg white, sugar substitute, cinnamon and vanilla flavoring.
Tip
If you’re cooking for a crowd and want to save time, use a large frying pan and make extra-large crepes. Pile up cooled crepes, slicing off the sides to use for noodles. You will be left with nice-sized rectangles that can be used for folded blintzes.
Nutrition Facts
Serving size 1 crepe - 2–3 (Tbsps noodles) 1(oz) 30 (g)
Calories 37
Protein (g) 3.1
Carbs (g) 0.7
Fat (g) 2.3
Sat. Fat (g) 0.6
Cholesterol (mg) 85
Sodium (mg) 37
Calcium (mg) 11
Fiber (g) 0
Exchanges: Lean protein ½
Fresh and Natural Applesauce Low Carb, Fat Free / Yield: 20 servings
It’s hard to go back to store-bought applesauce after tasting this delicious, refreshing dessert. The trick to this great dish is tea bags. Be daring and try a variety of different flavors.
10 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced into eighths juice of half a lemon dash of salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3-4 flavored tea bags of your choice water sugar substitute, optional for fruit compote: use fruit of choice
Place apples in a 5-quart pot. Add lemon juice, salt, vanilla, tea bags and water, covering not more than half the apples so that the end result will not be too watery. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until apples are soft. Hand-blend and mash to desired consistency. For additional sweetness, you can add sugar substitute.
Variations:
For a crunchy fruit compote: Bring ingredients to a boil and cook on high heat for 7 minutes. Turn off heat and cover. Let stand overnight. In the morning, put into a jar and refrigerate. This can be frozen in an airtight container.
For a strawberry-rhubarb apple compote: Add 11/2 cups of sliced strawberries and 1 cup of sliced rhubarb to the apples. Rhubarb is quite tart, so add sugar substitute according to taste. Blend well and refrigerate.
For cinnamon applesauce: Add 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon to blended apples. For a beautiful crimson color, as well as additional flavor and fiber, add 1-1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries.
Nutrition Facts Serving size - ½ (cup) 2⅔ (oz) 80 (g)
Calories 34 Protein (g) 0.1 Carbs (g) 8 Fat (g) 0.2 Sat. Fat (g) 0 Cholesterol (mg) 0 Sodium (mg) 0 Calcium (mg) 5 Fiber (g) 0 Exchanges: Fruit 3/4
About The Jewish Diabetes Association
The Jewish Diabetes Association (JDA) was founded in 1985, less than one year after Nechama's diagnoses of diabetes. What began as a small support group in her home has now grown to an inter-continental organization with a growing world- wide membership. JDA is a leader in bringing the public the message about the correlation between obesity and diabetes, and the higher risk factors in the Jewish population. The JDA Connection for Healthy Living is proud and grateful to bring to the public this landmark book of Enlitened Kosher cooking. Please visit our website at: http://www.jewishdiabetes.org © Orthodox Union - All Rights Reserved.
The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the Orthodox Union and its agencies
Various Comments I made in the past on Pessach
Parshas HaChodesh is the 4th and
final special Parsha before Pessach. Because Pessach falls on a Shabbos and
Rosh Chodesh falls also on a Shabbos, the Parsha is read now to give people two
weeks to prepare for the holiday. Already Beis Din has taken the Shekalim for
the 1/2 Shekel donated and is preparing the Temple and roadways and water
supplies for the way. The stores are full with Pessach products and it is time
to purchase Matzos and Wine (for those who haven't yet purchased them). The
rooms are being cleaned and the storage areas for the wine, matzos, nuts, etc.
are prepared. Soon it will be time to buy the meat, cheese, lettuce,
horseradish, parsley, radishes, etc. Today with the use of Freezers, the world
is different and meat can be purchased well in advance of the holiday and
cooking can be done days before. The Torah reading is Chapter 12 of Shemos and
the Haftorah is Yechezkel 45. We are dealing with the 3rd Temple
here and what the ruler and Cohain Gadol will bring as sacrifices on Rosh
Chodesh.
Ashkenazim do not eat Matza Ashira aka egg or wine Matzos Erev
Pessach but for the aged or the infirm it is permissible along with the
Sephardim and the blessing is the same as that of cake on a regular day.
Neither the Sephardim nor the Ashkenazim eat Matza Meal Cake Erev Pessach.
Note: Matza Ashira or flour baked with wine, eggs or fruit juices w/o water
in the quantity of two large eggs for each meal. After 3/4ths of the time from
sunrise to sunset, it is forbidden to eat Matza Ashira. Originally written
in 5765 when Pessach fell Motzei Shabbos so the writing has been revised. It is
a Mitzvah to eat something like, nuts, vegetables or fruit as the Seder takes
some time to say before the meal. However, one should eat too much so as to eat
Matzos with a good appetite therefore we do not eat too much before the Pessach
Seder.
I do not
have the time to start teaching the Halachos of the flour and water used for
baking Matzos, guarding that the batter does not go over 18 minutes, koshering
dishes, etc. Instead, I will deal very briefly with common medical problems,
what is customary not to eat by Ashkenazi Jews and the Seder Meal. WARNING: Rabbi Blumenkrantz Zal in his book devoted a number of pages to Heckshirim for Pessach and Passover Resorts I hope that this valuable informative guide continues after his passing. Most of States do not rely on the local Mashgichim and that is a problem for a good Mashgiach he makes sure that they check each egg for blood spots even though most Rabbis hold that a standard quality control sampling is enough. A G-D fearing Mashgiach and a baker should be a bit concerned with long-term investments for the True World and not quick short cuts and a quick buck in this world. There are Rabbis who give out a Heckshir on phone calls alone. I as a Certified Quality Engineer would never ever accept the word of a manufacturer. (See the brief story of Matrix Military Certified Electronic Connectors below.) One has to be very careful. I am going to a “Manhedrin” Kosher L’Pessach Resort this year for Chol HaMoed. I spoke to the Mashgiach; the Matzos used are not up to my personal custom or standard. He is going to put aside some especially for me and I am going to bring a kilogram in my car to the resort just in case. So one can never be too careful! (But one need not be a fanatic)
There are quite a few hundred medicines that are Kosher for Pessach. Rabbi AVROHOM BLUMENKRANTZ lists them in his book. Either your local bookstore or Rabbi will have the book. Mine is only good for 5763 so unless you have nobody else to turn to do not contact me, even though things like Pepto-Bismol and Lipitor most likely are still kosher. If no kosher medicine is available on Pessach, one is allowed to take medicine that is lifesaving, even if it is not on the kosher list (emphasis is placed on the danger to one’s life). Non-life threatening situations, an Orthodox Rabbi should be consulted. Most iron pills are not kosher for Pessach but the Rabbi lists Ferro-Folic from Abbot Labs are OK in Eretz Yisrael Ferrocal. Those people like myself with lactose deficiency should not drink Soya Milk unless they are Sephardim as the Ashkenazi considers Soy Beans Kitniyos. Instead high calcium cheeses that contain little lactase such as Cheddar, American, Yogurt, etc. can be substituted or even better still Broccoli and plenty of Lettuce. Now is the time to check with an Orthodox Pharmacist, Doctor or Rabbi regarding the medicines that you normally take. Aspartame used in diet sodas and many medications have Kitniyos that has been chemically processed and therefore the OU, KAJ and in the case of the medications even the Charedi Heckshirim approve. Kitniyos is with the Rabbinical Custom Only and therefore when the shape and form is changed by processing one can be lenient. Not so Chometz that is from the Torah.
Thanks to Dr. Behar - ISRAELIS CHECK OUT: http://www.clalit.org.il/passover2005/medicine1.asp?screenwidth=1024 try substituting 2014for this year.
For those who cannot eat wheat Matzos because of gluten, there are Oat Matzos available in Kosher Health Food stores at $15 to $16 a pound of Matzos. In Ramat Aviv there are Rye Matzos for 19 plus NIS a pound.
Certain foods may have worms or insects in them. Insects eaten are like eating 5 times pork as far as negative precepts of the Torah view them. Foods such as Lettuce, Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, Spinach, Asparagus, Cauliflower, etc. should be checked for worms by washing them in a salt or lemon water solution for long enough for the worms/bugs to fall off of them and then checked by eye held up to the light to see that nothing that looks like a creeping or crawling thing is on them. Strawberries and other fruits also may have minute bugs or worms. The old joke about “What is worse than finding a worm in your apple? – Finding half a worm!” also applies here. Only halachically, a half worm is not considered a full created creature and therefore would have to be the size of a giant Olive or a medium Egg to be over the negative precepts in the Torah but nobody wants to eat even half worms.
Most years, the Seder Table can be prepared the afternoon prior to the Seder, but this year it is forbidden to prepare on Shabbos for Yom Tov, so we have to set the Seder Table – if we have two or three tables available at home or a large Table and eating only on half the Table for Shabbos, we set the table Erev Shabbos. The salt water can be prepared and the only thing we have to do is bring out the Roasted Shank Bone, Charoses, (Parsley, Celery, Radish pieces for dipping), horse-radish, the boiled egg, lettuce for the Seder. Today most eggs used in food do not have blood in them as the hens are housed separately from the rosters; however, eggs from small farms have to be checked that no blood is inside of them and held up to the light. The prohibition of eating blood applies to eggs as well as meat!
Before I go into how to prepare the Charoses, I would like to remind the reader that all foods purchased should have a Kosher L’Pessach label on them. Certain foods that are considered by US Ashkenazim and Chabad as kosher such as Star Kist Tuna in Cottonseed Oil are considered Kitniyos by other Ashkenazim in Israel. US Corn (a.k.a. Maize), popcorn, green peas, green beans, humus, sesame seeds, mustard, rape seeds (Canola Oil), rice are not eaten by most Ashkenazim except for baby food if no replacement is available or whole rice in the case of a severe vitamin B deficiency as happened in the days of Rabbi Diskin Zal when disease threatened Poland. Sephardim also eat peanuts and in America Rabbi Moshe Feinstein gave a Heckshir to families who did not have a tradition on peanuts as Kitniyos – as for peanut butter the oil used to make it must be acceptable for Ashkenazim, sunflower seeds and oil, and other Kitniyos. Often they take on half an Ashkenazi custom and certain groups do not eat popcorn. The following oils are permissible but dangerous as far as cholesterol goes so beware: Coconut Palm Oil, Date Palm Oil and therefore I recommend highly for those who want to watch their health Olive Oil only, even though Walnut Oil is supposed to be cholesterol free, it is very fattening. For those like me, Cottonseed Oil, even though it does yield some cholesterol but not as much as the Palm Oils. Infants may be fed corn or rice cereal if they cannot take Matzo meal cereal. If the infant will not eat only baby food carrots, bananas, and squash with the Kosher L’Pessach label on them, they can be fed green peas. [Note products such as Gerber, Beech Nut and Israeli Baby Foods require either an OU-P or a Kosher L’Pessach certificate on them. Green Peas, Rice, Corn, etc. must have a Heckshir from a reliable Sephardic Orthodox Rabbi.] Do to food police in the States and Charedi Bullies in Israel one almost has to go underground like a criminal to get Cotton Seed oil and the effort is not worth it.
The purchases for the Seder: For the Karpas we need a fruit from the ground to eat. I use celery as it is called Karpas in Hebrew, but the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch recommends Radishes so I chop off very small pieces of each dip them into the salt water and pass them out to everybody at the table. Some people in the States use Parsley as Karpas is similar sounding and others use potatoes. The main reason for the blessing over the “fruit of the ground” is to provide a covering blessing for the Marror (bitters) later in the Seder. We wash before the Karpas because anything that is wet can become Tumay. This is from Temple times and hopefully the holy Beis HaMikdash will be speedily rebuilt and we will have to guard against Tuma and guard the Tahor. [Remember that the quantity of Karpas whether it is celery and/or radish should be small like less than half a medium size egg when combined. Children or the very elderly can be calmed down with a liquid soup during the first part of the Seder if they become weak and hungry or irritable. Usually older children will like to imitate adults and remember the Seder from last year and will wait patiently. I recommend that in the parents see to it that the child and the elderly have perhaps some vegetables with a little olive oil on them and soup before sundown to give them a feeling of being full. This trick I learned from the South Beach Diet as vegetables and oil takes time to digest and one feels full.]
The wine or grape juice passed out should be a minimum of 83 grams or 5.6 ounces (There are special Kosher measuring cups available in many Judaica Stores or even one time cups with the correct measurement). One is only required to drink the majority of the cup. [Rav Rachamim- one drinks immediately the wife because of the blessing and does not say “L’Chaim”! Not as a glutton guzzles the wine but in two or a maximum of three times so as not to look like one is swilling the wine either. Even here the Gemara Pessachim talks about two gulps only but by the third or fourth cup one can be a bit more lenient on him/her-self. The object is to behave like a king in one’s house on Pessach.] Children should be told to drink the majority of the cup. Often they are thirsty enough for the first cup and finish it. There are some elderly people that have trouble swallowing and one must tell them to take it slowly and take their time. We do not need them getting a lung filled with wine and possible pneumonia. In short by cutting down the wine or grape juice to the bare minimum we only need to have each time a 51% of the cup drunk or two plus cups during the entire Seder. If the Seder runs long enough, one can even have a L’Chaim between the fish and the meat in the meal over Plum Alcohol called SHILIVOWITZ, Kosher Brandy, Kosher Vodka but of course no grain Alcohol as that is Chometz. One can drink water too instead of the L’Chaim if one is afraid of having too much Alcohol. Red Wine is preferred, but in lands where the Jews are accused of ritual murders the custom is to use white wine. If you are hosting a potential convert or non-Jew for the Seder (many Rabbis hold even non-religious Jews too other Rabbis like Simcha HaCohain Kuk Shlita says that they are like captured by the mass media and non-Jewish education) you should use pasteurized wine and grape juice. All Carmel Mizrachi, Kedem, Gamla, Baron Herzog and Bartenura wines fall under this category and then we avoid all Halachic problems. Other wines you should either refer to the book by R. Blumenkrantz or contact your local Orthodox Rabbi. NOTE AN ORTHODOX CONVERT IS A FULL JEW.
The Matzos and Matza Meal preferably should be from a factory that stops the machines every 18 minutes and cleans them, or the batches coming off the machines during the first 18 minutes of production after cleaning. Rabbi Soleveichik Zal gave the Heckshir to the Horowitz- Margareten Factory based on the non-sticking of the dough and the water and kneading to baking took less than 18 minutes. Rabbi London Zal used to supervise the boys from my Yeshiva cleaning the machines at the factory and he would get for the work enough of the first 18 minute Matzos for free to feed the Yeshiva and the guests. The Matzos used for the Seder are even more special than the regular Matzos. They come from guarded wheat from the time of cutting that did not come in contact with any water what so ever. The wheat is stored in a dry place that is checked from time to time and is only used for Seder Matzos. This type of Matza is called Shmura Matza. The size of the standard Matza that is used for the Mitzvah of eating Matza is a minimum of the size of a medium egg when crushed or about 26 grams. I have seen various sizes of Machine Matza given. Rabbi Blumenkrantz Shlita says a whole machine Matza. However in the back of a very old book of his are two rulers one 5 inches and the other 8 inches or a little bit more than 12.5 x 20 cm piece of machine Matza. This amount of Matza is eaten for the Mitzvah, the sandwich and Apikoyman (dessert). Remember the Apikoyman is in please of the Korban Pessach and should be eaten as if one is eating the Korban Pessach. On the first night of Pessach we eat it before Halachic Midnight or 12:37 AM in Eretz Yisrael. If you are like me, you will be asleep at that time, although certain Chassidim like to continue their Sedarim until 3 or 4 AM. If one is excited, alert and awake fine, if not it instead of telling of the miracles of the Exodus, one is just punishing himself for a custom. The sandwich is the whole Matza with the broken middle Matza from where the Apikoyman was taken.
The Marror or Bitters can be something that grows slightly above the ground like horseradish, lettuce or wormwood. Romaine Lettuce is slightly bitter, the Iceberg Lettuce is good for children and people you are trying to bring into the world of Torah. I personally use the strongest horseradish on top of lettuce. Usually I have two Kazaysim – one olive’s bulk for the blessing dipped in Charoses and one on the sandwich mixed with Charoses. The horseradish should be grated Erev Shabbos and preserved in a little vinegar and a touch of sugar to those who cannot take it too pungent.
The Charoses can be made in dozens of ways. I personally prefer the recipe of the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch Modified very slightly. I use the following ingredients: Sweet Wine like Carmel Mizrachi (see the above brands) Topaz, Nitzachon or Concord, some chopped fine walnuts, pecans, almonds and hazel nuts, ground Ginger & Cinnamon, dates, raisins and a small amount of vinegar. Charoses also contains cored and peeled apples shredded and chopped. The Apples that I use are not too tart or too sweet but the reddish green kind in Israel that has a slightly sweet taste. In Chapter 118:4 of the Kitzur, figs and pomegranates are mentioned. Kosher L’Pessach Figs are hard to come by so either, I would have to take my own from my tree dry it out in the sun under bird and insect netting and preserve it for Pessach or forego. I put every year some pomegranates in my refrigeration from Rosh Hashanah for TU B’Shevat and Pessach but usually they do not last and the Charoses tastes great without them. My brother adds for his own taste prunes and apricots in his. The oriental recipe called RAMBAM Charoses calls for Hyssop in it. I have a good thing going so I say why spoil it. The nuts can be ground finer in a food processor. However the dates and raisins have to be done in small quantities and at low speeds as they can stop the food processor and the paste like mixture has to be blended well with every other ingredient. Add the wine, ginger and cinnamon to your own taste, but beware that it is not too wet or too thick so as not to spread. It should be able to spread slightly thicker than margarine.
[Speaking of margarine, this year for the first time, I have not found a kosher for Pessach for Ashkenazim margarine in Eretz Yisrael]
Just read the Haggada from cover to cover and with the instructions in English when to lift up the ceremonial plate and uncover and cover the Matzos, you will conduct the service as it has been conducted for the last 3324 years. The only difference is that we now have the egg instead of the Korban Chaggai (3 times a year you should not appear empty handed before the L-RD your G-D) and the Korban Pessach. We therefore do not eat Roasted Meat because it is like the real Korban and we neither have a Korban or the Beis HaMikdash. The original questions for the Seder had: “On all other nights we eat meat roasted, boiled or fried on this night we eat only roasted.” With a few miracles from HASHEM, next year in Yerushalayim.
Two Mitzvos of Pessach, I have not dwelt on and they are inviting in guests for the Shabbos and Seder. The second is donating money to soup kitchens and other charities that help the poor conduct Sedarim either at home or in the soup kitchen. I know that the economy is not that great either in Israel or throughout the world so one has an obligation to his immediate family coming first and then other relatives before the poor. The price of gasoline, inflation, and non-salary raises affect us all still let us remember those students, poor or soldiers away from home and open up our hearts and pocket books and wallets or our Seder Meal opne unto them.
Certified Kosher and Certified by the United States Military
There is Glatt Kosher and there is regular good Kosher and then there is something called Kosher. One of the companies that sold Military Electronic Connects was Matrix (now out of business). Just like we have kashrut alerts on certain restaurants, products etc. so there are quality control alerts in the U.S. Military and among suppliers and customers of the U.S. Military of certain components. Electronic Military Connectors are usually used because of their rigid environmental standards and testing in the Cockpits of Commercial Aircraft such as the radar, automatic pilot and computer navigation system. There was one manufacturer that all the time had alerts about their products. (Note most defective products do not reach the alert stage or the person finding them or his supervisor doesn’t even know that he should report it.)
With this in mind, the Israel Alert committee invited Matrix to speak before them and bring sample connecting devices. We had no budget to send an engineer out to California to inspect their facilities and testing procedures so we would base in on the U.S. Military approval. They showed us their new Q.C. policy - PRIDE standing for Producing Reliable Items… etc. It sounded very impressive. I asked them to see a few samples of connectors. I passed all of them around the room but one that I kept “playing” with by coupling and uncoupling the connector. According to the US MS requirement all connectors have to be tested or built for 500 insertions and extractions. I had coupled and uncoupled the sample that had been in a plastic bag. I noticed the Cadmium plating flaking off. (Nickel connectors are used in cockpits, but cadmium us usually used for outside connections.) I showed that to my group leader, the department head, people from Tadiran, Israel Military Industries, Elbit, etc. In short the plating on the connector was not kosher for the military standard. A simple test done in about 15 minutes with less than 50 connects and disconnects. Who were the U.S. Soldiers that approved the factory, I don’t know or care. Later they went out of business because the field commanders and users issued enough failure reports that nobody bought from them anymore they were cheaper and purchasing wanted them but a failure in production or the field is very expensive.
However, when a factory wants to be approved by a Rabbi as being Kosher, they pay the Rabbi for the use of his Heckshir and therefore an extra-factory Kashrut Certificate is not enough. He should be G-D fearing enough to go down and see how clean they are, what inspections they do, what are the real ingredients that go into the food. If the Rabbi is too big to do the little job of inspecting the place that he gives his Heckshir on a product without seeing production based on telephone ingredients alone, then the Heckshir should be too small for you and I. The great Rabbi Landau Zal in his 90’s used to go and inspect factories at random in the middle of the night to see that the Kashrut was on tract. Rabbis Machpud Shlita, Rosenberg Shlita, Rubin Shlita check the knives of the butchers in the slaughterhouse regularly at random times. Sometimes it is one strike and you’re out. There can be no mistakes on the operating table by open heart surgeons; there can be no mistakes in kashrut either. - 5765
In 5766 I wrote: Some of us start learning and preparing months
in advance for Pessach either by learning in details the laws or just keeping
places like bedrooms and parts of the basement completely Chometz free. Some of
us start learning and cleaning for Pessach after Purim. Nissan has arrived and
time is running out folks.
The Mishnah Berura is fine if you learned it already before and need it as a detailed reference. There is nothing wrong with learning the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch = The Code of Jewish Law on Shabbos afternoon.
However, since time is running out, I would dedicate my learning to perhaps Laws 98 and 99 regarding Yom Tov and if you are a Cohain 100 and 101 if you live outside of Israel and need this review. Chapters 103-107 should be reviewed. If you don't plan to actually bake Matzos and then you might want to skip to Chapter 113 and glance at it quickly and 114 if the selling of Chometz interests you. Chapters 115 through 120 are the laws concerning Pessach and the counting of the Omer. Now is the time to review not Erev Pessach close to Mincha.
I always clean my house from the least used rooms for eating to the most used rooms. Thus my computer room/study the bed rooms, basement and then the room before my porch where my *watch* dog is with all the dog food there. *Some stranger comes he barks, my friends who walk with me and him come or my grandchildren; he cries.* The living room although essentially, I usually clean the rug and check the lounge chairs around Rosh Chodesh and the room is essentially kosher for Pessach minus the fish food. Even the refrigerator can get a first going over at this time so that the real cleaning is easier. Products that might have Kitniyos are put into a section of the deep freezer. Whiskeys and other products are sold in the sale to the non-Jew.
Shopping should have already begun. In the worst case a shopping list should be prepared.
The Mishnah Berura is fine if you learned it already before and need it as a detailed reference. There is nothing wrong with learning the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch = The Code of Jewish Law on Shabbos afternoon.
However, since time is running out, I would dedicate my learning to perhaps Laws 98 and 99 regarding Yom Tov and if you are a Cohain 100 and 101 if you live outside of Israel and need this review. Chapters 103-107 should be reviewed. If you don't plan to actually bake Matzos and then you might want to skip to Chapter 113 and glance at it quickly and 114 if the selling of Chometz interests you. Chapters 115 through 120 are the laws concerning Pessach and the counting of the Omer. Now is the time to review not Erev Pessach close to Mincha.
I always clean my house from the least used rooms for eating to the most used rooms. Thus my computer room/study the bed rooms, basement and then the room before my porch where my *watch* dog is with all the dog food there. *Some stranger comes he barks, my friends who walk with me and him come or my grandchildren; he cries.* The living room although essentially, I usually clean the rug and check the lounge chairs around Rosh Chodesh and the room is essentially kosher for Pessach minus the fish food. Even the refrigerator can get a first going over at this time so that the real cleaning is easier. Products that might have Kitniyos are put into a section of the deep freezer. Whiskeys and other products are sold in the sale to the non-Jew.
Shopping should have already begun. In the worst case a shopping list should be prepared.
I mentioned a few months ago
Parsha Metzora Lev. 14:1 to 15:33
Last
week we defined the 4 types of Tsoras on the body, house or clothing and the
exclusion of one who spoke Lashon HaRa outside of camp or literally confined to
his house or having his house destroyed so he has no place to hold a conference
of gossip inside. This leaves the person no ability to gossip or listen to
gossip.
This
week talks about being cured and bring a Korban which is an expense and to
travel to Yerushalayim to be purified. Due to the large amount of material that
I brought down for Pessach I prefer this year to refer the readers to past rabbipauli.blogspot.com
or http://www.chabad.org/parshah/torahreading.asp?aid=15579&showrashi=true&p=complete
I also
recommend reading this from Rabbi Pinchas Winston Shlita: http://www.torah.org/learning/perceptions/5774/metzora.html?print=1
Very nice article - the root comes from Adam = Zachar (masculine)
v' Nekava (feminine) was created. G-D is often called Lecha but sometimes
called Lach. So we see these qualities in a Jew. It was posted by Ahavah S.
Historically, Jews have been mocked and derided for these androgynous qualities. For example: What is the point of nearly every Jewish American Princess (JAP) joke? A J.A.P. joke is an anti-Semitic attack on essential Jewish values, whether told by a Jew or Gentile, whether by a man or a woman. Those jokes ridicule Jewish men for being too gentle, in the face of Jewish women who are characterized as too demanding and sexually non-subservient. The integration of masculine and feminine qualities that has been the pride of the Jewish people is distorted into ugly caricature.
Such jokes can have insidious consequences for young Jews' self-image and behavior. There are young Jewish males today who are probably less nurturing than were their fathers, as many have assimilated the values of the majority culture. They are more likely to suppress their gentleness and assume a persona that is physically tough, interpersonally demanding, and sexually exploitative. As a result, many young Jewish women are less trusting of men, less willing to devote themselves to the family, because they distrust that they will be loved and respected for doing so. They may delay or avoid marriage. Conversely, they may decide that in order to attract a man they must subdue their intellectual or spiritual powers and hyper-project their sexual desirability. The negative stereotyping of the Jewish genders has contributed to the fact that people will blame their marital problems on the Jewish ethnicity of their ex-spouse. Thus, a significant percentage of inter-marriage is due to Jews who have divorced a Jewish spouse and go on to look specifically for a non-Jew as their second spouse.
What does the Torah, which has guided and molded Jewish life for 33 centuries, say about the differences between men and women?
On the one hand, the Torah states that there are clear, inherent differences between the masculine and feminine forces of the universe. For example, the feminine forces have more of a connection to G-d through profound faith that is beyond rationality, that is trans-rational. In comparison, the masculine forces achieve more of their connection to G-d through rationality and flashes of insight; the experience of ecstatic insight in learning Torah ultimately leads men to mystical faith. Endurance and breadth are characteristic of the feminine forces, while intensity and focus are masculine. In computer terminology, parallel processing is feminine, whereas serial processing is masculine. In football, the wide receiver is feminine, while the quarterback is masculine. The transcendental number pi is feminine, while logarithms are masculine. Analog is feminine, while digital is masculine. My favorite metaphor for the difference is that gravity is a feminine force, while lightning is a masculine force.
Notice that in the preceding paragraph I used the words "feminine and masculine forces" rather than "women and men". For while it is true that a majority of women (but not all women) will tend to have more of the feminine forces, and a majority of men will show more of the masculine, all of these characteristics are found in both men and women.
According to the Kaballah, any characteristic that appears in extreme form, unmodified and unmitigated by a different or opposite quality, belongs to "the world of chaos." By way of analogy, the chemical elements sodium and chlorine, when they are in their pure form, are extremely unstable and toxic. However, when they combine as sodium chloride, or table salt, they become a stable ingredient that is necessary for human survival. In the realm of personality, it can be harmful when a person is always gentle; sometimes love requires that we honestly confront the person we love. Similarly, it is harmful if a person is always critical, even in the guise of "constructive criticism" designed to bring out the best in others.
By the same token, our task as individuals is not to inflate gender differences, thereby becoming physical or spiritual Ken and Barbie dolls. Rather, the Torah encourages us to pair and integrate the universal forces of male and female within ourselves, as well as on the communal and cosmological level.
On the most basic level, this is achieved through the mitzvot (Divine commandments) that we marry and have children. In fact, those two commandments are among the very first to appear in the Torah! (see Genesis, 1:28 and 2:24)]
At the same time, however, Torah law insists that we appreciate that there are systematic differences between men and woman, and, as a consequence, to accept that women's special contribution to the world tends to draw more on the female forces, such as enduring faith and symbolism, while men's offering draws more on intensity and rationality. To accept that the genders have arenas in which their roles are equal in importance but different in substance.
Despite this equality in the male-female partnership, there appears to be an area in which one gender is superior to the other. That is, the Lubavitcher Rebbe has commented that ultimately it is the feminine quality of trans-rational faith that must guide the masculine quality of rationality. The Rebbe quotes from Jeremiah's description (31:21) of the Messianic era, during which "the female forces will be superordinate over the male forces" ("u'nekayvah t'sovev gawver").
May it be that we fuse the force of enduring, extensive, female faith with the energy of immediate, intense male insight, such that we experience a personal, powerful, emotional connection to G-d, which then elicits G-d's desire to bring about the Redemption, with the coming of Moshiach, speedily in our day.
Blood Moons silliness floating around the net
I first saw this being generated by a Christian Preacher. Lunar
Eclipses turn the moon red very often. The Preacher posted about the four blood
moons which occur this Pessach, Sukkos, next Pessach and the Sukkos after that.
Let me assure you that according to my estimate of the solar-lunar cycle that
this should occur approximately every so and so many years and no redeemer has
come to Tzion during these cycles in the past.
To set the record completely straight I contacted a friend of mine
Dr. Allen Seltzer former head of the Hayden Planetarium NYC What
the preacher is referring to is an upcoming series of four consecutive
total lunar eclipses occurring about six months apart. Such a series
is known as at tetrad (of lunar eclipses). The first eclipse in the
tetrad occurs on 2014 April 15. Others follow on 2014 October 8, on
2015 April 4, and on 2015, September 28. What is interesting about this
tetrad is that all the eclipses are visible for all or parts of the
USA. During the current century there will be nine sets of tetrads, so at
least for the 21st century, they are not rare. That is not always the
case. NASA astronomer and eclipse expert Fred Espenak noted that
"during the three hundred year interval from 1600 to 1900, for instance,
there were no tetrads at all." Hope that helps. Best wishes to
you and your family for a good Pessach.
PLEASE NOTE: Some
the eclipses will not even be visible over Eretz Yisrael but over the USA.
For more on the laws of Pessach: http://www.yonanewman.org/kizzur/kizzur105.html keep clicking next
until and including http://www.yonanewman.org/kizzur/kizzur117.html
next week in full 118-120
"Master of the Universe: Enough
Already!" by Yerachmiel Tilles http://www.chabad.org/kabbalah/article_cdo/aid/1831298/jewish/Master-of-the-Universe-Enough-Already.htm
There was a servant in the house of the tzadik,
Rabbi Mordechai (‘Motel’e’) of Chernobyl, who used to stoke the
fire in the winter stove. He was afflicted with severe psoriasis, and was
covered from head to toe with painful boils and other skin eruptions. It seemed
like he was always bleeding, whether from the disease itself or from being
unable to refrain from scratching at the relentless itching.
Whenever the Rebbe saw him, he never said a word
to him, even though he undoubtedly noticed the young man’s terrible suffering.
His household and his chasidim were astonished, for the Rebbe’s tremendous
empathy for Jews in pain of any form was well-known.
One day, upon rising early in the morning, the
Chernobyler came upon the servant crying and groaning in pain, furiously
scratching at his head and other parts of his body, with blood oozing down from
all over. The tzadik lifted his eyes and said, "Master of the
Universe: let it be enough already!"
That same day, the servant suddenly died.
Now the Rebbe’s household and the chasidim
were even more amazed. Realizing that the turn of events was certainly out of
the ordinary, they pleaded with the Rebbe for an explanation. Finally, he told
them the following story.
His father, the famous tzadik Rabbi Menachem Nachum of Chernobyl,
was desperately poor; the family was always teetering on the brink of
starvation. There was, however, a certain rich person in the town who loved the
tzadik very much, and he used to provide the Rebbe with nearly all his
household needs.
It came to pass that when this rich man realized
how dear he was to the Rebbe, it went to his head and he proposed to R. Nachum
that the tzadik’s son marry his daughter. Of course, he would pay all
the expenses of both sides as well as provide a handsome dowry, he confidently
told the Chernobyler.
The Rebbe turned him down.
The man continued to argue and plead his case, but
the Rebbe was steadfast in his refusal. As a result, the man transformed from
the tzadik’s biggest supporter into his fiercest enemy. Not only did he
cease his financial aid, he actively sought to aggravate him, and was
constantly inventing new plots to make the Chernobyler’s life even more
difficult.
One time, he somehow found out that Rabbi Nachum’s
married daughter was due to go to the mikveh that night. His antagonism
had so festered in him that he actually decided to hire some ruffians to pursue
her through the streets on her way home afterwards. They did so in a brutish
obnoxious manner, and she was forced to flee with all her might through narrow
side streets and filthy back alleys. Finally she reached the haven of her home
exhausted and upset. She crossed the threshold, collapsed on the floor, and
fainted.
...his daughter’s suffering was a result of the rich man’s evil
plan...
As you can imagine, this caused a great commotion
in the Rebbe’s home. It was only after immense effort that the household was
able to bring her back to herself. When Rabbi Nachum found out that his
daughter’s suffering was a result of the rich man’s evil plan, he was enraged.
Shortly thereafter, the rich man died.
When his case came before the Heavenly Court, the
judges were about to issue a harsh judgment against him because of his
aggression towards a great tzadik and the suffering he caused him. But
then a defending angel arose and pointed out the rich man’s large number of
good deeds, his accomplishments in Torah-study, and how he had even generously
supported the Rebbe and his household for many years.
Other heavenly beings joined in, pro and con.
Finally it was decreed that that he would be given the chance to appease Rabbi
Nachum. If he succeeded, he would be granted the rewards for the many good
deeds he had accomplished in his lifetime.
He was assigned to two angels who would escort him
to R. Nachum, and subsequently bring him back to the Heavenly Court.
The rich man’s soul came to the Chernobyler and
begged forgiveness for all the pain and aggravation he had caused him while
still alive in this world. The Rebbe told him to enumerate one by one each of
the offenses he had committed. At each one the tzadik responded, "I
forgive him with all my heart."
"NO!" cried out the Rebbe, "This I may not
forgive."
Finally, they reached the episode with Rabbi
Nachum’s daughter. "NO!" cried out the Rebbe, "This I may not
forgive. This was a crime against my holy ancestors and against Heaven; not
just against my daughter and me."
Immediately the escorting angels took him and
returned to the Heavenly Court, where a second decree was issued. He would be
reincarnated again, and in his next lifetime would suffer from terrible
physical afflictions.
After the Chernobyler passed away and his son
Rabbi Mordechai succeeded him, Rabbi Nachum appeared to his son in a dream and
asked him to take the youth with the skin diseases into his house. The second
Chernobyler Rebbe did so. When he saw how much the man was suffering, he
refrained from offering to help, because he knew it was atonement for the sins
of the man’s previous life. Finally, however, Rabbi Mordechai could no longer
hold back. He forgave the man for the abuse of his family, the soul’s spiritual
rectification was completed. Then the man’s soul returned to heaven.
Connection to Weekly Reading:
skin disease
Translated and freely adapted from Niflaos
HaTsaddikim, pp. 23-24.
Biographical notes:
Rabbi Menachem Nachum of Chernobyl [1730-11 Cheshvan 1787], was a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov and senior disciple of the Maggid of Mezritch. He was the author of Meor Enayim.
Rabbi Menachem Nachum of Chernobyl [1730-11 Cheshvan 1787], was a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov and senior disciple of the Maggid of Mezritch. He was the author of Meor Enayim.
Rabbi Mordechai
("Mottel") of Chernobyl [1770 – 20 Iyar 1837],
successor to his father, Rabbi Nachum, was the son-in-law of Rabbi Aharon the
Great of Karlin and subsequently of Rabbi Deavid Seirkes. His eight sons
all became major Chasidic leaders. One of them married the daughter of
Rabbi DovBer of Lubavitch, son of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, in order to
maximize the possibilities for fulfillment of the prediction, "the
Moshiach will be born of the elder disciple of the Maggid of Mezritch or
the youngest" (match arranged by the two grandfather-Rebbes).
The
month of Nissan we bless the blessing on budding trees in the Siddur between
Shacharis and Mincha. The exceptions are areas below the equator such as
Australia where the blessing is made in Elul.
From
Ury and Judka: Cancer cure – go alkaline
in your blood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgbdNNfotwM
BDE
Chief Rabbi of Iran passes away this past Shabbos: http://www.jpost.com/Jewish-World/Jewish-News/Iranian-Jews-mourn-passing-of-chief-rabbi-Hamadani-346903
From
Ruth: They tried to hide the gas chambers but not forever: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/179065#.UzjdrVeaSap
From Shona: The author
of this email is Dr. Emanuel Tanya, a well-known and well-respected
psychiatrist.
A man, whose family was German aristocracy prior to World War II, owned a number of large industries and estates. When he was asked how many German people were true Nazis, the answer he gave can guide our attitude toward fanaticism.
'Very few people were true Nazis,' he said, 'but many enjoyed the return of German pride, and many more were too busy to care. I was one of those who just thought the Nazis were a bunch of fools. So, the majority just sat back and let it all happen. Then, before we knew it, they owned us, and we had lost control, and the end of the world had come. My family lost everything. I ended up in a concentration camp and the Allies destroyed my factories.'
We are told again and again by 'experts' and 'talking heads' that Islam is the religion of peace and that the vast majority of Muslims just want to live in peace.
Although this unqualified assertion may be true, it is entirely irrelevant. It is meaningless fluff, meant to make us feel better, and meant to somehow diminish the spectre of fanatics rampaging across the globe in the name of Islam.
The fact is that the fanatics rule Islam at this moment in history.
It is the fanatics who march.
It is the fanatics who wage any one of 50 shooting wars worldwide.
It is the fanatics who systematically slaughter Christian or tribal groups throughout Africa and are gradually taking over the entire continent in an Islamic wave.
It is the fanatics who bomb, behead, murder, or honor-kill. It is the fanatics who take over mosque after mosque.
It is the fanatics who zealously spread the stoning and hanging of rape victims and homosexuals.
It is the fanatics who teach their young to kill and to become suicide bombers.
The hard, quantifiable fact is that the peaceful majority, the 'silent majority,' is cowed and extraneous.
Communist Russia was comprised of Russians who just wanted to live in peace, yet the Russian Communists were responsible for the murder of about 20 million people. The peaceful majority were irrelevant.
China 's huge population was peaceful as well, but Chinese Communists managed to kill a staggering 70 million people.
The average Japanese individual prior to World War II was not a warmongering sadist. Yet, Japan murdered and slaughtered its way across South East Asia in an orgy of killing that included the systematic murder of 12 million Chinese civilians; most killed by sword, shovel, and bayonet.
And who can forget Rwanda , which collapsed into butchery. Could it not be said that the majority of Rwandans were 'peace loving'?
History lessons are often incredibly simple and blunt, yet for all our powers of reason, we often miss the most basic and uncomplicated of points:
Peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by their silence.
Peace-loving Muslims will become our enemy if they don't speak up, because like my friend from Germany , they will awaken one day and find that the fanatics own them, and the end of their world will have begun.
Peace-loving Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians, Rwandans, Serbs, Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians, Algerians, and many others have died because the peaceful majority did not speak up until it was too late.
Now Islamic prayers have been introduced into Toronto and other public schools in Ontario , and, yes, in Ottawa too while the Lord's Prayer was removed (due to being so offensive?) The Islamic way may be peaceful for the time being in our country until the fanatics move in.
In Australia , and indeed in many countries around the world, many of the most commonly consumed food items have the Halal emblem on them. Just look at the back of some of the most popular chocolate bars, and at other food items in your local supermarket. Food on aircraft has the Halal emblem, just to appease the privileged minority who are now rapidly expanding within the nation's shores.
In the U.K, the Muslim communities refuse to integrate and there are now dozens of "no-go" zones within major cities across the country that the police force dare not intrude upon. Sharia law prevails there, because the Muslim community in those areas refuses to acknowledge British law.
As for us who watch it all unfold, we must pay attention to the only group that counts - the fanatics who threaten our way of life.
Lastly, anyone who doubts that the issue is serious and just deletes this email without sending it on is contributing to the passiveness that allows the problems to expand. So, extend yourself a bit and send this on and on and on! Let us hope that thousands, world-wide, read this and think about it, and they also continue to send it on - before it's too late.
And we are silent......
A man, whose family was German aristocracy prior to World War II, owned a number of large industries and estates. When he was asked how many German people were true Nazis, the answer he gave can guide our attitude toward fanaticism.
'Very few people were true Nazis,' he said, 'but many enjoyed the return of German pride, and many more were too busy to care. I was one of those who just thought the Nazis were a bunch of fools. So, the majority just sat back and let it all happen. Then, before we knew it, they owned us, and we had lost control, and the end of the world had come. My family lost everything. I ended up in a concentration camp and the Allies destroyed my factories.'
We are told again and again by 'experts' and 'talking heads' that Islam is the religion of peace and that the vast majority of Muslims just want to live in peace.
Although this unqualified assertion may be true, it is entirely irrelevant. It is meaningless fluff, meant to make us feel better, and meant to somehow diminish the spectre of fanatics rampaging across the globe in the name of Islam.
The fact is that the fanatics rule Islam at this moment in history.
It is the fanatics who march.
It is the fanatics who wage any one of 50 shooting wars worldwide.
It is the fanatics who systematically slaughter Christian or tribal groups throughout Africa and are gradually taking over the entire continent in an Islamic wave.
It is the fanatics who bomb, behead, murder, or honor-kill. It is the fanatics who take over mosque after mosque.
It is the fanatics who zealously spread the stoning and hanging of rape victims and homosexuals.
It is the fanatics who teach their young to kill and to become suicide bombers.
The hard, quantifiable fact is that the peaceful majority, the 'silent majority,' is cowed and extraneous.
Communist Russia was comprised of Russians who just wanted to live in peace, yet the Russian Communists were responsible for the murder of about 20 million people. The peaceful majority were irrelevant.
China 's huge population was peaceful as well, but Chinese Communists managed to kill a staggering 70 million people.
The average Japanese individual prior to World War II was not a warmongering sadist. Yet, Japan murdered and slaughtered its way across South East Asia in an orgy of killing that included the systematic murder of 12 million Chinese civilians; most killed by sword, shovel, and bayonet.
And who can forget Rwanda , which collapsed into butchery. Could it not be said that the majority of Rwandans were 'peace loving'?
History lessons are often incredibly simple and blunt, yet for all our powers of reason, we often miss the most basic and uncomplicated of points:
Peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by their silence.
Peace-loving Muslims will become our enemy if they don't speak up, because like my friend from Germany , they will awaken one day and find that the fanatics own them, and the end of their world will have begun.
Peace-loving Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians, Rwandans, Serbs, Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians, Algerians, and many others have died because the peaceful majority did not speak up until it was too late.
Now Islamic prayers have been introduced into Toronto and other public schools in Ontario , and, yes, in Ottawa too while the Lord's Prayer was removed (due to being so offensive?) The Islamic way may be peaceful for the time being in our country until the fanatics move in.
In Australia , and indeed in many countries around the world, many of the most commonly consumed food items have the Halal emblem on them. Just look at the back of some of the most popular chocolate bars, and at other food items in your local supermarket. Food on aircraft has the Halal emblem, just to appease the privileged minority who are now rapidly expanding within the nation's shores.
In the U.K, the Muslim communities refuse to integrate and there are now dozens of "no-go" zones within major cities across the country that the police force dare not intrude upon. Sharia law prevails there, because the Muslim community in those areas refuses to acknowledge British law.
As for us who watch it all unfold, we must pay attention to the only group that counts - the fanatics who threaten our way of life.
Lastly, anyone who doubts that the issue is serious and just deletes this email without sending it on is contributing to the passiveness that allows the problems to expand. So, extend yourself a bit and send this on and on and on! Let us hope that thousands, world-wide, read this and think about it, and they also continue to send it on - before it's too late.
And we are silent......
If I am not mistaken this is a Rabbi Diskin
Story
Vicki, whom I can assure you does not write silly or scrupulous
questions wrote a few posts back " I have asked what most might, think to
be silly questions. Never have i been ridiculed or laughed at" - actually
no question is silly. Rabbi Diskin was teaching in his Yeshiva. A little old
lady walked in with a question. "My cat accidentally ate Trafe meat, what
am I to do?" Rabbi Diskin's students were having a hard time holding
themselves. The Rabbi gave the lady a seat brought out three large books, The Rambam,
The Tur and the Shulchan Aruch and learned something from each. He then replied
"that the various authorities have different opinions on this. In the
future please assure that your cat does not get near non-kosher meat." His
studies then asked him why did he take his time and answer so. He told them
that if I don't take that question seriously then she will not come to me when
a serious question is to be asked.
IT IS
RARE THAT I FALL FOR AN APRIL FOOL’S DAY JOKE AS MOST PEOPLE IN MY IMMEDIATE
AREA WERE CELEBRATING ROSH CHODESH BUT I WONDERED ABOUT THIS:I know Prince
George had a Bris on the 8th day but is this rumor or true? http://jewishnews.co.uk/exclusive-prince-charles-will-convert-judaism-within-three-years/
I am worried about bad results with this blogspot after both
Stan and Barbara sent me this from the Accidental Talmudist site: A rabbi
dies and finds himself waiting in line to enter Heaven. The guy ahead of him
has a shaved head, gold chains, leather jacket, and shades.
The angel Gabriel asks the bald guy, "Name and
occupation?"
"Rafi Ashkenazi, taxi driver."
Gabriel checks his list and grins, "Shalom Aleichem! Silk
robe, gold staff. Welcome to Heaven!"
Next comes the rabbi.
"Name and occupation?"
The rabbi draws himself up with great dignity and says,
"Avraham Baruch Cohen, Senior Rabbi of Beth Jacob Synagogue for 37
years."
Gabriel checks his list and nods, "Yup. Cotton robe, wooden
staff. Keep it moving please."
"Hold it," says Rabbi Cohen, "the man before me
was a taxi driver. Why does he get special attention?"
"Up here, it's all about results," says Gabriel.
"When you sermonized, people slept. When he drove, people prayed."
What is wrong with the politically liberal Jews when it comes to
freeing Jonathan Pollard? Why was Senator Diane Feinstein one of the first to
come out against his release? She certainly was very happy and quick to secure
a deal that made over a cool billion dollars for her husband and she declared
it and it is legal under US law. Why are other liberal Jews so concerned about
Arab rights to a land that they moved to when the Jews gave them jobs to build
the land? Some of the liberals in Israel even live on Kibbutzim that took land
from the Arabs by force in 1948 and not purchased like the Jews in Yehuda and
Shomron. Why does Knesset Member Zahava Gallon complain about building over the
green line so much? I do not understand these self-hating Jews but they are
people without a land of holiness with Torah and without fairness.
Related to my writing above – Hezballah Terrorist to speak at TAU? http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/179225#.Uz0V-sZWHIU
The Shabbos
Project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhfe-MZcCjE
Inyanay Diyoma
I got this from Dr. H. I thought it was cute enough to start off the week’s news: After extensive training, my dog now sticks his tongue out when you say to her,
"Kerry". If only we could train Bibi to do the same
thing, these useless peace talks with terrorists and murderers could end.
Finally
with border infractions no arrests – shoot first and ask questions later: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4504398,00.html
Truth
about "whole grains" in the USA http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/johannah-sakimura-nutrition-sleuth/whole-truth-whole-grain/?icid=maing-grid7%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl18%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D458974
Ed-op
on woman’s army service – disclaimer this is not approved of by Charedi Rabbis:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4504160,00.html
What
Obama did not due others are doing with Al Qaeda: http://debka.com/article/23808/Syrian-rebels-allowed-to-attack-Latakia-from-Turkish-soil-under-Turkish-air-cover-Iran-raises-Cain-in-Ankara
From
Rabbi A. L. Let me see if I have this right.......
Ukraine buys almost all its energy (natural gas)from Russia. Revenues from natural gas sales are a primary source of income for Russia. Because of the recent disagreement between Ukraine and Russia, Russia is raising the price of natural gas it sells to Ukraine.
Ukraine is almost broke and can't afford the increase in the natural gas price because it would be forced into bankruptcy. Obama(the USA) just announced the United States is giving Ukraine $1 billion to assist in paying for the higher priced natural gas it buys from Russia. So, the United States is actually giving Russia $1 billion because the
money is just passing through Ukraine.
The first question: Has Putin figured out a way to raise the price of his natural gas sales and make the U.S. pay for the increase? Next question: Was he really in the KGB or was he a commodities trader?
If this analysis is accurate, Putin just got Obama(the USA) to pay him $1 billion by holding a press conference and trucking some troops across town from the Russian Navy base in Ukraine. Who is the smartest guy in the room now?
Ukraine buys almost all its energy (natural gas)from Russia. Revenues from natural gas sales are a primary source of income for Russia. Because of the recent disagreement between Ukraine and Russia, Russia is raising the price of natural gas it sells to Ukraine.
Ukraine is almost broke and can't afford the increase in the natural gas price because it would be forced into bankruptcy. Obama(the USA) just announced the United States is giving Ukraine $1 billion to assist in paying for the higher priced natural gas it buys from Russia. So, the United States is actually giving Russia $1 billion because the
money is just passing through Ukraine.
The first question: Has Putin figured out a way to raise the price of his natural gas sales and make the U.S. pay for the increase? Next question: Was he really in the KGB or was he a commodities trader?
If this analysis is accurate, Putin just got Obama(the USA) to pay him $1 billion by holding a press conference and trucking some troops across town from the Russian Navy base in Ukraine. Who is the smartest guy in the room now?
From the author –
Feeding the Demons of war: https://iranthreatassessmentcbrn.com/feeding-demons-war-washingtons-arab-palestinian-israeli-peace-process-30-march-2014-part-ii/
Despite
a weak Prime Minister Jonathan Pollard is against his release for terrorists:Jonathan refused to go to the parole board: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4505534,00.html
47
Countries designated dangerous for Israelis: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4505711,00.html
Only
large rocks not boulders says Achmed: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/179156#.UzutG8ZWHIU
This
photo of the 777 aircraft was taken a few weeks before flight 370 from Malaysia
look second row on left side: http://iai-gimlaim.org/upload/gimlaon_99_internet.pdf
Running
Hamas from the Israeli Jail: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4506240,00.html
Finally
on the same page time schedule wise??? http://debka.com/article/23816/Dempsey-claims-Israel-satisfied-the-US-will-use-military-option-against-Iran-DEBKAfile-Israel-doesn’t-say-this
100 man
FBI team raids a 91 Year Old’s home and he is co-operating with them: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/03/fbi-native-american-artifacts_n_5085301.html?1396547629&icid=maing-grid7%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl4%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D460927
Let
them join the Hague and we will put Abu Mazen on trial for war crimes against
civilians: http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Palestinians-warn-We-will-join-the-Hague-347368
Good
terrorists and perhaps good lawyers: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4506240,00.html
Before
Al Qaeda in Sinai this is what I patrolled against this soldier was injured in
a gun battle: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/179204#.Uz0V88ZWHIU
Rockets
near Sderot and reply: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/179256#.Uz53isZWHIU
Coded
messages to jailed terrorists: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/179262#.Uz537sZWHIU
Get
ready to say Hallel: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/179265#.Uz54h8ZWHIU
'Miracle' Saves Charedi Soldier From
Terrorist's Gun: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/179258#.Uz548MZWHIU
Now for M. Wolfberg’s Good Shabbos Story “Evil Tongue “ “Talking
Trash”
Good Shabbos Everyone.
In this week's parsha Tazria the Torah describes how the Kohain was
responsible for diagnosing tzaraas, a skin disease which inflicted Jews who had
violated Torah ethics, especially the prohibition against speaking Lashon Horah
- slander. The Talmud tells us that Lashon Horah kills three people: the
speaker, the listener, and the one about whom the slander is spoken. (Erachin
15a) The following inspirational story will inspire us to watch our
words.
Once, there was a man in a small town who did not like the mayor of the town. The mayor had done the man no harm and, in fact, was a very good person. The man was perhaps jealous of the prestige of the mayor. Therefore, the man began to spread terrible rumors and lies about the mayor. As a result the mayor's reputation and good name were severely damaged. When the man realized the extent of the damage he had caused, he felt very remorseful.
He chose to visit the mayor in order to beg for his forgiveness. He asked the mayor "Is there any way I can undo the damage I have done?"
The mayor replied "Go home and take a feather pillow from your bed. Tear it open and scatter the feathers to the wind."
Eager to make up for the damage he had caused the mayor, the man rushed home and did as the mayor had suggested. He returned to the mayor later in the day and reported that he had done as the mayor had requested.
"Very good," the mayor told him, "Now there is one thing more you must do. Go out and collect the feathers and return them to the pillow".
"But mayor," stammered the man, "That's impossible. "By this time they have scattered far and wide and there is no way I can find each of them!" The mayor nodded wisely and replied, "Just as the feathers are gone and scattered to the wind, so too are the words you have spoken about me - there is no way you can ever gather them all back." Such is the damage of Lashon Horah. (Attributed to the Chofetz Chayim) It should be enough that the Torah explicitly forbids speaking Lashon Horah. However, the Sages, wishing to emphasize the severity of this violation, have expressed in many places the evil of Lashon Horah. For example, the Sages tell us, "Anyone who speaks Lashon Horah and anyone listens and accepts Lashon Horah as being true… is fit to be thrown to the dogs." (Pesachim 118a) Also, "Anyone who speaks Lashon Horah should be killed by stoning." (Erachin 15b) And if this were not bad enough, the Sages go on to tell us: "Concerning one who speaks Lashon Horah, the Holy One blessed be He says, 'he and I cannot live [together] in this world.'" (Ibid.) As we approach Pesach, it is important to internalize the lessons of this week's parsha. Pesach marks the beginning of the independence of the Jewish people, a process which was completed at Har Sinai with the receiving of the Torah. The concepts of Pesach therefore symbolize the character of the Jewish Nation. Apropos to our discussion about Lashon Horah, the Chassidishe Seforim tell us that the word "Pesach" can be separated into two words "Peh" - mouth, and "Sach" speak. Also, Pharaoh can be broken down into "Peh" mouth, and "Rah" - bad. Thus, the Jewish Nation is recognized by their great ability to express themselves with their mouths. While the Egyptians - the nations, are symbolized by their use of the mouth for evil.
Let us be inspired by this week's discussion to dedicate and rededicate ourselves to avoiding speaking bad about others. A simple rule to remember is a statement which has helped many: "Don't mention mentschen (people)." If we avoid talking about others, we will avoid most forms of Lashon Horah. Good Shabbos Everyone.
Once, there was a man in a small town who did not like the mayor of the town. The mayor had done the man no harm and, in fact, was a very good person. The man was perhaps jealous of the prestige of the mayor. Therefore, the man began to spread terrible rumors and lies about the mayor. As a result the mayor's reputation and good name were severely damaged. When the man realized the extent of the damage he had caused, he felt very remorseful.
He chose to visit the mayor in order to beg for his forgiveness. He asked the mayor "Is there any way I can undo the damage I have done?"
The mayor replied "Go home and take a feather pillow from your bed. Tear it open and scatter the feathers to the wind."
Eager to make up for the damage he had caused the mayor, the man rushed home and did as the mayor had suggested. He returned to the mayor later in the day and reported that he had done as the mayor had requested.
"Very good," the mayor told him, "Now there is one thing more you must do. Go out and collect the feathers and return them to the pillow".
"But mayor," stammered the man, "That's impossible. "By this time they have scattered far and wide and there is no way I can find each of them!" The mayor nodded wisely and replied, "Just as the feathers are gone and scattered to the wind, so too are the words you have spoken about me - there is no way you can ever gather them all back." Such is the damage of Lashon Horah. (Attributed to the Chofetz Chayim) It should be enough that the Torah explicitly forbids speaking Lashon Horah. However, the Sages, wishing to emphasize the severity of this violation, have expressed in many places the evil of Lashon Horah. For example, the Sages tell us, "Anyone who speaks Lashon Horah and anyone listens and accepts Lashon Horah as being true… is fit to be thrown to the dogs." (Pesachim 118a) Also, "Anyone who speaks Lashon Horah should be killed by stoning." (Erachin 15b) And if this were not bad enough, the Sages go on to tell us: "Concerning one who speaks Lashon Horah, the Holy One blessed be He says, 'he and I cannot live [together] in this world.'" (Ibid.) As we approach Pesach, it is important to internalize the lessons of this week's parsha. Pesach marks the beginning of the independence of the Jewish people, a process which was completed at Har Sinai with the receiving of the Torah. The concepts of Pesach therefore symbolize the character of the Jewish Nation. Apropos to our discussion about Lashon Horah, the Chassidishe Seforim tell us that the word "Pesach" can be separated into two words "Peh" - mouth, and "Sach" speak. Also, Pharaoh can be broken down into "Peh" mouth, and "Rah" - bad. Thus, the Jewish Nation is recognized by their great ability to express themselves with their mouths. While the Egyptians - the nations, are symbolized by their use of the mouth for evil.
Let us be inspired by this week's discussion to dedicate and rededicate ourselves to avoiding speaking bad about others. A simple rule to remember is a statement which has helped many: "Don't mention mentschen (people)." If we avoid talking about others, we will avoid most forms of Lashon Horah. Good Shabbos Everyone.
Good Shabbos Everyone. In
this week's parsha Metzora the Torah further describes the condition tzaraas, a
skin disease which inflicted Jews who had violated the prohibitions against
hurting other people with words. It was the job of the Kohain to
determine the status of someone who appeared before him with the apparent
symptoms of tzraraas. After examining the "patient" the Kohain
made a verbal declaration as to the status of the person afflicted.
From here, says the Dubner Magid, we see the power of words. Bad
words caused the affliction, and, with a verbal declaration, the Kohain would
establish that someone was pure or impure. (Vayikra 13,3)
Shlomo HaMelech states
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue." (Mishlei -
Proverbs 18,21) This verse is self- explanatory. The commentator
Orchos Tzadikim comments on this verse by saying "There is no limit to the
amount of mitzvahs one can do with their mouth." (Gate of Lashon
HaRah 25) The following inspirational true story illustrates this concept.
Moishe is a professional who is
married and is Boruch Hashem raising a fine religious family in a neighborhood
whose streets are dotted by shuls and battei midrash - Torah study halls.
Moishe says, "Daf Yomi saved my life."
He explains: "As a yeshivah high-school student, I was not very successful in my Torah studies. I had trouble grasping some of the more difficult concepts and had difficulty retaining whatever I did manage to understand.
"One day, I was studying in the yeshivah's beis midrash and I thought of what seemed to be a good question on the Gemara which I was learning. I approached one of the older beis midrash students whom I knew well.
"When he heard my question, he could not help but smile. 'Moishe,' he said, 'that's a question that only an am ha'aretz (ignoramus) would ask. You had better start working harder at your learning, or that's exactly what you're going to grow up to be an am ha'aretz.
"His words cut through me like a knife. I assumed that his assessment of me as an am ha'aretz was correct, but he was wrong in thinking that I wasn't trying hard. I was, it just didn't come easy to me. I decided then and there that it was no use trying any more — I was doomed to failure.
"I graduated high school, left yeshivah, and rarely opened a sefer for many years. It was very painful to me when my children would ask me to help them with their learning and I could not.
"In 1982, the siyum (completion) of Daf Yomi generated great excitement worldwide. In my neighborhood, new shiurim (lectures) were beginning and some of my friends were joining up. I felt caught up in the excitement and decided to give it a shot. I began to attend a shiur and was amazed to discover that I understood it!
"To make a long story short, I now study the daf five times a day. I attend a shiur in the morning before work, listen to it again in the car on the way to work, then again on the way home from work. I then go to a second shiur on the same daf at night after work, and then I review it on my own. And guess what? Not only do I understand the Gemara, I even retain a lot of it. "Yes, Daf Yomi saved my life." (From Shabbos Stories Rabbi Shimon Finkelman, Parshas Metzora)
Thankfully, Moishe "rebounded" from the damaging remarks which had hurt him so much in his early years. He has managed to learn through the entire Talmud five times every seven and a half years! However, think about the black mark on the record of the person who had squelched Moishe's desire to learn for so many years. How many Moishes are there out there who never rebounded?
Recently, educators have "discovered" the theory of positive reinforcement. Instead of directly criticizing a child for misbehavior, for example, "You are so lazy, you never clean up your room," experts now recommend saying something such as: "You are usually so good about cleaning up your room, you are usually so tidy, let's see if you can continue to be so good at cleaning up your room, etc."
This theory is nothing new however. The wisest of all men Shlomo HaMelech (King Solomon) taught us the theory of positive reinforcement. The verse states: "Don’t rebuke a scoffer, lest he come to hate you; rebuke a wise person, and he will love you." (Mishlei - Proverbs 9:8) The commentator Shlah (c. 1565 - 1630) explains this verse to mean: Don't rebuke someone by calling them a scoffer, because they will hate you; rather, if you want to accomplish something with the rebuke, use positive reinforcement; For example, "you are usually so good about cleaning up your room, etc."
By using our mouths for good, there is no limit, says the Orchos Tzadikim, to the mitzvahs that we can accomplish. The "power of death and life is in the tongue" says Mishlei. We can build and, heaven forbid, break others with our words. Good Shabbos Everyone. M. Wolfberg is sponsored by: L'illui Nishmas Aryeh Leib ben Avrohom and Malka bas Tzvi Refuah Shleima to Reb Mordechai Mendel ben Tziporah Yitta Refuah Shleima to Leah bas Tziporah
He explains: "As a yeshivah high-school student, I was not very successful in my Torah studies. I had trouble grasping some of the more difficult concepts and had difficulty retaining whatever I did manage to understand.
"One day, I was studying in the yeshivah's beis midrash and I thought of what seemed to be a good question on the Gemara which I was learning. I approached one of the older beis midrash students whom I knew well.
"When he heard my question, he could not help but smile. 'Moishe,' he said, 'that's a question that only an am ha'aretz (ignoramus) would ask. You had better start working harder at your learning, or that's exactly what you're going to grow up to be an am ha'aretz.
"His words cut through me like a knife. I assumed that his assessment of me as an am ha'aretz was correct, but he was wrong in thinking that I wasn't trying hard. I was, it just didn't come easy to me. I decided then and there that it was no use trying any more — I was doomed to failure.
"I graduated high school, left yeshivah, and rarely opened a sefer for many years. It was very painful to me when my children would ask me to help them with their learning and I could not.
"In 1982, the siyum (completion) of Daf Yomi generated great excitement worldwide. In my neighborhood, new shiurim (lectures) were beginning and some of my friends were joining up. I felt caught up in the excitement and decided to give it a shot. I began to attend a shiur and was amazed to discover that I understood it!
"To make a long story short, I now study the daf five times a day. I attend a shiur in the morning before work, listen to it again in the car on the way to work, then again on the way home from work. I then go to a second shiur on the same daf at night after work, and then I review it on my own. And guess what? Not only do I understand the Gemara, I even retain a lot of it. "Yes, Daf Yomi saved my life." (From Shabbos Stories Rabbi Shimon Finkelman, Parshas Metzora)
Thankfully, Moishe "rebounded" from the damaging remarks which had hurt him so much in his early years. He has managed to learn through the entire Talmud five times every seven and a half years! However, think about the black mark on the record of the person who had squelched Moishe's desire to learn for so many years. How many Moishes are there out there who never rebounded?
Recently, educators have "discovered" the theory of positive reinforcement. Instead of directly criticizing a child for misbehavior, for example, "You are so lazy, you never clean up your room," experts now recommend saying something such as: "You are usually so good about cleaning up your room, you are usually so tidy, let's see if you can continue to be so good at cleaning up your room, etc."
This theory is nothing new however. The wisest of all men Shlomo HaMelech (King Solomon) taught us the theory of positive reinforcement. The verse states: "Don’t rebuke a scoffer, lest he come to hate you; rebuke a wise person, and he will love you." (Mishlei - Proverbs 9:8) The commentator Shlah (c. 1565 - 1630) explains this verse to mean: Don't rebuke someone by calling them a scoffer, because they will hate you; rather, if you want to accomplish something with the rebuke, use positive reinforcement; For example, "you are usually so good about cleaning up your room, etc."
By using our mouths for good, there is no limit, says the Orchos Tzadikim, to the mitzvahs that we can accomplish. The "power of death and life is in the tongue" says Mishlei. We can build and, heaven forbid, break others with our words. Good Shabbos Everyone. M. Wolfberg is sponsored by: L'illui Nishmas Aryeh Leib ben Avrohom and Malka bas Tzvi Refuah Shleima to Reb Mordechai Mendel ben Tziporah Yitta Refuah Shleima to Leah bas Tziporah
Last piece of advice if you have not started cleaning the
refrigerator and if you have a deep freezer start Motzei Shabbos if you have
not prepared shelves for Kosher Le Pessach do so as soon as possible, shop
early because one might forget a few minor items and why wait on lines when the
stores are full.
Have a blessed Shabbos,
Rachamim Pauli
