19 Shevat 5771
January 24, 2011

By Rabbi Tsvi Rogin

 As Rabbi Kaganoff correctly pointed out, the minimum dough from which there is an obligation to separate challah is one made from a quantity of flour of 43.2 eggs in volume.

This is a shiur of volume, and not a shiur of weight. Many authorities give a weight as a practical shiur to use. Most of these are machshil es harabbim. Rabbi Kaganoff may have avoided this charge, but nevertheless, he has repeated a serious error.

Different types of flour have different densities (weight to volume ratios). Furthermore the same exact flour will weigh different amounts depending on where it is or when it is. What do I mean by this? (more…)

18 Shevat 5771
January 23, 2011
Some Practical Questions about Hilchos Challah
By Rabbi Yirmiyohu Kaganoff

Shaylah #1: Mrs. Ginsburg calls me with the following question:

“I like to separate challah with a bracha, but I do not have a bowl big enough to hold the minimum amount of dough necessary. Instead, I have been mixing the dough in two bowls, and draping a cloth over them. Someone told me that this is not a satisfactory method of combining the doughs and that I have been reciting invalid brachos as a result. What is the correct way to separate challah?” (more…)

14 Shevat 5771
January 19, 2011

By Rabbi Yirmiyohu Kaganoff

Question:
Recently, our school had several fruit trees planted for decorative and educational purposes. Someone told us that we must carefully collect the fallen fruits and bury them to make sure that no one eats them. Is there really an arlah prohibition in chutz la’aretz, and is it possible that these fully grown trees are producing arlah fruits? If indeed we need to be concerned about arlah, do we also need to redeem the fruits of the tree in the fourth year?

Before we can answer these questions, we need to discuss the following topics: (more…)

7 Shevat 5771
January 12, 2011
By Rabbi Yirmiyohu Kaganoff

In honor of the month of Shvat, and a bit before Tu Beshvat, I decided to send an article that explains the halachos of the bracha Hanosein rei’ach tov ba’peiros “He who bestows pleasant fragrances in fruits.” Many authorities prefer the version Asher nasan rei’ach tov ba’peiros, in past tense, “He who bestowed pleasant fragrances in fruits” (Eliyah Rabbah 216:5; Mishnah Berurah 216:9).

Here are some curious questions about this bracha that we need to resolve:

1.  Do we recite this bracha on a food that is not a fruit? (more…)

5 Shevat 5771
January 10, 2011

This past week, an ad appeared in many newspapers here in Eretz Yisrael, stating that the Badat”z Eida Chareidis has halted its supervision on Sultam brand pots. Therefore, the Eida announced that those purchasing the pots should be aware that hagala and tveila are required. This left many puzzled, as this “requirement” to kasher new pots is not mentioned in the Shulchan Aruch. Is this halacha? Chumra? Why do some people do it and others do not?

To address these issues, and to hopefully shed some light on the halachic issues involved, I wrote a short overview posted on Jerusalem Kosher News.

This is a much expanded version, including source notes and the sevaros behind the psakim.

Please see the endnotes:

Kashering New Pots?! (more…)

 24 Cheshvan
1 November 2010

By Rabbi Yirmiyohu Kaganoff

Question #1:
“When I was young, I do not think I ever heard about a prohibition called chodosh, or that something was yoshon. Now I am constantly hearing these terms. Do we now have a new mitzvah?”

Question #2:
“We have decided to stay permanently in Eretz Yisrael, but we visit the United States a few times a year. Do we need to be concerned about chodosh when we visit?” (more…)

10 Cheshvan 5771
October 18, 2010

By Rabbi Yehuda Spitz

The next time you are at a bris, as you are about to smear a nice dollop of cream cheese on your bagel and add the lox (obviously not at the fleishig brissos that are ubiquitous here in Eretz Yisrael, and rightly so (1)), look around and see if others are doing the same. You might just find that certain people (probably Sefardic or Chassidish) will refrain from doing so. Aside from those who are allergic to or can’t stand fish (of which I am a charter member of the latter), there is a large portion of observant Jewry who will not eat a fish and milk combination.

“Hold your horses!” one might exclaim. “I’ve never seen any mention of this in my Chumash, or even Shulchan Aruch! Not only that, The Shulchan Aruch (2)  says that the exact converse is true – that one may cook together milk and fish, for there is no issur involved, even d’rabbanan! Is this a new chumra of the week? And how exactly am I expected to go to a bris and not have bagels with lox and cream cheese? It just wouldn’t seem Jewish!” (more…)

11 Tevet 5770
December 28, 2009

(By Rabbi Yehuda Spitz)

I hope everyone had a meaningful and enjoyable Chanukah. Here is an Halachic post dealing with the topic of “Shnei Keilim” – two pots that touched while cooking. As you may recall, I previously posted a mini-book I authored on the issue. This is a summary. (more…)