Volume 32: Number 123
Mon, 18 Aug 2014
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Message: 1
From: Zev Sero
Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 11:18:36 -0400
Subject: Re: [Avodah] Error in Magen Avraham 428
On 6/08/2014 7:53 AM, elazar teitz via Avodah wrote:
> As for the MA stating that Rosh Hashana is delayed if the molad takes
> place after 18:00 JMT, which RMY characterized as an error because it
> is true not only after, but also at 18:00, I don't believe it is an
> error. The MA was giving practical rules for determining the calendar.
> A molad occurring exactly at 18:00 happens once in 2096 years. Its first
> occurrence, if I am not mistaken, was Shvat 351; the second, in 2447'; and
> the third in 4543. The next is scheduled for 6639, when the dechiya will
> no longer necessarily exist.
Also, isn't it an unresolved machlokes? My understanding is that in 4543
there was a split, and some communities delayed RH while some didn't, and
that we won't know which ones were right until we can ask the members of
Hillel II's sanhedrin (if then).
--
Zev Sero Sufficiently advanced incompetence is indistinguishable
z...@sero.name from malice.
- Eric Raymond
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Message: 2
From: Zev Sero
Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 14:17:15 -0400
Subject: Re: [Avodah] Insights Into Halacha: Smoking and Halacha: A
On 14/08/2014 10:45 AM, Joseph Kaplan via Avodah wrote:
RZS wrote:
>> Each cigarette smoked, over the fairly low threshold of one a day,
>> slightly increases the statistical likelihood that the smoker's life
>> will be shorter than it would otherwise have been. The evidence for
>> this is overwhelming, and only an idiot would, knowing this,
>> nevertheless take the habit up. But there is nothing in the gemara or
>> in any rishon or acharon that forbids a similar practice, which could
>> be used as a precedent for banning it.
> Other than achronim and smoking, did halacha ever deal with similar
> issue? Indeed, were there similar issues where, as RZS also writes,
> there was very strong evidence that doing a particular act would
> shorten one?s life?
But that is *not* the case with smoking. Smoking does *not* shorten one's
life. It is entirely possible for a chain smoker to live a long and healthy
life. Jeanne Calment, the longest-lived person on record, smoked until the
age of 117. And a person can get lung cancer without smoking at all, or die
young from some other cause. Smoking merely *increases the likelihood* that
ones life will be shorter than it would otherwise have been. There's no
cause-and-effect relationship, as there is with all the examples given for
"venishmartem".
> IOW, how important is the lack of precedence if
> we?re dealing with a new situation (which might be the case depending
> on the answer to my first two questions)?
Without a precedent, how can any modern posek declare that something is
included in the established issur of "venishmartem"? He can make his own
gezeira, if he likes, but he would be legislating rather than expressing a
legal opinion, and thus it would be irrelevant to all except those who
have given him the authority to legislate for them. To say that it's
included in the existing gezera he must have some reason to suppose that
to be so, and the only possible basis is the examples given for when it
applies. If it's not like those examples, then how can he know that it's
included anyway? Nevuah?!
> FWIW, I always understood R. Moshe?s teshuva and reference to shomer
> pesaim to really refer to people who were already smokers, because
> telling them to stop would be similar to a gezerah she?eyn hatzibur
> yachol la?amod bah.
That only applies to enacting a new law, not to giving an opinion about
what the law already is. So the moment you invoke that principle you're
already talking about new legislation, not the existing law of "venishmartem".
> But starting to smoke knowing what we now know would be assur
On what basis? Just because it's a very bad idea doesn't make it assur.
RMF could have assered it for those who gave him that authority over their
lives, but not for klal yisroel.
--
Zev Sero Sufficiently advanced incompetence is indistinguishable
z...@sero.name from malice.
- Eric Raymond
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Message: 3
From: Arie Folger
Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 01:28:21 +0200
Subject: Re: [Avodah] A Temple in Flames
RET and RMB wrote how they understood the story of Kimchis meriting to see
all her seven sons be kohanim gedolim, not to be historical.
RET wrote:
> I have never understood this story
> Assuming it happened towards the end of basis send as Micha does
> then the high priests were not tzaddikim and bought the position
> Furthermore for 7 sons to be high priests either they all died young
> like every year or else became take for you Kippur almost every year
I believe that there were more than one kohen gadol in function at any
given time. Only one was THE kohen gadol, but since it is practically
impossible to remain tahor all the time, and since arguably the KG may have
had other business to attend (he was, after all, also often involved in
leadership issues), the sgan could take over. IIRC it is particularly
regarding Kimchis that we are told one son became tame and so another son
served in his stead, and that this was on Yom Kippur, no less.
If you think of an administration with several sganim, you could easily
explain the Kimchis story. Whether in bayis rishon or sheni.
KNLAD. KT,
--
Arie Folger,
Recent blog posts on http://ariefolger.wordpress.com/
* Wie entstand und was bedeutet der bevorstehender Fastentag des 17. Tammus
* Do Not Forget, Do Not Shove it Under the Carpet
* ORD-Seminar in Regensburg
* Nach welchem Prinzip sind die f?nf B?cher Mose organisiert?
* R?ckblick auf Limmud.de
* In the Paris Jewish community, more women than men are recalcitrant
spouses.
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Message: 4
From: Simon Montagu
Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 03:17:01 +0300
Subject: Re: [Avodah] Insights Into Halacha: Smoking and Halacha: A
On Wed, Aug 13, 2014 at 9:42 PM, Zev Sero via Avodah
<avo...@lists.aishdas.org> wrote:
> I have raised this objection before, to the claim that smoking
> can fall under "venishmartem". There is simply no source for including a
> practise that has no probability of killing one. Nobody has ever smoked
> a cigarette and dropped dead of it. And there is nobody whose death can
> be definitively attributed even to a lifetime of heavy smoking. Thus,
> it cannot be compared to *any* of the examples we have of practises
> banned under the rubric of "venishmartem".
Is it so different from meat and fish? I don't know exactly what
"kashe ledavar aher" means, but I also don't know anybody who has
eaten meat and fish cooked together and contracted leprosy or anything
else, let alone dropped dead, but it's still assur.
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Message: 5
From: Kenneth Miller
Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 02:35:49 GMT
Subject: Re: [Avodah] Insights Into Halacha: Smoking and Halacha: A
R' Joseph Kaplan wrote:
> FWIW, I always understood R. Moshe?s teshuva and reference to shomer
> pesaim to really refer to people who were already smokers, because
> telling them to stop would be similar to a gezerah she?eyn hatzibur
> yachol la?amod bah.
R' Zev Sero responded:
> That only applies to enacting a new law, not to giving an opinion
> about what the law already is. So the moment you invoke that
> principle you're already talking about new legislation, not the
> existing law of "venishmartem".
On technical grounds, I supposed I'd have to agree with RZS, that "gezerah
she?eyn hatzibur yachol la?amod bah" only applies when legislating a new
law; it cannot be used to undo an established law that becomes too
difficult later on.
Nevertheless, RJK's words made me think of a different legal approach.
Perhaps R. Moshe?s teshuva and reference to shomer pesaim was not intended
to revoke a valid law. Perhaps he meant to refer to people who were already
smokers, because telling them to stop would be a futile gesture, and
outside the limits of Tochachah: Mutav she'yihyu shogagin.
Even if one does believe smoking to be assur, I cannot imagine that it is
in the category of issurim which we must protest even when we know that the
tochacha will go unheeded. Rather, there is a non-negligible voice in the
medical community which says that smoking is less dangerous than one might
think, and we've such arguments here in this very thread.
So perhaps some of these poskim were getting into "Halacha V'Ein Morin
Kein" territory: Perhaps these poskim were deliberately NOT telling us the
actual halacha as they saw it. Rather, they were telling us that which they
felt would accomplish the most good for the widest range of people - heavy
smokers, light smokers, and non-smokers. Perhaps.
Akiva Miller
____________________________________________________________
Virginia Drivers:
(Aug 2014): New "Rule" Leaves Virginia Drivers Furious!
http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3131/53ed722b7e762722b4ddest02vuc
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Message: 6
From: Zev Sero
Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 01:03:17 -0400
Subject: Re: [Avodah] Insights Into Halacha: Smoking and Halacha: A
On 14/08/2014 8:17 PM, Simon Montagu wrote:
> On Wed, Aug 13, 2014 at 9:42 PM, Zev Sero via Avodah
> <avo...@lists.aishdas.org> wrote:
>> I have raised this objection before, to the claim that smoking
>> can fall under "venishmartem". There is simply no source for including a
>> practise that has no probability of killing one. Nobody has ever smoked
>> a cigarette and dropped dead of it. And there is nobody whose death can
>> be definitively attributed even to a lifetime of heavy smoking. Thus,
>> it cannot be compared to *any* of the examples we have of practises
>> banned under the rubric of "venishmartem".
> Is it so different from meat and fish? I don't know exactly what
> "kashe ledavar aher" means, but I also don't know anybody who has
> eaten meat and fish cooked together and contracted leprosy or anything
> else, let alone dropped dead, but it's still assur.
You may not know anyone to whom it's happened, but the theory is that it
can cause leprosy. Not that it will inevitably do so -- if you're lucky
you might get away with it -- but that in some cases it will directly give
you leprosy, in exactly the same way that eating unripe fruit will sometimes
give you a stomach ache. Perhaps you've never seen it because the theory
isn't true, or perhaps because "binsa" is not a generic term for fish, it's
the name of one particular fish. (The two Aris say it's the same fish the
gemara also calls "shibuta", and that its scientific name is barbus grypus;
perhaps they're right, and that fish should not be eaten with meat, or perhaps
it's some other fish, and we avoid eating all fish with meat because we don't
know which one is dangerous.)
--
Zev Sero Sufficiently advanced incompetence is indistinguishable
z...@sero.name from malice.
- Eric Raymond
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Message: 7
From: Prof. Levine
Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 09:23:33 -0400
Subject: [Avodah] Halachos pertaining to eating meals and food
The following is from today's Halacha for Today at
http://halachafortodaycom.blogspot.com/ See
http://halachafortodaycom.blogspot.com/p/week-in-review.html
for related halachos that were emailed last week.
1) It is imperative to eat with Derech Eretz, in a dignified way.
According to the Rambam (Sefer HaMitzvos, Lo Ta'aseh 195) and other
Poskim, eating in a non dignified manner may be a transgression of
one or more biblical transgressions. (See Aruch HaShulchan Siman
157:1 and Elya Rabbah Siman 170:23 what he quotes from the Shl"a)
2) One should not eat while standing. (Rambam Hilchos Dayos 4:3. See
also Ben Ish Chai Parshas B'Har Siman 11)
L'Chatchila, it is also best not to drink while standing. Though many
people are not stringent with this, and they do have on whom to rely,
the AriZal was very careful with this. (Mishna Berura Siman 296:6.
See also Shu"t Rav P'Alim Vol. 2 Siman 45)
Some Poskim maintain that only Talmidei Chachamim (Torah scholars)
need to be stringent not to drink while standing, but other people
need not be stringent with this. (See Shulchan Aruch Harav Siman
296:15. Though, from his language it seems that even non Talmidei
Chachamim should try and emulate the Talmidei Chachamim in this
matter when possible)
----------
Eating while standing is common at a kiddush and at a
smorgasbord. Indeed, more often than not there are not enough
tables at a smorgasbord before the chupah for everyone to sit. I can
only wonder why people are not concerned about this today. YL
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Message: 8
From: Micha Berger
Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 15:09:40 -0400
Subject: [Avodah] learning physics
On Fri, Aug 15, 2014 at 04:08:36PM +0200, Ben Waxman via Areivim wrote:
: SMS question to Rav Aviner:
: Q: Is it true that one can learn physics from the Torah?
: RA: No, it is not.
: Q: But the Gra learned physics from the Torah!
: RA: You're not the Gra.
... and the Gra didn't. Ayil Meshulash could only have ben written
by someone who not konly knew Euclidean Geometry, but read Euclid's
presentation of it. Or perhaps a text based on it.
Much the way the R' Gedalia Nadel reports that the CI learned from
neurology texts and didn't deduce the field from the Torah. (Evidence of
said knowledge: <http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=21194&;pgnum=504>.)
When we say that everything is in the Torah that doesn't mean even the Gra
can get it /from/ the Torah. Rather, a Gra could find where the geometry
he learned Euclid has a place in Torah. More than that, he held it was
mandatory to study Euclid in order to create that unified picture.
R Barukh Schick of Shklov, in his intro to Seifer Uklidos (Euclid),
published at the behest of the Gra, writes:
When I was in the illustrious city of Vilna in the presence of the
Rav, the light, the great Gaon, my master and teacher, the light of
the eyes of the exile, the renowned pious one (may Hashem protect and
save him) Rav Eliyahu, in the month of Teves 5538 [January 1778],
I heard from his holy mouth that according to what a person is
lacking in knowledge of the "other wisdoms," correspondingly he will
be lacking one hundred portions in the wisdom of the Torah, because
the Torah and the 'other wisdoms' are inextricably linked together ...
:-)BBii!
-Micha
--
Micha Berger What you get by achieving your goals
mi...@aishdas.org is not as important as
http://www.aishdas.org what you become by achieving your goals.
Fax: (270) 514-1507 - Henry David Thoreau
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Message: 9
From: Micha Berger
Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 13:26:30 -0400
Subject: Re: [Avodah] Insights Into Halacha: Smoking and Halacha: A
On Fri, Aug 15, 2014 at 01:03:17AM -0400, Zev Sero via Avodah wrote:
: On 14/08/2014 8:17 PM, Simon Montagu wrote:
: >Is it so different from meat and fish? I don't know exactly what
: >"kashe ledavar aher" means, but I also don't know anybody who has
: >eaten meat and fish cooked together and contracted leprosy or anything
: >else, let alone dropped dead, but it's still assur.
:
: You may not know anyone to whom it's happened, but the theory is that it
: can cause leprosy...
I'm inclined to agree wit hRSM that "kasheh le-" appears to mean that
"it raises the probability of succombing to", whether by making the
disease more likely or reducing one's ability to overcome it once caught.
But there is an obvious difference, and it inherest in both you
referring to leprosy. The gemara says it's kasheh letzara'as. Tzara'as
isn't leprosy, it's a disease we already know has a unique connection
to metaphysics and sekhar va'onesh. While the risk being described is
medical, it's unclear to me that the causality is medical rather than
all that metaphysical causality I try to avoid having to believe in.
I wouldn't treat mead-and-fish as a data point. I am not saying it's
necessarily different than smoking, but since it's esy enough to show
that it could be, I wouldn't try proving anything from it.
Also, meat-and-fish AFAIK is not addictive. So the risk involved in eating
a combination of the two is the risk in a single episode of eating it. With
smoking, each smoke also increases the chance of future smoking, so that
the measure goes beyond the decrease in life expectancy caused directly by
the one cigarette.
In any case, speaking off-topic for a moment: I tried cancer. I do not
recommend it. I would be happier knowing that none of us did things that
would increase their odds of having the experience.
Tir'u baTov!
-Micha
--
Micha Berger None of us will leave this place alive.
mi...@aishdas.org All that is left to us is
http://www.aishdas.org to be as human as possible while we are here.
Fax: (270) 514-1507 - Anonymous MD, while a Nazi prisoner
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Message: 10
From: Micha Berger
Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 15:26:16 -0400
Subject: [Avodah] London Beit Din Kashrut Guidelines for Scotch
A second Areivim thread I believe crossed the line into Avodah territory.
On Fri, Aug 15, 2014 at 10:28:33AM -0400, Prof. Levine wrote to Areivim:
>> Please find below the LBD guidelines for scotch whisky:
>> 1) No additives are allowed in Scotch Whisky with the exception of
>> Caramel Colour which is kosher.
>> 2) Ordinary Scotch Whisky whether Single Malt or Blended without any
>> mention of the use of sherry, port or other wine casks on the label
>> or marketing literature, can be consumed confidently without any
>> concerns relating to it having been in contact with wine casks.
>> 3) Whisky which has been matured in wine casks has been subject to
>> detailed Halachic consideration by major poskim (including Minchas
>> Yitzchok Vol 2, 28 and Igros Moshe Yore Deah Vol 1, 62 and 63) who
>> did not forbid its consumption.
>> 4) There is a new process however, known as Wine Cask Finishes (also
>> referred to as double or second maturation) which is a secondary
>> process that some claim is specifically designed to enhance the
>> flavour of otherwise fully matured whisky and impart a recognisable
>> taste of the wine. This new process may not be covered by all the
>> aforementioned heterim and accordingly some may wish to avoid
>> products so labelled.
>> The KLBD continues to allow all types of Scotch Whisky, based on
>> Teshuvos Igros Moshe.
> From the cRc regarding Scotch
>> The alert that went out was regarding "THE Speyside Scotch" which is
>> a single brand that was under Global Kosher. This did not refer to
>> other brands of scotch produced in the Speyside region of Scotland.
> The "not recommended" scotches are ones that we know for sure are
>> using sherry casks, and are listed as such for those who wish to be
>> more machmir.
>> Rabbi Dovid Aronin
>> Chicago Rabbinical Council
>> daro...@crcweb.org
The quote from the KLBD had me wondering::
: 3) Whisky which has been matured in wine casks has been subject to
: detailed Halachic consideration by major poskim (including Minchas
: Yitzchok Vol 2, 28 and Igros Moshe Yore Deah Vol 1, 62 and 63) who
: did not forbid its consumption.
This is loaded language. The IM didn't meatly "not forbid", he said
it was mutar, complemented R' Pinchas Teitz on having a mispalel who
wants to enable lifnim mishuras hadin, and wished the man success in
his nekosher whiskey business.
: The KLBD continues to allow all types of Scotch Whisky, based on
: Teshuvos Igros Moshe.
Fine for the KLBD. But, it's very hard to see why any non-chassidish
Ashkenazi Americans (unlike the LBD) would have any reason to be
concerned. This question was pasqened lehaqil very clearly and firmly.
RMF writes that since stam yeinam is batel 1/6, it's not an issue of
nosein ta'am. Rather, it stops being yayin and becomes kiyusha, which
is outside the gezeira.
:-)BBii!
-Micha
--
Micha Berger If you won't be better tomorrow
mi...@aishdas.org than you were today,
http://www.aishdas.org then what need do you have for tomorrow?
Fax: (270) 514-1507 - Rebbe Nachman of Breslov
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Message: 11
From: Zev Sero
Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 13:35:58 -0400
Subject: Re: [Avodah] Insights Into Halacha: Smoking and Halacha: A
On 17/08/2014 1:26 PM, Micha Berger wrote:
> But there is an obvious difference, and it inherest in both you
> referring to leprosy. The gemara says it's kasheh letzara'as. Tzara'as
> isn't leprosy, it's a disease we already know has a unique connection
> to metaphysics and sekhar va'onesh. While the risk being described is
> medical, it's unclear to me that the causality is medical rather than
> all that metaphysical causality I try to avoid having to believe in.
But that tzaraas no longer existed by Mar Bar Rav Ashi's day, so it can't
be the "davar acher" of which he warned. And it doesn't exist today, so
if it *were* that "davar acher" we could safely ignore the warning today.
> In any case, speaking off-topic for a moment: I tried cancer. I do not
> recommend it. I would be happier knowing that none of us did things that
> would increase their odds of having the experience.
Well, of course. Who thinks otherwise?
--
Zev Sero Sufficiently advanced incompetence is indistinguishable
z...@sero.name from malice.
- Eric Raymond
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Message: 12
From: elazar teitz
Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 21:56:01 +0300
Subject: Re: [Avodah] Halachos pertaining to eating meals and food
On Sun, Aug 17, 2014 at 4:23 PM, Prof. Levine <llev...@stevens.edu> wrote:
> The following is from today's Halacha for Today at
> http://halachafortodaycom.blogspot.com/ See
...
> 1) It is imperative to eat with Derech Eretz, in a dignified way.
> According to the Rambam (Sefer HaMitzvos, Lo Ta'aseh 195) and other
> Poskim, eating in a non dignified manner may be a transgression of one or
> more biblical transgressions. (See Aruch HaShulchan Siman 157:1 and Elya
> Rabbah Siman 170:23 what he quotes from the Shl"a)
> 2) One should not eat while standing. (Rambam Hilchos Dayos 4:3. See
> also Ben Ish Chai Parshas B'Har Siman 11)
The bulk of what the Rambam writes in Hilchos Deios 4 is not halacha.
For most of it, there are no sources, nor are they brought lahalacha in
Shulchan Aruch. They are spoken more as Dr. Maimoides, reflecting his
medical beliefs, rather than as R/ Maimonides (e.g., to drink water
while eating only in limited quantities and mixed with wine; to eat
hot dishes in winter and cold dishes in summer; not to eat tree fruits;
if eating animal and fowl meats, to eat the fowl first).
> L'Chatchila, it is also best not to drink while standing. Though many
> people are not stringent with this, and they do have on whom to rely, the
> AriZal was very careful with this. (Mishna Berura Siman 296:6. See also
> Shu"t Rav P'Alim Vol. 2 Siman 45)
> Some Poskim maintain that only Talmidei Chachamim (Torah scholars) need
> to be stringent not to drink while standing, but other people need not be
> stringent with this. (See Shulchan Aruch Harav Siman 296:15. Though,
> from his language it seems that even non Talmidei Chachamim should try and
> emulate the Talmidei Chachamim in this matter when possible)
The MB citation is misleading. It should come after the first sentence.
He does not cite the Arizal. He also says nothing about eating while
standing.
The quote from Shulchan Aruch Harav is also misleading, since he uses no
language of prohibition, but only states that if one stands for havdala,
"yeish lo leisheiv v'lishtos hakos, she'ein l'talmidei chachamim le'echol
v'lishtos m'umad" -- and that is the totality of his comment.
It should also be noted that the kohanim ate all kodshei kodoshim while
standing, since they had to be eaten in the Azara, and only kings of
Dovid Hamelech's dynasty were permitted to sit in the azara.
In addition to all of the above, there is a hetter meiah rabbanim to eat
and drink while standing at a smorgasbord; more than a hundred rabbanim
do so.
EMT
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Message: 13
From: Micha Berger
Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 06:42:08 -0400
Subject: Re: [Avodah] Insights Into Halacha: Smoking and Halacha: A
On Sun, Aug 17, 2014 at 01:35:58PM -0400, Zev Sero via Avodah wrote:
: But that tzaraas no longer existed by Mar Bar Rav Ashi's day, so it can't
: be the "davar acher" of which he warned. And it doesn't exist today, so
: if it *were* that "davar acher" we could safely ignore the warning today.
THat just means that the person won't actually get tzora'as, not that
there isn't some damaging non-physical effect of eathing the two together
as was once evidenced by it being qasheh letzara'as.
Yes, chamira saqanta mei'isura is usually (always?) applied to
physical risks, and therefore the common application of that phrase to
meat-and-fish makes the above unlikely.
My point was that the word tzora'as should raise red flags that the
advice may involve the metaphyical. And in any case give wiggle room
to those who to not wish to generalize from it.
But if you believe it is a case where chazal tell us to avoid something
that isn't an immediate and certain cause of danger... You, after all,
were the one claiming that we don't assur such things.
Tir'u baTov!
-Micha
--
Micha Berger Weeds are flowers too
mi...@aishdas.org once you get to know them.
http://www.aishdas.org - Eeyore ("Winnie-the-Pooh" by AA Milne)
Fax: (270) 514-1507
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Message: 14
From: Prof. Levine
Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 12:07:46 -0400
Subject: [Avodah] Vegetable Checking Goes Well Beyond Lettuce
From http://tinyurl.com/lkesun2
Chicago?The majority of fruits and vegetables are
now suspect for infestation, say rabbinic
authorities. With increased frequency, rabbis are
finding the tiny bugs in previously ?clean?
fruits and vegetables under the microscope. In an
exhaustive review, the cRc (Chicago Rabbinical
Council) website notes that it ?is continuing
conducting an intense review of its policy
regarding insect infestation in fruits and
vegetables.? The rabbis note that the insects can
be removed with proper cleaning but add that most
people simply do not have the knowledge to do
such a proper cleaning. In fact, the cRc wants to
keep customers away from that task: ?Many times
one comes across a fruit or vegetable that is
highly infested with insects. This is especially
true with some organic produce. In such a case,
one should not attempt to try and check and
remove the insects and the produce should not be
used. This is due to the fact that you are highly
unlikely to properly check and remove all of the
insects.? Bug checking has become a major topic
for seminars for rabbis and mashgichim as well as ordinary consumers.
It has become rather routine for a kashrus agency
to alert unsuspecting customers about a certain
category of food. The MK of Montreal recently
issued a ?kashrus alert? about strawberries that
they found to contain bugs. In each case, the
agency does offer advice on how to cut the
suspected fruit or vegetable and how to properly
rinse. For those in kosher food service this can
create havoc in a business. Said one caterer:
?Imagine ordering a large quantity of a fruit or
vegetable only to be told by the rabbi that I
cannot use it because my agency just sent out an
alert about it.? A major kosher supermarket said
it had to discontinue some salads when such
notices were received by their rabbi. Some
vegetables have become no-nos as rabbis say they
cannot be checked. A good example is artichokes,
which the rabbis say cannot be properly checked
for insects and are not recommended. Fresh
artichoke bottoms may be used after a general
inspection to rule out obvious infestation.
Canned artichoke bottoms are acceptable only with
a reliable hashgacha. Frozen artichoke bottoms
may be used if there are no added kosher
sensitive ingredients. When asked for their
reaction, some rabbis simply said that in an age
where pesticides are no longer used, it is no
mystery why the bugs thrive and clearly consuming bugs is against Jewish law.
----------
The CRC Fruit & Vegetable Policy is at
http://www.crcweb.org/fruit%20&;%20veg%20guide.php
<http://www.crcweb.org/fruit%20and%20veg%20guide.pdf>Click
here for the printable PDF file
YL
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