Volume 19 Number 13
Produced: Mon Apr 3 6:49:08 1995
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Chometz in paper
[Mike Paneth]
Dvar Torah needed ASAP
[Aryeh Blaut]
Fast of the First-born (2)
[Andrew Greene, Jan David Meisler]
Hametz Dishes
[Larry Israel]
Igros Moshe on Making a Siyum
[J. Bailey]
Kitniyot
[Zvi Weiss]
oat matza
[Eliyahu Teitz]
Peanut Butter for Pesach
[Michael J Broyde]
Pesach Foods for Sephardim
[Eli Benun]
Rapeseed
[A.M.Goldstein]
Reclining at the Seder
[Akiva Miller]
Writing on Chol haMoed
[George Schneiderman]
Yom Kippur Qatan
[Lon Eisenberg]
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From: <mikep@...> (Mike Paneth)
Date: Sun, 2 Apr 1995 21:30:38 +1000
Subject: Chometz in paper
Yesterday in Shul our Rov announced that the Melbourne and Sydney
Kashrus Commissions have been investigating different sorts of paper
products, and have discovered that many of them contain what appears to
be chometz.
It seems that the starch (assumed to be mainly wheat starch) is added to
the paper production cycle. The starch is predominantly found in
re-cycled paper goods, including serviettes, paper-towels, plain paper
(used for lining cupboards etc), paper bags, even envelopes (and their
glue).
The Rov stated that for the most part the starch would not be a major
problem on Pesach, however it WOULD BE A PROBLEM when hot foods (the
example given was hot fried fish or chremslach which are put on paper
towels to drain the oil) come in contact with the foods.
The test he used to determine if starch is present was to make up a
solution of .01% Iodine and to place a drop on the paper. If a black
stain resulted then the test indicated the presence of starch. Again
the starch may be from a non-chometz source, but the paper manufacturers
said that mainly wheat starch is used.
Has anyone heard of this before? If so, can anyone please respond with
how your community got arround this problem. If not, can anyone please
raise this issue with other Kashrus organisations again to determine a
strategy to overcome this problem.
There are some paper products which do not contain starch, and it looks
like we will have to test each paper to determine which can be used for
Pesach.
Mike Paneth
Melbourne Australia
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From: <AryehBlaut@...> (Aryeh Blaut)
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 04:00:44 -0500
Subject: Dvar Torah needed ASAP
[Mazal Tov to Rabbi Blaut and his entire family from myself and the
whole mail-jewish extended "family". I'm sorry this did not go out in
time for the first of your needs, but I hope that you will get responses
for the Dvar Torah for the Brit. Avi Feldblum, Moderator]
My wife and I had a boy 29 Adar 2 (March 30) at 10:13pm. Thank Hashem both
are well.
I am in need of any suggestions for a D.T. fit for Parshas Hachodesh, Rosh
Hodesh & Parshas Tazreya for the Shalom Zachor!
(I would also appreciate any DT for the Bris for next week.)
Thanks,
Aryeh Blaut
(<aryehblaut@...>)
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From: <Andrew_Marc_Greene@...> (Andrew Greene)
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 14:04 -0500
Subject: Re: Fast of the First-born
Yesterday, I wrote:
>Um, I was taught that since we never fast on Erev Shabbat, that the
>fast of the first born was pushed back to Thursday. The "Jewish
>Heritage" calendar on my wall at work says Friday, but I recall last
>year it also said Friday while the Ezras Torah Luach said Thursday.
>(And my minyan had a siyum/seudah on Thursday morning.)
[...]
>So was I taught wrong?
And last night I looked it up, and I was taught wrong. Apparently, when a
fast falls on Erev Shabbat naturally, it stays there. So last year, since
Pesach started motzaei Shabbat, the fast was pushed back not to Friday but to
Thursday. This year, since Pesach coincides with Shabbat, the fast doesn't
get moved.
Sorry about my confusion.
- Andrew
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From: Jan David Meisler <jm8o+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Date: Sun, 2 Apr 1995 11:12:24 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Fast of the First-born
Someone mentioned that the reason we have "hypocrisy" with regards to
fasting the fast of the first born is because we are not permitted to
fast during Nisan. Thus, the Rabbis were faced with fasting (which was
a minhag) and not fasting in Nisan (which is halachah). This same
person also mentioned that he felt we don't fast on Erev Shabbos, and
was a bit confused as to when this year's fast is.
I'll answer the second question, before discussing the first. We don't
fast on Erev Shabbos, if the fast was moved. For instance, if Purim
falls on Sunday, the fast of Esther should be on Shabbos. However, we
don't fast on Shabbos. Since that fast must be before Purim, we must
pull it back to Friday. Since we are moving the fast already, we don't
want to begin Shabbos with a fast, and so we move it all the way back to
Thursday. This same thing happened last year when Pesach started right
after Shabbos, and the Fast of the First born should have been on
Shabbos. Again, since we are moving it, we move it all the way to
Thursday. However, if the fast legitimately falls on Friday, as the
Fast of the First Born and the Tenth of Tevet might do, then the fast
actually takes place on that day.
As to not fasting in Nisan, that is a general rule, however, there are
exceptions. The one that comes right to my mind is a Chasan who gets
married on Rosh Chodesh Nisan. Although on any other Rosh Chodesh a
Chasan does not fast, on Rosh Chodesh Nisan he would. This is because
Rosh Chodesh Nisan is considered a Ta'anit Tzadikim, a fast of the
righteous.
As to not fasting on Erev Pesach, one of the Rabbis in my shul mentioned
the other day (I think he was discussing Mishna Brurah at the time),
that it used to be up until recently that all first borns would fast on
Erev Pesach. Then, recently, there began to be leniancies because
people couldn't handle drinking the wine, eating the matzah, eating the
maror on empty stomachs. These leniancies were not across the board,
but only in specific instances. However, it has become (and I think he
said by the time of the Chafetz Chaim) that people were almost across
the board not fasting on this fast.
I'm not sure about the conflict of Minhag (custom) and Halachah (law),
however there are times when Minhag actually takes on the strength of
Halachah.
Yochanan
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From: Larry Israel <VSLARRY@...>
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 95 12:41:48 +0300
Subject: Hametz Dishes
If hametz dishes and/or pots were used on Pesah, what is their status
after Pesah is over?
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From: J. Bailey <jbailey@...>
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 11:24:11 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Igros Moshe on Making a Siyum
Can someone with Igros Moshe give me the reference (vol, page, or just a
summary) for his discussion of siyum and what's required in terms of
learned material? It's apparently under the topic of making a siyum to
eat meat during the 9 days. I looked it up last Shabbat at a friend's an
could not find it...
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From: Zvi Weiss <weissz@...>
Date: Thu, 30 Mar 1995 13:39:15 -0500
Subject: Kitniyot
If anyone has a copy of the Iggrot (at this moment, I do not), I recall a
Teshuva of R. Moseh regarding peanuts. The gist of the Teshuva was that the
prohibition of kitniyot was based upon what was *accepted* as kitniyot and
this depended upon where you were from...
Anyway, it seems that from that Teshuva, Quinoa may not be Kitniyot at all
(ditto for psyllium). Anyone have more definitive info?
--Zvi.
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From: <EDTeitz@...> (Eliyahu Teitz)
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 12:16:26 -0500
Subject: Re: oat matza
Oat matzot are available in the NY/NJ area in three places:
1. Landau's Grocery, Brooklyn 718-633-0633
2. Kosher Korner, Passaic 201-777-1120
3. Kollel Food Store, Lakewood 908-363-8102
The matzot are from England, under the supervision of R. Asher Westheim. The
price is $14 per pound for machine matza, and $5 each for hand matza.
For those needing matza shipped to them, one should call Dovid Kestenbaum (
908-370-8460 ), the importer to the US.
Eliyahu Teitz
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From: Michael J Broyde <relmb@...>
Date: Thu, 30 Mar 1995 12:07:48 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Peanut Butter for Pesach
Since every one else is using this as a pesach product list for odd
things, I will too. A congregant recently asked me if any peanut butter
is kosher for pesach for one who does eat peanuts (as Rav Moshe advocates).
Any sources out there?
Michale Broyde
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From: <EBENUN@...> (Eli Benun)
Date: Thu, 30 Mar 1995 23:08:05 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Pesach Foods for Sephardim
I have a list of foods that are kosher for Passover for Sephardim (those
who eat rice and kitniyot, including corn) in the Northeast
U.S. (without specific Pesah supervision indicated on the label). The
list is the result of research done by and under the supervision of of
Rabbi Yishak Abadi of Har Nof and Rabbi Chaim Abadi of Lakewood.
If you would like a copy of the list, email me your snail-mail address
and I will mail you the list.
Chag Kasher v'Sameach,
Eli Benun
<ebenun@...>
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From: A.M.Goldstein <MZIESOL@...>
Date: Mon, 03 Apr 95 11:54:19 IST
Subject: Rapeseed
Is rapeseed oil considered kitniyot for Pesach?
Kosher for Pesach products here in Haifa have begun appearing with the
notation: containing rapeseed (in Hebrew: liftit). Why else the
notation?
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From: <Keeves@...> (Akiva Miller)
Date: Sun, 2 Apr 1995 20:43:40 -0400
Subject: Reclining at the Seder
When I was younger, I would read the instruction in the Hagada to "lean
towards the left" and feel quite silly as I ate my matza in mid-air off
to the left side of my chair. As I learned more, however, I came to
understand that the original "reclining" was done by lying horizontally
in a couch, with each person eating from their own small table.
I perceived this method of eating as a luxurious one, somewhat analogous
to the American concept of "breakfast in bed", and entirely appropriate
for Pesach in the sense that breakfast in bed requires that one is
*being* served (else what's the point?). Bringing one's bed or couch to
the seder table is quite impractical for many reasons, and so I dreamt
of the day when I might have a living-room recliner chair (Laz-E-Boy,
for example) which I would use at my seder.
Well, HaShem has helped me get such a chair, and it sure makes Shabbos
afternoon more restful. But when I brought it into the dining room to
give it a test ride before Pesach, I was far less than satisfied. It is
too low for the table. If my legs go under the table then the chair my
be slid back and forth in order to get in and out. And if the chair is
positioned sideways (so that as I lean on my left I face the table) then
the chair back prevents me from seeing the people to my left. Most
important, the whole appearance of the recliner in the dining room looks
so unusual that it threatens to spoil my wife's enjoyment of Yom Tov.
So my question is: What various ways do my fellow mj-ers have for reclining
at the seder? The standard leaning back upon a pillow on the chair just
doesn't feel like what was originally intended. (I suggest replying directly
to me; if I get enough responses to signify that this question is of general
interest, I will send them back to you so that you can submit it to the
public.) Thanks.
[A slightly better method if you reply directly to Akiva is to let him
know that he may forward your response to the list. That way, Akiva, you
can send in a summary article with whatever responses you receive. Mod]
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From: George Schneiderman <schneid@...>
Date: Sat, 1 Apr 1995 22:13:25 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Writing on Chol haMoed
> Note 54 refers to a quote from Rav Moshe Feinstein. Loose translation:
> "It is permissible to record on a tape on Chol HaMoed, for it is not
> considered 'writing'."
Is there a general problem with writing on Chol HaMoed? This is not
something I was familiar with. General summary and/or pointers to
sources would be appreciated.
--George Schneiderman <schneid@...>
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From: Lon Eisenberg <eisenbrg@...>
Date: Sun, 2 Apr 1995 08:41:30 +0000
Subject: Yom Kippur Qatan
There is a custom to observe Yom Kippur Qatan and fast on erev rosh
hodesh [the eve of the new month] (except at times when fasting is
prohibited). Why was it moved this past time from Friday to Thursday?
Normally, we move fasts to Thursday only when they must be moved from
Shabbath. This happened last year with respect to the fast of the first
born erev Pesah (and I believe that there were even those who had the
custom of moving it to Friday) and occurs with the Fast of Esther when
Purim falls on Sunday. I thought that when the fast actually occurs on
Friday that we observe it on Friday. The only major fast for which this
occurs is the 10th of Teveth, which we do observe on Friday (but one
might argue that this is special because of the prophet's wording
"Be'ezem hayom hazeh" [on that very day]).
Lon Eisenberg Motorola Israel, Ltd. Phone:+972 3 5659578 Fax:+972 3 5658205
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End of Volume 19 Issue 13
