Volume 6 Number 87
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Cats adopt Sephardi minhag
[Shully Adler]
Changing Chazzan before Yishtabach
[Elhanan Adler]
Cracow, Poland
[Daniel Wities]
Kohanim as Medical Students
[Charlie Abzug]
Korban Pesach at Year 1 in the Desert
[Charlie Abzug]
Non-Wheat Matzah (3)
[Josh Klein, Joseph Greenberg, Yisrael Sundick]
Oxford-Judaism Essays
[Shmuley Boteach]
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From: <MVERMAN@...> (Shully Adler)
Date: Fri, 2 Apr 93 17:27:25 -0500
Subject: Cats adopt Sephardi minhag
To follow-up Ms. Katz (felid or hominid?) in volume 6, #78, March 31:
Thank you for the lead. Iams' LESS ACTIVE FOR CATS uses only rice and corn
as its grains. Our rav reviewed the ingredients and said it looks okay for
PesaH use. In addition, a call the the Ph.D. nutritionist at Iams reveals
that the minerals and vitamin supplements are _not_ grain derivatives.
Note that the Iams regular dry cat and kitten foods also use only corn and
rice grains, but contain YEAST. So, anyone considering using another variety
of Iams, check carefully! FYI, their number is 1 800 525-4267.
A special wish for a Hag kasher to everyone sustaining birds, fish and non-
human mammals.
Hag sameaH
Shully Adler <mverman@...>
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From: <ELHANAN@...> (Elhanan Adler)
Date: Sat, 3 Apr 93 23:57:49 -0500
Subject: Changing Chazzan before Yishtabach
>From: <pielet@...> (Howie Pielet)
>Why does the chazzan for shacharis 'take over' _before_ Yishtabach?
>Would we make any other hafsakah (interruption) there?
This is not a hafsakah. The shliah tsibur *begins* at yishtabach - since
immediately after comes borkhu - requiring a minyan. Look at the
shulhan arukh - the discussion of who should/should not be a shliah tsibur
appears at yishtabach - no earlier. Up to there, we don't really have or
need a shliah tsibur - at most someone to keep the congregants advancing
at the same pace (in my shul we usually have children as "chazzanim" up
to yishtabach).
* Elhanan Adler University of Haifa Library *
* Mt. Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel *
* Israeli U. DECNET: HAIFAL::ELHANAN *
* Internet/ILAN: <ELHANAN@...> *
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From: <wities@...> (Daniel Wities)
Date: Mon, 5 Apr 93 04:34:51 -0400
Subject: Cracow, Poland
My wife will be traveling in Cracow, Poland immediately after Pesach.
Any information on Kosher food, synagogues, and Shabbat accommodations
would be appreciated.
Chag Kasher v'Sameach,
Dan Wities
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From: <cabzug@...> (Charlie Abzug)
Date: Sat, 3 Apr 93 21:18:58 -0500
Subject: Kohanim as Medical Students
There is AT LEAST one medical school in the U.S. which instituted the
practice over ten years ago of teaching gross anatomy using plastic dummies
and slides and other graphic materials, in place of the long-traditional
dissection of cadavers - Emory University in Atlanta. I do not know
how practical an alternative this may be for Paul Maisland of South
Africa, but if it may be within the realm of practicality he might want
to make inquiries, especially to find out whether they are currently
continuing this practice.
Charlie Abzug
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From: <cabzug@...> (Charlie Abzug)
Date: Sat, 3 Apr 93 21:13:44 -0500
Subject: Korban Pesach at Year 1 in the Desert
With respect to the observance by our ancestors of the Korban Pesach at
the end of one year after the Exodus, the issue of non-observance of the
halachot pertaining to circumcision is a moot one. First of all, all
of the uncircumsized at that time were less than one year old; and secondly,
lack of circumcision itself was not the reason for non-sacrifice of the
Korban Pesach - remember that the Levi'im DID observe the brit milah
in the desert, even if the other Jews did not.
Charlie Abzug
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From: Josh Klein <VTFRST@...>
Date: Sun, 4 Apr 93 08:50 N
Subject: Non-Wheat Matzah
Without going excessively into the chemistry of grain products, specifically
breads, I'd like to point out a few things about flours. The most important
thing about grains for flour is the gluten and starch content. Gluten consists
of a number of subcomponents, the most important of which are glutein and
gliadin. These proteins essentially aid in making doughs have the correct
structure for a)trapping gases evolved by yeast and thus rising and b)
aggregating to make what's called "good crumb structure" (ie a not overly
chewy, not excessively mealy, bread). You should see the electron micrographs
people publish on crumb structure alone! In any event, as far as "good gluten"
content goes, the order is wheat>oats>rye=barley. Dunno about spelt. D. Faigin
is right that oats have gluten; otherwise you'd just have gruel when you mix
the flour with water. Still, for those who suffer from celiac, oat matza is *
much lower* in gluten. Besides, the positive mitzva to eat matza is only for
the seder; the minimal amount required for eating shouldn't inflame matters
too much (if oat matza is used).
On to corn. THis is a New World crop, so it's beyond me how it got so
rapidly included as kitniyot. The Indians use/d corn only for flour; sweet
corn is a relatively recent invention. Roasted ears of non-sweet corn are
about as much a culinary delight as roasted ears of wheat. Sweet corn has
sugar instead of starch, as such it would make lousy bread. I can't see how it
can be assur on Pesach, if you can get it (fresh, I mean). ON the other hand,
the Southwest Indian tribes have many corn-related religious rituals (harvest
festivals, fertility dances, etc.). If somone were to assur corn *year-round*
as a matter of avoda zara, "not going in their ways", etc., I could see not
having it on Pesach, too.....
Josh Klein VTFRST@Volcani
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From: <Joseph_Greenberg@...> (Joseph Greenberg)
Date: Mon, 5 Apr 93 09:24:38 -0400
Subject: Non-Wheat Matzah
Several years ago I had a friend that was (and still is) allergic to wheat.
Yes, this means that no cookies, cakes, or breads are allowed. However, this
poses the obvious problem for Pesach, when a certain shiur of matzah is
_required_, at least for the first seder (according to some, but according to
most, at both sedurim (the plural of seder does not transliterate well, I see).
At the time, rye matzah was difficult to obtain, so she bought a grain
grinder, and we set it up in my parent's basement, and we ground rye grain.
I believe that there are now several sources of this matzah, including a
family in Monsey that has several members with a wheat allergy. Obviously,
there is quite a price premium for this stuff (and you all thought 12-13
dollars a pound for cardboard is bad). Rye matzah is _really_ bad (in my
opinion), and I think that it ran about $25-30 per pound 7-8 years ago! So,
yes, this type of matzah exists, but is not usually available at average
Jewish groceries or bookstores.
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From: Yisrael Sundick <sas34@...>
Date: Sun, 4 Apr 93 13:20:00 -0400
Subject: Re: Non-Wheat Matzah
The Mechabehr brings down that a mix of Rice Flour and Wheat Flour can
be used for making Matzoh as long as the taste of Dagan, the wheat
remains. The Magen Avraham adds that it must contain at least a Kazit of
wheat flour. Further, the Mishnah Brurah brings this down as halachah
and it seems to imply that this could be used for the mitzvah of eating
matzoh. Practicly speaking, I have never heard of matzoh made in this
maner but it might be possible to have made. It could potentialy help
someone who has a difficulty digesting excesive glutten. This is found
in Aruch Chaim S' Tav Nun Gimal: Bet
* Yisrael Sundick * Libi beMizrach VeAni *
* <sas34@...> * beColumbia *
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From: Shmuley Boteach <shmuley@...>
Date: Fri, 9 Apr 93 10:25:24 EDT
Subject: Oxford-Judaism Essays
The weekly essays by Rabbi Shmuel Boteach from Oxford that have been
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A happy and kosher Passover to all.
Liz Morton
Secretary, Oxford University L'Chaim Society
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End of Volume 6 Issue 87
