Today is the 2nd day of Tamuz 5770

Uri Lander is 21 or 22 years old. He was born in Uruguay but now lives in Israel. A few weeks ago he checked his Facebook account before going to sleep. Uri found a new group “Yo Tambien Odio Los Judios” (“I also hate the Jews”).

Unfortunately, anti-Semitism – or the more politically correct anti- Israel movement- is so tolerated by us today that we got tragically ‘used’ to see this kind of expressions and we do nothing about it. But Uri -as his father, Dr Eduardo Lander proudly described to me- decided to take “immediate action”. Uri understood that if the Web is such a powerful tool to spread hatred it must work both ways. We should be able to use Internet also to demand justice!

Uri created a new Facebook group:

24 HORAS para que Facebook borre el grupo “YO TAMBIÉN ODIO A LOS JUDÍOS” (we give 24 hours for Facebook to delete the group “I also hate the Jews”) threatening Facebook that otherwise all of Uri’s new group members will close their Facebook accounts. Uri went to sleep. In the morning Uri checked his Facebook group and to his surprise he found out that the group had already 800 members…!!! In two days Uri’s group had 4,000 members and then it grew to 20,000. At that point Facebook finally closed the anti-Semitic group. Two weeks later, Uri’s group had 200,000 members. Most of them non Jews showing their sympathy for the Jewish people.

Uri made a change. And inspired a lot of people (including me) to use the Web as a vehicle for Israel advocacy.

Uri put together two important things: the power of the web and the ‘passion’ for Am Israel (Ahabat Israel) which today demands from all of us immediate action.

See the story of Uri’s Facebook group here:

http://2lifemagazine.blogspot.com/2010/05/i-also-hate-jews-on-facebook.html

Today is the 29th of Sivan, 5770 (tonight is Rosh Chodesh!)

Generally speaking we can not say any unnecessary Berakha (blessing) or repeat a Berakha when not needed. But when a Berakha is the performance of a Mitzva (birkat haMitzvot) like Kiddush (and that includes bore peri hagefen!)a Jew can say the Berakha for another Jew (kol Israel arebim ze baze).

Therefore, if for example, Friday night or Shabbat morning I have the intention to say Kiddush at my house and on the way back from synagogue I first go to visit my mother and she wants me to say the Kiddush for her, I should do that. I could say the Kiddush at her house for my mother and then repeat the Kiddush when I get home. Similarly, if you are expecting guests but they did not come on time, and you say the Kiddush for your family and started dinner, and then your guests arrive, if they don’t know how to say the Kiddush, you could say the Kiddush for them.

When one says the Kiddush for another person, and he wants to do ‘his main’ Kiddush (latset yede choba) for himself at home, he should not taste from the wine, but give it to one of the attendants.

Shabbat Shalom!!!

Hadalakat Nerot: 8:08 PM

DO SOMETHING FOR ISRAEL, FROM YOUR OWN PC

I Highly recommend this website, especially to educate yourself about Israel advocacy: http://www.mythsandfacts.com/

Personal reflection: The World Cup is good for Israel!!!.

Expect world peace for the next 30 days, including B’H in Israel. Terrorist organizations refrain from committing murderous attacks or dramatic acts -like phony humanitarian flotillas and other propaganda-making staff- during the Soccer World Cup, because once every four years, no matter what they do, they know they won’t make it to the news!

27th of Sivan, 5770

cRc stands for “Chicago Rabbinical Council” the largest regional, not-for-profit, Orthodox organization in North America. Since its humble beginnings in the 1930’s, the cRc has developed into a universally accepted agency with a respected kosher certification symbol.

The cRc’s Kosher Division works with close to 800 food companies, producing tens of thousands of products across North and South America, Europe and Asia. cRc has gained a reputation for exacting standards, professionalism, personal attention, reasonable pricing and rapid response time.

The cRc is under the direction of HaRav Gedalia Dov Schwartz, Shlit”a who is also the main rabbinical referent of the RCA (the Rabbinical Council of America).

Their web Site www.crcweb.org is a source of very useful information about Kashrut’s basics and modern issues related to Kashrut. See for example: “Understanding the Reliability of Kosher Agencies” http://www.crcweb.org/kosher_articles/reliability_of_agencies.php

BY POPULAR DEMAND, This is a very useful -although not exhaustive- list of reliable Kosher symbols and agencies in the US and overseas. http://www.crcweb.org/agency_list.php

Products that have been certified as kosher are labeled with kosher symbols. The symbols are printed on the food’s package. Kosher symbols are registered trademarks of kosher certification organizations, and cannot be placed on a food label without the organization’s permission.
BREAKING NEWS: Today, June Wednesday 9th, 12.30 PM Rally in support of Israel. Where? 2nd Avenue between 42nd and 43rd Streets.

READ: http://online.wsj.com/article/global_view.html .

DO SOMETHING FOR ISRAEL, FROM YOUR OWN PC

Watch a modern young hero of Israel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABjE_7uwA0I

Today is the 22nd of Sivan , 5770

Shomea ke’one is an Halakhic principle which says that if we both have an obligation to recite certain prayer or blessing, I can say it out loud, on behalf of us both and you have fulfilled your obligation. For example, we both have the obligation to say the Kiddush, I can say it aloud and by listening to me your obligation is fulfilled.

There are a few conditions that have to be met, however, for this law to be applicable.

1. The one that says the Kiddush has to have in mind that he is reciting the Kiddush on behalf of all those who are listening to it and the ones listening have to consciously intend to fulfill their obligation by listening to the one who recites the Kiddush and of course, at the end, they have to answer :Amen.

2. When you say the Kiddush you fulfill your obligation even if you don’t understand the meaning of the Hebrew words you’re saying. But when you are fulfilling your obligation by listening, according to the Shulchan Arukh, you must understand what has been said.

So, if you are listening to the Kiddush, either you have to whisper word by word while you’re listening or, ideally, you need to learn what the Hebrew words of the Kiddush mean.

For translation and transliteration of the Kiddush see: http://www.ou.org/chagim/shabbat/remember.htm

Hadlakat Nerot 8:04 PM. Shabbat Shalom!!!

In our Wednesday’s KASHRUT section HOTD is introducing the reader to the world of reliable Kashrut certifications. We already talked about OU and OK, two major companies in the Kashrut world.

As all KASHRUT symbol, KOF –K symbol (see their web site: http://www.kof-k.org/) is protected under Federal law against unauthorized use.

Today we will discuss the KOF-K, one of the foremost Kosher certification agencies in the United States.

KOF (or KAF) is the name of the 11th letter of the Hebrew Alphabet and the first letter of the word KASHER in Hebrew. .

The Kashrus policies of KOF –K are governed by a Rabbinic committee who reviews and decide all questions of Halacha (Jewish law) which may arise in the course of food production

From KOF –K home page:

KOF-K is directed by a staff of Kosher food production specialists, each an expert in various aspects of the food industry. Always available for consultation are flavor chemists, dairy and bakery professionals, meat processing advisers and computer experts. The KOF-K has an international network of regional coordinators and Rabbinic representatives based in major American cities, Canada, South and Central America, Australia, Western and Eastern Europe, the Orient and Israel. These representatives conduct frequent visits to major manufacturers and their suppliers at every location where Kosher supervision is needed. Confidentiality of all proprietary information is assured.

Watch the KOF-K presentation video: http://www.kof-k.org/flash/index.html.

Today is the 19th of Sivan 5770

From Abraham Abinu we’ve learned that God is one, the He does not have a body and that He cares about us as a father cares about his children.

Yitzchak, Abraham’s son, revealed an additional layer of God/Israel – Father/son relationship: same as a father, God is also the authority.

Yitzchak experienced this matter “literally” in his own flesh. Although we always think about Abraham’s great courage when he was ordered to sacrifice Yitzchak, we should also bear in mind Yitzchak’s thoughts and feelings at the time of his sacrifice (which after all is called Akedat Yitzchak, the sacrifice of Yitzchak!). Yitzchak was not a baby but a fully conscious adult man. Our Rabbis explained that Yitzchak knew exactly what Abraham’s intentions were and far from rebelling against his father he was willing to offer his life to fulfill God’s commandment.

While Abraham discovered God’s love (Chesed) for His children, Yitzchak discovered God’s power (Gebura) over our lives. Abraham saw that HaShem gave us our lives, Yitzchak also realized that it is God who determines when our lives end.

From Abraham and Yitzchak we’ve learned that God is simultaneously our father and our King (abinu malkenu). As a father, we owe God our appreciation, as a King we owe God obedience.

Same as our parents, we love haShem but we must also revere Him.

When the Shabbat table is ready and all family members and guests are around the table, the Sephardic custom is to sing Shalom Alekhem which is a poem by which we welcome the “angels of peace” that would accompany us during Shabbat. This poem reminds us the importance of keeping Shalom Bayit (peace at home) especially on our Shabbat table, when all the family is together.

Then we sing Eshet Chayil a Biblical poem composed by King Salomon in Mishle where he praises the virtuous wife. This is a small homage that the family pays to the mother / wife acknowledging her efforts in preparing the food, setting the table, cleaning the house, etc, etc, which she has diligently done in honor of Shabbat.

Then the baal habayit (lit. master of the house: the father, grandfather, etc) takes the cup of wine which should be clean from outside and inside. Some people have the custom to fill up the cup until it spills a little. But Halakhically it is enough to fill it in the amount of reviit (approximately 3 oz.) even if the cup is not full to the top.

Then he holds the cup with his right hand and while standing says: Yom hashishi… etc. and when he finishes: Barukh Ata haShem mekaddesh haShabbat he sits down and drinks from the cup.

Shabbat Shalom!!!!

Candle lighting: 7:59 PM

To learn Shalom Alekhem see : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gs9Lfh-8Y60&feature=related

Clarification from last week: “very light snack”.Some examples: a yogurt, orange juice, fruits, coffee with milk, tea,, etc.

13th of Sivan, 5770

In the coming weeks -we’ve announced- on the Wednesdays’ Kashrut section I would like to present the readers the world of “Kosher supervisions”.

My goal is to promote a better understanding and observance of Kashrut. However, I’m not endorsing or sponsoring any specific Orthodox Kashrut certification over the other. Today I would like to introduce the readers to the probably second largest Kashrut organization in America. The OK.

Let me quote from their web site:OK Kosher Certification is one of the world’s most respected symbols of kosher approval…

Under the leadership of Rabbi Don Yoel Levy, the OK provides certification for food giants and products such as IFF, Kraft, ConAgra and Tropicana. Operating on six continents and supported by more than 350 of the world’s leading kosher experts, the OK certifies more than 300,000 products, produced by over 1,500 companies.

One of the most difficult problems in Kashrut certification today is the use of additives in the food industry. For a nice article about this and other challenges in the Kashrut world read the following text from OK:

…Hundreds of foods labeled “kosher” dot our supermarket shelves, but many factors that we cannot see complicate the process of guaranteeing a product as kosher. Over 2,800 additives not known fifty years ago are legally present in our foods, including colorings, flavorings, and preservatives. Huge factories manufacture enormous quantities of many types of food using processing techniques of which we know little or nothing…

Read the complete article here: http://www.ok.org/Content.asp?ID=116

Read a credible story about the fascinating world of Kosher supervision: “http://www.ok.org/Content.asp?ID=218″>http://www.ok.org/Content.asp?ID=218

In the previous weeks we analyzed the words Eloke Abraham, the God of Abraham. We explained that we are praying to the God Abraham “discovered” and taught us about.
First, we said, Abraham found out that God is invisible, second that He is one (see last week’s HOTD) but probably the most important thing we’ve learned from Abraham about God is that God ”cares” about us.
In all ancient civilization the gods had their own concerns and problems. Normally they would spend their time fighting against each other to impose their supremacy. If they ever did something good for a human it wasn’t out of love or altruism: it was payback for or in anticipation of some human favor (human sacrifices, human gifts or human help in fighting a competitor god).
Abraham Abinu taught us that God Almighty is our Creator, and as such He loves us and cares about us, the same way a parent loves and cares about his children. While the idols or mythological gods “behave” like the tyrants who invented them, and acted upon selfishness and mutual interests Abraham taught the world that the true God listens to our prayers, protects us or delivers us without expecting anything in return.
It was probably the most revolutionary discovery of our father Abraham.

So important is this concept that the rest of this berakha does not elaborate on God’s unity or God’s invisibility. It focuses on the ways the God of Abraham cares about Abraham’s descendants, the people of Israel.