Today is the 14th of Iyar, 5770 (29 days of Omer. 4 weeks, 1 day)

Thirty days after Pesach we commemorate Pesach Sheni or The Second Pesach. Pesach Sheni is not a formal holiday. No resting from melakha (work, etc) or Kiddush , etc is commanded today.
Pesach Sheni is mentioned in the Torah in Bamidbar 9:1-14 when Moshe announced that the Korban Pesach (Pesach sacrifice, a lamb) may only be offered by people who are ritually pure. Men came to Moses, complaining that some people, who came into contact with a dead body, were ritually unclean. God then indicated Moshe that anyone who was unable to offer the Korban Pesach on its due time, the 14th of Nisan, due to defilement or inability to journey to the place of sacrifice in time, would perform the sacrifice on the 14th of Iyar, a full month later.
In modern times, there is no practical observance of Pesach Sheni because baravonotenu haRabbim, after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem we are unable to perform the Pesach sacrifice anyway.
In our community, and in most communities, we remember Pesach Sheni by 1. Eating Matza, which symbolizes the Korban Pesach, some time during the day saying mezonot not hamotzi for it. There is no minimum requirement of Matza to eat and we can also eat regularly Chametz. 2. Saying yehi shem instead of the regular viduy (or confession, is a prayer which is suspended on joyous occasions) from Mincha of the previous day.

Today is the 13th of Iyar, 5770. (28 days of Omer. 4 weeks)

“Our god” and the “God of our parents”. These two words encapsulate the idea of spiritual progress. We know of God Almighty in two ways: by what our parents have taught us, we know of His miracles, His protection and love for Am Israel. Thanks to our parents we don’t have to undergo the whole process of Abraham Abinu’s discovery of God. Even if your parents were not fully religious, if they transmit to you your Jewish identity you owe them your very basic idea of the God of Israel.

But that is not enough. We should also embark in our ‘personal’ discovery of God adding to our parent’s inherited knowledge. For us, people of the 21th century this journey is fascinating. Because God’s presence is becoming more evident than ever.
The incredible sophistication of space or the world of atoms are all 20th century’s new testimonies of a Divine Designer. The more we understand how DNA functions, the more we realize that there is no chance. In this sense, we know today more about God than our parents did.

One example: just 150 years ago -before Pasteur- our parents lived in a world which believed in spontaneous generation of life, that life appears just like that from matter (btw, this is how Darwin justified the origin of life in our planet!). In the 1980’s Fred Hoyle said sentenced that” the likelihood of the formation of life from inanimate matter is one in 1040,000 (10 with 40,000 zeros after it)… which is a mathematical impossible. Of all disciplines, secular science -in some cases involuntarily -is endowing us with knowledge of Mi sheAmar veHaya haOlam, the Creator of our universe.

Originally, the Biblical Mitzva of refraining from lending/borrowing with interest (“Ribbit”) applied to Jews alone. “If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not be like a money lender; charge him no interest” (Exodus 22:25).

One would be allowed to lend and borrow from a non-Jew with interest. However, our rabbis in the Talmud strictly forbade lending to non-Jews with interest. Borrowing with interest from a non-Jew was not forbidden.This prohibition means to prevent Jews from engaging in the money lending business with non-Jews in order to seek profit. The nature of this business implied that we constantly run after the non-Jewish borrowers. For obvious reasons, this was not desirable. Of course, we would not be running after non-Jews in order to borrow money with interest, when we can get it interest-free from our Jewish brethren. Also, by having to treat Jews and non-Jews alike in terms of not charging interest, it is likely that Jews will give preference to their Jewish brothers in need.

Historically, we learned the hard way the dangers of becoming professional lenders to our non-Jewish neighbors. Unfortunately, some Jews fell into the trap and did lend money to non-Jews with interest—especially in Christian countries where the local ecclesiastical authorities allowed Jews to lend money (some say: “Jews” were used as a smokescreen for usury). In those instances when we were attacked by anti-Semitic mobs, our former clients to whom we lent money with interest would be the first ones to join the massacre and get rid of us. After all, if we—the lenders—would die, the debt, and the interest, would die with us. The foresight of our sages should now become apparent.

Note: the laws of “Ribbit” are very complex, especially in today’s corporate world of sophisticated financial and legal structures. Ours is a basic overview of the Halakha as found in Maimonides’s Mishne Tora and in Shulchan ‘Arukh. Please consult your rabbi with any practical questions (Halakha leMa’ase).

Today is the 7th of Yiar, 5770 (22 days of Omer. 3 weeks 1 day)

Last week we explained what happens with the food when we accidentally we cooked a meat food on a diary utensil or vice versa. Today we will see what we should do with the cookware.
As a general rule, most utensils or cookwares that were used with a prohibited food can become kosher again, but they need to undergo a process of “depuration/sterilization” to get rid of the absorbed particles of the forbidden food. Most people are familiar with the process called “Hagala” which basically means immersing a utensil in boiling water. For example, if one accidentally used a meat spoon to stir dairy food, the spoon needs to be immersed for a few seconds in boiling water.
There are some utensils that are not used with water or for “cooking”: for example, a grill or an oven. The food particles were absorbed there by direct fire or by heat; water therefore won’t be effective in getting the forbidden particles out…
So If one wants to make Kosher a non Kosher grill he needs to do a Libbun Chamur (heavy firing) which means, that the grill must be placed on the fire or heated with a torch until the metal changes its color to red/white.
A regular electric or gas oven needs Libbun Kal (heating) which consists on bringing the oven to its maximum temperature –the highest it might have reached when cooking the non Kosher food- for about half hour. The self cleaning function of most electric ovens is considered Libbun Kal.

Today is the 5th of Yiar, 5770. (20 days of Omer) Yom haZikaron/ Yom haAtzmaut

It was 3400 years ago. Moshe addresses the new generation of Am Israel, as they happily and eagerly prepare themselves to inherit the Promised Land, the land of honey and milk. In the midst of their enthusiasm Moshe Rabbenu has some serious words of warning from God Almighty:

This land is a conditional divine gift that might be taken away from you. If you ever abandon Me and My covenant … then I will turn my face –My protection- away from you … then, your land will be captured by your enemies and you will be taken captives and exiled to the four corners of the planet… However, your fate will not be like the fate of other people, civilizations and empires: because of my covenant and my promise to Abraham, Yitzchak and Yaakob, I will never allow the Jewish people to disappear. That is My main responsibility toward you. The people of Israel will exist forever…

Moreover, one day, if you return to Me (Devarim 30, 4): “even if you might be scattered to the end of heavens –the farthest countries on earth- your God Almighty will bring you back from there and He will rescue you form there And the Lord your God will bring you to the land that had belonged to your ancestors and make you even more successful and numerous than they were”.

62 years ago this amazing prophecy took place with the establishment of Medinat Israel. A prophecy that during centuries our ancestors had given up on. We have the incredible merit to be living it.

Ashrenu! ma tov chelkenu.

See this Yom haZikaron inspiring true stories http://www.aish.com/v/hoi/52829292.html http://www.aish.com/jw/id/91340104.html

30th of Nisan, 5770, ROSH CHODESH

Today is the 15tyhn day of the Omer (2 weeks,1 day)

If accidentally one cooked a milk food in a meat cookware sometimes the food is prohibited and sometimes is permitted.

If one for example fried a cheese omelet in a meat pan.

Case 1: if the pan was not clean and it had some visible leftover of meat, even though those were small leftovers, like meat fat etc, the omelet is forbidden because cheese got mixed with meat.

Case 2: if one fried the cheese omelet in a completely clean meat pan that was used with meat during the last 24 hours, the cheese omelet is forbidden because it absorbed the meat particles on the pan’s walls.

Case 3: If the meat pan was not used with meat for the last 24 hours, and one accidentally made a cheese omelet in that pan, then the omelet is permitted. Because the Halakha considers that after 24 hours the meat particles absorbed in the pan’s walls are decomposed (noten taam lifgam) and they are not considered meat anymore.

As for the cookware, in all cases, it requires Hag’ala (immersion in boiling water) or Libbun (firing) depending on the type of utensil. It will be explained BH in following Halakhot.

When saying the Amida, we should delve into the meaning of every word. This mental exercise is called Kavana: consciousness / alertness. Distractions or even having a blank mind is not accepted. Kavana is required at the time of prayer and it’s mandatory in the first Berakha of the Amida.ELOKIM is one of the names of God. It is actually the first name to appear in the Torah. The closest English word to define ELOKIM will be “Almighty”. The Kuzari, written by rabbi Yehuda haLevy, explains that the word ELOKIM is written in the plural form, not to suggest that there is more than one God but to manifest that God Almighty encompasses all the powers. There is no force in the universe which is not under His control.

ELOKIM is also the way we refer to God when we want to express our perception of God acting with strict justice, (Middat haDin) in opposition to compassion. When God creates the world (nature, Bereshit chapter 1) the Torah uses the name ELOKIM, because nature is not compassionate. It’s ruled by mechanical laws like, sicknesses, death and the survival of the fittest.

But when the Torah focuses on the Creation of man (Bereshit chapter 2) the Torah uses HASHEM ELOKIM which suggests “nature” combined with “compassion”. In regards to human beings, God sometimes judges us or humanity with strict justice but we always pray to Him to be judged with compassion, consideration and patience.

28th of Nisan, 5770 (Today is the 13th day of the Omer)

It is forbidden for a Jew to lend or borrow with interest (“Ribbit”). Not only is it forbidden to lend/borrow with monetary interest, but any kind of interest is forbidden—even if it is through something other than money or even when not done at the moment of the loan. It is forbidden to send gifts to somebody, with the intention that this person will “return the favor” by agreeing to lend some money. The gifts would be a form of Ribbit in advance.

Illustration: Jonah is about to start a new business. A month from now, he will need to be lent $10,000. He starts treating his friend Danny exceedingly well, invites him out to lunch a few times, gets him gifts, all so that a month from now—when Jonah asks for the loan—Danny will agree to it. This is forbidden. The gifts are a kind of “Ribbit” in advance.
Similarly, it is forbidden for a borrower to give Ribbit to his lender, retroactively, after the loan.

Illustration: Danny lent Jonah the $10,000 he needed. Jonah is not allowed to start being “extra nice” towards Danny because of this loan, and buy him presents and invite him out for lunch.
The main idea behind this is that lending money interest-free is a Mitzva. When a lender lends money interest-free he is doing a favor to himself, by following a precept from the Tora.

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Note: the laws of “Ribbit” are very complex, especially in today’s corporate world of sophisticated financial and legal structures. Ours is a basic overview of the Halakha as found in Maimonides’s Mishne Tora and in Shulchan ‘Arukh. Please consult your rabbi with any practical questions (Halakha leMa’ase).