SHABBAT: Can you say the Kiddush twice?

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!

PREVENTING LASHON HARA: What is the best antidote against negative speech.

Today is the 28th of Sivan5770

To understand how to prevent negative speech let’s see how the Torah instructs us to judge other people. In our daily lives, we often make a character judgment even when we do not have all the information at hand... we naturally judge people in our minds, which eventually can lead us to talk about those people…. . Are they any guidelines as to how should we judge people?

The answer is: Yes. The Torah say that if somebody is a known Tzadik, an ‘exceptional’ person, a saint who 99% of what he does is good, when we don’t have the complete information, we must give him the benefit of the doubt and judge him favorably. From the other side, if somebody is a known evil person (rasha gamur) even if he seems to have a good intention, you should be suspicious of his ulterior motives. If the boss of the opposite gang smiles at you, run away as fast as you can!

But both cases are really extremes. Most people are neither saints nor killers… The question is: how to judge 99% those like us who do good things but also make mistakes…. The Torah says unequivocally: “betsedek tisphot amitekha” (vaikra 9, 15) “You should judge the average person as if he was a Tzadik” (the word betsedek is interpreted here as: “like the Tsadik”). In other words, always judge the average person giving him the benefit of the doubt.

The CRC

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.

The 19th Berakha

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

Ahabat Israel: "God will wage war for you, and you just stand still" ( Shemot 14, 14)

Today is the 25th day of Sivan, 5770


Seven days after the people of Israel left Egypt, they got to the shore of the sea. Pharaoh had a change of heart and regretted having let the Jewish slaves go free. He enlisted his troops and personally led them to crush the Israelites. When the Jews saw the Egyptians coming they panicked.

God Almighty knew that the Jews were not prepared for war... Why? Because they were slaves for centuries and slaves don’t have rights. They don’t know to defend themselves. They exist to please their masters. At that moment, Moshe said: HASHEM ILACHEM LAKHEM VEATEM TACAHRISHUN… God Almighty will wage war for you and you just stand still (=do nothing!). It was the only time in Jewish history that God did not command the Israelites to engage the enemy militarily, as we did with Amalek a few days later or when we conquered the land of Canaan, etc, etc. Those were excruciating circumstances. Slaves were trained like animals to fear their masters… a slave cannot become a hero overnight and fight face to face his former master. So, we were told FOR THE FIRST AND LAST TIME do nothing…. But ever since then, haShem commanded us to wage war (ki tetze lamiilchama al oyebekha) assuring us that He will always ‘fight’ in our side.

Israel is nowadays at war. A very complicated war with too many difficult fronts, among them: Iran, Hezbollah, Arab States, Hamas etc, and also the UN, our own self hatred Jews, the international press, and the worst: our own apathy…). These are too many fronts for Israel alone. And be sure of one thing: Israel is fighting all these fronts on behalf of every jew in the planet (ironically, even on behalf of those jews who hate Israel). Israel needs us to take part in some of these battles. And WE can’t just stand still. At least, I can’t stand still anymore and do nothing when Israel needs everyone of us so badly… I can't stand still in light of so much hatred, lies and accusations against my beloved Israel....

This is why I decided to start this column in Halakha of the Day, Mondays, which I called 'Ahabat Israel': Love for Israel. I hope to produce some awareness, not so much about the news and videos we already saw but about our needed action. There is so much we can do... and we are not doing…. writing comments to newspapers and TV news programs, writing emails to congress, producing our own Youtube presentations and our own pro-Israel Facebook groups, etc, etc most of it, we can do it.... FROM THE COMFORT OF OUR OWN PC....

I would like invite you to join me in a humble campaign, to share your creative ideas about what can YOU do from your computer to help Israel.

I welcome your ideas and hope to share them with other HOTD readers.

Please, write me your email to:

Subject: DO SOMETHING FOR ISRAEL, FROM YOUR OWN PC

rabbibitton@hotmail.com

Please, read this very short but eye opening article on the danger of “doing nothing” and share it with your Jewish and non Jewish friends .

https://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=OHo0c2ZBT01iR0kwTVE9PQ