Friday, November 19, 2010

SHABBAT and automatic appliances

12th day of Kislev, 5771

Last week we discussed the use on Shabbat of automatic devices or appliances that were activated before Shabbat.

Many Halakhic principles on this area are learned from the Shulchan Arukh (circa 1560) who authorized the use of a water mill -a turbine like device used to grind wheat, etc.- which was operated before Shabbat and continued grinding wheat 'automatically' during Shabbat.

The challenge for today's expert Rabbis (poskim) is to apply this principle to our modern world.

A few examples:

It is permitted to operate a washing machine or a dryer before Shabbat begins because these machines are turned off automatically (the clothes, obviously, can not be removed until Shabbat is over). Ashkenazi Rabbis will oppose this rule if the appliance makes a noise (hashma'at kol, see Penine Halakha, 17).

The Sephardic approach is more lenient in these cases. In a business, for example, Rab Obadia Yosef authorizes to leave a fax or an answering machine active on Shabbat provided one can assume that the majority of those who might call during Shabbat are non Jews.

The same principle, reasons Rabbi Yosef, is applied if one owns a vending machine. If I own a vending machine I can leave it to operate during Shabbat. Except if the machine is in a jewish area, for example: a community Jewish Center or in Israel, to avoid the deliberate or involuntary activation of it by a Jew on Shabbat.

What about a Web site? Can I have a commercial Web site working for me online during Shabbat? B'H next week.





Rabbi Yosef Bitton. YMJC 130 Steamboat Rd. Great Neck NY 11024

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Waiting between milk and meat

Today is the 5th of Shebat, 5770
As we explain last week, the general Sephardic Minhag is not to requiring a waiting period from dairy to meat, you’re just required to wash your hands, wash your mouth or drink water or soda, and eat a solid Parve food (such as bread or a fruit) before eating meat. However, many families of our community still hold the original Mashadi Minhag to wait from dairy three hours before eating meat, especially after eating hard cheese. As we’ve already explained, everyone should strictly keep and follow his or her own Minhaguim.

Obviously, every Kosher kitchen has to have a total separation between dairy and meat utensils, silverware etc. For Sephardim, glassware is an exception and technically, they could be used for meat or dairy, after washing them thoroughly, taking care that no residues or even particles of any food would be left over. It is always recommended to be more cautious and have a completely separate set -even of glassware- for meat and for milk.
If one has only one sink for meat and milk, one may wash immediately one type of dishes after the other, even with hot water, as long as one is using soap. (The soap renders any residues inedible).

In following weeks we will explain BH how to use the oven, the microwave and the dishwasher for meat and dairy products.

LASHON HARA and dating

11th day of Kislev, 5771

Last week we explained that Lashon haRa, telling something negative about somebody else, is one of the most serious prohibitions and its effects could be devastating. We also mentioned that there are a few instances in which we are allowed or even required to speak up revealing certain negative information to prevent someone else's damage, for example, in the world of business. (See http://rabbibitton.blogspot.com/search/label/Lashon%20Hara)

In the area of Shiddukhim (dating) Lashon haRa could also be devastating. I know firsthand many engagements which were tragically broken because of Lashon haRa. Sometime people made negative comments 'innocently' and sometimes 'deliberately' out of jealousy, competition or resentment.

Lashon haRa in the area of Shiddukhim could be extremely destructive. So we need to act with even more caution than we do in the business world, because more (and more lasting) damage could be caused by Lashon haRa in the emotional dimension than in the financial dimension.

I would summarize the dynamics of Lashon haRa / Shiddukhim with two basic rules:

1. If you know of a 'serious/objective' matter that affects the person involved, you can reveal this information to the potential partner. For example any serious physical, mental or psychological health issues. But in other 'subjective' areas -where you apply your judgment more than your knowledge of certain facts -like 'compatibility', you should not interfere using Lashon haRa. Different personalities, for example, might complement each other and make for beautiful marriages.

2. THE GOLDEN RULE: In this matter, please, always seek the advice of an experienced Rabbi as a confidential counselor and an objective third party, who will help you to understand if the matter at hand should be considered a serious/objective matter which deserves to be revealed, or if it is a matter of your own subjective judgment, and therefore you need to let the parties decide by themselves.



Rabbi Yosef Bitton. YMJC | 130 Steamboat Rd. | Great Neck | NY | 11024

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Milk after Meat


27 Shebat, 5770

Besides the prohibition of eating them together, our Rabbis indicated that it is necessary to wait between eating meat or a meat product and eating milk or a diary product.

The prevalent Sephardic Minhag is to wait six hours between meat and milk. The Rabbis gave different reasons for this prohibition, which equally applies after eating red or white meat.

There are other Minhaguim which indicate that the waiting period between meat and milk is 3 or 4 hours. This is mainly the Ashkenazi custom as well as the tradition of some families in our community. The general rule in Minhaguim is that everyone should follow the custom of his parents and families and also be respectful of other's Minhaguim.

If necessary, one could be lenient with a child, especially an infant, and allow him or her to have milk or dairy one or two hours after eating meat .

It is permissible to eat meat after eating a dairy product, with no waiting period. Yet, you are required to wash your hands, wash your mouth or drink water or soda, and eat a solid Parve food before eating meat.





List of Some reliable Kosher Symbols

FROM: http://www.crcweb.org/agency_list.php

Directory of Kosher Certifying Agencies

Updated April 2010


As a public service, the Chicago Rabbinical Council is presenting
a list of common acceptable kosher symbols and their agencies'
contact information. The fact that a particular agency does not
appear on this list does not imply that the cRc has determined it to
be substandard.

Note: There are more than 1000 kosher certifying agencies

around the world! For a complete list of Kashrus agencies

(which includes both cRc recommended and non-recommended

agencies) visit Kashrus Magazine Online (or call 1-718-336-8544).

Special thanks to Rabbi Yosef Wikler, editor of Kashrus Magazine.




UNITED STATES and CANADA
California
Igud Hakashrus of Los Angeles
(Kehillah Kosher)
Rabbi Avraham Teichman
323-935-8383
186 North Citrus Ave.,
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Vaad Hakashrus of Northern California

Rabbi Levy Zirkind
510-843-8223

2520 Warring St.
Berkeley, CA 94704

Rabbinical Council of California (RCC)
Rabbi Nissim Davidi
213-389-3382
3870 Wilshire Blvd. #420
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Colorado
Scroll K
Vaad Hakashrus of Denver
Rabbi Moshe Heisler
303-595-9349
1350 Vrain St.
Denver, CO 80204
District of Columbia
Vaad HaRabanim of Greater Washington


Rabbi Kalman Winter
301-593-0336

11161 New Hampshire Ave.
Suite #402
Silver Spring, MD 20904

Florida
Kosher Miami
Vaad HaKashrus of Miami-Dade
Rabbi Mordechai Fried
Rabbi Manish Spitz
786-390-6620

PO Box 403225
Miami, FL 33140
Florida K
and Florida Kashrus Services
Rabbi Sholom B. Dubov
407-644-2500
708 Lake Howell Rd
Maitland, FL 32751
Orthodox Rabbinical Board of Browand and Palm Beach Counties
(ORB)
Rabbi Pesach Weitz
305-206-1524
PO Box 640326
Miami, FL 33164
Georgia
Atlanta Kashrus CommissionRabbi Reuven Stein
404-634-4063
1855 La Vista Rd. N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30329
Illinois
q
Chicago Rabbinical Council
(cRc)
Rabbi Sholem Fishbane
www.crcweb.org
773-465-3900
2701 W. Howard
Chicago, IL 60645
Midwest Kosher

Rabbi Yehoshua H. Eichenstein
Rabbi Chaim Tzvi Goldzweig
773-761-4878

2857 W. Pratt
Chicago, IL 60645

Indiana
Indianapolis Orthodox Board of Kashrus

Rabbi Yisrael Gettinger
317-253-5253

6510 Hoover Rd
Indianapolis, IN 46260
Indianapolis Beth Din

Rabbi Abraham Grossbaum
317-251-5573

1037 Golf Lane
Indianapolis, IN 46260
Iowa
Iowa “Chai-K” Kosher SupervisionRabbi Yossi Jacobson
515-277-1718
943 Cummins Pkwy
Des Moines, IA 50312

Kansas
Vaad Hakashruth of Kansas CityRabbi Daniel Rockoff
913-649-4300
P.O. Box 12542
Overland Park, KS 66282
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Kentucky
Louisville Vaad HakashrutRabbi Avrohom Litvin
502-459-1770
PO Box 5362
Louisville, KY 40205
Louisiana
Louisiana Kashrut CommitteeRabbi Yossie Nemes
504-957-4986
4141 W Esplanade Ave
Metairie, LA 70002
Maryland
Star-K Kosher Certification
(chalav Yisrael)

Dr. Avram Pollack
410-484-4110

122 Slade Ave. #300
Baltimore, MD 21208
Star-D Certification
(non-chalav Yisrael)
Dr. Avram Pollack
410-484-4110
122 Slade Ave. #300
Baltimore, MD 21208
Massachusetts
Diamond -KRabbi Rachmiel Liberman
617-469-5000
100 Woodcliff Road
Chestnut Hill, MA, USA 02467
New England Kashrus LeMehadrinRabbi Aaron Hamaoui
617-789-4343
75 Wallingford
Brighton, MA 02135
Michigan
Council of Orthodox Rabbis of Greater Detroit
Rabbi Doniel Neustadt
248-559-5005 x101
18877 West 10 Mile Rd, Suite 101 Southfield, MI


Minnesota
United Mehadrin Kosher (UMK)
Note: unless the meat states that it is glatt, it is certified not-glatt by the UMK. The cRc only accepts Glatt Kosher meats.
Rabbi Asher Zeilingold
651-690-2137
1001 Prior Ave. South
St. Paul, MN 55116
Missouri
Vaad Hoeir of Saint Louis Rabbi Zvi Zuravin
314-569-2770
4 Millstone Campus
St. Louis, MO 63146
New Jersey
Badatz Mehadrin -USA732-363-79791140 Forest Ave.
Lakewood, NJ 08701
Rabbi Shlomo Gissinger
"CHES K"
732-364-8723170 Sunset Rd.
Lakewood, NJ 08701
Kashrus Council of Lakewood N.J.Rabbi Avrohom Weisner
732- 901-1888
750 Forest Ave.
Suite #66
Lakewood, NJ 08701
Kof-K Kosher SupervisionRabbi Zecharia Senter
201-837-0500
201 The Plaza
Teaneck, NJ 07666
Rabbinical Council of Bergen CountyRabbi Binyomin Taub
201-287-9292
PO Box 1233
Teaneck, NJ 07666
New York-Bronx



Rabbi Zevulun Charlop718-365-6810100 E. Mosholu Parkway South
Bronx, NY 10458
New York - Brooklyn
Rabbi Yechiel Babad
(Tartikover Rav)
718-951-0952/35207 19th Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11204
Central Rabbinical Congress
(Hisachdus HaRabanim)
Rabbi Yitzchak Glick
718-384-6765
85 Division Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
Rabbi Yisroel Gornish718-376-3755

1421 Avenue O
Brooklyn, NY 11230

Rabbi Nussen Naftoli Horowitz
718-234-9514
1712 57th St.
Brooklyn, NY 11204
Kehilah Kashrus
(Flatbush Community Kashrus Organization)
Rabbi Zechariah Adler
718-951-0481
1294 E. 8th St.
Brooklyn, NY 11230
The Organized Kashrus Laboratories (OK)Rabbi Don Yoel Levy
718-756-7500
391 Troy Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11213

Rabbi Avraham Kleinman
( Margaretten Rav)

718-851-08481324 54th St.
Brooklyn, NY 11219
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Rabbi Shlomo Stern
( Debraciner Rav)
718-853–96231641 56th St.
Brooklyn, NY 11204
Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum
(Nirbater Rav)

718-851-1221

1617 46th St.,
Brooklyn, NY 11204
Rabbi Nuchem Efraim Teitelbaum
(Volver Rav)
718-436-46855808 11th Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11225
Bais Din of Crown Heights
Vaad HaKashrus

Rabbi Yossi Brook
718-604-2500
388 Kingston Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11225
Vaad Hakashrus Mishmeres L'MishmeresRabbi Yitzchok Zeide
718-680-0642
1157 42nd. St.
Brooklyn, NY 11219
Kehal Machzikei Hadas of Belz718-854-37111435 51st St
Brooklyn, NY 11219
Vaad Harabanim of Flatbush

Rabbi Meir Goldberg
718-951-8585
1575 Coney Island Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11230
New York - Manhattan
K’hal Adas Jeshurun
(Breuer’s)
Rabbi Moshe Zvi Edelstein
212-923-3582
85-93 Bennett Ave
New York, NY 10033
Orthodox Jewish Congregations (OU)

Rabbi Menachem Genack
212-563-4000

11 Broadway
New York, NY 10004
New York-Queens
Vaad HaRabonim of QueensRabbi Chaim Schwartz
718-520-9060
141-49 73rd Ave
Flushing, NY 11367
New York-Long Island
Vaad Harabanim of the Five Towns and Far Rockaway
Rabbi Yosef Eisen
516-569-4536
597A Willow Ave.
Cedarhurst, NY 11516
New York-Upstate
Vaad HaKashrus of Buffalo

Rabbi Moshe Taub
716-634-3990
3940 Harlem Rd.
Amherst, NY 14226
Rabbi Mordechai Ungar845-354-663218 N. Roosevelt Ave.
New Square, NY 10977
Vaad Hakashrus of Mechon L’HoyroaRabbi Y. Tauber
845-425-9565 ext. 101
168 Maple Ave.
Monsey, NY 10952
Rabbi Avraham Zvi Glick
845-425-317834 Brewer Road
Monsey, NY 10952

Rabbi Yitzchok Lebovitz
845-434-3060P.O. Box 939
Woodridge, NY 12789
New Square Kashrus Council
Rabbi C.M. Wagshall
845-354-5120
8 Truman Ave
Suite #2
New Square, NY 10977
Vaad Hakashruth of the Capital DistrictRabbi Dr. Moshe Bomzer
518-489-1530
877 Madison Ave.
Albany, NY 12208
Rabbi Menachem Meir Weissmandel
845-352-18071 Park Lane
Monsey, NY 10952
Ohio
Cleveland Kosher

Rabbi Shimon Gutman
440-347-0264
P.O. Box 181476
Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
Pennsylvania
Community Kashrus of Greater PhiladelphiaRabbi Dov Brisman
215-871-5000
7505 Brookhaven
Philadelphia, PA 19151
Texas
The Houston Kashruth Association

Rabbi Yehoshua Wender
713-398-0267

P.O. Box 35225
Houston, TX 77235

Texas-K
Chicago Rabbinical Council (cRc)

Rabbi Sholem Fishbane
773-465-3900
2701 W. Howard
Chicago, IL 60645
Dallas Kosher

Rabbi Sholey Klein
214-739-6535
7800 Northaven Rd.
Dallas, TX 75230
Virginia
Vaad Hakashrus of Tidewater

Rabbi Sholom Mostofsky
757-627-7358

420 Spotswood
Norfolk, VA 23517

Wisconsin
Kosher Supervisors of Wisconsin

Rabbi Benzion Twerski
414-442-5730
3100 North 52nd St.
Milwaukee, WI 53216
CANADA
Kashrus Council of Canada
(COR)
Rabbi Sholom Adler
416-635-9550
3200 Dufferin St
Toronto, Ontario M6A 3B2
Montreal Vaad Hair
(MK)
Rabbi Saul Emanuel
514-739-6363
6825 Decarie Blvd.
Montreal, Quebec H3W3E4
Rabbinical Council of British Columbia

Rabbi Avraham Feigelstak
604-731-1803
401-1037 W Broadway
Vancouver, B.C. V6H 1E3

Back to Top
INTERNATIONAL

ARGENTINA
Achdus Yisroel

Rabbi Daniel Oppenheimer
5411-4783-2831
or 4784-6719

Moldes 2449
Buenos Aires 1428

Rabbi Yosef Feiglestock
54114-961-9613Ecuador 821
Buenos Aires Capital 1214
Argentina
BELGIUM
Machsike Hadass
Rabbi Eliyahu Shternbuch
323-233-5567
Jacob Jacobstraat 22
Antwerp 2018
BRAZIL
Communidade Ortodoxa Israelita Kehillas Hachareidim Departmento de KashrusRabbi A.M. Iliovits
5511-3082-1562
Rua Haddock Lobo 1091,
S. Paulo-SP, 01414-003
CHINA
HKK Kosher Certification ServiceRabbi D. Zadok
852-2540-8661

18 Floor, V. Heun Building
138 Queen's Road
Central, Hong Kong

ENGLAND

The Joint Kashrus Committee of England
Mr. Yitzchok Feldman
44208-802-6226
140 Stamford Hill
London N16 6QT
Machzikei Hadas Manchester
Rabbi M.M. Schneebalg
44161-792-1313
17 Northumberland St.
Salford M7 4RP
Gateshead Kashrus Authority

Rabbi Elazer Lieberman
44191-477-1598

37 Grasmere Street West
Gateshead-Tyne & Wear NE8 1TS

FRANCE


Rabbi Mordechai Rottenberg
(Chief Orthodox Rav of Paris)
3314-887-490310 Rue Pavee
Paris 75004
Adas Yereim of Paris
Rabbi Y.D. Frankfurter
3314-246-3647

35 Rue Miguel Hidalgo
Paris 75019


Kehal Yeraim of Paris
Rabbi I Katz
33-153-012644
13 Rue Pave
Paris 75004