Kosher Spirit - Tishrei 5775

‫ב”ה‬

‫תשרי תשע”ה‬

‫‪TISHREI 5775‬‬

‫‪Certified Soul Nutrition‬‬

‫ושבתה הארץ‬ ‫שבת לה׳ וציוויתי את ברכתי‬

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Share your spirit Questions for the ~ Healthy spirit water

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BEGINNING ANEW

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PREPARING FOR SHMITTA

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From the desk of Rabbi Don Yoel Levy

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“HASHGACHA” PROTIS

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who’s behind the ~

By Dr. Yehudit Lando, Ph.D. TISHREI RECIPE

SHIVAS HAMINIM SALAD KEEPING KOSHER IN… VENICE

By Leigh Hershkovich

By Maayan Meir

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Interview with rabbi Ouriel Serfaty

CHASSIDIC INSIGHTS shmitta: A Letter from the Lubavitcher Rebbe ztz”l SOUL NUTRITION

Compiled by Dina Fraenkel

Kosher Spirit Tishrei 5775

Dear Reader,

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s we recommit ourselves to Yiddishkeit in this New Year and strive to do things better, we sometimes run into challenging areas. Mitzvos that seem hard to understand like kashrus and shmitta, which occurs this year, can be especially challenging. Although mitzvos that we don’t thoroughly understand seem to be harder to observe than those mitzvos that have a clear reason, if you look into the commentaries, you can find a reason for many of them. Then again, even the mitzvos we do clearly understand should be done with the same kabbalos ol as the mitzvos we don’t understand – the “chukkim” – since we truly don’t know the “real” reasons for any mitzvah; we do them only because they are commandments from Hashem.

As we start a shmitta year, some people might think that shmitta is a really unfair mitzvah. Why are the farmers the only ones “penalized” for the entire year, while everyone else can continue working and profit? The truth is, if you look deeply into the Torah, the mitzvah of shmitta is extremely fair. Here is the reason: Every other business run by a Jew is open six days a week and closed on Shabbos. On Shabbos, the owner makes no profits and no gains. The only ones who really profit from Shabbos are farmers, because their produce continues to grow on Shabbos. Six years of Shabbosim, combined with all of the Yomim Tovim, equal one full calendar year, so during the seventh year, the farmers let go of their fields and become “even” with everyone else.

Kashrus is also not always easy to observe. In the USA, more and more products clearly display the kosher mark; however, in Europe, kosher logos are not usually printed on product labels and consumers have to be “in the know” about the kosher rules in the places they shop. Read about the floating Jewish community of Venice, Italy and the various kosher establishments available to guests and locals alike in this installment of “Keeping Kosher In…” I wish you a new year of renewed motivation in the mitzvah of kabbalos ol, encompassing all of the mitzvos, and revealed blessings for all of Klal Yisroel.

K’siva v’chasima tovah, l’shana tovah u’mesukah.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:

Rabbi Chaim Fogelman EDITOR:

Dovi Scheiner

Rabbi Chaim Fogelman Editor in Chief

ASSOCIATE EDITOR:

Dina Fraenkel DESIGN:

Spotlight Design We welcome your comments, submissions and letters to the editor.

Mail: 391 Troy Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11213 Email: editor@kosherspirit.com © 2014. No portion of this publication may be reprinted without written consent from the publisher.

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Share Your Spirit Readers share their thoughts...

Dear Kosher Spirit, I read your excellent article about tevilas keilim. I would like to get it in electronic form to email to my family. Please send me the link to the article.

Thank you.

JP

Dear JP, The electronic version can be found at www.kosherspirit.com. –Kosher Spirit”

Dear Kosher Spirit,

Dear Kosher Spirit,

Good Morning. I love your publication, I read it cover to cover and I even save some of the articles for future references. I was reading about the seder preparations in Kathmandu; it is truly fascinating.

However, they mentioned “peeling potatoes, boiling carrots and ROASTING CHICKENS” for the seder. I know that it is the minhag in North America not to eat any roasted meat or chicken at the seder, I was wondering if perhaps the minhag in Kathmandu is different?”

I was delighted to receive Kosher Spirit’s Pesach edition with Ami magazine. I’ve stopped buying organic produce so was thrilled to learn that it actually doesn’t have more bugs. I had been toying with the idea of making gnocchi for Pesach which would have flopped had I not read the instructions in your magazine.

These two items alone were worth the $7 I pay for Ami in Canada!

Regards,

AB Dear AB, Thanks for noticing. This was a typographical error and should read “cooking chickens”.

—Kosher Spirit

DR

Dear Kosher Spirit, Kosher Spirit is an amazing piece of Torah. Thank you for you insights. I was wondering where to find the sources for Rabbi Yosef Dovid Chanowitz’s article concerning ‘Going with Grain’ - Chodosh in the Diaspora. Thank you again for your amazing website.

Many thanks, Boruch Dear Boruch, The sources can be found at www.kosherspirit.com.

– Kosher Spirit

www.KosherSpirit.com 3

The ~ receives many letters/emails with kosher questions...

Dear Kosher Spirit, When making a smoothie in a blender, what level of checking is required on the fruit and vegetables that ordinarily need to be checked for bugs?

The ~ responds:

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hen making a smoothie, where any minute amount of bugs are liquefied and are botul b’shishim, one is only required to thoroughly wash the produce, not inspect in for bugs. After washing, one is left with only a safek issur. It is not an issue of mevatlin issur l’chatchila because you are left with only a safek issur and are not blending it with the intention to liquefy the bugs, rather to make a liquid drink. You can rely on the fact that you washed the produce well.

This only applies when using a professional strength blender that is capable of fully liquefying produce (Vitamix, Blendtec, Ninja, etc.). Some basic home blenders will not be able to fully liquefy the produce and often leave small chunks that were not fully blended.

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Simchas Beis HaShoeva, the “Water Drawing Festival�, took place during Chol HaMoed Sukkos in the time of the Beis HaMikdash

How much do we really know about the water that we drink?

Drinking water in the morning increases the production of new blood and muscle cells.

In undeveloped nations, women spend

200 million

hours a day collecting water.

4,100

kids under age 5 die every day from unclean drinking water.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires all community water systems in America to report drinking water quality to its customers annually. This includes details on where the water comes from, what contaminants have been found in the water, and the potential health effects.

Americans consume

8.6 billion

gallons of bottled water per year.

25%

More than of bottled water comes from a municipal water supply, the same place that tap water comes from.

Drinking warm water with lemon boosts your immune system, helps with weight loss and aids digestion.

The price of bottled water is up to

10,000

times the cost of tap water.

If you drink your daily recommended 8 glasses of water per day from the tap, it will cost you about 50 cents per year. If you choose to drink it from water bottles, it can cost you up to

$1,400.

1 billion

people have no access to clean drinking water.

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beginning

anew Dr. Yehudit Lando, Ph.D.

he voice of the shofar is calling and the Days of Awe are here, inspiring in each of us a Cheshbon HaNefesh – examining our deeds in the last year and thinking about making amends and beginning anew. What will we do this year that is better, to really make a new beginning?

The important question is what “new” means. Does it mean that everything we’ve done so far is erased, and we start with a clean “new” page? To where has everything I’ve done vanished?

Do my deeds in the past have no more benefit for me, to help me with my “new” beginning?

On the day we are born, the first page of our life journey is written and the inscriptions cannot be deleted like the computer files we send to the Recycle Bin with one click. Every day, and every moment, our life story is continuously recorded. A new beginning is part of the introspective process in which a person takes an honest look at oneself and one’s past. Looking back is necessary in order to go forward. A new beginning is a question of choosing between past and future. The past is what we have already done, both positive and negative, and is accompanied by all the

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events of our lives, times when we experienced happiness, bliss, pleasure or pain, shame, embarrassment, and the inclination to make the same mistakes in the same situations and with the same people.

Thus, when we talk about a new beginning it’s almost like being in the therapist’s treatment room; we investigate the past now, in the present, out of a wish for a better future.

One of the questions arising in the process of the new beginning is: “Why is it so difficult to begin anew? Why, every time Elul comes around, do we think, perceive, make plans, but don’t always succeed in implementing the new beginning or maintaining the new decision for any length of time?” The reason is that, in every beginning, we, as people, start doing something different from what we used to do. Doing something we are used to is much easier. We don’t have to force ourselves because it’s familiar and we know exactly what we are doing. A beginning means that we start doing something we didn’t do before, to behave differently, and that’s why the beginning is hard.

One of the things that are typical to the beginning of a new year is the process of making resolutions to change, to improve, to stop doing something, to undertake to do something new, etc. Good decisions derive from the ability to keep our eyes on the goal, the reason, and the aim of any new beginning. The new beginning is an internal journey of thinking that concludes with a resolution or undertaking. Usually, two things can help us start something new: 1.Making a decision to

make a change or improve in a certain specific area. We have to be very clear about what the change will be. It must be an addition or upgrade, and sometimes it means stopping something we are already doing.

2. In order to succeed we must have a good plan that will make it possible to implement the new change, making the new beginning possible. Without a good, clear cut plan of action our decision might not be carried out, or work only in the short term.

It’s worthwhile to remember that a new beginning can’t be all talk. It’s a

process that begins with thinking and talking, but the “doing” part can’t be neglected. To begin anew is to give ourselves a chance to improve, to be better – a better parent, a better Yid, a better spouse, etc. A Jew has the chance to begin anew every day and every minute, but there are also auspicious times to initiate a new beginning. The month of Tishrei is a period of new beginnings and we give each other mutual support in our efforts. This is a wonderful chance to initiate a difficult process that sends us to places in our mind where past

Planning:

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n Lecha Dodi we say “sof maaseh b’machshava techila”.

Each action must be preceded by a careful thought process. That is, without planning there is no execution.

How does one plan a new beginning – a decision to improve? There are some questions one should ask oneself: What kind of decision/undertaking do I want to make?

(To add a chumra, to be a better mother, etc.)

Why do I want to make this resolution? (Because I want to get closer to G-d, because I want a better relationship with my children, etc.)

What exactly is the resolution? (I will bring Shabbos in ten minutes earlier; I will read my child a bedtime story three times a week, etc.)

How much time and how many resources do I need to implement this resolution? (I need a week to get organized, I can start tomorrow morning, I need my husband to cooperate and put one child to bed three times a week

meet present and longs for a better future, a place perhaps less easy, less familiar, and more demanding. The advantage of beginning again is that at the beginning stage we are connected to the essence, to the task, to the goal; a new beginning is a new chance.

I suggest looking at “how” to begin again. The time we take to look into our innermost mind is what enables us to start a process aimed towards the future – a new beginning. Let’s take a look at the process of making decisions to begin anew, from the planning stage to the execution stage.

How does one plan a new beginning – a decision to improve? There are some questions one should ask oneself: while I tell the other child a story, I need the family to cooperate so we can bring Shabbos in early, etc.)

How will the plan be executed? (I will speak to my husband on Wednesday; we will gather the children this week and talk about the new arrangements that will enable us to bring Shabbos in early, etc.)

Supervising and Controlling:

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ow I am at the implementation stage. I have a plan which I prepared in Stage 1 and now I am implementing it. I carry out my resolution but also look at how I did it and at the consequences of my deeds.

Did I succeed in carrying out my resolution? (How many Shabbosim did I manage to bring in early this month? How many times this week did I tell my child a bedtime story?)

Do I know what I am doing? (Am I angry with the kids on Fridays because they don’t do their chores quickly enough?

Is bringing Shabbos in early worth my anger? This week I didn’t manage to shop for Shabbos on Thursday and lost four hours of preparation for Shabbos on Friday. One child was sick and so I didn’t tell my other child a story on Wednesday.

What do I do in special situations? Etc.) Does my behavior make sense? (I make everybody at www.KosherSpirit.com 7

home stressed out before Shabbos, especially during the winter and I must learn to manage better and not pressure everybody. I argue a lot with my husband because of the resolution to tell my child bedtime stories – this doesn’t make sense and I have to find a different strategy.)

Am I achieving my goal? (Despite the stress and dif-

ficulties my family is happy to bring Shabbos in early. I need to learn to be better organized and so I will achieve my purpose better. Perhaps the decision to tell one child bedtime stories needs to be adapted to the needs of my husband and my other child – I am not sure I am achieving my goal, etc.)

Feedback, Examination and Evaluation:

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ne of the ways to reflect on my new resolutions and get feedback on them is to keep a resolution journal, in which we first write out the plan, and then write about our progress every day or every week – depending on what kind of resolution we made. In the journal you can write in detail what you did towards your goal on each date.

For example: 1 Cheshvan – Today is Tuesday. In the evening I planned the menu for Shabbos and made my shopping list. Or: 3 Cheshvan – I planned to go shopping for Shabbos today but the children didn’t feel well and we went to the doctor instead. The journal helps us examine our progress in carrying out resolutions. Remember that the goal is to turn the new resolution into a part of our routine because during our life, and especially in Elul and Tishrei, we will always want “to being anew” in one area or another.

Reflecting on this can help us check a few things: Did I succeed in meeting my goals? (In Tishrei I succeeded in bringing in Shabbos early twice. I think I am close to full success. Telling my child a story every evening didn’t work at all in Tishrei; we had many guests and I had a lot of work on Friday nights and Motzaei Shabbos, I fell asleep in the

middle of telling the story.)

Am I really undergoing a process of change in following my new resolution? (I really succeeded in bringing Shabbos in early and I think I am nearing meeting all my expectations in this area. As for the bedtime story to my child I am disappointing myself for not carrying out my own resolution.)

What have I done well and can adopt as a permanent part of my behavior? What am I struggling with and how can I improve? (Bringing Shabbos in early taught me to be more efficient and better organized. I plan my menu and shopping on Tuesday, go shopping on Wednesday, cook on Thursday and tidy the house on Friday – and it’s a success. I need to work on the anger and stress I show towards my family on Friday. Perhaps I should be hiring a cleaning lady for Friday morning and fixing on 2:00PM as a deadline for Shabbos preparation, summer or winter. Now I just have to find a cleaning lady.)

The improvements can be reevaluated at the next “checkpoint” we choose – next week, for instance, or next month.

‫בס״ד‬ In conclusion, a new beginning is connected to our will to change and improve. It gives us a chance but it is also a way to look at ourselves and our behavior, and at who we would like to be in the future.

Remember that new beginnings and new resolutions belong to you only. You can make a new beginning, or a new resolution, only for yourself, not for your spouse or children. However, your new beginning and resolutions can definitely have a positive impact on your relationships with the people in your life.

Good luck with the new beginning you’ve chosen!

Tishrei Recipe

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Shivas HaMinim Salad Note: 5775 is a shmitta year. Please make sure that your ingredients do not come from Eretz Yisroel or were produced in 5774.

15 min

Ingredients

3 cups cooked barley or Israeli couscous (such as Osem Israeli (Pearl) Couscous) 1/4 cup dried figs, chopped or 3 fresh figs, quartered 1/4 cup pitted dates, sliced in rings or chopped 1/4 cup seedless grapes, halved 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon country Dijon mustard 1/4 cup wheat and barley nuggets cereal (such as Grape-Nuts), optional 2 tablespoons parsley leaves, torn

Directions

Combine barley, figs, dates, grapes and pomegranate seeds in a large bowl. Place oil, honey, lemon juice and mustard in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Pour dressing over barley salad and toss to coat well. Just before serving add cereal and toss to evenly distribute.

Garnish with parsley leaves.

This salad requires the special brocha achrona for the shivas haminim.

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Keeping Kosherin

Venice V

By Leigh Hershkovich

enice, Italy. A city for dreamers and foodies alike.

One of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, Venice attracts people by the thousands every year. The floating city draws people in for its sights, its beauty, and its food. Venice is not just a tourist destination; it is home to a sizable Jewish community.

From restaurants to markets, life for the locals, as well as the tourists, is bountiful. One thing’s for sure: in the city of dreams, starving isn’t an option.

On a hot summer day in late July, a group of backpackers arrived in Venice with their belongings on their backs, and their stomachs rumbling. Though

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they had food from their journey, they were hungry for something of sustenance. To their surprise, the floating city had much to offer them upon their arrival. “The last thing you expect is to find a kosher pizza restaurant right on the water. It was like a dream!” one tourist explained. Venice is well equipped when it comes to feeding the Jewish locals and tourists.

Besides for two restaurants (one dairy, one meat), the local markets are also fully stocked with a variety of kosher options. For American tourists who are used to seeing hechsherim on food,

it may come as a surprise to them to find that food in Venice does not come with a hechsher. Baila Bryski, who has been a Chabad shlucha in Venice with her husband, Mendel, for four months, explained that many cities in Europe offer food manufactured by kosher companies without a hescher. This makes grocery shopping more difficult than in the U.S. where kosher symbols are

kets, while dairy products are imported from other cities, such as Rome. Many of the markets offer long life Cholov Yisroel milk, which only needs to be refrigerated upon opening. For kosher chicken and meat, Rabbi Banin often brings a shochet from Israel to shecht on premises. Additionally, Chabad of Venice has recently started a salami line called “Gustafino” which is great for travelers who

up outdoors, along the water, offering a unique Shabbos experience for locals and tourists alike. When it comes to preparing for so many people, they have it down to a science. The meat restaurant, Gam Gam, doubles as the kitchen where they prepare food for large events. A tourist who spent Shabbos in Venice shared her experience of Shabbos there: “I’ve never seen

conveniently marked on every kosher certified item.

A guide book is offered to aid locals and visitors alike to make sure their shopping needs abide with kosher laws.

“The options are endless, you just need to know what to look for,” she explains.

When asked what kind of advice she’d offer to first time visitors when it comes to food, she said: “I’d tell them to take granola and fruits with them when they travel from city to city, especially if they don’t know how the kashrus rules work around Europe.” Basics such as flour and grains can be found in local mar-

are constantly on the go. “The tourists who would pass through here used to dry their own salami, but now, we have it ready made for them!” Baila explains.

Shabbos in Venice is a magical and out of the ordinary experience. As it goes with Chabad Houses of all styles around the world, a vast amount of preparation goes into events such as public Shabbos meals, Yom Tov meals, and holiday events. On a typical Shabbos, the Venice community welcomes anywhere between fifty to one hundred and fifty people. In the summer months, long tables are set

anything like it! I arrived Thursday night, and they were already knee deep in cooking. They always make extra food because they never have an exact headcount. They offer the meal so that anyone can feel comfortable to just show up and dine in style.”

For larger holiday meals, such as the Pesach seder, the restaurant kitchen is kashered, and preparations begin further in advance. “We were never hungry! It was so surprising to find so many kosher options in the middle of Venice,” a tourist explained. “It was fantastic!” www.KosherSpirit.com 11

Preparing for

Shmitta

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By Maayan Meir

S Shmitta – the Biblical commandment to leave the land fallow every seventh year – is as relevant as ever in Israel.

There were times where most people perceived shmitta as a problem, something to find a way around, a mitzvah one should try and find leniencies and exemptions for, but not any longer. In Israel today, where food and beverage companies look to expend their businesses through export, it is the accepted fact and reality that shmitta will be observed perfectly and strictly, and that no leniencies will do. “It is not that the gentile buyers from abroad care about the origin of the produce,” says Rabbi Aharon Haskel, Director of ~ Israel, “but the reputable kosher agencies in the US and in Europe – and of course, the ~ around the world – will not approve any ingredient that is not mehadrin. Seeking leniencies for shmitta is not our way. And so, companies who might not care much about the level of their kosher status of their products in Israel have to meet much higher standard when working with us for export purposes.”

The entire country is preparing for shmitta. In June, the Israeli government approved a 100 million-shekel ($28.8 million) budget to prepare farmers for the shmitta year. 45 million shekels are expected to be distributed to farmers who stop all their activities for the year; they will be given an allowance based on their earnings from previous years.

Another 11 million shekels will go to

Otzar Beis Din organizations (the produce is turned over to the control of a Beis Din, who in turn distributes the products). There is also a budget of 5 million shekels for growers who will use the ‘matzaim menutakim’ solution – they will cultivate plants on surfaces off the ground, which are exempt from shmitta restrictions.

But it is not only government ministries and farmers who have to prepare for shmitta: the ~, as a kosher organization, has much work to do, guiding its clients so they find themselves in the best possible position once the shmitta year begins.

“Look at the vineyards, for instance,” says Rabbi Haskel. “Almost all Israeli vineyards are kosher supervised. That means they can’t use grapes during the first three years of growth, when they are orlah. All the farmers are in a rush to get the plantings done before the 15th of Av, which is the deadline for planting before a shmitta year. If you can’t get the new vines planted by then, you will not be able to use them for an additional year.”

Getting the plantings done was especially problematic this year due to the war with Gaza. “The security recommendations are for people to stay close to a shelter or a safe area. But where can you go when the sirens sound and you are in the vineyard?” asks Rabbi Haskel.

But the farmers don’t have the option to wait for the end of the war. Not planting in time will cause them significant www.KosherSpirit.com 13

Getting the plantings done was especially problematic this year due to the war with Gaza. damage. So they go out and plant all the same, missiles or no missiles.

Olive oil companies are also getting ready. Israel is a well-known exporter of quality olives, but the local olives will not be used during shmitta for producing mehadrin products. Accordingly, the companies have to find other

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bserving shmitta properly in today Israel doesn’t pose serious problems or challenges, either to the farmers or to the kosher consumers. However, the situation was much different in the first years after the establishment of the State of Israel. Most of the population was secular, government ministries didn’t see fit to assist shmitta-observing farmers and consumers, and the nisayon was hard and real.

The Komemiyut moshav in Israel is one of the only places in Israel where shmitta has always been observed to the letter. Amazingly, despite the difficult situation, the moshav always managed to survive and even thrive. The moshav’s rabbi, Rabbi Binyamin Mendelson,

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sources of olives, mainly in Jordan. Since the spring of 2014, ~ mashgichim have been going to Jordan to check the olive plantations there. Inspecting the foreign sources is important because there are cases of “revolving door” deceptions – Israeli produce would be sold to the Jordanians or other non-Jews who would then sell it back to Israel, at a higher price, claiming it was their own produce.

Olive oil companies are not alone in seeking substitutes for local produce.

Companies who market leafy vegetables – such as parsley and celery – are on the same mission. They, too, look to Jordan or neighboring nonJews as likely sources. However, the tense situation in the Middle East means that companies have to be ready with a Plan B as well; if things get too political, they will have to import the necessary produce from Europe.

While some kosher companies in Israel are mostly busy

recorded in his letters many miracles the moshav farmers witnessed while observing shmitta.

Perhaps the best-known incident of hashgocha protis happened in 1953.

“It was just after a shmitta year and we didn’t have wheat to sow,” wrote Rabbi Mendelson. “We didn’t want to use wheat seeds from the shmitta year, and the only seeds we could find from the sixth year were broken and unfit for planting. The farmers came to ask for my advice and I told them that since they couldn’t find other wheat they should ‘maamin bechai haolamin vezorea’ (believe in the eternally-living and plant) as the Talmud Yerushalmi says.”

All the villages around Komemiyut mocked the religious farmers

for planting those seeds and warned them that they would incur a huge loss. But they went ahead nonetheless. And in that ‘Eighth Year’ there were no rains in the beginning of the winter and all the seeds of all those who had plowed the land during the shmitta and planted immediately at the end of shmitta died in the dry land. But for the Komemiyut farmers, who started plowing only after Sukkos and planted in the first months of the winter, the rain came just on time. Miraculously, the damaged seeds grew into high quality wheat.

“And that,” concluded Rabbi Mendelson, “was a sign that Hashem sends his blessings to those who observe shmitta.”

finding alternative sources to the ingredients or products they need, others focus on working around the clock to produce as much as possible before the shmitta deadline.

“Take the manufacturers of jams and candied citrus peels,” says Rabbi Yeshaya Aush, who supervises many of the Israeli companies certified by the ~. “Israel is a world leader in producing citrus peels, which is a very popular ingredient in the gourmet world. Citrus peels are used in a variety of quality products, from baked goods to chocolate. But, because of shmitta, the companies here will not be able to produce with local fruits for two years. So they are working super hard now, in three shifts, to make the best use of the fruits they have. Over the next two years they will only produce with imported fruits for mehadrin productions.” He says the clients take shmitta extremely seriously, and with no grumblings. “We started our preparations two years ago, and all production plans were made in good time. By now they are used for this once-in-seven-

years challenge.”

Rabbi Haskel names three other kinds of companies that are working frantically to create a large stock of kosher l’medhadrin products before shmitta begins. “We have spice companies, we have companies which produce natural food coloring from tomatoes (Israel is somewhat of a leader in this field), and we have fruit concentrate companies. Much of the orange, lemon and grape concentrates used in the world come from Israel.”

Whatever a company does to prepare for shmitta, it appears there is little frustration with the kosher restrictions.

Perhaps because the kosher industry is large enough by now to have considerable leverage, or perhaps because kosher agencies know how to explain shmitta issues to their clients well, but mostly, because in Israel, even those who profess to be irreligious, will admit to a feeling that the land is special, even holy. And with a special place come special requirements.

The Mitzvah of Shmitta

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hile the Holy Temple stood, observing shmitta was a mitzvah m’dioraisa. “For six years you may plant your fields, prune your vineyards, and harvest your crops, but the seventh year is a Sabbath of Sabbaths for the land. It is G-d’s Sabbath during which you may not plant your fields, nor prune your vineyards. Do not harvest crops that grow on their own and do not gather the grapes on your unpruned vines, since it is a year of rest for the land.” - Vayikra 25:3-4 In addition to the four agricultural practices prohibited in the verse above, the Torah also forbids planting trees, whether fruit-bearing or not, and the plowing of all agricultural land. However, unlike the four commands above, violating these two prohibitions does not call for a punishment of malkos (lashes).

Our Sages have also decreed that all agricultural and garden work may not be done during the shmitta year. All land owned by Jews in the Land of Israel should be left fallow.

Today, however, the commonly accepted view is that all aspects of shmitta are considered mitzvos m’derabbanan.

What is the purpose of this mitzvah? The Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 84) writes that the mitzvah of shmitta serves as a reminder to the Jewish nation that G-d is the Master of the world. He commanded us not only to leave our land unfarmed, but also to let go of the product, which, for this year, belongs to everybody equally, instead of being the exclusive property of the owner. By observing this mitzvah we are reminded that the land bears fruit annually, not simply because it is its nature. G-d is the Master of the land and of the landowner, and He can order us to leave our fields uncultivated and their produce unsold.

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~

Kosher Certification

Rabbi Don Yoel Levy

CEO/Kashrus Administrator

From the Desk of Rabbi Don Yoel Levy

Visit to Ukraine and Russia

L

ast year I traveled to Ukraine and Russia to visit ~ certified facilities and meet with local rabbonim who have their own hechsherim in the area. I was scheduled to fly on Aeroflot to Moscow at 2:20 PM and arrive at 8:30 the next morning. From there, I was scheduled to take a connecting flight to Rostov at 10:30 AM and arrive there at 12:30 PM. After visiting the resting place of the Fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe, the Rebbe Rashab, in Rostov, I planned to drive approximately four hours to Donetsk.

Unfortunately, my flight left an hour late and I arrived at the check in counter in Moscow at 10:00 AM. I was unable to board my connecting flight so I had to take the next flight, which arrived at 5:30 PM, to a small local airport.

Rabbi Pinchas Vishedski, the rabbi and Chabad shaliach in Donetsk, Ukraine, was nice enough to arrange a driver to pick me up and take me to the mikvah, the kever of the Rebbe Rashab and then on to Donetsk. As it turned out, the whole first leg of my trip would run very late. Rabbi Chaim Danziger, the rabbi and Chabad shaliach in Rostov, allowed me to use his mikvah, met me at the kever, and took me to his home for supper (which I really appreciated). When we finally arrived in Donetsk, it was quite late, but due to the time difference of two hours, it was not as late as it felt!

The next morning, Rabbi Vishedski picked me up for davening. Afterwards, he took me to see samples of all of the kosher products under his certification, which includes a full range of products, both dairy (milk, cheese, ice cream, etc.), meat, candies, chocolate, ketchup, mayonnaise,

and more. Two rabbis work with him in his kosher certification efforts. His staff really impressed me with their technical and halachic knowledge.

The first facility we visited one of the biggest chocolate producers in Ukraine, which is kosher certified by Ukraine Kosher (UK). They have a mixer, several 5-rollers and conches.

My next stop was a UHT long life milk facility.

I did not visit the farm, but I heard a description of the milking process and hashgocha at the actual farms. The pasteurizer is either kashered after 24 hours down time or kashered twice if there is not a 24 hour down time.

The third factory was a ketchup and mayonnaise facility. The production there is straightforward and I was pleased with the methods of kosher supervision.

The next day I took a “speed� train to Dnieper at 11:00 AM. A first class ticket on this train costs only $25 USD. The trip was very comfortable and took almost 3 hours. Rabbi Elisha Baram, the head of the local kashrus agency in Dnieper, met me at the train station and took me to my hotel. We met with Rabbi Shmuel Kaminestky, an old friend, and had supper together.

The next morning we davened in the shul in Dnieper, which has a beautiful mikvah. The shul is in a building with seven wings called the Menorah, which also houses a very nice hotel and a kosher coffee shop. I visited the kitchens and food facilities in the building, which is also home to a beautiful simcha hall and fleishig restaurant.

Later, we went to a chocolate factory where they produce chocolate. As a result of my visit and

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follow up we are now working to certify this plant in order to help them export the chocolate.

The rabbis in Dnieper told me that they would like to see more kosher products produced locally and sold in the stores. Rabbi Baram actually took

Rabbi of Russia. The visit brought back memories of that first visit, over twenty years earlier, where I witnessed Rabbi Lazar’s daily struggle to provide a Jewish infrastructure in Russia.

It is unbelievable to see the difference in these two short decades. He has truly built up a real chassidishe community with all the necessary institutions and more.

Moscow has a full educational system, with advanced level studies, including boys’ and girls’ schools, yeshivos, a kollel, and community education. They also have a fully equipped community center including a senior center, clinic, etc.

I remembered the shul from my visit in 1980. At that time it was behind another building and was quite small.

Today, it has been rebuilt and expanded into a beautiful large shul with a separate dairy and meat restaurant, mikvah, etc. The school system and the Jewish Museum are now housed within the shul complex. Rabbi Lazar has done a truly phenomenal job in building the community from the ground up.

Rabbi Lazar and I discussed our longstanding cooperation in kosher supervision at length and I met with his staff headed, by Rabbis Yossie Marzel and Yossie Verzuv. I was impressed with their extensive knowledge of both kashrus and general halacha. Their standards were quite impressive.

(It is interesting to note that Rabbi Marzel’s father was my roommate in yeshiva in Kfar Chabad when I studied there. Truly a small world.)

To date we are working on many projects together and it is a pleasure to work with Rabbi Lazar and his team to continue providing kosher products that live up to the ~ motto of “Kosher Without Compromise”.

When I was here over twenty years ago the Jewish community was struggling with day to day operations. me to a local supermarket and showed me ~ certified wine sold there! I wish my father ob”m could have seen that after all of the mesiras nefesh he had to visit the USSR during the years of persecution. The store also had many other products with a hechsher, which is a great accomplishment in a region that has a history of hostility toward religion and Judaism in particular.

Overall, I was extremely impressed with what I saw in Dnieper. When I was here over twenty years ago the Jewish community was struggling with day to day operations. Today they have a completely functional Jewish infrastructure, including huge schools, a beautiful shul, mikvah, catering hall, dairy and meat restaurant and the famous Menorah building. Twenty years ago, I was helping the Jews of Dnieper find kosher products.

Today, Dnieper and Donetsk have two shechitas, dairy products, baked goods, condiments, etc., and are working with the ~ to increase local kosher food production. It is truly a great sight to see and a sign of true Jewish renewal in the region.

From Ukraine I travelled to Moscow where I was privileged to meet with Rabbi Berel Lazar, the Chief

Rabbi Don Yoel Levy Kashrus Administrator

www.KosherSpirit.com 17

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Plan Changed?

Why Was the

W

hen ~ rabbis travel around the world, they might find themselves coming back with more than kosher reports and new information – sometimes, they also have amazing stories of hashgocha protis to recount.

Rabbi Aharon Haskel, Director of ~ Israel, had such a trip when he recently travelled to the Far East.

Originally, an Israeli importer wanted him to fly to China and then to Vietnam to do a kosher inspection in a new facility. Upon closer examination, it became clear that the proposed itinerary did not leave enough time before Shabbos, so the plans changed and Rabbi Haskel headed to Vietnam first.

Initially, Rabbi Haskel planned to make the trip on his own, but, at the last minute, he decided to bring along another mashgiach, Rabbi Simcha Steinberg, who could visit existing production sites while Rabbi Haskel left to make initial kosher visits in new facilities.

The first stop in Vietnam was Ho Chi Minh (formerly Saigon). There Rabbi Haskel left Rabbi Steinberg to take care of the kosher production work and Rabbi Haskel took a domestic flight to a distant part of Vietnam where he was scheduled to visit a new facility. Shortly after landing, Rabbi Haskel received an urgent phone call from Rabbi Menachem Hartman, the Chabad shaliach in Ho Chi Minh. (~ Israel has a warm relationship with this Chabad house, as it has with many others.

The ~ also donated the library for this Chabad House, in memory of Gavriel and Rivki Holtzberg, HY”D.) The

shaliach told Rabbi Haskel that a Jewish family from England, who came to vacation in Vietnam, had suffered a terrible tragedy – the wife suddenly passed away.

The shaliach had never been in this kind of situation before, nor did he know how to proceed with all of the proper arrangements according to Halacha and the local law.

Rabbi Haskel, due to the distance, could not help the shaliach himself, but he knew exactly who would be able to help: the other mashgiach, left behind in Ho Chi Minh. Rabbi Simcha Steinberg is a veteran member of the Chevra Kadisha (Jewish Burial Society) and of ZAKA (Jewish Rescue and Recovery), and with his halachic knowledge and practical experience he could guide the shaliach, make the necessary arrangements, and make sure that Kovod HaMeis – the dignity of the dead – would be kept. He also stayed with the hart broken family over Shabbos, explained the relevant halachos, and helped in any way he could.

It wasn’t in the initial plan to send Rabbi Haskel first to Vietnam. Nor was it expected that he would take another rabbi with him. But the plans changed at the last minute, just to provide great relief and support to a Jewish family in the midst of their grief.

Kosher work demonstrates how one mitzvah leads to another. A mashgiach goes away for the sake of kosher supervision and finds himself doing a bonus mitzvah… in this case, a chesed shel emes. Sometimes we get to see and realize the Divine Providence and sometimes we don’t, but either way we know everything happens for a reason. www.KosherSpirit.com 19

~ Behind Meet Our St aff:

Who’s Behind the ~

Interview with

Rabbi Ouriel Serfaty Rabbi Ouriel

KS: Where did you grow up?

Where did you go to yeshiva?

ROS: I grew up in Antwerp, Belgium and studied in Yeshivas Eitz Chaim, and then in the famous Gateshead Yeshiva in the United Kingdom.

KS: What did you do after yeshiva?

ROS: Initially, after my wedding, I

learned in Kollel Mivtsar HaTorah in Elad, Israel, while simultaneously learning in a kiruv kollel in Tel-Mond, founded by the “Ayelet Hashachar” outreach organization. Then I returned to Antwerp, where I continued to learn in the Steiteshe Kollel – Kollel Avreichim.

KS: What is your current position at the ~?

ROS: I am a Project Manager at the

New Accounts Department of ~ Israel.

KS: What prepared you the most for your current position at the ~?

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ROS: The education that I received

from my dear parents – my father Reb Amrom zt”l and, l’havdil ben chaim l’chaim, my mother – this is the key to any success I have. My parents taught me to be punctual, precise and thorough in everything I do, something that is really needed in the world of kashrus.

In addition, growing up in Antwerp gave me the opportunity to learn to speak a few languages, something that also helps me at my work.

KS: What is best thing about working at the ~?

ROS: The best thing about working at

the ~ is the knowledge every product bearing our hashgocha, provides Jewish people around the globe with another kosher product produced according to the high standards of ~ Kosher Certification. It’s well known that Rabbi Don Yoel Levy, head of the ~, does not compromise when it comes to kashrus. We always try to work with the client and give the best possible service, but we will

Serfaty

stick to our kosher policy and to our principals. That’s why the ~ hechsher is so reputable.

Working at the ~ also gives me the opportunity to understand the complex process behind every product, and that knowledge gives special emphasis to the importance of the mitzvah of kashrus.

The best thing about working in the ~ Israel branch is that we all feel like one big family, always working together and helping each other, thanks to the efforts of Rabbi Aharon Haskel, Director of ~ Israel. The ~ in general has a very special atmosphere that makes us feel that we are one team, working to achieve the same goal.

KS: How would you describe the ~ today?

ROS: The ~ provides a unique service

by virtue of its global presence. With representatives in many countries, we can often send a rabbi who speaks the local language – something that really upgrades the level of kashrus and

KS: Can you share an interesting experience that you had while working at the ~?

ROS: I can definitely remember one interesting experience I had,

where I truly saw how Hashem watches over us while we do His mitzvos. I travelled to a city called Karaman in southern Turkey to supervise a special Kosher for Passover production of purple carrot juice. Thursday, December 24, 2010 was the last day of the special production.

In the early morning the company driver came to pick me up from the guest house where I stayed. I left my suitcase in the car trunk, knowing I would need it later for my flight, and entered the facility. After a long work day, at around 5:30 pm, we rushed to the airport. After an hour and a half we reached the very small airport only to discover my suitcase wasn’t there. A different car was used to take me to the airport and because it was of the same model, I hadn’t noticed it before. I decided that getting home for Shabbos was more important than the suitcase and headed to the terminal, but then I saw a notice on the information screen – my flight to Istanbul had been cancelled.

Before entering the terminal I asked the driver to be my translator for the next few hours. We tried to find another way to get to Istanbul and it was suggested that I take a bus to Ankara (a drive of 3 hours) and fly to Istanbul from there. I agreed, purchased the ticket, and then remembered that my tefillin were missing. I had left them in the suitcase – something I never do – so I had to explain why I was cancelling the flight I had just booked a minute ago.

At this point, I almost gave up on arriving home for Shabbos, but my driver had a sudden idea. He said there was a bus from Karaman to the Konya bus station, where I could take the midnight bus to Ankara. He called up the company and they agreed to bring me my suitcase.

Well, I eventually reached Ankara airport, after getting off the bus in the middle of the main road and taking a taxi and the driver didn’t understand a word of English which caused a serious mix-up regarding his fee. The first thing I saw in Ankara airport was plenty of notices in red letters – almost all flights were cancelled. But it was 4:09 am and I saw that a flight to Istanbul would be leaving at 4:25! I ran to the ticket office and explained my story as briefly as I could. My flight from Konya was cancelled – would they put me on the next flight to Istanbul and Tel Aviv? Miraculously, they agreed and I arrived home for Shabbos!

Stories such as this are behind many, many kosher products which consumers enjoy!

“

“

achieves a maximum of comfort when providing our services to facilities worldwide.

Another point is that the ~ uses the most modern technology in today’s world, which has enormous benefits to everybody involved in the kosher process: the rabbis, the facilities, the importers and the consumers.

What Other People Say About Rabbi Serfaty

“Ouriel comes to us with best recommendations.

Rabbi Tuvia Weiss, head of the Eida Hachareidis personally called me to recommend Rabbi Serfaty as an asset to the ~. Rabbi Serfaty’s European background and fluency in several languages has helped him use his unique talents to blend in with our expert staff. His reports are clear and a pleasure to read, showing a nice understanding of the facilities and the issues involved.”

Rabbi Don Yoel Levy Kashrus Administrator

“

“Rabbi Serfaty has a combination of qualities that make him unique. First, he is a G-d fearing Jew with a high level of Torah knowledge. This makes him take each single project assigned to him extremely seriously. Secondly, he is very diligent and reliable and constantly works till he gets the best possible results.

Accordingly, he is in charge of many companies that pose complicated kosher challenges.

Also, Rabbi Serfaty is multilingual. He speaks many languages fluently and, therefore, we can send him to many parts of the world where companies expect to meet a rabbi who speaks their own language and have perfectly clear communication, which is very important in kashrus.

Last but not least, Rabbi Serfaty’s intelligence and knowledge along with his gracious and pleasant personality make him liked and respected wherever he goes.”

Rabbi Aharon Haskel Director of ~ Israel

“

I have known Rabbi Serfaty for many years. He is a very Chassidishe person and, while he comes from a Sepharic background, he speaks a perfect Yiddish. Rabbi Serfaty also speaks four other languages: Hebrew, English, French and German. He is a yiras shomayim and talmid chocham who is a great Project Manager as a result of his thorough investigative skills, attention to detail and the 150% effort he puts into his work.”

Rabbi Binyomin Neufeld ~ Israel

www.KosherSpirit.com 21

Chassidic Insights

Shmitta

A Timely Letter from the Lubavitcher Rebbe ztz”l This letter was written a full yovel (49 years) ago and is still relevant today.

Compiled by Dina Fraenkel

By the Grace of G d In the days of Selichoth 5725 Brooklyn, NY To the Sons and Daughters of Our People Israel Everywhere, G d bless you all!

Greeting and Blessing: We are at the threshold of a Shmitta Year (the seventh and sanctified “Sabbatical” year in the cycle of years) — the year 5726; may it be a good one for all of us, amidst our people Israel.

One of the central teachings of Shmitta is conveyed in the order of the verses and words by which the Torah defines the institution of shmitta, namely: “When you will come into the land. . . the earth shall rest a Sabbath unto G d. Six years shalt thou plant thy field,” etc. (Lev. 25:2-3).

The order of the text seems to be reversed, for the six work years precede the Sabbatical rest year, and not vice versa. Hence, the text should have first mentioned the six years of planting, and then decree the resting.

However, order in Torah is also Torah (“instruction”). The arrangement in the text mentioned above, relating to

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shmitta, is significant and instructive in that it teaches the proper approach to life. It is expressed as follows: When one “comes into a land” and desires to establish his way of life, which involves “working the soil,” it is necessary to bear in mind that the first and foremost, as an idea and as a goal, is “Sabbath unto G d”; not the “earthly” and material, but the spiritual and sacred. This approach will ensure one against being submerged by the material and mundane aspects of life. Moreover, bearing constantly in mind the above idea and goal, will transform the six drab working years; they will lose much of their drabness and become more refined and meaningful. Furthermore, the change and elevation of the six years will raise to a higher plane also the seventh year; from a “Shabbos unto G d” to a “Shabbos Shabboson [Shabbat of Shabbats]” unto G d (v.4), with a dedication and solemnity of a higher order. *** Similarly, in the daily life there are those aspects which have to do with material preoccupation (to earn a livelihood, etc.) and “common” necessities, such as eating and drinking, etc.

— all those aspects wherein there is

“no preeminence in man over animal”.

But there is also the area of “earthly rest” — of breaking away from the mundane leading into “Sabbath unto G d” — turning to holiness and G dliness, through setting aside times for prayer, Torah study, and the fulfillment of Mitzvos.

Here, too, the teaching of shmitta is that it is necessary to begin the day with the idea and approach that, although it may be necessary later in the day to engage in “mundane” activities, the essence and purpose of these things are — to attain a “Sabbath unto G d.” In this way, even the mundane aspects will attain refinement and real content, while the aspects of holiness and G dliness will be intensified and elevated to a higher order. This is the way to attain a complete and harmonious life. *** Standing on the threshold of the shmitta Year, we pray that the Almighty help each and every one, man and woman, to begin the year with the above-mentioned approach: That not the material, but the spiritual is the essence and goal in life; that the “earthly,” the material has a raison d’etre only if it is permeated with the idea of “the earth shall rest a Sabbath unto G d” — which is when the material serves and fulfills the higher aspirations of holiness and G dliness.

It is only then that all the days in the year, and all the activities of each day, will reflect the “preeminence of man

Soul NutRition over animal,” and give evidence that man was created in the Divine “image and likeness,” living accordingly; while those moments and periods which are characterized as “Shabbos” will in turn rise to the sublime heights of “Shabbos Shabboson.”

Then will surely also be fulfilled the Divine blessing that goes with shmitta — “And I will command My blessing upon you” (v.21) — in a supernatural way.

Rosh Hashanah is The Day to make the firm and lasting resolution to implement the above approach. It is the day when the first man was created in the Divine image and likeness; the day when he gained mastery over all of nature and elevated all creation to the recognition of the Sovereignty of the Creator with the call, “Come, let us worship, and bow down, and kneel before G d our Maker” (Ps. 95:6); The day when we pray for the realization of G d’s Kingdom on earth, “Reign, in Thy Glory, upon all the world... and let everyone who has a breath in his nostrils declare, ‘G d, the G d of Israel, is King, and His Kingdom rules everything!’”

With the blessing of Kesivo Vachasimo Toivo For a Happy and Pleasant year Blessed with the joy of children, life and ample sustenance, signed: –Menachem Schneerson

Letter reprinted from "Letters by the Lubavitcher Rebbe," by permission of Kehot Publication Society.

Why don’t we make a brocha on teshuva like we do on other mitzvos?

S

ome say we don’t make a brocha because it is not possible to do the whole mitzvah alone; our teshuvah is only complete if it is accepted

by Hashem. It is similar to the reason we don’t make a brocha on giving tzedakah; one cannot give tzedakah alone there must be a receiver as well.

But isn’t Hashem always waiting and ready to accept our teshuvah? Isn’t it true that Hashem accepts our teshuvah without a doubt? Isn’t that the reason we make a brocha with Hashem’s name when we say “melech mochail v’sola’ach” (the King who forgives and pardons)?

Therefore, others say we don’t make a brocha on teshuvah because it’s a mitzvah haboah b’avaira (a mitzvah that came because of a sin), like retuning a stolen object which is also a mitzvah without a brocha. There is a problem with this answer

as well, because, according to Chassidus and Kabbalah, teshuvah is not necessarily done for a sin, teshuvah is returning to Hashem and elevating oneself to a higher and higher level.

Still others say the reason we don’t make a brocha on teshuvah is because real teshuvah needs to take please in the heart and we don’t make a brocha on things that are contingent on the heart.

For example, we only make a brocha on the destruction of chometz, not on the nullification, which is an internal feeling, not an action.

Teshuvah is a mitzvah like all others – it needs to be done with happiness. That is why, in many shuls, the chazzan and the congregation sing the Ashamnu (confessions) out loud, to proclaim our joy in the mitzvah of teshuvah and the eternal ability of a Jew to return to Hashem. www.KosherSpirit.com 23

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