A year or two ago, the haredi magazine Yated published an article in its family section about the plight of the haredi woman in her forties. With a large number of children of different ages, she has to worry about shidduchim (match-making), teenage ups and downs, and elementary school issues. She … [Read more...]
Goy Returns Chametz
April 26, 2011 by
Last week I reported on the hametz that was given to a non-Jew by the rabbi. Today Rafi reports that the non-Jew called and offered to return the hametz, and suggests that the whole thing was a setup: Rafi writes: Upon reflection, the rabbi probably told the non-Jew to do this whole thing, … [Read more...]
Goy in Jerusalem Runs Off with Hametz at Start of Passover
April 21, 2011 by
Update: Goy Returns Hametz This amazing story appeared in the Haredi website, Kikar Hashabbat. There is a long-standing custom to sell hametz, the leavened foods forbidden during the Passover holiday. According to the Torah, one can't own any hametz during the week of the holiday. But because … [Read more...]
State of the House, Passover 2011
April 18, 2011 by
What's Wrong with this Picture? The above picture appeared on the cover of Friday's alon, Matzav Haruach. Anyone notice a slight problem? My husband is convinced Israelis don't realize that the holidays are mentioned in the Torah portion of Re'eh in Devarim (Deuteronomy), as well as in Shemot … [Read more...]
Passover Seder in the Israeli Army
April 16, 2011 by
My son won't be home for the Passover seder this Monday. Instead, he'll be leading the seder for about 30 fellow soldiers on his army base. After my son and another soldier (were) volunteered to run the seder on the two neighboring bases, they got to attend a hishtalmut in a nearby city for … [Read more...]
Video: Kasher the Kitchen for Pesach in Two Hours
April 8, 2011 by
One of the things that I missed during shiva was our annual discussion here about Pesach preparations. At least we covered the Pesach babies, and I hope readers will update as they give birth. I wrote a draft on epidurals, and perhaps I will get it out in time for some of you. Kasher Your Kitchen … [Read more...]
Making a Dishwasher Kosher for Passover
March 25, 2010 by
There are two times a year I love having a dishwasher: The evening of Yom Kippur, when we are rushing to clear the table and get to shul; and after the Pesach Seder, when the dishwasher runs on a timer. When I mentioned that I use the dishwasher on Passover several people asked about it. The … [Read more...]
Shmura Matza Forgery Warning
March 24, 2010 by
According to the letter from the rabbinate, signed by Rabbis Yaakov Sabag and Rafi Yochai, the packages of hand matzahs pictured above were made in a factory without supervision. Flour was not sifted, "challah" not taken, the equipment not cleaned, and there was actually chametz in the factory. The … [Read more...]
Bug-Free Lettuce: Not Necessarily Bug-Free
March 18, 2010 by
Kosher consumers don't just worry about mixing meat and milk, or avoiding meat that hasn't been slaughtered according to Jewish law. The Torah also forbids eating insects. Israel, with its warm climate and location at the crossroads of three continents, has a large variety and I have found them in … [Read more...]
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