Pasha's Parshas - A thought for the Week

There is a discussion in the Talmud about which laws are the most important to study in order to develop a good moral character.

* Some say the Laws of Ethics and Morals (Pirkei Avos) - self explanatory

* Others say the Laws of Blessings over Food - Which teaches us appreciation. Which is a very fundemental and much lacking moral character trait. It teaches us to value what we receive and appreciate what we have and that we are fortunate to have it. Of course to recognize that it comes from G-D and that we aren't just entitled to things.

* And others say - The Laws of Damages and Monetary Compensation (most of which is in this weeks Parsha)- This teaches us to value property and to respect the possessions of others. To respect even that of the smallest value belonging to someone else.
This too is a fundamental foundation of character that in this day and age is a sorely lacking trait. The lack of which is the cause of much of our troubles today.

I also believe that this week's Parsha shows us another amazing thing. It shows us the genius of the Torah system in an age when so many governments and peoples are still trying to figure out how to devise a fair and proper system the Torah system was in place thousands of years ago.
And to quote myself from an earlier post:
"If the Torah was the law of the land we wouldn't need tort reform because there are no torts allowed. The laws of damages and monetary compensation are so brilliantly formed to allow for just compensation without overreach.
The laws of murder and capital punishment are so cleverly crafted to allow just the right amount of deterrent with the right amount of compassion and humanity for both the criminal and, what we forget these days, the victim.
And there is so so much more.
The impeccable balance which the Torah law follows is so brilliant and it was devised more than 3000 years ago.
And still is the best working thing out there."

Great New Vegan Restaurant under IKC supervision

A great new Vegan restaurant in Brooklyn called "Sun in Bloom" on 460 Bergen Street in Brooklyn (Park Slope) is now Kosher-Pareve under our supervision. They serve a delicious and unique menu which is vegan and mostly raw.
Check it out.
http://www.suninbloom.com
Sun in Bloom has a very nice atmosphere and the people are real nice. It's on a lovely street in a great neighborhood and would make real nice afternoon or evening getaway.

Little Lobsters in the Water

I was asked if we have to worry, from a kosher standpoint, about these copepods (microscopic crustaceans) that are supposed to be in the drinking water.
I will let Rabbi Adler the head of the Hartford Kosher Vaad (Council) answer it.
He says it exactly as I would.
This is from a recent (Nov 27th) article in the Hartford Newspaper.
The article also gives a nice recap of the issue.
I will quote pieces of that article:

Can tap water be non-kosher?

Of all the topics Robert Moore has run across in his decades in the public water supply business, that one was probably the most unusual.

It surfaced in April as Moore and others on the Metropolitan District Commission were dealing with an unusual outbreak of copepods, a tiny crustacean common in water but usually trapped by MDC filtering systems. The creatures posed no health risk.

"In my 42 years in the business, I'd never considered that question," Moore, MDC chief administrative officer, said Monday, looking back at the copepod flare-up, which last happened here in the 1970s. "Then I read about it in New York City records when we were doing research on copepods. Copepods are shellfish. That's what makes them non-kosher."

During a copepod outbreak in New York City in 2004, some ultra-Orthodox Jews in the city considered the city drinking water no longer kosher, because copepods are crustaceans, prohibited from consumption under Judaic dietary law. They filtered tap water at home before using it and complained to New York City water system authorities.

But no one raised the kosher issue with MDC officials this spring, Moore said.

When news of the copepods in MDC water broke, the topic of water purity and Talmudic law was a subject of rabbinical discussion, Rabbi Yitzchok Adler of Beth David Synagogue in West Hartford said this week.

"When it made the news, everybody was talking about the drinking water, not just the Jewish population," Adler said.

The determination was that the copepods did not present a problem to the Jewish community, he said, because of their almost microscopic size and the "sincere best efforts" of the water district to improve filtration and correct the problem.

There will always be spiritual leadership who choose to err on the side of caution and take a stricter stand to "avoid a circumstance of doubt and compromise," Adler said.

"We are simply required to do what is reasonable in accordance with guidelines. We need not live a life encumbered by expectations that are unreasonable."

A Good Shabbos Question from CL

Hi Rabbi Schwarcz,

I know that Sacred Chow is open on Shabbat....how does that work out as far as hashgacha?

Thanks.
CL

CL,
Thanks for the question.
Kosher and Shabbos are 2 separate things.
Whereas of course, we want every Jew to keep Shabbos. A Jew being open on Shabbos does not make the food unkosher. There are issues regarding how and when things are made on Shabbos that effect whether a Jew is allowed to eat it or not but it is NOT a Kosher issue and we, in giving our Hashgacha, make sure that these are all addressed.
Sacred Chow has a KS - Kosher for Shabbos program where you can arrange for prepaid meals on Shabbos that are prepared according to Shabbos Law.
If you have more questions please feel free to write or even call me.
Rabbi Zev

San Miguel - WOW

Yes!
A very interesting story only G-d could think up.
When I was invited they asked me if I could come for the last days since the religious leader, although grew up in a conservative home, never celebrated a Hoshana Rabba or Shmini Atzeres and would love to learn how to do it.
They have a small Shul in San Miguel de Allende. Actually they rent a meeting room at a hotel. About 35 or so people came each service and the services were very inpirational. The people were so eager to learn and participate.
There were 3 Succos there and even one family who has a strictly kosher home and Shomer Shabbos.
It was a real wonderful experience. I think for them too. Plus this town is a very beautiful place, it has a certain energy and the buildings are colorful, all Old Spanish colonial architecture.
And then after Yom Tov the next day a couple people drove me to another town called Guanajuato, which was just stunning, to meet a group of 8 Jews who wanted to talk and had questions (some about kosher). We met at this cafe where the café owner was Jewish who asked me how he can make his cafe kosher!
It was a fabulous experience.

WOW its been a long time since I wrote.
Well I thought I was going to be able to write a " travelling rabbi" blog as I was supposed to go away for Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and again the last days of Succos. Well the RH YK thing didn't work out and I'm just away now for the last days. But I thought that this trip is worthwhile writing about.
I was invited to be the guest Rabbi for the small community of San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. And wonders of technology I am writing this using my cell phone with the wifi on the bus going from Mexico City to San Mig.
I spent the night in Mexico City which is a wonderful city with a VERY strong and vibrant Jewish community. I always enjoyed myself here. I'll let you all know how good the bakery I went to is as soon as I taste the stuff.
San Miguel is an old colonial town which is supposed to be real beautiul which is why many artists and americans live there.
I'll write about it when I see it.
Meanwhile the scenery from the bus window is pleasent enough.

look at this!! - Oy I'm kvelling (that means bursting with pride)

This is from chowhound about Kosher restaurants.

Thanks Queenscook!! Glad to be of help.

"queenscook Jun 18, 2009 02:34PM

re: queenscook

It is the one on (Blank St.)

It's under the supervision of R Zev Schwarcz.

I've spoken to him a few times about the various restaurants under his supervision, and I've found him always willing to answer my questions frankly, and in a way that shows he's thought of the issue and found an answer that satisfies him. I've also found him willing to talk about the leniencies he sometimes relies on, and their pros and cons, and why he feels they should be applied in a particular situation. Let's just say that I've tried having similar conversations with some other rabbis who give hechsherim, and sometimes found quite a different attitude to being questioned."

A continuation of Tuesday August 18th post -A Parsha by Parsha, step by step, guide to the Devarim cycle of responsibility

As we mentioned the the book of Deuteronomy is one unit, dealing with one unit of time, one mission for our lives.
The book encompasses a unique and crucial part of our cycle of life and mission in life that starts with the beginning of that book and ends with it's end.
Every Parsha is a step by step rebuilding guide for the Teshuva process which starts before Tisha B'av (not Elul or Rosh Hashana as we are led to believe) and ends with Simchas Torah.

Parshas Devorim is an overall rebuking of the Israelites ways in the desert meant to wake us up to introspect into our lives in general to make way for the change which Tisha B'av is supposed to invoke in us. Which is how we interact socially one to another. Which is the crucial foundation for the rest of our Teshuva process. Because no repentance works unless we first correct how we act to others. Tisha B'av is meant to set us straight on that road.
Next is Parshas V'eschanan - once we break down our bad character traits then it's time to rebuild our foundation so this Parsha reviews all the fundementals:
The Ten Commandments, The Shema, the real purpose and benefits of following the Torah.
Parshas Eikev deals almost solely with the Land of Israel. Because that is a truly important foundation of our faith and lives. More of the spiritual effect of the land rather than the physical. But we must spend the time next on dealing with how we allow that to impact us on our road to Teshuva, repentance. Because, besides the Torah discussed in last week's parsha, it is the yearning for Land of Israel which kept us together as a people through all the difficult times of history.
more to come.....