PDF - Kosher Certification

‫ב"ה‬
‫פסח תשע"ד‬
PESACH 5774
CERTIFIED SOUL NUTRITION
‫חג כשר‬
!‫ושמח‬
WE WISH YOU AND
YOUR FAMILY A
3
4
5
6
8
9
SHARE YOUR SPIRIT
QUESTIONS FOR THE ~
HEALTHY SPIRIT
dear reader,
Organic FOOd
e are living in exciting times.
Our Sages say, “B’Nissan nigalu u’b’nissan asidim
l’higo’el… [In the month of Nissan our
forefathers were redeemed from Egypt,
and in Nissan we will once again be redeemed]” (Rosh HaShanah 11a).
When Moshiach comes the whole
world will be filled with revealed holiness; the world will be a kosher place.
Just like we prepare for Shabbos on Erev
Shabbos, and even taste some of the Shabbos food, today, as we
stand at the threshold of Moshiach, it is our responsibility to prepare the world to do all that we can to be ready for that splendid
time.
Baruch Hashem, today there are hundreds of thousands kosher
products readily available for anyone who wants. With the increase of manufactured food, an abundance of products were
widely available, and hardworking and dedicated people saw to
it that the food would be made kosher. Holy seforim are printed
in so many languages, and are available online and on smartphones.
The past twenty years have seen such a tremendous growth in
electronics and mobile access, where vast amounts of products,
knowledge and information is available with a click or the touch
on a screen. Once again, we are faced with the challenge of making it holy and kosher.
It is with gratitude to Hashem that the ~ was granted this task
by ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers) and given the mandate to monitor and administer a
whole new area of the digital domain, which will soon be known
as .Kosher (like .com and .org), where the kosher consumer can
be confident that every site ending in .Kosher will be kosher without compromise.
Best wishes for a kosher and frielichen Pesach,
Keeping KOsher in...
KATHMANDU
FROM THE DESK OF
RABBI DON YOEL LEVY
VEGETABLE CHECKING
FrOm the ~ Vegetable checKing guide
10
16
18
19
20
22
23
A GUIDE TO
TEVILAS KEILIM
by rabbi Yosef d. chanowitz
A SLICE OF MEMORIES:
bOstOn Fruit slices
DID YOU KNOW...
riVer Facts
PESACH RECIPE
gnOcchi with beeF
cheeK sauce
WHO’S BEHIND THE ~
interview with rabbi rapoport
CHASSIDIC INSIGHTS
PESACH SHEINI
compiled by dina Fraenkel
SOUL NUTRITION
KOSHER SPIRIT Pesach 5774
editOr-in-chieF:
Rabbi Chaim Fogelman
w
Rabbi Chaim Fogelman
Editor-in-Chief
editOr:
Dovi Scheiner
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: [email protected]
© 2014. No portion of this publication may
be reprinted without written consent from
the publisher.
Scan the QR code
with your smartphone to
receive a PDF subscription
to Kosher Spirit
OOPS! In our last issue we incorrectly listed the location of West
India Spice. West India Spice is located in Grenada, not Canada.
FEEDBACK
Share Your Spirit
readers share their thoughts...
Dear Kosher Spirit,
I read your Chanukah issue with great interest. I always enjoy
Kosher Spirit for its informative articles. I especially enjoy reading
details on hashgacha, since my brother in law is a mashgiach in
the food industry. Your articles address some of the intricate issues he deals with.
While reading the article Soul Nutrition, I was amazed at
the facts presented. However, when reading the closing sentence I was appalled! To write, “So on November 28th, 2013,
enjoy your turkey and your latkes,” is, in my opinion an outright
offense. The holiday of Thanksgiving is clearly a Christian one.
To celebrate it is in the category of idolatry, which is one of the three
grave sins a person must give his life for. Rabbi Avigdor Miller Zatzal was
known to say that it is an issur d’oraisa to eat turkey on Thanksgiving. Yes, I am
aware of how much turkey is sold in the kosher stores this season. But to encourage it? I would expect better editing from such a professional magazine.
With much Hatzlacha,
FT
Is it Kosher for Pesach?
Kosher Spirit responds:
Dear FT
Thank you for your letter. We appreciate the points you brought forward,
but according to other poskim, Thanksgiving is not a religious holiday or one
based in avoda zara. Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l writes (paraphrased), “In regards
to joining a Thanksgiving party, since this is not brought down in the non-Jewish writings as a holiday, and it is just a remembrance of those who lived here,
there is no issur to make a meal and eat turkey at the meal.” (Igros Moshe Y.D.
4:11:4, see Igros Moshe Y.D. 4:12.) In addition, in a Sicha on 19 Kislev 5747, the Lubavitcher Rebbe ztz”l praises
Thanksgiving as the foundation of America, and confirmation that our country
was built on faith in G-d as our Creator and Director. The Rebbe connects
Chanukah and Thanksgiving, saying that both are days that we commemorate
saving the righteous from the hands of evil and the weak from the strong.
I am sorry you took offense, but as you see, there are differing halachic and
hashkafic opinions on the issue.
DOWNLO
AD
E
THE FR!E
P
P
A
Download the FREE Kosher
Food Guide app and get the
most updated list of the
Kosher for Passover
products that ~ Kosher
certifies.
It’s like having a rabbi at
your side whenever you
go shopping...
Best wishes for a Freilichen Chanukah!
Dear Kosher Spirit,
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my letter. I
must say that you shed light on an issue that has been bugging me for
a long time of why so many Yidden are indeed celebrating with eating
turkey etc. Once again, I enjoy each one of your Kosher Spirit magazines
from cover to cover.
B’Hatzlacha,
FT
P.S. The 8 facts on the eye were amazing! What nifloes haboira!
* Letters may be edited for clarity and/or space constraints.
Visit our updated website:
www.OK.org/Pesach
IMPORTANT: When buying your wine for
Pesach, make sure it has a hechsher. Many
shmitta wines use the same lable but are
not certified.
The ~ receives many
letters/emails with
kosher questions...
Dear Kosher Spirit,
Is it permissible to use a hand soap that
contains milk ingredients (or derivatives) and
possible meat ingredients (or derivatives)?
The ~ responds:
ews are forbidden to benefit or derive pleasure from a cooked mixture
of milk and meat. in order for the product to be prohibited from being
used, the following conditions would need to be met:
J
1. the fats are from animals that are kosher species of animals.
2. the relevant ingredients are cooked together.
3. the relevant ingredients are edible when they are
cooked together.
4. the volume of both the milk and animal
ingredients is more than 1/60 of the
total mixture (at the time they are
mixed).
the ~ has extensive experience in
food chemical production, much of
which has crossover applications
with the production for soap
ingredients. based on our
experience, it is unlikely that all
the required conditions to
prohibit the soap would be
met. therefore, it would be
permitted to use this kind of
soap. One can also choose to
be stringent and refrain from
using the product until more
research can be done on the
particular soap.
4 www.OK.org
about
Organic produce does not
have more bugs! e lack
of chemical exposure makes
organic produce better able to
resist insects and disease.
Before World War II all
crops were organic.
78% of American families
buy some organic food and organic foods account for 4.2%
of all food sold in the U.S.
Organic farming replenishes
soil and protects water
systems from contamination.
Washing non-organic
food does NOT remove
the pesticide used on
the produce.
Organic foods
are regulated by
the USDA.
Less than 1% of all
American crops are
organic.
According to the USDA, a
product labeled “organic”
only needs to be 95%
organic.
www.Kosherspirit.com 5
t’s Erev Pesach, and Jews around the world are hustling and bustling to prepare the final touches on
their sedarim. From arranging the seder plate to
peeling potatoes and cracking walnuts, there is much
to be done and never enough time to do it. For those
hosting a public seder, the preparation is double or even
triple the amount of a regular one. Public sedarim are
held by the hundreds around the world every year. In
recent years, public sedarim have been turned into all
inclusive Pesach getaways and resorts. The destinations are endless; from Palm Desert to Cancun to Tuscany, Pesach has become the most exciting of Jewish
holidays. But of all the Pesach getaways to choose from,
none is more exotic, or as big, as the seder hosted in
Kathmandu, Nepal.
I
This famous seder has claimed its
title as the largest public seder in the
world, hosting well over one thousand people every single year. The
seder, hosted by Rabbi and Mrs. Lifshitz, Chabad Shluchim to Kath-
KEEPING
KOSHER
FOR
PESACH
IN...
BY LEIGH HERS HKOVICH
6 www.OK.org
mandu, attracts people from all walks
of life, and grows every year. Such an
operation takes a lot of effort and creativity, especially when it comes to
kosher food. Living in a remote location may make kosher resources hard
to come by, but it’s far from impossible to put together a beautiful, memorable, and delicious Pesach seder for
all to enjoy.
They say it takes a village to raise a
child. Take that same village, move
them to Kathmandu, and you have
the team of workers who bring this
humongous seder to life. When it
comes to preparing and executing a
seder on such a large scale, one can
never have enough help.
Lital, an Israeli who was backpacking through Nepal with a few of her
friends, had arranged to spend Pesach in Kathmandu, and arrived at
the Chabad House two weeks before
Pesach. What she found upon arrival
was astonishing; an army of workers,
backpackers, and friends working together to bring this seder to life. “It
was like one big, Israeli reunion,” she
recalls.
Along with hundreds of other Israeli backpackers, a group of young
students and two couples that the Lifshitz’s brought out to Kathmandu,
she spent two weeks preparing for
the seder of a lifetime. Kosher food is
hard to come by in Nepal, but it’s not
impossible to find. Chabad of Kathmandu has a restaurant, where a majority of the food for the seder was
prepared and cooked. While some ingredients, such as vegetables, can be
found locally, matzah and wine were
ordered from Israel in mass amounts.
“You would not believe how many
boxes of matzah they had in storage
They say it takes a village to raise a
child. Take that same village, move
them to Kathmandu, and you have
the team of workers who bring this
humongous seder to life.
—it was unbelievable!” Chickens,
which Rabbi Lifshitz and the team of
rabbis shechted themselves, arrived in
crates by the hundreds several days
before Pesach. Along with local workers whom the Lifshitzs’ hired, it took
a team of about fifty people to bring
the seder to its final form. Days of
peeling potatoes, boiling carrots and
roasting chickens reached a majestic
pinnacle on the night of the seder.
A young, newly married couple
who went to help conduct the seder
was shocked to find just how much
time and effort goes into preparing
such a vast amount of food. “It was an
incredible operation,” they explained.
“We arrived a week before Pesach,
and most of the preparations had already been taken care of. What was
left to do immediately before the holiday began was actually cooking the
food.” How does one even begin
cooking food for 1,500 people? They
combine the use of the Chabad
House kitchen, as well as the kitchen
in the restaurant and the kitchen of
the venue they rented out for the ac-
tual seder. “The venue had a commercial kitchen similar to what you’d find
in a hotel—massive pots, huge ovens.
It cut the cooking time in half.” After
cooking for days at a time, executing
the actual seder felt like a breeze.
“There are actually two sedarim held
at the venue,’ the couple explained.
“The main seder, which is conducted
in Hebrew, is run by Rabbi Lifshitz.
There is a second seder, conducted in
English, that takes place in the same
venue, right outside of the room
where the main seder is conducted.”
While over 1,500 hundred people
took part in the seder last year, only
400 of them stayed for the meal.
“Once we arrived at the meal, we
moved everyone around so that they
would be closer to one another, to
give it a homier feel. The food was
plated and served by the staff so that
we would be free to help conduct and
explain the seder.”
The most important part was
making sure that everyone felt at
home. From the massive amounts of
food, wine and matzah to the heartwarming tune of Ma Nishtanah sung
by the youngest in the crowd, one
thing’s for sure: A seder like this is
surely an affair to remember.
www.Kosherspirit.com 7
~
KOSHER
CERTIFICATION
Rabbi Don Yoel Levy
CEO/Kashrus Administrator
From the Desk of Rabbi Don Yoel Levy
i
n the early 1950s there was a dairy farm
across the road from Congregation Sons of
Israel in Lakewood. This was back when, as
my mother says, “Lakewood was a horse and
buggy place”, a resort town filled with hotels
primarily occupied from late November until
after Pesach.
My father, Rabbi Berel Levy, OB”M, wasn’t officially involved in kashrus yet; in fact he was the
principal at the Betzalel Hebrew Day School,
where I studied as a young boy. Even then, twenty
years before entering the world of kashrus certification, my father would investigate everything we
ate to make sure it was 100% kosher.
I remember my father visiting the dairy farm
before Pesach to investigate the entire milking
process to make sure it was fully kosher.
Today this sounds obvious; however, when I
was a young boy the accepted method of ascertaining the kashrus status of an item was to read
its ingredients. If all the ingredients sounded
kosher, the item was considered kosher. Certain
ingredients may have seemed innocent enough,
leading most Yidden to assume the item was
kosher. One such ingredient was vegetable shortening,
used to make cookies, cakes and candies. My father discovered that often the equipment used to
make items containing vegetable shortening was
also used to process foods containing lard, a fat
derived from pigs.
In the 1960s, my father began working in the
field of kashrus. At that time, the accepted
methodology in the kashrus industry relied heavily on assumption. This was never enough for my
father. His love of truth and thirst for knowledge
led him to become an expert in chemistry and
food science—all to ensure he fully understood
the food industry and how to make sure every
food he certified was completely kosher. I remember Tom Kallen, the owner of Bakeline in Chicago,
mentioning to me how he wished he could get
into Rabbi Berel Levy’s head, so impressed was he
with his vast knowledge of the world of food processing.
Rabbi Berel Levy passed away on 5 Nissan, 27
years ago. Today, because of the foundation he
laid, ~ Kosher Certification remains attuned to
the very latest in food technology and requires of
its companies the strictest of kosher standards.
For example, our insistence on a Mashgiach
Temidi having the only set of keys to the kitchen
in all meat restaurants and catering facilities, even
when the owner is a Torah observant Jew, is something that my father insisted on thirty years ago.
Recent events in Flatbush, Monsey and Boro Park
have confirmed his wisdom.
His example of seeing the big picture and always
thinking ahead, inspired us to acquire the rights to
a new domain on the internet called .kosher.
.Kosher offers ~ Kosher Certification an important new platform to educate and promote the
mitzvah of kashrus without compromise globally.
It is an exciting time for the worlds of kashrus
and food technology and ~ Kosher Certification
is proud to stand at the forefront, leading the way,
inspired, as always, by Rabbi Berel Levy, OB”M.
Rabbi Don Yoel Levy
Kashrus Administrator
HQ: 391 Troy Ave. | Brooklyn, NY 11213 | t: 718-756-7500 | f: 718-756-7503 | www.ok.org
8 www.OK.org
PREPARING FOR THE SEDER
Vegetable
Checking Tips
Vegetables should be washed
with Kosher for Passover soap.
Lettuce
Endive
The following types of lettuce must be
checked according to the instructions
below: ARUGULA, BOSTON LETTUCE,
ESCAROLE, GREEN LEAF, ICEBERG,
ROMAINE, RED LEAF.
1. Cut off bottoms. If outside leaves are
not clean, remove them. If top is
spoiled, remove it.
1. Separate leaves from the head, opening
all folds and creases.
2. Soak the lettuce in water with soap for five
minutes, and then rub each leaf between
your fingers. Empty basin by removing
lettuce with both hands (holding loosely) in
small bunches and shaking them under the
water.
3. Put lettuce in a clean basin of fresh water.
Swish vigorously. Repeat this step until
there is no foam on the surface of the water.
4. Rinse each piece of lettuce, one-by-one,
under a strong stream of water.
5. Check one-by-one (on both sides) in good
lighting. A light box or fluorescent light is
recommended for this procedure.
Q: Can
one check vegetables on
Shabbos and avoid the melachos
of borer (separating the bad
from good), choivel (wounding),
mimareich (smoothing)?
2. Check first 3 leaves from both sides. If
they are clean, separate the leaves.
3. Put in water with soap for 5 minutes, and
then swish vigorously for 2 minutes. Empty
basin by removing endives with both hands
(holding loosely) in small bunches and
shaking them under the water.
4. Put endives in a clean basin of fresh water.
Rinse each leaf, on both sides, under a strong
stream of water. Put in a clean basin of fresh
water, swishing for at least 2 minutes. Repeat
this step until there is no foam on the surface
of the water.
5. Remove the endives and place on a clean
surface. Check at least 3 samples (on both
sides) in good lighting. A light box or
fluorescent light is recommended for this
procedure.
A: Yes, if one dilutes the soap and washes the vegetables close
to the time the meal will begin, he will then be separating food
from non-edibles in close proximity to the meal, which is not a
problem. Since one is not sure there are insects and one is not
sure that the soap will kill the insects, there is no intention
(‫ )מתכוון‬to kill the insects so it is not a problem.
From the ~ Vegetable Checking Guide
Get the full guide FREE at www.ok.org, on your iOS device in the
iTunes Store, or for Android in the Google Play Store.
www.Kosherspirit.com 9
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO
Tevilas
Keilim
By Rabbi Yosef D. Chanowitz
udel and Gittel were married for a couple
of years. Each year one set of parents would
invite them to come for Pesach. Until this year
they always accepted the invitation—they
loved spending Pesach with their extended
families. This year Yudel and Gittel finally decided to make Pesach at their own home. They knew
that the preparations would be daunting, but the
thought of hosting their own Sedarim was enough
of a motivator. They pictured the sight of their children reciting the Mah Nishtana at their own table
and they were inspired to take on the task.
Y
10 www.OK.org
As soon as Purim was over, Yudel
learned the laws of Pesach extensively.
Soon after, he and his wife Gittel
started the grueling task of cleaning
the entire house room by room. Once
they finally finished cleaning the
kitchen, it was time for them to
kasher the kitchen and purchase an
entire new set of Pesach equipment.
Yudel consulted with his rov and
learned the proper methods of kashering the sinks, countertops, tables,
stove and oven. Then, he and his wife
went to the store to purchase all the
many of these utensils require tevilas
keilim, how do we know which ones
require tevila?”
They prepared a list of the equipment that they purchased and asked
their rov a sheilah. The equipment included: metal pots, metal lids, an
enameled cast iron egg pot, Teflon
coated frying pans, disposable aluminum sheet pans, Pyrex dishes, red
stained china dishes, glass cups,
metal cutlery, vegetable peelers, a can
opener, a wine opener, a nut cracker,
a wood cutting board, plastic storage
containers, a crystal pitcher, a metal
knife with wood handle, a netilas yadayim pitcher, a toaster oven, an electric food processer, a hot water urn
and an electric hand blender.
To help them sort through this extensive list of equipment and determine which items require tevila in a
mikvah, we need to take a closer look
into the laws of tevilas keilim.
INTRODUCTION
necessary items for their Pesach
kitchen.
On their way out of the store, Gittel turned to Yudel and reminded him
that these utensils were not yet
kosher to use. Some might require
toiveling in a mikvah. To which Yudel
responded, “You may be correct that
,ç”áäå î”ëä åáúë ïëå (æ-ä”ä æ”éô à”ëàî
òîùî íù í”áîøä ’ì úåèùôî íìåà
ùåøéôá â”äðëäå ú”øôä ë”ëå .ïðáøãî àåäù
úëøòî íéììë ç”ãùá äàøå .í”áîøä éøáã
æ”äãà ò”åùáå .äæá úåòéãä ’á ììë ú”éè
÷ñôã ç”ñ â”ëù ’éñå à”ëñ è”ð÷ ’éñ ç”åà
.’á úåèî ç”éç ù”å÷ìá ò”òå ,ú”äî àåäù
The Torah discusses the laws of
tevilas keilim in Bamidbar.1 After the
Jewish people returned from a battle
with the Midyanites, they came back
with many possessions that they took
from the enemy, including equipment. Hashem tells Elazar, the son of
Aharon the Kohen Gadol, that in addition to purifying and kosherizing
the equipment, the Jewish people
must immerse the metal equipment
in the mikvah.
“The gold, the silver, the copper, the
iron, the tin and the lead, whatever is
used in fire, must be passed through
fire by you, and then it will be purified. They must, however, [also] be
cleansed with sprinkling water [alternatively, with mikvah water]. Whatever (utensils) are not used in fire
éëå ìéàåä úéëåëæ éìë éðä” àéáî íù æ”ò
.”åîã úåëúî éìëë äð÷ú ïäì ùé åøáúùð
äùòîëå ïéçå÷ìá àìà åðù àì“ íù ’îâ .6
.”àì ïéìåàù ìáà ä’éäù
,ú”äò é”ùø ú”äî åäæù úåèéùä .7
à÷ôúñî ú”äò ï”áîøä .ó”éøäå ,à”áùøä
’ìä) í”áîøä úèéù ïë øàáî à”áùøä ,äéì
[but rather, with cold foods], should
be passed through [mikvah] water by
you [right away, since they do not
need to be purged].” The Torah includes equipment that were used
“with fire” (for hot food) and equipment used “without fire” (for cold
food), as well as new equipment –
they all require tevilas keilim.2
From these pesukim our Chachomim extracted the following
guidelines about tevilas keilim:
1. The equipment must be entirely
clean before it is immersed into the
mikvah waters, otherwise they will
remain impure.3
2. Only equipment used for a meal
requires tevila. This is similar to
koshering, which is only done for
equipment used with food.4
3. The only materials that require
tevila are those that are made of
metal. However, wood, earthenware
and stone do not require tevila. The
Talmud states that glass also requires
tevilas keilim, since it is similar to
metal since both can be repaired with
the heat of a fire (wood, earthenware
and stone cannot).5
4. If the equipment was purchased
or gifted from a non-Jew, it requires
tevila. If it was just borrowed or
leased from a non-Jew, or if one purchased metal and manufactured a
utensil himself, it would not require
tevila.6
From the source quoted earlier, it
appears that tevilas keilim is a mitzvah d’oraisa (Biblical), which is the
opinion of many Rishonim. Other Rishonim disagree and are of the opinion
that this mitzvah is d’rabbonon (Rabbinical) and the reason for the mitzvah is to add a level of kedusha to our
equipment by immersing them into a
mikvah.7 Some Poskim resolve this
disagreement between the above Ris-
ïàëå ,ïéîçá åùéîùúù éìë ÷ø øéùëäì êéøö
ùîúùä àìù ùãç éìë ë”â ìéáèäì êéøö
.íìåòî
ãîåì ï”áîøäå ,õöåçä øáãå äãåìç éèåòéîì
úå÷ðì êéøöù ”íéîá åøéáòú“ ÷åñôäî
.íãå÷
éâåñ ’å ììåë äæå .”áäæä úà êà“ ÷åñôäî .5
ìéãáä ,ìæøáä,úùçðä,óñëä,áäæä-úåëúî
íåéðéîåìà íà íé÷ôúñî ùéå .úøôåòäå
’îâäã .ïðáøãî äåä úéëåëæ íìåà .ë”â ììëá
à”áùøá ïééòå ,íù é”ùøå :ä”ò óã æ”ò ’îâ .4
êéøöå ùàá àáù øáã åäæéà“ ã”ù ã”á ä”åú
.”äãåòñ éìë äæ øîåà éåä ùàá åøéùëäì
ïéà øåñéàîã øåñéàî äøùëä éãë æ”éà íìåà
,íù é”ùøá ïééòå .âë-àë ÷åñô à”ìô úåèî .1
.(à”åâå í”àø) é”ùø éùøôîáå ,íù ï”áîø
åà ïðåöá íùéîùúù íéìë ãîåì é”ùø .2
ï”áîøäå ,”íéîá åøéáòú“ ÷åñôäî íéùãç
íùéîùúù íéìë ìù ÷åñô åúåàî ãîåì
.”øäèå“ ïéîçá
”áäæä úà êà“ ÷åñôäî ãîåì é”ùø .3
www.Kosherspirit.com 11
honim by explaining that the mitzvah
of toiveling keilim is d’oraisa (Biblical),
however the prohibition of not using
them before immersion is d’rabbonon
(Rabbinical).8 Other Poskim disagree
and hold that the entire mitzvah is
d’oraisa.
One may not use a vessel, even
once, prior to tevila. If one accidently
used equipment which was not yet
immersed in a mikvah, the food may
be eaten.9 However, one should re-
ever, one may be more stringent and
toivel without a brocha.13
LEATHER Does not require tevila.
WOOD Does not require tevila.
STONE, BONE, HORN & MARBLE
Does not require tevila.
EARTHENWARE, BONE CHINA
Does not require tevila.
only coated on the inside, one should
toivel without a brocha. If it is only
coated on the outside, no tevila is required.16 If a metal or glass utensil is
coated with earthenware, Teflon or
enamel, one should toivel without a
brocha.17 Metal or glass equipment
that was painted still requires tevila
with a brocha since paint does not
change the status of the equipment.18
PORCELAIN Some require tevila
without a brocha, some do not.14
One may not use a vessel, even once, prior to tevila...
move the food from the vessel as
soon as he realizes it was not immersed in a mikvah.
Some Rishonim say that tevilas
keilim is a Biblical decree that does
not have a revealed reason (a gezeiras
hakasuv). The Yerushalmi states:
“[Tevilas keilim] is [required] to remove the impurities of the Aku”m
and to bring the item into the holiness of the Jewish people.”10
MATERIALS:
METAL All metals require tevilas
keilim with a brocha, including gold,
silver, copper, iron, tin and lead.
ALUMINUM Requires tevila with a
11
brocha.
GLASS (including Pyrex, Duralex,
Corelle, crystal and fiberglass) — Requires tevila with a brocha.12
PLASTIC, NYLON, FORMICA,
MELAMINE AND RUBBER The
custom is not to require tevila, how-
úçàë åìåë åìéáèîå ’å ’òñ íù .15
ñøç åðééäã) àéðå÷ éìë ïéðòá :äò æ”ò ’îâá .16
à”îøáå à”ñ íù ò”åùáå (úëúîá äôåöîä
ïéðòáå ,á”÷ñ à”øâä øåàéááå íù ê”ùáå
éìëë ìåç åá áøåòîù ïåéë èøæéåìâá äôåöî
ç”é÷ñ íù ã”åé ú”ëøãá ’éòå .àéîã úéëåëæ
.à”î-è”ì÷ñ à”éô ë”ìáè øôñá ò”òå ,è”éå
à”éô ë”ìáè øôñá ’éò ìîàðà ïéðòáå .17
àîù ùùåçù à”æùø íùá ïë àéáîù å”÷ñ
.éìëì ìèá éåôéöä
øôñ àéáî ïëå ,àåä àîìòá àúåæçã .18
à”æùø íùá è”÷ñ à”ô ë”ìáè
ç”øôäî àéáî ä”î÷ñ íù ú”ëøãá .19
12 www.OK.org
Any piece of
equipment that includes parts of
metal or glass (if the metal or glass
are essential to the use of this equipment and they come in contact with
the food) do require tevila with a
brocha. Otherwise, they do not require tevila.15
COMBINATIONS
GLAZED UTENSILS If the vessel is
coated with metal or glass, even if
USAGE:
Only equipment used for a meal or
meal preparation requires tevila with
a brocha. These include dishes, cutlery and serving utensils and pots,
pans and ladles.
Utensils which were not manufactured with the intention to use for a
meal, such as a razor knife or scissors,
can be used temporarily for foodstuff
äøåúì óñàîá ïééèùðééô î”øâä ÷ñô
æ”ç øæòéìà õéöå ,11 ’îò ’à úøáåç äàøåäå
íéøáåñù ùéå .á”ð ’éñ á”ç î”áå ,æ”ì ’éñ
â”ç é”çðîä àéáî ïëå.äëøá àìá íìéáèäì
ù”æø äøåä ïëå ,ìéòåäì ãîìîä ïëå ,å”ò ’éñ
.ñèééä ïåàø÷ ÷”÷ã à”ãî ä”ò ïé÷øàååã
.íìéáèäì àìù âäðîä èùôúðå
ì”ðä úåëúî éâåñ ’å ÷ø ú”äîù à”é .11
ïðáøãî ÷ø áééç íåéðéîåìåàå ,äìéáèá íéáééç
.åëéúäì øùôàù áééç úéëåëæù äáéñ åúåàî
.çð ’éñ ç”åàáå ãñ÷ ’éñ á”ç ã”åé î”âàá ïééòå
ìò íéëøáîù íé÷ñåô ä”ùäå î”âàä
àìá åìáåèì ÷ñåô à”æùø íìåà ,äìéáèä
.äìéáè àìá íéøéúî ùéå .äëøá
ïåéë ,øñàð ìëàîä ïéà ãéæîá íäá ùîúùä
àäå .äìéáè øñçù éìëá äòéìá ïéã íåù ïéà
ñéðëäùë åðééä ,ãéî ìëàîä àéöåäì êéøöã
äìéáè àìá úåðçäî åäð÷ íà íìåà ,åîöòá
ìëàîä àéöåäì êéøö ïéà ,ïéìëåàá äñåëîùë
á”éñå è”ñ ã”ô íéìë úìéáè øôñá ò”òå .ãéî
.à”æùø íùá íù úåøòäáå
÷ñåô ïëå äìéáè ö”éàã àéáî á”÷ñ ú”ô .14
ïééèùðééô î”øâäå ,ç ’éñ á”ç ã”åé à”éáéä
,20 ’îò ’á úøáåç äàøåäå äøåúì óñàîá
íåùî øéîçäì ùéù àéáî ù”äåøòä íìåà
ä÷ã úéëåëæî èøéæåìâ íéîòôì íäì ùéù
’éñ ïçìùä úøâñîá ïëå ,íìéáèäì åâäð ïëìå
.à”÷ñ æ”ì
éà ä’éì à÷ôúñî ñ”ùá úåîå÷î äîëá .12
äùòðù) úëúîë åà (ìåçî) ñøçë úéëåëæ
ïàë .àøîåçì íé÷ñåô ë”ãáå .(äëúä é”ò
æ”òá éøéàîá ’éòå .úëúîë åáéùçäì øéîçî
.çð ’éñ çð ììë êåøàä ä”åàå :åè úáùáå íù
.ïðáøãî ÷ø åøåñéà íìåà
à”áùøäå ù”àøäå ,íù æ”ò éîìùåøé .10
ç”éç ù”å÷ìáå .ë”äæâ àåäù åáúë í”áîøäå
ùèéååàáåéìî ø”åîãà ÷”ë øàáî ’á úåèî
ùãç éìë ’éôà éøëðä úåùøá àåäù éìë ìëù
úìåëéäå ,øåñéàì ùîúùäì éøëðì úìåëéá ùé
êøãäå ,øåñéà úòéìá íò éìëë åäùåò åæä
ò”òå äìéáè é”ò àåä øåñéàä ÷ìñì ãéçéä
.äæ ãåñé ô”ò úåéâåñ äîë øàáîù êéà íù
ïëå ,äìéáè ö”éàã íéøáåñ íé÷ñåôä áåø .13
é”çðîáå ,à”÷ñ ë”÷ ’éñ ã”åé á÷òé úåòåùé .8
äëìä øåàéáá àáåä ïëå åàéáî ã”î ’éñ à”ç
úèéù ïë øàáîù ,øúåî ä”ã â”ëù ’éñ ç”åà
åðéà äæù àéáî íù é”çðîá íìåà .é”áä
ò”åùî ÷ééãì ùé ïëå .íé÷ñåôä ìëá íëñåî
øîåì êéøö ïéàå“ ç”ñ â”ëù ’éñ ç”åà æ”äãà
ïî àéä íéìë úìéáèù íéøîåàä éøáãì
ïëìå ,”ìëä éøáãì áåùç ïå÷éú åäæù ,äøåúä
äìéáè éãé ìòù ïåéëî úáùá åìáåèì øåñà
íâ íìåà .ùåîéùì éåàøä éìëì åäùåò
øáòùë ãáòéãá øúåî æ”äãà úèéùì
ìò êåîñì ùé ãáòéãáù ïåéëî ùîúùäå
,ñ”ãî äìéáè ïéãù íéøáåñù íéøéúîä
.ç”ñåñ íù ù”îë
íà ’éôàã àî ’éñ á”ç ã”åé î”âàá ïééòå .9
✃
without tevila. Similarly a netilas yadayim cup
and a drying rack can be used occasionally with
food without tevila, since it was not created for
food use.
Even if the utensil was manufactured for
food, if one were to use it only for non-food use,
such as a knife being used as a box cutter, it
would not require tevila. However, if one were
to use the knife sometimes to cut food as well,
it would require tevila without a brocha.19
Tevila is not required for utensils that aid in
food processing, yet do not produce a final
REFERENCE
GUIDE
Cut out and save this sheet for easy reference
Toivel with
a brocha
Toivel without
a brocha
Metal and glass only
* It is preferable to toivel
together with a vessel that
requires a brocha.
• Metal cutlery, pots, pot lids,
pans
product, such as rolling pins, cookie cutters,
coffee grinder, and sifters. Some have the custom to toivel them without a brocha. If the
utensil may be used occasionally with finished
goods, such as a grinder or scraper, one should
toivel without a brocha. However, a utensil
which is normally used for final processing,
such as pots, pans, metal grater and glass cutting boards requires tevila with a brocha, even
if one only plans to use it during the early stages
of food production.20
Only utensils that come in direct contact
with food require tevila. This includes barbeque grills, griddles, pot lids, peelers, and the
racks and trays of a toaster oven. However, if
the utensils are not used directly on the food,
such as hoods of barbeque grill, blech, burners,
toaster oven, baking lids and milk pitchers,
tevila is not required. Some include an egg pot
as well.21 According to many Poskim, can openers and corkscrews do not require tevila. Although it sometimes comes in contact with the
food, it is not intentional. According to some
Poskim, nut crackers should be toiveled without
àì íéãéô÷îù ïåéë äìéáè ö”éà äèéçù ìù
÷ìåç æ”èä íìåà .øçà øáãì íäá ùîúùäì
åìáåèì íéìæøáá íâ øéîçî à”îøäù øáåñå
øéîçä æ”ôòå .íù ä”åàä ô”ò äëøá àìá
ñ”úçäå éç ùéà ïáäå (ú”øôäå) ç”øôä
à”éôáå ,â”ñ à”ô ë”ìáè øôñá ò”òå .ä”÷ñ
,ç”é÷ñ ,è”öñ ,â”öñ ,á”òñ ,ç”ññ ,å”ëñ
.æ”ô÷ñå æ”ð÷ñ
é”÷ñ ú”ëøãá ’éòå ë”åðáå ã”ñ íù ò”åùá .21
íùá àéáî æ”÷ñ à”ô ë”ìáè øôñáå ç”ì÷ñå
ïåâë úé÷ùá ãéîú åùéîùúù ìëù à”æùø
êøèöî àìå ,÷ñôä úé÷ùä áéùç áìç ãëá
øééð ïåâë éòøà åùéîùú íà íìåà .äìéáè
åðîî ìæåð íéîòôìù äåòù øééð åà íåéðåîåìà
.äìéáè áééçå ÷ñôä áåùç øééðä ïéà éìëì
úìéáè øôñá ’éò íéöéá ìåùéáì éìë ïéðòáå
åìáåèì ùéù à”æùø íùá é”÷ñ à”éô íéìë
äöéá íéàéáî íéîòôìù ïåéë äëøá àìá
.äãåòñì äúôéì÷ íò äîéìù
ò”òå .äãåòñ éëøöì ãòåéî åðéàù éìë ïéðòá
äãåòñì éåàøä éìë ïéðòáå .å÷ ’éñ ã”éç ð”áàá
øáåñ ç”øôä ,úåùîúùää øçà åá íéëìåäù
íà ’éôàå åùéîùú áåø øçà íéëìåäù
áééç åðéà íéìëåàì íéîòôì ïéëñá ùîúùú
øáåñå ÷ìåç à”é÷ñ ú”øôä íìåà .äìéáèá
à”îøá ä”ëå åùéîùú áåø øçà íéëìåä ïéàù
íìåà,äëøáá åìáåèì ùé à”îøä ô”òå ,ç”ñ
åòéøëä àî-î ’éñ ù”äåøòäå á”ð ’òñ ö”áæä
åìáåèì åà äëøáá áééçä øçà éìë íò åìáåèì
.á”ñ à”ô ë”ìáè øôñá ë”ëå .äëøá àìá
äèéçù ìù ïéëñ éáâì ä”ñ íù ò”åùá .20
éáâìå ,”äëøá àìá åìáåèì áåèå“ à”îøä ÷ñô
÷ñô úåöîä úà íäá íéð÷úîù íéìæøá
ïéëñ éðàùã ê”ùä òéøëäå ,äìéáè ö”éàã
.äãåòñì ïëåîä øáã åá ùîúùäì øùôàù
íéøôåúù íéèçîá íâå åìàë íéìæøáá íìåà
áúë æ”ôòå .äìéáè ö”éà úåôåòä úà íäá
íéðéëñ åðéîéáù á÷ óã á”ç ã”åé é”øäè øôñá
• Crock-pot (only metal
and glass insert)
• Glazed Porcelain, ceramic and
china
• Barbeque grill (only the
grill itself)
• Enameled iron dishes
• Rack and trays of a
toaster oven
• Sheet pans & baking pans
• Food processor (if used for
raw product only)
• Nut crackers (some say with
a brocha)
• Electric Griddle
• Tin cans, metal containers for
storage
• Steel knife (even with
wooden handle)
• Glass containers for storage,
• Grater for finished product
• Glass thermos and bottles
• Pizza cutter
• Peeler with metal blade
• Corn on the cob holder
No tevila
required
• Ladle, spatula and mixing
utensils
• All earthenware, stone, wood,
leather
• Food processer (at least
metal blade and parts)
• Pottery (unless glazed)
• Electric water heater (or
ask a rov)
• Wooden ladle
• Popcorn maker (or ask a
rov)
• Razor knife, pocket knife or
scissors (unless used
permanently with food)
• Crystal Pitcher
• Glass cutting boards
• Pyrex baking dishes
• Wooden cutting board
• Netilas Yadayim cup
• Drying rack
• Tin or glass salt shaker
• Milk bag pitcher (common in
Israel)
• Metal or glass dishes for
both storage and serving
• Can opener and cork screw
• Knife sharpener
• Stove grates, burners, blech
Tevila is in
question
• Ovens (and oven racks
unless they come in direct
contact with food)
• Plastic, nylon, Formica,
melamine, rubber
• Electric hot plate (unless
food is placed on it directly)
• Disposable aluminum (2nd use)
• Induction cooker
• Toaster
• Lid of baking dish and
barbeque hood
• Electrical equipment
• Large equipment
• Rolling pins, cookie cutters
• Metal flour sifter
• Egg pot
• Coffee Grinder
• Glass microwave tray (unless
food is placed on it directly)
• Motor for electrical
appliances
• Equipment manufactured
and owned by a Jew
LAWS &
BLESSINGS
How-to Toivel
☛ Before toiveling equipment one must ensure that it is clean from any dirt, rust or company stickers, unless it is a tag that adds value
to the equipment (such as a prestigious company, brand or country sticker).
☛ Care must be taken that water reaches all
sides of the vessel at once, and that no air is
trapped in the vessel.
☛ Only a mikvah which is kosher for tevilas
nashim or a designated keilim mikvah may be
used for utensils.
Before immersion one holds the vessel and
says the following blessing:
Ub¨J§S¦e rJ£t 'oŠI̈ Q†n Ub¥eO¡t  ¨T©t QUrŠC
/o   Ubœ²Um±u 'u¨Im¦nC
For one vessel the brocha is:
/   ///  ¨T©t QUrŠC
☛ One then proceeds to dip the vessel once in
the mikva water. There are different minhagim
regarding the number of times the vessel
should be immersed. Consult your rabbi if you
do not know your family minhag.
14 www.OK.org
a brocha, while some require toiveling with a
brocha.22 Sheet pans and baking pans require
tevila, although they are only used with a liner
or foil.
Equipment which is used to store food, such
as cans, containers, thermos, and glass bottles
require tevila without a brocha. If it occasionally is used for serving as well, like a pitcher, one
should say a brocha.23
When purchasing a vessel
Disposable aluminum pans do not require
tevila since they are not considered keilim.
Even if one were to use it a few times, it is still
not a permanent keili since it was designed for
one-time use and is not durable. Some are
more stringent and toivel the pans if they will
be used more than once, especially if the aluminum is made of thicker, less flimsy material.24
Large equipment maybe harder to toivel, but
is not exempt from tevila altogether. There are
instances in halacha when some large equipment could be sold to a non-Jew who would
then allow the Jew to borrow it for use. Usually,
this is considered a loophole, but in some instances, such as a very large utensil, it may be
allowed.25 An oven built into the ground is not
a keili, so no tevila is necessary. Similarly large
equipment which is not moveable, such as large
ovens and fryers, do not required tevila. The
same applies to utensils dedicated for this
equipment.
Electrical equipment that comes into direct
contact with food requires tevila – for example,
if one has an electric water urn, electric hot
plate or popcorn maker, one needs to toivel at
least the parts (if they come apart) of the equipment that touches the food. The wire does not
øúåé åá ùîúùî íà øéîçäì íéöåøù ùéå
úçà íòôî
äàñ ’îî ìåãâ éìëá ïéãä àåäã à”éå .25
äáåâ úåîà ’â íåøá äîà ìò äîà åðééäã
ïéá ú÷åìçîá éåðù åðìù úåãéîá äæ øåòéùå)
æ”ëá ’éòå ,(î”ëàå à”åæçäå äàð ç”øâä
é”ñ à”ô ë”ìáè øôñáå ä”÷ñ íù ú”ëøãá
éìëá øéúî á”ë ’éñ á”ç éàúéìú ã”åèåèäã
à”òøå ,éìë áåùç åðéàù äàñ ’î ÷éæçîä
åñ ’éñ ä”åà øòù à”ðéááå â”äðëä íùá
íéùôçî íé÷ñåô äîëå à”ðéáäå .æ”ò ÷ìåçù
åâäð àì íìåòä äîì úåëæ ãîìì íéøéúä
’éñ äøäè éìåãéâ øôñá .íéìåãâ íéìë ìåáèì
’éòå .ò÷ø÷á òåá÷ éìë øéúäì àéáî æ”é
ïéðòáå .æ”è÷ñ à”ô ë”ìáè øôñá äëåøàá
ãåã ïéðòáå ,é”ñ à”éô ë”ìáèá ’éò øø÷î éôãî
úëúîî ïçìù ïéðòáå ,å”ìñ íù íéîç íéî
.á”øñ íù
å-ä”÷÷ñå ã”ë÷ñ à”éô ë”ìáè øôñá .22
àåäù åîë íéàéáî íà éåìúù à”æùøî àéáî
íàå ,äëøáá íìéáèî ïçìùì íúôéì÷ íò
.äëøá àìá åàì
ç”ñ à”ô ë”ìáè øôñáå å”÷ñ ú”ëøãá .23
’ø íìåà .à”æùø ô”ò â”é÷ñå æ”èñ à”éôå
.äìéáè àìá úéëåëæ øéúî ïàîéðééä äùî
òâåð íéîòôì ìëåàäù øø÷îä úåøéâî ïéðòáå
úìéáèä ’éò,íìéáèäì àìù åâäð î”îå íäá
åîëù à”æùø øàéáù ç”÷ñ à”éô íéìë
úåøéâîä êë ,éìë áåùç åðéà åîöò øø÷îäù
.äéìà íéìèá
é”÷ìçáå à úåà áì ’éñ ä”ç é”çðî ú”åùá .24
ãç åá åùåîéùù éìë øéúî åè÷ ’éñ â”ç
äàøåäå äøåúì óñàîá ô”îøâäå .éîòô
äîë åá ùîúùäì øéúî 40 ’îò ’á úøáåç
.òåá÷ éìëì éìëä úà äùåò àì äæù ,íéîòô
need to be toiveled. (Some poskim
hold that the wire should be toiveled.)
It is preferable to wait a few days until
the appliance is completely dry after
it was toiveled before using. If one is
concerned that it may get ruined, one
should discuss this matter with a
rov.26 Some say that a toaster oven
does not require tevila since it is used
of the manufacturing company is
Jewish, and no tevila is required unless one finds out that the company is
owned by a non-Jew.29 Some Poskim
are of the opinion that in the USA
one should not recite a brocha on
tevilas keilim unless one knows definitively that the item belonged to a
non-Jew. Most poskim disagree, and
Are they stationary or connected to
the ground?
Do they come into contact with the
food directly?
At which stage in the production
process do they come into contact
with the food?
There is an additional factor to
one should try to find out if it ever belonged to a non-Jew...
for bread which is edible before entering the toaster, but most Poskim
disagree.27
Equipment that can be disassembled does not need to be taken apart
before tevila. It can be toiveled either
whole or apart, but a closed Thermos
(or other item with a lid) needs to be
opened before tevila.
OWNERSHIP:
The mitzvah of tevilas keilim applies to the equipment that was previously owned by a non-Jew, or even
by a partnership between a Jew and a
non-Jew. Even if a Jew built the
equipment, tevila is required if it belonged to a non-Jew.28 Yet when one
sells chometz to a non-Jew before Pesach through his rav, one is not required to toivel the vessels after
Pesach.
In the Diaspora, most manufacturing companies are owned by nonJews, or have a non-Jew as a partner.
Therefore, if one is unsure about the
ownership of a company, it must be
assumed to be owned by a non-Jew
and tevila with a brocha is required.
In Israel, it is assumed that the owner
à”éáé ú”åùá ë”ëå .äëøá àìá íìáèé ô”äëìå
’éòå .úéëåëæá íâ êøáì ÷ñô áé ’éñ ã”åéç é”ç
àìå êøáì úåèéùä å”÷ñ á”ô ë”ìáèá äæá
äøåú éìäà íéøåàéáå úåøòäá ò”òå .êøáì
.äæá ïé÷ñø .é.ì áøäî 999 õáå÷
éìë çáùá äðå÷ ïîåàã ç”éå .30
äáåùú øôåñ èáùä úáåùú ô”ò ãñåéî .31
.æ”ñ
hold that one should make a brocha
unless he knows that it was never
owned by a non-Jew. When purchasing a vessel one should try to find out
if it ever belonged to a non-Jew.
If one sends equipment to a nonJewish handyman to repair, it does
not require tevila once the equipment is returned,30 unless the metal
used for repair belonged to the nonJew and the equipment could not
function without the repair. Therefore, if one were to send a knife to a
non-Jewish sharpener, the newly
sharpened knife would not require
tevila. The same would apply if one
sent sheet pans to be reglazed.
INDUSTRIAL:
When dealing with industrial facilities and the industrial size equipment, there are a number of factors
to consider when a Rov Hamachshir
determines if tevilas keilim is required:
How large are the keilim?
What materials are they made from?
Are they electrical?
øåëîì àì íéøéîçî ùéå .úåéâåñ äîë äæá
.íîöò íéìë
ì÷äì úåëøá ÷ôñ ïðéøîà àì ì”åçáã .29
äåä æàù ,áåø àìå ìå÷ùä ÷ôñ äåä ë”àà
äöçîë òåá÷ ìë ïðéøîà àìå .íéøëð éàãåë
á”ç ã”åé î”âàá ’éòå .ã”åãéðá äöçî ìò
úåëúî éìë éáâì âù ’îò â”ç ç”åàáå î”éñåñ
’éôàå ïôé ,ïéñî àáåéîù éìëá èøôáå êøáì
,ì÷äì ããöî úéëåëæ éìëá íìåà ,ôàøåéî
íâäå .çñôä øçà äøæç åäðå÷ ë”çàå ,éøëðì
øéëùäì êéøö ÷ø åîöò éìëä øåëîì ö”éàù
àåä ïëå äøéëî éøèù äáøäá íìåà ,åîå÷î
ïëå“ ììëù àéðúä ìòá æ”äãà ï÷éúù øèùá
øàéáå .”ïéòá õîç íäéìò ùéù íéöåîç íéìë
éèå÷ìá ùèéååàáåéìî ø”åîãà ÷”ë äæá
äìéáè áåéç ïéàù å”ìùú î”åèî úåçéù
íéìëá ùîúùé éøëðäù çéëù ïéàù ïôåàá
í”åëò úàîåè íåùî äåä äìéáèù ïåéëî åìà
øàéáù êéà úåëéøàá ù”òå ,äìéáè áåéç ë”éà
consider: are these utensils solely
used for business purposes and not
for personal use? Some Poskim are of
the opinion that the food produced in
industrial manufacturing plants is not
for personal use, only for business
purposes, so the equipment used are
not called “Keili Seudah” and does
not require tevila.
There is much debate about when
this can be applied.31 A relevant practical application of this question is as
follows: If one were to purchase a
candy dish made from metal or glass
from a store with a hashgocha, one
should find out if the hashgocha required the store to toivel the dishes
before selling them and if the store
owner actually toivels them.
If not, one can still purchase the
candy dish and use it until the candy
is finished. At that point, one is required to toivel the dish before it is
reused.
Unfortunately this article cannot
cover all the intricate details related
to the halachos of Tevilas Keilim.
There are often differences of opinions in some scenarios. When in
doubt one should consult with a rabbinic authority.
11 ’îò ’à úøáåç ä”ååúì óñàî õáå÷á .27
éåàø ìëåàäùë éìë úìéáèá ô”îøâä ïã
éìëá áééçã ÷éñîå ,äæ éìë àìá äìéëàì
ùùç íå÷îáå ,(øöåà éìë åîë) úåëúî
’÷ ’éñ ã”ç î”á ú”åùáå .øéúäì ùé ìå÷ìé÷
.äìéáè êéøöã ÷ñô
éøëðì åéìë øëåîä ïëìå à”ñ íù ò”åù .28
äù÷ ë”àå ,äìéáè áééç äøæçá íúåà äðå÷äå
äðù ìë íöîç íéøëåî ìàøùé ììë êéà
ïåéëî ,ìîùçá ìé÷î á÷òé ú÷ìçä .26
äåä ,ò÷ùì åúñðëä éìá ùîúùäì à”àù
áåøå .éìë áåùç àìå ò÷ø÷ì øáåçî åîë
’éñ ã”åé ä”ùá ’éòå .åäåîë éøáñ àì íé÷ñåôä
’éñ à”ç ã”åé î”âàáå á”òñ á”ç é”çðîáå æ”ð
à”ðñ à”éô ë”ìáè øôñá äëåøàá ’éòå æ”ð
.äìéáèì éìîùç éìë ï÷úì êéà úåöò äîëá
æ”ð ’éñ à”ç ã”åé î”øâàä éìîùç èåç ïéðòáå
øéîçî íù é”çðîäå .åìáåèì àì ìé÷î
..ë”â åìáåèì
www.Kosherspirit.com 15
M
f
e
o
m
e
ories
c
i
l
S
A
n Fruit S
Bosto
t is synonymous with Passover treats, an
iconic Jewish dessert known to all —
chewy, colorful, candy fruit slices. For over
seventy years, Boston Fruit Slices has produced the sweet treat. Years ago, Passover
treats were rare and we did not have the sophisticated kosher for Passover treats that you
can find in the stores today.
I
Boston Fruit Slices is a small company, with a few dozen employees,
founded by Vincent Aliberti. Aliberti
bought the fruit slice line from H.W.
Powers Candy Co., another Boston
company, in 1984. Powers Candy was
the first company to produce fruit
slices in the United States. Although
ownership has changed twice since
16 www.OK.org
then, Boston Fruit Slices has kept the
same recipe for three decades. Current owners, John Morrissey, and
Rick Hiera work together to bring the
delectable treat to homes nationwide.
While there are competitors,
Boston Fruit Slices is the best known
brand. Different varieties include
mini slices, chocolate-covered slices,
lices
and unique flavors. Boston Fruit
Slices’ product is superior to other
brands for several different reasons:
the fruit-juice flavor, the gelling agent
(agar as opposed to pectin), and the
egg-white fluff for the fruit slice rind.
The slices are tossed in piles of sugar
and packaged in a rainbow pattern in
every box.
Boston Fruit Slices is inspected
year round by local, Boston-bred,
mashgiach, Rabbi Yaakov Blotner,
who enjoys a warm relationship with
the company. “Located just down the
street from where I was born, Boston
Fruit Slices provides a kind of homecoming experience for me. During
my many years of supervision there,
I have found the management fo-
cused on kashrus concerns with the
same enthusiasm they apply to the
quality of their product. Whether it is
a regular ingredient discussion, or the
complicated transition from Year
Round to Passover production, they
do a thorough, competent job and
hold kosher in high esteem.”
The slices are available
year-round, but Passover is
the busiest season for
Boston Fruit Slices. “It’s a decent part of our business,”
Hiera says. “The sales always
stay steady.” Transitioning to
Passover production comes
with its own challenges and
regulations. The entire factory must be kosherized for
Passover and the entire production is supervised by an
~ rabbi who comes specifically to oversee the Passover
production. In addition to
koshering, ingredients must
be substituted to comply
with Passover restrictions.
Corn syrup must be replaced with tapioca or potato syrup and the number
of flavor varieties is cut
down from 13 to four –
cherry, orange, lemon and
lime.
Rabbi Zalman Borenstein,
the ~’s Passover mashgiach
sees firsthand the company’s
commitment to high kosher
standards, especially for the
complex Passover restrictions. “Boston Fruit Slices is
a pleasure to work for. They
treat kashrus with respect
and we have enjoyed a close
working relationship for many years.
To prepare for the Pesach run, the
employees at Boston Fruit Slices
worked extensively to clean the factory of all the year-round sugars. It is
especially difficult in a company like
this since the sugars tend to stick to
the machines. Once I was doing my
final inspections right before closing
time and I noticed that the two cooling tanks still had some sugary
residue. When I pointed this out to
Rick and his son Mike, they agreed to
stay together with the manager to
guarantee the machines would be
“Boston Fruit Slices
is committed to
selling kosher
candies, especially
during Passover. Our fruit slices are
a traditional item
during Passover
going back nearly
60 years...”
cleaned according to Passover requirements. This cleaning took them
several hours past closing time, and
this was after a long hard day of
koshering.”
The sweet confections have a
unique production process. First the
sugar and gelling mixture is boiled
and immediately cooled. Next, the
flavor and color is added to the mix
and the thick syrup is poured on
waxed paper. Then, the mixture that
makes the rind is poured on top.
More syrup is poured into wedge
shaped molds, which are later put
through a slicing machine.
Once the wedges are sliced,
they are tossed into vats of
sugar to coat each slice. Finally, the slices are dried before being packed.
According to Rabbinic
Coordinator Rabbi Yitzchak
Hanoka, “Boston Fruit Slices
is an old-time company with
traditional, time tested production methods. They
excel in their unique niche
and always show respect for
kashrus and ~ policies.
Communication with Rick
and his team is smooth and
he is a pleasure to work
with.”
Approximately
5,000
pounds of fruit slices are
produced each day of operation! The slices are packed
in bulk packages for wholesale clubs, and smaller packages for grocery stores and
specialty shops.
General Manager, Rick
Hiera, places kosher high on
his list of priorities. “Boston
Fruit Slices is committed to
selling kosher candies, especially during Passover. Our
fruit slices are a traditional
item during Passover going
back nearly 60 years. Working with a nationally recognized rabbinical service like the ~
offers our customers the confidence
that our fruit slices and other candies meet the highest kosher standards.”
Enjoy your Boston Fruit Slices this
Passover with the confidence that they
are kosher without compromise.
www.Kosherspirit.com 17
DID YOU KNOW...
River
Facts
As part of the Exodus from Egypt
B’nei Yisroel walked through the sea
to safety. Here are some facts about
the earth’s bodies of water…
• The longest river on our planet is the
Nile…it flows through 11 countries,
beginning in Lake Victoria and winding
about 4,160 miles until it empties.
• The Amazon River is shorter than the
Nile but is known as the largest because
it carries the most water.
• Some say the Roe River, near Great
Falls, Montana, is the shortest river in
the world (200 feet). Others say it’s the
D River in Oregon, which is sometimes
only 120 feet long depending on the tide.
• Angel Falls in Venezuela (pictured) is
the tallest waterfall, with a height of
3,200 feet.
Gnocchi with
Beef Cheek Sauce
• The deepest part of the world’s oceans
is the Mariana Trench, located in the
Pacific Ocean, which reaches a
maximum known depth of 6.8 miles.
Gnocchi is a light, versatile, potatobased pasta or dumpling. Attempts to
make it kosher for Passover proved
challenging because simply
substituting potato starch for the flour
resulted in a gummy texture. The trick
to achieving a light kosher for Passover
gnocchi is decreasing the amount of
potato starch and beating the egg
white until frothy.
• The Pacific Ocean is the largest body
of water, covering 1/3 of our
planet.
There are two types of gnocchi: one
that is dough-like and can be rolled out
like pasta, and one that is more delicate
and is portioned out using a piping bag.
• The Yam HaMelach is
the lowest and saltiest
body of water at 1,340 feet
below sea level.
A potato ricer is an inexpensive
kitchen tool that ‘mashes’ the potato
while keeping it fluffy and starchy.
Tip: It is important to rice the potatoes
and make the gnocchi while the
potatoes are still hot.
Recipe submitted by Joy of Kosher Magazine.
Subscribe or Give the Gift of Joy of Kosher at
www.joyofkosher.com/subscribe. Download their
new iPad app on the App Store.
18 www.OK.org
PESACH RECIPE
Basic Potato Gnocchi:
Beef Cheek Sauce:
2-3 large russet
potatoes
1 pound beef cheek
6-8 tablespoons
potato starch
1 egg white
Preheat oven to 375°F. Pierce the potatoes all
over with a fork. Place potatoes on baking
sheet and bake uncovered for about 45-60
minutes, until potato is fully baked. Using an
immersion blender, regular blender or
standing mixer, beat egg white until it
quadruples in size and becomes white and
frothy. Set aside.
While still hot, peel potato and mash using a
potato ricer or masher. Add the potato
starch to the potatoes and mix until
combined. Add the egg whites and mix until
just combined. Divide ‘dough’ into two; roll
out and slice into 1½ inch pieces. Bring a
large pot of water to a boil and cook gnocchi
until they float to the top. Remove from
boiling water and add to desired sauce.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 Spanish onion,
finely chopped
1 large carrot,
finely chopped
2 celery ribs,
finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large tomato
(about 1 cup chopped)
½ cup good-quality
red wine
1½ - 2 cups chicken
stock
Note: You can omit the
garlic if you do not use
garlic on Pesach.
In a medium saucepan (3 or 4 quart), heat oil on
medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add meat and cook
for about three minutes per side or until meat develops
a brown sear. Remove meat from pan and lower heat to
low-medium.
Add onions and cook for ten minutes, until onions are
translucent. Add the carrots, celery, and garlic and cook
for another ten minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for
five minutes. Add the ½ cup of wine, raise heat and
simmer for five minutes. Add the reserved beef cheek
meat and enough chicken stock to just about cover the
meat. Lower heat to the lowest possible, and cover pot.
Cook for 2 hours until beef cheek is tender. Let sauce
cool. Remove beef cheek and shred the meat.
When ready to serve, heat a frying pan on medium heat
and add 1 tablespoon oil. Add the shredded meat and
cook for three minutes until meat gets golden brown.
Pour reserved sauce and cook for two minutes. Add the
gnocchi and cook for three minutes on medium heat.
Serve immediately.
www.Kosherspirit.com 19
~
BEHIND
ME ET OU R STAFF:
whO’s behind the ~
Interview with
Rabbi Avraham
Rapoport
Rabbi Avraham
KS: Where did you grow up? Where did you
go to yeshiva?
RAR: I was born in Liverpool, England, and grew up in
the Geula neighborhood in Yerushalayim. I went to the
Knesset Hizkiyahu Yeshiva and later to Ateret Yisrael.
KS: What did you do after yeshiva?
RAR: I got married and then learned in kollel for a few
years, and then went on to work as a tutor and mentor
in Netiva HaTorah Yeshiva. Later I became a maggid
shiur in Lev Arye yeshiva in Jerusalem.
KS: What is your current position at the ~?
RAR: I head the ~ India department and I am also in
charge of new accounts for ~ Israel.
KS: What prepared you the most for your
current position at the ~?
RAR: Since my marriage, even while working in other
fields, I worked from time to time as a mashgiach for various Israeli kosher agencies. Of course, I started by supervising simple productions, which didn’t require much
experience. With time, I learned a lot, accumulated experience, and started dealing with more complex projects. Later, I started going to visit production sites
abroad. When I began working for the ~ I was already
an experienced mashgiach, with good knowledge of the
kosher food industry.
20 www.OK.org
Rapoport
KS: What is best thing about working at
the ~?
RAR: The ~ is an organization that teaches you
every day that size doesn’t have to come at the expense
of quality. Rabbi Levy keeps our standards high; we always marvel at how easy it is for him to give up a project or a plant because they can’t quite measure up to
his kosher expectations. His committed leadership, his
vast experience, and, of course, his siyata d’shmaya,
makes the ~ such a respected kashrus agency.
The best thing about working in the Israeli office is
working under Rabbi Aharon Haskel, who somehow
manages to let the rabbinic coordinators run their departments independently, while still staying involved
and aware of every detail. He is like the angel who
commands the plant to grow, and we constantly take
advantage of the way he makes himself and his knowledge available to us when we need advice and guidance.
KS: How would you describe the ~ today?
RAR: The ~ is probably the most technologically
advanced kosher agency in the world, something that
affects both the kashrus level and the customer service
level. We are definitely the biggest mehadrin kosher
agency in the world, and we are here so more Jews will
have access to more food which is strictly kosher.
“Avi, as he is fondly called,
excels in his endeavors to
literally bring kashrus
worldwide. ”
Kashrus Administrator
“
– Rabbi Don Yoel Levy
“
What Other People Say
About Rabbi Avraham Rapoport
ombining the energy of youth and the
meticulousness of a well-seasoned
rabbinic coordinator, avi, as he is fondly
called, excels in his endeavors to literally
bring kashrus worldwide. his enthusiasm
and Ahavas Yisroel give away his chabad
ancestry. rabbi rapoport works exactly
according to ~ guidelines, which ensures
his success in his quest to spread kashrus.
we are fortunate to have avi with us as
the ~ and it would not be the same without him.”
“C
KS: Can you share an interesting
experience that you had while working at
the ~?
RAR: One of the hardest things to explain to factories is the issue of “blia’a bekelim” – why equipment
might be non-kosher even after cleaning. When I first
came to India, one of the factories invited me for lunch
with the senior staff and the owners. I started explaining that unfortunately I wouldn’t be able to eat the food
served, but I would be happy to sit down with them
and eat my own food. The owner couldn’t agree; he
told me that they belong to a religion which demands
a vegetarian diet, so actually all the food is kosher. I explained that “kosher” is a more complex description
than “vegetarian”. I offered him a piece of a cake I
brought along and he refused outright, explaining that
he must not eat things without being certain about the
ingredients. Of course that was all I needed to explain
that it is best if everyone keeps to their own food…
We had a very interesting conversation over that
meal, and it turned out that their religion also has a
“blia’a bekelim” prohibition – a dish in which meat was
cooked, for example, is forbidden for use – forever.
Since then, I use this story often when visiting plants
in India, and I find it very effective in clarifying this
kosher issue.
Rabbi Don Yoel Levy
Kashrus Administrator
abbi rapoport is a rare combination
of a talmid chacham, an exemplary
mentsch, and a highly intelligent professional with profound knowledge of the
food industry. we are very proud to have a
man of his level at the ~. his dedication
to kosher work is absolute: he works
closely with people in very different time
zones – india and the us for instance – so
for him this is really a 24/6 job. i always
get enthusiastic feedback about rabbi
rapoport – not only from our clients but
even from other kosher agencies, which
hold him in a very high esteem.”
“R
Rabbi Aharon Haskel
Director of ~ Israel
www.Kosherspirit.com 21
CHASSIDIC INSIGHTS
Pesach Sheini
Compiled by Dina Fraenkel
esach Sheini represents the second chance,
available to every Jew, to reach one’s spiritual goals. The year after the Exodus from
Egypt, the Jewish people were commanded to
bring a Pesach offering on the 14th of Nissan.
The sacrifice was incumbent on every male,
but some were not ritually pure and, therefore,
were unable to bring the sacrifice.
P
“There were some men who were
ritually unclean from contact with the
dead, and were unable to prepare the
Pesach offering on that day; and they
came before Moshe and Aharon that
same day. Those men said to him: ‘We
are ritually unclean from contact with
the dead. Why should we be deprived
of bringing the offering of Hashem at
its appointed time among the Children of Israel?’ Moshe said to them:
‘Stand by, and I will hear what Hashem
will command concerning you.’ G-d
spoke to Moshe… ‘If any person of you
or your future generations shall be ritually unclean from contact with the
dead, or be on a distant journey, he
shall still make the Passover-offering
to the L-rd. He shall make it on the
14th day of the second month [Iyar]…’”1
As the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe,
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, explained, “The idea of Pesach Sheni is
that nothing is irretrievable; we can always rectify our behavior. Even one
who was ritually unclean or who was
on a distant journey – even willingly –
can still rehabilitate himself.”2 The
Rambam writes that even a Jew who
intentionally (i.e. was tahor and not
22 www.OK.org
on a journey) failed to offer the Pesach
sacrifice and was subject to the punishment of kareis (spiritual excision of
the soul) did teshuva and offered the
sacrifice on Pesach Sheini he would be
forgiven.3 This is the power of Pesach
Sheini.
Although we no longer have the
Beis HaMikdash in our midst, the concept of Pesach Sheini applies to all Jews
in all times and we observe it by eating
a kezayis of matzah on Pesach Sheini.
A Jew, who is far from Torah and
mitzvos, even if he has intentionally
strayed from the path of his parents,
can always return to Hashem and to
his real essence.4 No omission in one’s
service to Hashem cannot be rectified;
no sin cannot be repented. A Jewish
neshama remains a cheilek Eloka mi’ma’al mamash (an actual spark of
Hashem), no matter how far it falls
from Torah observance.5
For a Jew who observed Pesach
properly the first time, Pesach Sheini
seems unnecessary. Why does a Jew
who brought the Pesach offering need
to mark Pesach Sheini? B’nei Yisroel is
always awaiting Moshiach’s arrival and
the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash.
If the Beis HaMikdash is rebuilt during
the time between Pesach and Pesach
Sheini, we will have to bring the Pesach offering on Pesach Sheini.6 The
mitzvah of awaiting Moshiach’s arrival
obligates all of us to prepare for Pesach
Sheini immediately after Pesach.
This is a parallel for our personal
Divine service. Hashem commanded: “They shall make a Sanctuary
for Me and I will dwell within them
[within each and every Jew7].”8 The
cheilik Eloka mi’ma’al inside every Jew
can never be destroyed and today,
when the Beis HaMikdash is unfortunately not in our midst, we still perform all of the proscribed rituals
through our tefillah and observance of
mitzvos. Just as some men were not
able to make the Pesach offering on
the 14th of Nissan, sometimes each of
us fails to perform a mitzvah or serve
Hashem to the best of our ability, either intentionally or accidentally. Just
as Hashem is infinite and without constraint, so is the Divine service of a
Jew. We can always reach a higher
level; there are always new levels of
service that we can strive for. Therefore, Pesach Sheini is applicable to
every Jew, every day, every year. There
is always a need, and an opportunity,
for a second chance in our Divine
service, either to rectify an omission,
SOUL NUTRITION
or to increase the level of our service.
“Pesach means ‘leaping over’ and
Egypt in Hebrew is Mitzrayim, which
is cognate to the word meitzorim,
which means limits. A person’s character, his upbringing and mode of life, indeed nature itself, act as constraints on
his cleaving to G-d with unbounded
enthusiasm, preventing a person from
climbing higher in Divine worship. The
exodus from Egypt in spiritual terms
means a Jew must leap out of the limits
of his previous level of service and
enter a hitherto inaccessible plane of
sanctity….His observance of Pesach, although complete at the time, has now
become inadequate. He becomes obligated to observe Pesach Sheini.”9
May we all jump to take our “second
chance” and increase the level of our
own observance, bringing more Divine
sparks into the world and adding the
final brick to the Beis HaMikdash
HaShlishi, ushering in the Final Redemption bimheira v’yameinu.
1. Bamidbar 9:6-11.
2. HaYom Yom 14 Iyar.
3. Rambam, Hilchos Korbon Pesach 5:2.
4. See Likkutei Torah, Parshas Ha’azinu, p. 142.
Days of Destiny, Teshuvah, Tefillah, Tzedakah,
p. 9ff.
5. Tanya, ch. 2.
6. According to most opinions. See Minchas
Chinuch, Mitzvah 380.
7. See Reishis Chochmah, Shaar HaAhavoh, ch. 6;
Shaloh, Shaar HaOsiyos, Os 30;
Likkutei Torah, Parshas Nasso.
8. Shemos 25:8.
9. Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XII, pp. 216-220
Shabbos Parshas Emor, 5738.
,‫ר̇אשׁ‬
‫כּרעיו ִ ְוקרבּוֹ‬
ָ ְָ
—Parshas Bo 12:9
hy did the Korbon
Pesach need to be
roasted in this
particular way, the head, legs
and stomach together? What
can we learn from this
today?
W
Chassidus explains: in
general, there are three
things that can cause
obstacles in a person’s
relationship with Hashem.
His head (knowledge) — if he doesn’t understand things, his
feet (desire) — if he is willing to step on anything (people,
principles, Torah) to get what he wants, and his stomach
(satisfaction) — his internal desire to fill his hunger at any
cost. The lesson of the Korbon Pesach is that, even today, these
three qualities must be brought as an offering to Hashem.
Similarly, it says a person’s essence can be defined through
three things: B’kiso, b’koso, u’v’kaaso (his wallet, his drink, and
his anger) – how a person spends his money, how he behaves
when he is drunk, and how he acts in anger. These three things
are actually the same as the three qualities mentioned above.
The wallet (which enables you to get what you want) = feet,
drink = food, and head = anger.
THE THREE NAMES FOR
THE YOM TOV
There are three names for this holiday:
‫חג המצות‬
The Feast of
Matzos
‫זמן חרותנו‬
The season of
our freedom
‫פסח‬
Passover
According to Chassidus, these names are interrelated.
Matzah represents bittul, selflessness. This quality
leads to true freedom, and allows for Pesach (literally,
“a jump”), a radical leap forward in our Divine service.
www.Kosherspirit.com 23
Is it Kosher for Pesach?
OA D
D OW N L
E
THE FR!E
APP
Download the Kosher Food
Guide app and get the most
updated list of the Kosher
for Passover products that
~ Kosher certifies.
It’s like having a rabbi
at your side whenever
you go shopping...
Best wishes
for a Kosher
and Freilichen
Pesach from
~ Kosher
Certification
~
2 cutting-edge Kosher Apps now available as a
free download on Google Play or the App Store
KOSHER
CERTIFICATION
Kosher Spirit, 391 Troy Avenue • Brooklyn, NY 11213
718-756-7500 • [email protected] • www.ok.org
For the latest in Kosher news:
follow us on Twitter
@KosherAlerts
follow us on Facebook
facebook.com/okkosher