While driving in my car today, I heard a great vort and story from Rabbi Eli Mansour (available on www.learntorah.com) which I just had to share. I have attempted to reproduce the vort to the best of my ability. As always, any inconsistencies are my fault and should not be attributed to R' Mansour.
After the plagues in Egypt, Hashem comes to the Jews and tells them I am G-d who took you out of Egypt. Hashem does not tell them, I am G-d who created the world, since they had not seen creation. Instead Hashem tells them, I am G-d who took you out of Egypt - something that they could relate to.
R' Mansour told a story about a prince in a town in Europe called Michelstadt who interacted with a Jewish boy more than 300 years ago.
The prince had heard that there was a brilliant Jewish eight year old boy. The prince decided that he wanted to test the boy to see if he truly was as intelligent as he had heard.
In order to test the boy, the prince invited him to come to the castle to see the prince at 4 PM. Before the boy was to arrive, the prince told his assistants that the prince was going to seclude himself in one of the rooms of the castle and that no one should tell the boy which room the prince was in. The prince then went up into one of the rooms and opened the blinds slightly so that he could see the courtyard.
At 4 PM, the boy arrived at the castle. He stood in the courtyard and looked around for a few minutes. Five minutes later the boy knocked on the correct door. The prince was amazed, he asked - how did you find me?
The boy answered that when he arrived, he saw that there was no one in the courtyard, so he figured that the prince must have been testing him. The boy explained that he then looked up and saw that all the rooms had blinds which were closed, except for the room that he thought that the prince was in.
The prince then asked - what would have happened if the blinds were closed? The boy responded - I would have knocked on the doors until you answered.
The prince asked - but what if no one answered? The boy responded that he would have asked people in the lobby. The prince fired back - what if you got different answers? The boy responded - I would have gone with the majority.
The prince had the answer he was looking for - but you are Jewish and most of the world is not, if you go with the majority why do you remain Jewish?
The boy smiled and answered - once I saw you in this room, I would not need to ask people where you were and go with the majority of the answers, because I already knew where you were.
The boy concluded - Hashem revealed himself to the Jews as having taken them out of Egypt and performing many miracles for them. Once we knew who He was, why would we trust the majority against something that was a sure thing?
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Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Va'era
The following is a brief summary of a vort said over by R' Frand this evening. I have attempted to reproduce the vort to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
In its discussion of the plague of dever (animal sickness) the Torah relates what appears on the surface to be a strange sequence of events. Moshe tells Pharaoh in Shemos 9:3 that if he does not let the Jews leave Egypt, Hashem will strike the Egyptians' animals with a severe epidemic. In the following pasuk, Moshe tells Pharaoh that Hashem will differentiate between the Egpytian animals and the Jews' animals as not a single animal owned by a Jew will die. In Shemos 9:6, the Torah relates that all the Egyptian livestock died, but not one animal owned by a Jew died. The following pasuk states that Pharaoh sent out people to look at whether the Jews' animals had died and that they confirmed this fact, yet Pharaoh hardened his heart and did not allow the Jews to leave.
R' Frand pointed out that it is difficult to understand the logic behind Pharaoh's actions. Pharaoh heard the prophesy that the Egyptian animals would be killed but not a single animal owned by a Jew would be killed. Pharaoh then confirmed that the prophesy came true, so why would he then harden his heart?
R' Frand answered that Pharaoh's action demonstrated that he was truly a rasha - an evil man. Pharaoh looked and saw that he had no meat to eat, but the Jews did have animals which survived the plague. In Pharaoh's mind, the plague was only a minor inconvenience - he could still get meat to eat, but would need to buy it from a Jew. Therefore, he did not need to change his ways.
R' Frand then gave two examples of similar conduct. In Parshas Toldos, the Torah discusses how Esav traded the bechorah (first born right) for a bowl of soup. In so doing, the Torah relates that the bechorah was sold "cayom" - as this day. The Seforno writes that a man who only lives for today can sell his future for a bowl of soup. This is an indicia of being a rasha as Esav is willing to give up his future, as long as he can eat today.
R' Frand gave one more example from the plague of frogs. At the end of the Torah's discussion of this plague, the Torah writes at Shemos 8:11 that Pharaoh saw that there was "harvacha" - there had been a relief. The Klei Yakar writes that Pharaoh did not use similar language when any other plagues ceased. The reason for this is that every other plague had a definite ending - the hail stopped, the water was no longer bloody, etc. However, when the frogs stopped multiplying they did not simply leave. Instead, the frogs died and remained in heaping piles which created a terrible stench. When Pharaoh saw this he surveyed the land and saw that there were areas of Egypt which were not near water and therefore were unaffected by the frogs which came from the rivers. Since Pharaoh had somewhere that he could go to escape from the stench of the rotting frogs, he felt that there was a relief. This was just another indication of his being evil - as long as there was a solution for him, he did not need to change his ways.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
In its discussion of the plague of dever (animal sickness) the Torah relates what appears on the surface to be a strange sequence of events. Moshe tells Pharaoh in Shemos 9:3 that if he does not let the Jews leave Egypt, Hashem will strike the Egyptians' animals with a severe epidemic. In the following pasuk, Moshe tells Pharaoh that Hashem will differentiate between the Egpytian animals and the Jews' animals as not a single animal owned by a Jew will die. In Shemos 9:6, the Torah relates that all the Egyptian livestock died, but not one animal owned by a Jew died. The following pasuk states that Pharaoh sent out people to look at whether the Jews' animals had died and that they confirmed this fact, yet Pharaoh hardened his heart and did not allow the Jews to leave.
R' Frand pointed out that it is difficult to understand the logic behind Pharaoh's actions. Pharaoh heard the prophesy that the Egyptian animals would be killed but not a single animal owned by a Jew would be killed. Pharaoh then confirmed that the prophesy came true, so why would he then harden his heart?
R' Frand answered that Pharaoh's action demonstrated that he was truly a rasha - an evil man. Pharaoh looked and saw that he had no meat to eat, but the Jews did have animals which survived the plague. In Pharaoh's mind, the plague was only a minor inconvenience - he could still get meat to eat, but would need to buy it from a Jew. Therefore, he did not need to change his ways.
R' Frand then gave two examples of similar conduct. In Parshas Toldos, the Torah discusses how Esav traded the bechorah (first born right) for a bowl of soup. In so doing, the Torah relates that the bechorah was sold "cayom" - as this day. The Seforno writes that a man who only lives for today can sell his future for a bowl of soup. This is an indicia of being a rasha as Esav is willing to give up his future, as long as he can eat today.
R' Frand gave one more example from the plague of frogs. At the end of the Torah's discussion of this plague, the Torah writes at Shemos 8:11 that Pharaoh saw that there was "harvacha" - there had been a relief. The Klei Yakar writes that Pharaoh did not use similar language when any other plagues ceased. The reason for this is that every other plague had a definite ending - the hail stopped, the water was no longer bloody, etc. However, when the frogs stopped multiplying they did not simply leave. Instead, the frogs died and remained in heaping piles which created a terrible stench. When Pharaoh saw this he surveyed the land and saw that there were areas of Egypt which were not near water and therefore were unaffected by the frogs which came from the rivers. Since Pharaoh had somewhere that he could go to escape from the stench of the rotting frogs, he felt that there was a relief. This was just another indication of his being evil - as long as there was a solution for him, he did not need to change his ways.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
Monday, December 27, 2010
Monday Musings on Sports - Taking a Stand Against Racism - Minor League Hockey and Moshe Rabeinu
As regular readers of this blog are aware, the Monday post was usually devoted to sports with highlights and analysis of the Max Kellerman show which formerly aired on 1050 ESPN Radio. Although Max resigned from 1050 more than a year ago, I have tried to continue the tradition of linking sports to Torah which I believe was an undercurrent of the Max Kellerman show.
Although I am more than just a casual hockey fan, I don't really follow the Canadian minor leagues. Other than very occasionally looking at the Hockey News to see how a Ranger prospect is doing, the junior leagues are a collection of teams which I know little about, other than they come from cities with funny names like Kamloops or Mississauga. But below the junior leagues are the midget leagues (based on age, not size) which serve as feeder leagues for Canadian juniors which serve as feeder leagues for the NHL (think HS football which supplies players to College).
With this introduction in place, I turn to a story which I recently heard about on one of those Sunday morning guest hosted sports radio programs. In mid-November, the NAPA Auto Parts Team was playing the Austin Trophies team in the Peterborough Minor Hockey Association Midget League. Two players were sent to the penalty box, and while they were there, the boys heckled one another. At the end of the period, the boys left the penalty box. During the break, the NAPA player told coach Greg Walsh that the Austin player had called him the N-word.
When the third period started, the Austin Trophies player who had done the name calling, came out to start the period. Walsh pulled his team off the ice and refused to continue the game.
As has been reported, the player who did the name calling was suspended three games. However, Coach Walsh was suspended indefinitely after the incident, as it is against the rules of Hockey Canada to refuse to field a team. In mid-December the league held a hearing as to the punishment for Coach Walsh and decided that he should be suspended for the rest of the season.
(To see news report on the incident and its aftermath, click here andhere ).
Coach Walsh knew that there would be a severe punishment, but had decided after a similar incident a few years earlier that he would not tolerate use of the N-word against one of his players and that the team would stand up against racism.
The story made me think about the story from the parsha which we read last shabbos. Moshe has been raised in the palace of Pharaoh, during a time that the Egyptians had enslaved the Jews and were using them to build their cities and storage facilities. One day, Moshe was walking and saw an Egyptian beating a Jewish slave. Moshe could have easily walked away from the incident as no one knew anything about his heritage. However, Moshe felt internally that it was unjust to allow this to occur and he intervened and killed the Egyptian.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
Although I am more than just a casual hockey fan, I don't really follow the Canadian minor leagues. Other than very occasionally looking at the Hockey News to see how a Ranger prospect is doing, the junior leagues are a collection of teams which I know little about, other than they come from cities with funny names like Kamloops or Mississauga. But below the junior leagues are the midget leagues (based on age, not size) which serve as feeder leagues for Canadian juniors which serve as feeder leagues for the NHL (think HS football which supplies players to College).
With this introduction in place, I turn to a story which I recently heard about on one of those Sunday morning guest hosted sports radio programs. In mid-November, the NAPA Auto Parts Team was playing the Austin Trophies team in the Peterborough Minor Hockey Association Midget League. Two players were sent to the penalty box, and while they were there, the boys heckled one another. At the end of the period, the boys left the penalty box. During the break, the NAPA player told coach Greg Walsh that the Austin player had called him the N-word.
When the third period started, the Austin Trophies player who had done the name calling, came out to start the period. Walsh pulled his team off the ice and refused to continue the game.
As has been reported, the player who did the name calling was suspended three games. However, Coach Walsh was suspended indefinitely after the incident, as it is against the rules of Hockey Canada to refuse to field a team. In mid-December the league held a hearing as to the punishment for Coach Walsh and decided that he should be suspended for the rest of the season.
(To see news report on the incident and its aftermath, click here andhere ).
Coach Walsh knew that there would be a severe punishment, but had decided after a similar incident a few years earlier that he would not tolerate use of the N-word against one of his players and that the team would stand up against racism.
The story made me think about the story from the parsha which we read last shabbos. Moshe has been raised in the palace of Pharaoh, during a time that the Egyptians had enslaved the Jews and were using them to build their cities and storage facilities. One day, Moshe was walking and saw an Egyptian beating a Jewish slave. Moshe could have easily walked away from the incident as no one knew anything about his heritage. However, Moshe felt internally that it was unjust to allow this to occur and he intervened and killed the Egyptian.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Sunday Night Suds - Saranac Bohemian Pilsner
This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at the last of the beers from the Saranac 12 Beers of Winter Box - Saranac Bohemian Pilsner.
I love when breweries use the term Bohemian to describe their beer. Whenever I pull one of these out, I catch Mrs Kosher Beers singing a little bit of Queen. Our kids used sit around looking quizzically at her, at least until I showed my oldest the Mike Myers version of Bohemian Rhapsody on YouTube. The rest of them are still confused...
With the snow really starting to pile up outside, I took the Saranac Bohemian Pilsner (the picture may not be clear, but the 2010 label for this brew has a bear walking across what appears to be a frozen, snow covered lake). I am not a big Pilsner fan in general as I find that they are usually too thin for me, even though that is the way that they are supposed to be. Since the experts at BA have termed this a Czech Pilsner, my hopes were a little higher since these have more hop to them and tend to have a little more body then the typical macrobrewed pilsner (German, Belgian or American Macrobrew - they all tend to run a little to light for me).
The first couple of sips that I had of this beer were all I needed to know that this was not a typical watered down pilsner. The beer had a great mix of maltiness and hops and each sip seemed to give up a slightly different flavor note.
Bottom line - unlike some other pilsners, this brew is not like drinking barley water with a little beer aftertaste. It would go well with pizza, or other light fare.
Saranac Bohemian Pilsner is under the Kosher Supervision of the Va'ad of Detroit, as is every other brew produced by Saranac. To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about Saranac Bohemian Pilsner, please follow this link http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/99/45378.
As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.
If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).
Finally, if you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Shemos
The following is a brief summary of a vort said over by R' Frand this evening. I have attempted to reproduce the vort to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
In Shemos 1:15-16, the Torah writes that Pharaoh told Shifrah and Pu'ah that when they are delivering Jewish children that they should kill the male children, but allow the female babies to live. Rashi explains that Shifrah and Pu'ah were actually Yocheved and Miriam. Yocheved was called Shifra because she was skilled in delivering the babies, while Miriam was called Pu'ah because she would "coo" to the babies to calm them down. Based on their love and caring for the babies, the Torah calls them by their nicknames. When the women were told by Pharaoh to kill the babies they did not listen because they feared Hashem and they allowed the children to live. As a result of their actions, Hashem gave them "batim."
R' Frand remarked that it was strange that the Torah introduced the women by their nicknames which indicated that they loved and cared for the children and then said that they did not kill the babies because they feared Hashem. Would it not have been more obvious that they did not kill the babies because they loved and cared for the children as this was part of their nature?
R' Frand answered that we see from here that at the end of the day, there is only one thing that prevents a person from doing something that they should not do - fear of Hashem. When a person's life is on the line, love will not carry the day. The person's actions will be influenced by their core - in this case by their fear of Hashem.
R' Frand brought a proof from Avraham at Akeidas Yitzchak. The Torah writes that when Avraham was about to act against Yitzchak at the Akeidah, Hashem says (Bereishis 22:12) "now I know that you are G-d fearing." Why does Hashem say that He knows that Avraham is G-d fearing? Would it not have been more logical to say, now I know that you follow instructions? Rather we see from this that Avraham showed through his actions that that he feared Hashem.
R' Frand brought another proof from the conversation between Yosef and the wife of Potiphar. In Bereishis 39:10, Yosef says to her - how I can do this act and sin against G-d. By this we see another expression of the motivation not to act as fear of Hashem.
R' Frand then quoted Shemos 1:20-21 which discussed the reward for Yocheved and Miriam for their actions. The Torah writes that they were given "batim" which Rashi explains were the house of Kehunah and the house of Malchus. However, Rashi does more than this as he indicates that the Torah interjects between saying that Hashem rewarded the women in 1:20 and the discussion of the reward in 1:21 the fact that the Jews increased in number and became very strong.
R' Frand then quoted R' Mordechai Kaminetzky who tells a story about a woman who had a premature child. The child was in the NICU where there was care around the clock for the baby for two months. When the baby left the NICU, the parents wanted to buy something for the doctors and nurses to show their gratitude. The parents went to R' Elya Svei and asked what they should do. He responded that on the child's birthday they should bring the child back and show them that the child has grown up. Do this for the doctors and nurses not only on the child's first birthday, but on multiple birthday's thereafter to show that the doctors and nurses' efforts were not in vain and were greatly appreciated. R' Svei tied this into the above pasuk about how the Torah interjects between the statement about a reward to Yocheved and Miriam and before the identification of the reward, the fact that the Jews multiplied greatly. R' Svei takes issue with Rashi - the reward was seeing that the Jews had multiplied so greatly. There were personal presents in the following pasuk, but seeing what they had accomplished was a great reward to them as well.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up.
In Shemos 1:15-16, the Torah writes that Pharaoh told Shifrah and Pu'ah that when they are delivering Jewish children that they should kill the male children, but allow the female babies to live. Rashi explains that Shifrah and Pu'ah were actually Yocheved and Miriam. Yocheved was called Shifra because she was skilled in delivering the babies, while Miriam was called Pu'ah because she would "coo" to the babies to calm them down. Based on their love and caring for the babies, the Torah calls them by their nicknames. When the women were told by Pharaoh to kill the babies they did not listen because they feared Hashem and they allowed the children to live. As a result of their actions, Hashem gave them "batim."
R' Frand remarked that it was strange that the Torah introduced the women by their nicknames which indicated that they loved and cared for the children and then said that they did not kill the babies because they feared Hashem. Would it not have been more obvious that they did not kill the babies because they loved and cared for the children as this was part of their nature?
R' Frand answered that we see from here that at the end of the day, there is only one thing that prevents a person from doing something that they should not do - fear of Hashem. When a person's life is on the line, love will not carry the day. The person's actions will be influenced by their core - in this case by their fear of Hashem.
R' Frand brought a proof from Avraham at Akeidas Yitzchak. The Torah writes that when Avraham was about to act against Yitzchak at the Akeidah, Hashem says (Bereishis 22:12) "now I know that you are G-d fearing." Why does Hashem say that He knows that Avraham is G-d fearing? Would it not have been more logical to say, now I know that you follow instructions? Rather we see from this that Avraham showed through his actions that that he feared Hashem.
R' Frand brought another proof from the conversation between Yosef and the wife of Potiphar. In Bereishis 39:10, Yosef says to her - how I can do this act and sin against G-d. By this we see another expression of the motivation not to act as fear of Hashem.
R' Frand then quoted Shemos 1:20-21 which discussed the reward for Yocheved and Miriam for their actions. The Torah writes that they were given "batim" which Rashi explains were the house of Kehunah and the house of Malchus. However, Rashi does more than this as he indicates that the Torah interjects between saying that Hashem rewarded the women in 1:20 and the discussion of the reward in 1:21 the fact that the Jews increased in number and became very strong.
R' Frand then quoted R' Mordechai Kaminetzky who tells a story about a woman who had a premature child. The child was in the NICU where there was care around the clock for the baby for two months. When the baby left the NICU, the parents wanted to buy something for the doctors and nurses to show their gratitude. The parents went to R' Elya Svei and asked what they should do. He responded that on the child's birthday they should bring the child back and show them that the child has grown up. Do this for the doctors and nurses not only on the child's first birthday, but on multiple birthday's thereafter to show that the doctors and nurses' efforts were not in vain and were greatly appreciated. R' Svei tied this into the above pasuk about how the Torah interjects between the statement about a reward to Yocheved and Miriam and before the identification of the reward, the fact that the Jews multiplied greatly. R' Svei takes issue with Rashi - the reward was seeing that the Jews had multiplied so greatly. There were personal presents in the following pasuk, but seeing what they had accomplished was a great reward to them as well.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Sunday Night Suds - Saranac India Copper Ale
This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at another new Saranac brew - India Copper Ale.
Over the course of the last few weeks, I have been sampling the new brews in Saranac's 2010 Twelve Beers of Winter Box (see reviews of Lake Effect Lager here and Vanilla Stout here).
The Saranac India Copper Ale poured a rich amber color with great lacing - my tulip glass was coated with foam, almost like the windows on your home when its below zero outside. My first sip of the brew revealed good carbonation, which is typical of most Saranac brews. I also was immediately hit with a strong hop flavor, not overwhelming, but definitely pronounced. The beer evoked memories of Redhook's Longhammer Ale, although with a little less bite.
The India Copper Ale was a perfect pairing with roasted meat and would do well consumed with char grilled steaks in a quality steakhouse.
Saranac India Copper Ale is under the Kosher Supervision of the Va'ad of Detroit, as is every other brew produced by Saranac. To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about Saranac India Copper Ale, please follow this link http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/99/62579.
As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.
If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).
Finally, if you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vayechi
The following is a brief summary of a vort said over by R' Frand this evening. I have attempted to reproduce the vort to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
The gemara on Sanhedrin 110 writes that Reish Lakish stated that Korach was very wealthy and that this was his downfall (citing to a pasuk in Koheles). This statement is followed by a saying attributed to R' Chama Bar Chanina that Yosef hid three treasures in Egypt. One of the treasures was revealed to Korach, another to Antoninus and one was hidden for the tzadikim to be revealed at the time of Moshiach.
Rabbi Frand quoted the sefer Pardes Yosef which had an interesting twist on the ma'amar of R Chama. He explains that the treasures were not monetary, but were foundations for life.
The Pardes Yosef explains that the first concept is that one who Hashem desires to be a leader, will in fact be the leader, notwithstanding any actions by others to prevent this from occurring. Yosef was destined to be the second in command in Egypt and had dreams that he would rise to power. The brothers did their best to prevent this from occurring (indeed they even commented - now lets see what will happen to his dreams). However, despite the brothers' actions - Yosef became the second in command in Egypt. This concept was passed to Korach who learned the hard way that people who are destined for positions of power (like Moshe and Aharon) cannot be displaced by another's force of will.
The second foundational concept is that a person should not change the way that he acts merely because he is in a position of power. When Yosef was in Egypt he did not act like the Egyptians and was separate and apart, but was respected and honored. This concept was later seen with Antoninus and Rebbi, as the Gemara in Avodah Zara talks about the close relationship that Antoninus and Rebbi had and how Antoninus honored Rebbi and came to learn with him.
The third foundational concept is that there can be a solution and remedy for sinas chinam/sinas achim. Yosef proved that although his brothers had thrown him into a pit and sold him into slavery, they were capable of repenting and showing that they would not do actions like this again. This concept is unfortunately ganuz and we wonder how will Moshiach come if each sect of Judaism is fighting? The gemara tells us that Yosef proves that the situation can be fixed and that Moshiach will come.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up.
The gemara on Sanhedrin 110 writes that Reish Lakish stated that Korach was very wealthy and that this was his downfall (citing to a pasuk in Koheles). This statement is followed by a saying attributed to R' Chama Bar Chanina that Yosef hid three treasures in Egypt. One of the treasures was revealed to Korach, another to Antoninus and one was hidden for the tzadikim to be revealed at the time of Moshiach.
Rabbi Frand quoted the sefer Pardes Yosef which had an interesting twist on the ma'amar of R Chama. He explains that the treasures were not monetary, but were foundations for life.
The Pardes Yosef explains that the first concept is that one who Hashem desires to be a leader, will in fact be the leader, notwithstanding any actions by others to prevent this from occurring. Yosef was destined to be the second in command in Egypt and had dreams that he would rise to power. The brothers did their best to prevent this from occurring (indeed they even commented - now lets see what will happen to his dreams). However, despite the brothers' actions - Yosef became the second in command in Egypt. This concept was passed to Korach who learned the hard way that people who are destined for positions of power (like Moshe and Aharon) cannot be displaced by another's force of will.
The second foundational concept is that a person should not change the way that he acts merely because he is in a position of power. When Yosef was in Egypt he did not act like the Egyptians and was separate and apart, but was respected and honored. This concept was later seen with Antoninus and Rebbi, as the Gemara in Avodah Zara talks about the close relationship that Antoninus and Rebbi had and how Antoninus honored Rebbi and came to learn with him.
The third foundational concept is that there can be a solution and remedy for sinas chinam/sinas achim. Yosef proved that although his brothers had thrown him into a pit and sold him into slavery, they were capable of repenting and showing that they would not do actions like this again. This concept is unfortunately ganuz and we wonder how will Moshiach come if each sect of Judaism is fighting? The gemara tells us that Yosef proves that the situation can be fixed and that Moshiach will come.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Monday's Musings on Sports - The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same
As regular readers of this blog are aware, the Monday post was usually devoted to sports with highlights and analysis of the Max Kellerman show which formerly aired on 1050 ESPN Radio. Although Max resigned from 1050 more than a year ago, I have tried to continue the tradition of linking sports to Torah which I believe was an undercurrent of the Max Kellerman show.
Two stories from today's sports news caught my attention. In yesterday's Jets game (debacle), a Miami Dolphins player who was running down the sidelines attempting to cover a punt, was tripped by a Jets coach who was standing along the sideline. The player took a very bad fall and remained motionless on the ground for quite a few minutes, but did not appear to suffer any significant injury. After the game, the perpetrator was identified as the Jets strength and conditioning coach, Sal Alosi. He has since made a public apology to the player, the Dolphins and Jets and the NFL. Late this evening, news broke that the coach had been suspended without pay for the rest of the year and was fined an additional $25,000.
Also on Sunday there was news of a Dallas Cowboys player (Tashard Choice) who approached Philadelphia Eagles QB, Michael Vick and asked for an autograph. Although the two teams have a long and bitter rivalry, Vick obliged Choice's request. When news broke today about the signing, Choice was bitterly criticized by many for making his request from Vick. The critique of Choice was not based on the autograph request (it is not rare in professional sports) but instead focused on the fact that Choice made his request in the public light of the playing field, instead of in the locker room later after the game.
The illegal trip in the Jets-Dolphins game was hardly a new phenomenon. Coaches are always looking for illegal ways to influence games, be it by stealing signs, surreptitiously video taping practices, buying playbooks or even tainting food in opposing locker room. The only reason that this story made the headlines was that the coach's illegal "participation" was caught on TV and amplified by eagle eyed Dan Fouts.
Similarly, the fawning of younger players over the "stars of the game" is not a new phenomenon. I can recall during the early days of the basketball dream teams (when the players actually cared) as the players from other countries sought after the NBA stars for autographs during Summer Olympics. Again, the difference here is that the teams are bitter rivals and the autograph request was made on the playing field.
The concept of "the more things change the more they stay the same" is hardly unique to sports. Last Thursday night, Rabbi Frand pointed out the same concept in relation to leadership. In Parshas Vayigash, Yosef instructs the brothers that they should tell Pharaoh that they are shepherds and that their families' occupation has always been sheep herding. Yosef explains to the brothers that the Egyptians abhor shepherds (since the Egyptians worshiped sheep) and that by overtly being shepherds the brothers could live apart from the Egyptians in the land of Goshen.
However, when the brothers have their talk with Pharaoh in Bereishis 47:6, Pharaaoh responds that if there are any good shepherds they should watch over what he has (es asher li). Rashi fills in the gap and explains that (notwithstanding the Egyptians' worship of the sheep) Pharaoh had his own flock.
Rabbi Frand then made reference to numerous dictatorships in the modern era where people starved, while their leaders gorged themselves on delicacies and lived in the lap of luxury. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
Two stories from today's sports news caught my attention. In yesterday's Jets game (debacle), a Miami Dolphins player who was running down the sidelines attempting to cover a punt, was tripped by a Jets coach who was standing along the sideline. The player took a very bad fall and remained motionless on the ground for quite a few minutes, but did not appear to suffer any significant injury. After the game, the perpetrator was identified as the Jets strength and conditioning coach, Sal Alosi. He has since made a public apology to the player, the Dolphins and Jets and the NFL. Late this evening, news broke that the coach had been suspended without pay for the rest of the year and was fined an additional $25,000.
Also on Sunday there was news of a Dallas Cowboys player (Tashard Choice) who approached Philadelphia Eagles QB, Michael Vick and asked for an autograph. Although the two teams have a long and bitter rivalry, Vick obliged Choice's request. When news broke today about the signing, Choice was bitterly criticized by many for making his request from Vick. The critique of Choice was not based on the autograph request (it is not rare in professional sports) but instead focused on the fact that Choice made his request in the public light of the playing field, instead of in the locker room later after the game.
The illegal trip in the Jets-Dolphins game was hardly a new phenomenon. Coaches are always looking for illegal ways to influence games, be it by stealing signs, surreptitiously video taping practices, buying playbooks or even tainting food in opposing locker room. The only reason that this story made the headlines was that the coach's illegal "participation" was caught on TV and amplified by eagle eyed Dan Fouts.
Similarly, the fawning of younger players over the "stars of the game" is not a new phenomenon. I can recall during the early days of the basketball dream teams (when the players actually cared) as the players from other countries sought after the NBA stars for autographs during Summer Olympics. Again, the difference here is that the teams are bitter rivals and the autograph request was made on the playing field.
The concept of "the more things change the more they stay the same" is hardly unique to sports. Last Thursday night, Rabbi Frand pointed out the same concept in relation to leadership. In Parshas Vayigash, Yosef instructs the brothers that they should tell Pharaoh that they are shepherds and that their families' occupation has always been sheep herding. Yosef explains to the brothers that the Egyptians abhor shepherds (since the Egyptians worshiped sheep) and that by overtly being shepherds the brothers could live apart from the Egyptians in the land of Goshen.
However, when the brothers have their talk with Pharaoh in Bereishis 47:6, Pharaaoh responds that if there are any good shepherds they should watch over what he has (es asher li). Rashi fills in the gap and explains that (notwithstanding the Egyptians' worship of the sheep) Pharaoh had his own flock.
Rabbi Frand then made reference to numerous dictatorships in the modern era where people starved, while their leaders gorged themselves on delicacies and lived in the lap of luxury. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Sunday Night Suds - Leinenkugel Berry Weiss
This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Leinenkugel Berry Weiss.
When I first brought this beer home, my wife asked me whether it was Chani Weiss' husband. Ok, it sounds much funnier in person (Honey Weiss, Barry Weiss).
Unfortunately, this beer is no laughing matter. When consumed on its own, it is akin to a super sweet berry. I can remember going as a kid with my dad to a restaurant near his office and trying Welch's Strawberry Soda, right after it became kosher. I never tried it again. And here I am stuck with four more of these...
The Berry Weiss label indicates that the brew is made with honey, blackberry juice "and other natural berry flavors." I would be curious to see the calorie and sugar content as the beer is sweeter than any brew that I have ever tried.
I have tried pairing this brew with beef stew (not cholent) and it was a dismal failure. I have also tried it with turkey and cranberries and the combination was like drinking a soft drink with the meal. No meshing of the flavors, but at least the sweetness was not dissonant.
If you would like to sample the Berry Weiss, try to find a retailer that will let you buy singles. Failing that, if you live nearby you can ask me for some of the ones that I have left. You just need to sign a waiver first...
Leinenkugel Berry Weiss is certified kosher by the Orthodox Union, although the product currently in the marketplace does not yet have an OU on the label. If you would like a copy of the LOC please contact me via email.
To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about Leinenkugel Berry Weiss, please follow this link http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/710/2967.
As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.
If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vayigash
The following is a brief summary of a series of vorts said over by R' Frand this evening. I have attempted to reproduce the vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
In Bereishis perek 45, the Torah tells the story of Yosef's revelation to his brothers that he was Yosef. At 45:14, the Torah writes that Yosef and Binyamin embraced and cried on each other's necks. Rashi explains that Yosef cried because he saw with Ruach Hakodesh that two Batei Mikdash which would be built in Binyamin's portion of the land of Israel will be destroyed. Rashi further explains that Binyamin cried because he foresaw that the mishkan would be destroyed when it was in Shlioh, in Yosef's territory.
The question can be asked - why is that at this very time, when Yosef and Binyamin were reunited for the first time in twenty plus years - did they look to the future and mourn the destruction of buildings which had not yet even been erected?
Rabbi Frand answered the question by citing to the Sfas Emes who explained that Yosef's prior actions in testing/tormenting his brothers were not meant as revenge. Yosef saw that the brothers had sinned terribly by selling him into slavery. Yosef attempted to rectify the situation by putting the brothers in the position to atone for their sins. Had Yosef been succesful, there never would have been a churban of either Beis Hamikdash. As Yosef was unsuccessful we continue to be reminded of the brothers' actions. Indeed, every year on Yom Kippur we recite in davening of how the Asarah Harugei Malchus were told that their deaths were in retaliation for the sale of Yosef.
Rabbi Frand next asked - why was the destruction of the mishkan put on the same level as the two churbanim? The mishkan was destroyed for a short time and then rebuilt in Nov and Givon!
Rabbi Frand answered by citing the sefer Milchemes Yehuda who explains that the mishkan's destruction had a profound impact. The Mishkan in Shilo had a special level of kedushah which allowed all who could see it to eat kodshim kalim. This was in the zechus of Yosef who averted his eyes when the wife of Potiphar tried to seduce him. There was an additional benefit from the presence of the mishkan in Yosef. For as long as the mishkan was there, the Jews never had issues with "wandering eyes". This too was in the zechus of Yosef having turned away from the wife of Potiphar. These benefits were lost when the mishkan was destroyed.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
In Bereishis perek 45, the Torah tells the story of Yosef's revelation to his brothers that he was Yosef. At 45:14, the Torah writes that Yosef and Binyamin embraced and cried on each other's necks. Rashi explains that Yosef cried because he saw with Ruach Hakodesh that two Batei Mikdash which would be built in Binyamin's portion of the land of Israel will be destroyed. Rashi further explains that Binyamin cried because he foresaw that the mishkan would be destroyed when it was in Shlioh, in Yosef's territory.
The question can be asked - why is that at this very time, when Yosef and Binyamin were reunited for the first time in twenty plus years - did they look to the future and mourn the destruction of buildings which had not yet even been erected?
Rabbi Frand answered the question by citing to the Sfas Emes who explained that Yosef's prior actions in testing/tormenting his brothers were not meant as revenge. Yosef saw that the brothers had sinned terribly by selling him into slavery. Yosef attempted to rectify the situation by putting the brothers in the position to atone for their sins. Had Yosef been succesful, there never would have been a churban of either Beis Hamikdash. As Yosef was unsuccessful we continue to be reminded of the brothers' actions. Indeed, every year on Yom Kippur we recite in davening of how the Asarah Harugei Malchus were told that their deaths were in retaliation for the sale of Yosef.
Rabbi Frand next asked - why was the destruction of the mishkan put on the same level as the two churbanim? The mishkan was destroyed for a short time and then rebuilt in Nov and Givon!
Rabbi Frand answered by citing the sefer Milchemes Yehuda who explains that the mishkan's destruction had a profound impact. The Mishkan in Shilo had a special level of kedushah which allowed all who could see it to eat kodshim kalim. This was in the zechus of Yosef who averted his eyes when the wife of Potiphar tried to seduce him. There was an additional benefit from the presence of the mishkan in Yosef. For as long as the mishkan was there, the Jews never had issues with "wandering eyes". This too was in the zechus of Yosef having turned away from the wife of Potiphar. These benefits were lost when the mishkan was destroyed.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
Monday, December 6, 2010
Monday's Musings on Sports - Little Stevie and the Miracles
As regular readers of this blog are aware, the Monday post was usually devoted to sports with highlights and analysis of the Max Kellerman show which formerly aired on 1050 ESPN Radio. Although Max resigned from 1050 more than a year ago, I have tried to continue the tradition of linking sports to Torah which I believe was an undercurrent of the Max Kellerman show.
Over the last few weeks, my work schedule has been a little hectic (OK more than a little hectic) and I have been unable to find the time to do the midweek posts. However, I would be remiss if I did not address the Steve Johnson story which came out of Buffalo last week.
On Sunday November 28th, the perennial doormat Buffalo Bills played a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Although the game was a mismatch on paper, the Bills kept the score close and the game eventually went to overtime. During the extra period, a potential game winning touchdown pass was dropped by Bills wide receiver Steve Johnson. After the game, Johnson tweeted that he "praised " G-d "24-7" and complained about dropping the pass, stating "this is how you do me?" He ended the tweet with a "thanks though."
The Johnson tweet was parodied in the media which included a faux responsive tweet from the Big Guy upstairs in which "He" tweeted to Johnson to "just shut up and catch the ball."
The story itself is demonstrative of man's attempt to see G-d in daily life, while still reconciling when things don't go as planned. I can recall Michael Kay of 1050 ESPN radio going off on a rant about players who say that "G-d was with them" when their team won a game. As I recall, Michael Kay asked - does that mean that G-d was not with the other team?
The answer to the question posed by Michael Kay and the dilemma facing Steve Johnson is that G-d does get involved in every aspect of our daily lives and that he is responsible for the results. The challenge is recognizing His involvement when the result is not a major miracle. When a person reads a news story about how a plane crashed and one person survived, its easy to say that G-d saved the person. But when you are rushing and barely make your train, its much difficult to see His hand.
The holiday of Chanukah which we are currently celebrating offers the same dichotomy. The holiday celebrates two miracles which occurred: (1) that a lone flask of untained oil was found and that it burned for eight days and (2) that the Maccabees were victorious in battle.
The gemara in Shabbos 21b asks - which of the two miracles is the reason for the holiday? The Maharitz Chayos asks - what kind of question is this, we know that the miracle of a small army being victorious over a much more superior force is a major miracle! He answers, that while this is a miracle, it is within the teva (nature) of possibilities that a small army could defeat a larger force. As such, it is not the reason that we say hallel (praise) to Hashem. Therefore the gemara asks -- what is the reason for the holiday, we are not saying hallel because a smaller force defeated a larger army? With this in mind, the gemara answers that the miracle of the oil lasting eight days was supernatural in nature. As such, it is the reason that we have eight days of hallel.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
Over the last few weeks, my work schedule has been a little hectic (OK more than a little hectic) and I have been unable to find the time to do the midweek posts. However, I would be remiss if I did not address the Steve Johnson story which came out of Buffalo last week.
On Sunday November 28th, the perennial doormat Buffalo Bills played a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Although the game was a mismatch on paper, the Bills kept the score close and the game eventually went to overtime. During the extra period, a potential game winning touchdown pass was dropped by Bills wide receiver Steve Johnson. After the game, Johnson tweeted that he "praised " G-d "24-7" and complained about dropping the pass, stating "this is how you do me?" He ended the tweet with a "thanks though."
The Johnson tweet was parodied in the media which included a faux responsive tweet from the Big Guy upstairs in which "He" tweeted to Johnson to "just shut up and catch the ball."
The story itself is demonstrative of man's attempt to see G-d in daily life, while still reconciling when things don't go as planned. I can recall Michael Kay of 1050 ESPN radio going off on a rant about players who say that "G-d was with them" when their team won a game. As I recall, Michael Kay asked - does that mean that G-d was not with the other team?
The answer to the question posed by Michael Kay and the dilemma facing Steve Johnson is that G-d does get involved in every aspect of our daily lives and that he is responsible for the results. The challenge is recognizing His involvement when the result is not a major miracle. When a person reads a news story about how a plane crashed and one person survived, its easy to say that G-d saved the person. But when you are rushing and barely make your train, its much difficult to see His hand.
The holiday of Chanukah which we are currently celebrating offers the same dichotomy. The holiday celebrates two miracles which occurred: (1) that a lone flask of untained oil was found and that it burned for eight days and (2) that the Maccabees were victorious in battle.
The gemara in Shabbos 21b asks - which of the two miracles is the reason for the holiday? The Maharitz Chayos asks - what kind of question is this, we know that the miracle of a small army being victorious over a much more superior force is a major miracle! He answers, that while this is a miracle, it is within the teva (nature) of possibilities that a small army could defeat a larger force. As such, it is not the reason that we say hallel (praise) to Hashem. Therefore the gemara asks -- what is the reason for the holiday, we are not saying hallel because a smaller force defeated a larger army? With this in mind, the gemara answers that the miracle of the oil lasting eight days was supernatural in nature. As such, it is the reason that we have eight days of hallel.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Sunday Night Suds - Saranac Lake Effect Lager
This week's Sunday Night Suds toasts the Midwest branch of the greater KB family and reviews Saranac's Lake Effect lager.
As discussed in last week's Sunday Night Suds column, this year's Saranac 12 beers of winter box contains quite a few new beers including the Lake Effect Lager. I went online at the Saranac website, but was unable to find the source for the moniker which they gave this brew. The BA website was similarly unhelpful, although I did learn that quite a few other brewers have used the "Lake Effect" term in naming their brews.
While BA did not give me the source for the brew's name, I did at least learn its classification - it is deemed a Munich Dunkel Lager, which is characterized as:
[S]mooth, rich and complex, but without being heady or heavy. They boast brilliant ruby hues from the large amounts of Munich malts used, and these malts also lend a fuller-bodied beer. The decoction brewing process also lends much depth and richness. Bitterness is often moderate, with just enough to balance out any sweetness. Hop varieties used tend to be of the German noble varieties, like: Tetnang and Hallertau.The maltiness in the Lake Effect Lager was readily apparent and was an excellent accompaniment to cholent. The beer had a little sweetness to it and a drop of hop bite, but it really was all about the malt and it truly made my shabbos lunch.
Saranac Lake Effect Lager is under the Kosher Supervision of the Va'ad of Detroit, as is every other brew produced by Saranac. To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about Saranac Lake Effect Lager, please follow this link http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/99/63019.
As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.
If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).
Finally, if you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Mikeitz
The following is a brief summary of a series of vorts said over by R' Frand this evening. I have attempted to reproduce the vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
Rabbi Frand first discussed Pharaoh's dreams and Yosef's interpretation thereof. Rabbi Frand asked - why is that Pharaoh's advisers were unable to interpret the dreams for him? Was it really so difficult to understand the symbolism of the seven fat cows being eaten by the seven skinny cows?
Rabbi Frand answered by quoting R' Yehoshua Leb Diskin who explains that Pharaoh's advisors saw in the future that there were going to be seven years of plenty followed by two years of famine. Thet could not tie this into Pharaoh's dreams because the dreams utilized two sets of seven. As such, the pasuk indicates at Bereishis 41:8 that no one could explain the dream to Pharaoh.
When Yosef told Pharaoh that he could interpret the dream, he said that Hashem will explain Pharaoh's welfare (41:16). He went on to explain that the dream was seven years of good and then seven years of bad. This was not based on what would occur, but because Hashem was aware of both what could have happened (7 and 7) as well as what would happen (only two bad years because the famine would dissipate when Yaakov came down to Egypt).
R' Diskin then tied this concept to the sentence in the haggada - V'es Lachatseinu zo Prishus Derech Eretz - that the Jewish men separated from their spouses in Egypt because they did not want to have any more children. This was a great tragedy as many more children could have been born, but were prevented from being conceived because of the separation. It is for this reason that immediately thereafter in the haggada it states "Vayeida Elokim" - that Hashem knew. What did He know? He knew what could have been if the families had not separated.
R' Frand also said a short vort about the connection between Yosef and Noach. Two people were referred to as "Tzaddik" - Yosef and Noach. Why were these two zoche to such a title? R' Frand answered by quoting the Ba'alei Tosafos that Yosef and Noach fed and sustained the entire world, as such they earned the title of Tzaddik.
R' Frand brought a proof to this thought from the language of the Ashrei tefillah. In Ashrei there is a pasuk about Hashem which indicates that He opens His hands and feeds all those who desire it. The next pasuk is "tzaddik Hashem ..."
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
Rabbi Frand first discussed Pharaoh's dreams and Yosef's interpretation thereof. Rabbi Frand asked - why is that Pharaoh's advisers were unable to interpret the dreams for him? Was it really so difficult to understand the symbolism of the seven fat cows being eaten by the seven skinny cows?
Rabbi Frand answered by quoting R' Yehoshua Leb Diskin who explains that Pharaoh's advisors saw in the future that there were going to be seven years of plenty followed by two years of famine. Thet could not tie this into Pharaoh's dreams because the dreams utilized two sets of seven. As such, the pasuk indicates at Bereishis 41:8 that no one could explain the dream to Pharaoh.
When Yosef told Pharaoh that he could interpret the dream, he said that Hashem will explain Pharaoh's welfare (41:16). He went on to explain that the dream was seven years of good and then seven years of bad. This was not based on what would occur, but because Hashem was aware of both what could have happened (7 and 7) as well as what would happen (only two bad years because the famine would dissipate when Yaakov came down to Egypt).
R' Diskin then tied this concept to the sentence in the haggada - V'es Lachatseinu zo Prishus Derech Eretz - that the Jewish men separated from their spouses in Egypt because they did not want to have any more children. This was a great tragedy as many more children could have been born, but were prevented from being conceived because of the separation. It is for this reason that immediately thereafter in the haggada it states "Vayeida Elokim" - that Hashem knew. What did He know? He knew what could have been if the families had not separated.
R' Frand also said a short vort about the connection between Yosef and Noach. Two people were referred to as "Tzaddik" - Yosef and Noach. Why were these two zoche to such a title? R' Frand answered by quoting the Ba'alei Tosafos that Yosef and Noach fed and sustained the entire world, as such they earned the title of Tzaddik.
R' Frand brought a proof to this thought from the language of the Ashrei tefillah. In Ashrei there is a pasuk about Hashem which indicates that He opens His hands and feeds all those who desire it. The next pasuk is "tzaddik Hashem ..."
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Sunday Night Suds - Saranac Vanilla Stout
This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Saranac Vanilla Stout.
I was very excited when I first saw that Saranac had begun distribution of their 12 Beers of winter. As usual, the box contains six varieties (two bottles of each) of Saranac limited edition brews. This year's variety box included two holdovers from last year - the Rye IPA (reviewed here) and one of my favorites, the Big Moose Ale (reviewed here). Much to my wife's chagrin and despite her lobbying efforts, the 12 beers of winter did not contain the Maple Porter which she has described as equally suited for a brew or to have with ice cream.
The Saranac Vanilla Stout is one of those beers that the good folks at FX Matt produce on a limited basis every couple of years. I believe that the last time that this was produced was winter 08-09.
As classified by the experts at BA, the Vanilla Stout is an American Stout which they explain are :
Inspired from English & Irish Stouts, the American Stout is the ingenuous creation from that. Thankfully with lots of innovation and originality American brewers have taken this style to a new level. Whether it is highly hopping the brew or adding coffee or chocolate to complement the roasted flavors associated with this style. Some are even barrel aged in Bourbon or whiskey barrels. The hop bitterness range is quite wide but most are balanced. Many are just easy drinking session stouts as well.The Saranac Vanilla Stout is not an easy drinking session beer as the brew leans to the heavy side and seems more akin to a chocolate stout than anything else. I did not taste the vanilla in the brew (it is an additive and not hop derived) and although I followed the bottle's exhortation to try with a piece of dark chocolate, I did not find the pairing to my liking.
Bottom line - if you are looking to try out a new stout and are OK with just drinking one or two, give the Saranac Vanilla Stout a shot. Just don't go into this expecting Guinness...
Saranac Vanilla Stout is under the Kosher Supervision of the Va'ad of Detroit, as is every other brew produced by Saranac. To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about Saranac Vanilla Stout, please follow this link http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/99/45428.
As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.
If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).
Finally, if you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vayeshev
The following is a brief summary of two vorts said over by R' Frand on the parsha. I have attempted to reproduce the vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
In Bereishis 37:3, the Torah writes that Yaakov loved Yosef more than any of the other brothers because he was a "ben zekunim" - a child of Yaakov's old age. Rashi explains that Yosef was a ben zekunim because Yosef was born when Yaakov was old. Yet this presents the obvious question - Binyamin was eight years youger than Yosef, so why wasn't Binyamin the ben zekunim?
The Rashbam answers the question by explaining that Yosef was already the ben zekunim for eight years before Binyamin came along. Since Yosef was entrenched as the ben zekunim in Yaakov's eyes, Binyamin could not displace him.
The Chizkuni offers a darker answer to the question. He notes that that Rachel died when Binyamin was born. As such, when Yaakov looked at Binyamin, he was reminded that his favorite wife had died while giving birth to Binyamin. This prevented Yaakov from having a close relationship with Binyamin.
Later in the parsha, Yaakov sends Yosef to look for his brothers who are herding sheep in the city of Shechem (Bereishis 37:12-13). R' Frand quoted R' Gifter who asked why we need to know that they were in Shechem? R' Gifter answered his own question by noting that Shechem was the site of the brother's greatest show of achdus. At the risk of their lives, the brothers went into Shechem and went to war for their sister's honor. Yaakov knew that the brothers had issues with Yosef and therefore he tried to put them all together in a location which would reignite that sense of achdus. Unfortunately, by the time that Yosef gets there, the brothers have already left Shechem and the rest is history...
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up.
In Bereishis 37:3, the Torah writes that Yaakov loved Yosef more than any of the other brothers because he was a "ben zekunim" - a child of Yaakov's old age. Rashi explains that Yosef was a ben zekunim because Yosef was born when Yaakov was old. Yet this presents the obvious question - Binyamin was eight years youger than Yosef, so why wasn't Binyamin the ben zekunim?
The Rashbam answers the question by explaining that Yosef was already the ben zekunim for eight years before Binyamin came along. Since Yosef was entrenched as the ben zekunim in Yaakov's eyes, Binyamin could not displace him.
The Chizkuni offers a darker answer to the question. He notes that that Rachel died when Binyamin was born. As such, when Yaakov looked at Binyamin, he was reminded that his favorite wife had died while giving birth to Binyamin. This prevented Yaakov from having a close relationship with Binyamin.
Later in the parsha, Yaakov sends Yosef to look for his brothers who are herding sheep in the city of Shechem (Bereishis 37:12-13). R' Frand quoted R' Gifter who asked why we need to know that they were in Shechem? R' Gifter answered his own question by noting that Shechem was the site of the brother's greatest show of achdus. At the risk of their lives, the brothers went into Shechem and went to war for their sister's honor. Yaakov knew that the brothers had issues with Yosef and therefore he tried to put them all together in a location which would reignite that sense of achdus. Unfortunately, by the time that Yosef gets there, the brothers have already left Shechem and the rest is history...
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Sunday Night Suds - Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat
This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat.
Every time that I drink this beer, I seem to have chili around. I first picked up this brew when our daf yomi group was making our siyum for Horayos. Since it was a Thursday night, the siyum belonged to Bency S and he announced that he was going to be serving chili at the siyum. A couple of guys brought cake and crackers, but I wanted to bring beer, because that's what I do. I went down to the Beverage Barn looking for something in the fridge which would work and I saw the Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat. I had never tried this version of Leinenkugel, but since they make a quality brew and witbiers usually go well with smoky chili.
When I showed up at the siyum I was surprised to learn that the chili was vegetarian. Would a witbier do well with a meatless chili? The overwhelming answer was yes. Although the crowd was made up of mostly non-beer drinkers, they all enjoyed the Sunset Wheat with Bency's overspiced chili. I brought one of the left over bottles home and Mrs Kosher Beers really enjoyed it too.
Fast forward to dinner this evening and I had my last bottle of Sunset Wheat was chilling in the fridge waiting to be the subject of this week's post. My oldest daughter Penina asked Sarah to make Mexican food for dinner, which for us means hot wings, chips and salsa and chili and rice. This time the Sunset Wheat really worked with the chili. I don't know if its the coriander or other spice/flavor that they add to the brew, but this souped up Witbier is a great pairing with chili.
Leinenkugel Sunset wheat is certified kosher by the Orthodox Union, although the product currently in the marketplace does not yet have an OU on the label. If you would like a copy of the LOC please contact me via email.
To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat, please follow this link http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/710/29015.
As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.
If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
Every time that I drink this beer, I seem to have chili around. I first picked up this brew when our daf yomi group was making our siyum for Horayos. Since it was a Thursday night, the siyum belonged to Bency S and he announced that he was going to be serving chili at the siyum. A couple of guys brought cake and crackers, but I wanted to bring beer, because that's what I do. I went down to the Beverage Barn looking for something in the fridge which would work and I saw the Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat. I had never tried this version of Leinenkugel, but since they make a quality brew and witbiers usually go well with smoky chili.
When I showed up at the siyum I was surprised to learn that the chili was vegetarian. Would a witbier do well with a meatless chili? The overwhelming answer was yes. Although the crowd was made up of mostly non-beer drinkers, they all enjoyed the Sunset Wheat with Bency's overspiced chili. I brought one of the left over bottles home and Mrs Kosher Beers really enjoyed it too.
Fast forward to dinner this evening and I had my last bottle of Sunset Wheat was chilling in the fridge waiting to be the subject of this week's post. My oldest daughter Penina asked Sarah to make Mexican food for dinner, which for us means hot wings, chips and salsa and chili and rice. This time the Sunset Wheat really worked with the chili. I don't know if its the coriander or other spice/flavor that they add to the brew, but this souped up Witbier is a great pairing with chili.
Leinenkugel Sunset wheat is certified kosher by the Orthodox Union, although the product currently in the marketplace does not yet have an OU on the label. If you would like a copy of the LOC please contact me via email.
To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat, please follow this link http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/710/29015.
As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.
If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vayishlach
The following is a brief summary of a vort said over by R' Frand on the parsha. I have attempted to reproduce the vort to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
In the beginning of the fourth aliyah, the parsha tells the order of the introduction of Yaakov's family to Esav. The Torah recites at Bereishis 32:6 that the shfachos and then their children came forward to greet Esav. The next pasuk indicates that Leah then came forward with her children and afterwards Yosef and Rachel. Rashi explains that the reason that Rachel followed her child instead or preceeding him was that Yosef reasoned that his mother was beautiful and that he did not want Esav to eye her. As such Yosef said I will block him (a'akvenu) from seeing her.
R' Frand quoted the sefer Seder Hadoros which teaches that Yosef at the time was either four or six years old. R' Frand then asked, given Yosef's diminutive stature, how could he have prevented Esav from seeing Rachel? Furthermore, even if he could get in the way for a moment, Esav would just walk around so that he could see Rachel!
R' Frand then quoted a medrash which states that Yosef grew to be six feet tall when he attempted to block Esav. However, Yosef could not have known that this would happen and could not have been anticipating it when he stood in front of Rachel, so why did he act?
R' Frand answered by quoting the Tolner Rebbi that Yosef's use of the term a'akvenu teaches that Yosef reasoned that even if he could just block Esav for a little bit, it would be worthwhile. This was Yosef's game plan - even a little is better than nothing.
R' Frand then told a story about the Tolner Rebbi and the birth of his son. The Rebbi had two daughters before having a son. He wanted to name the boy after his father in law, but his father in law's middle name was the same as the Rebbi's first name. He also knew that while his father in law was alive, his father in law believed that one needed to use both the names of the deceased when naming. The Rebbi was unsure how to proceed, so he sent a messenger to the Gerre Rebbi to ask the question. He received back an answer - nothing is nothing, if you do this it will at least be something (R Frand said this in Yiddish and it sounded much better that way).
This was the message and the method of Yosef. Even if someone cannot be completely successful, he should try and do what he can, rather then giving up.
R' Frand brought a proof to this from a medrash about Yosef's interaction with Potiphera. The Torah writes that every day she tried to seduce him, but he resisted. The medrash explains that she said to him - one day you will give in to me. Yosef would respond to her, this may be correct, but it will not happen today. This was yet another example of Yosef's method of looking at things in smaller increments and doing what he could under the circumstances.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up.
In the beginning of the fourth aliyah, the parsha tells the order of the introduction of Yaakov's family to Esav. The Torah recites at Bereishis 32:6 that the shfachos and then their children came forward to greet Esav. The next pasuk indicates that Leah then came forward with her children and afterwards Yosef and Rachel. Rashi explains that the reason that Rachel followed her child instead or preceeding him was that Yosef reasoned that his mother was beautiful and that he did not want Esav to eye her. As such Yosef said I will block him (a'akvenu) from seeing her.
R' Frand quoted the sefer Seder Hadoros which teaches that Yosef at the time was either four or six years old. R' Frand then asked, given Yosef's diminutive stature, how could he have prevented Esav from seeing Rachel? Furthermore, even if he could get in the way for a moment, Esav would just walk around so that he could see Rachel!
R' Frand then quoted a medrash which states that Yosef grew to be six feet tall when he attempted to block Esav. However, Yosef could not have known that this would happen and could not have been anticipating it when he stood in front of Rachel, so why did he act?
R' Frand answered by quoting the Tolner Rebbi that Yosef's use of the term a'akvenu teaches that Yosef reasoned that even if he could just block Esav for a little bit, it would be worthwhile. This was Yosef's game plan - even a little is better than nothing.
R' Frand then told a story about the Tolner Rebbi and the birth of his son. The Rebbi had two daughters before having a son. He wanted to name the boy after his father in law, but his father in law's middle name was the same as the Rebbi's first name. He also knew that while his father in law was alive, his father in law believed that one needed to use both the names of the deceased when naming. The Rebbi was unsure how to proceed, so he sent a messenger to the Gerre Rebbi to ask the question. He received back an answer - nothing is nothing, if you do this it will at least be something (R Frand said this in Yiddish and it sounded much better that way).
This was the message and the method of Yosef. Even if someone cannot be completely successful, he should try and do what he can, rather then giving up.
R' Frand brought a proof to this from a medrash about Yosef's interaction with Potiphera. The Torah writes that every day she tried to seduce him, but he resisted. The medrash explains that she said to him - one day you will give in to me. Yosef would respond to her, this may be correct, but it will not happen today. This was yet another example of Yosef's method of looking at things in smaller increments and doing what he could under the circumstances.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Monday's Musings on Sports - When Not to Follow One's Nature
As regular readers of this blog are aware, the Monday post was usually devoted to sports with highlights and analysis of the Max Kellerman show which formerly aired on 1050 ESPN Radio. Although Max resigned from 1050 more than a year ago, I have tried to continue the tradition of linking sports to Torah which I believe was an undercurrent of the Max Kellerman show.
Over the last few weeks, the National Football League has begun to crack down on blows to the head, tackles where the aggressor leads with his helmet, and hits on players who are defenseless or otherwise unprepared for the shot. This enforcement was not the result of any change in the rules, but rather an attempt by the NFL to deter players from being too agressive in their play.
Following the NFL's announcement in Week Six, the pundits began to speculate as to the cause of the NFL's actions and whether it would impact on the quality of play. Most writers suggested that the league was cracking down as a result of the number of concussions and other serious injuries which had already been incurred this year. But the main focus of discussion was whether the league's enforcement would cause players to change the way that they tackled. While players had been taught since high school the method to maximize impact when hitting other players (glorified on sports TV networks), the rules change/enforcement would penalize players severely for those hits, regardless of whether the tackled player was hurt.
In the first few weeks since the NFL's announcement, the early returns indicate that players are forgoing the "knock out" hit and are attempting to tackle lower or in some cases, slower.
The discussion as to whether players would change their method of hitting made me think of a vort that I heard from Rabbi Mansour about Avraham and Yaakov. Avraham's nature was one of chesed - kindness towards all. Hashem tested Avraham by making him believe that he would have to sacrifice his son Yitzchak on an altar. When faced with this test, Avraham could have said - sorry, this is against my nature and I can't do it. Had Avraham taken this tact, he would have demonstrated that the motivation for his chesed was not divine, but rather was because he felt that he needed to be a nice guy. Therefore, Hashem tested him to see if he would go against his nature.
Similarly, Yaakov's nature was one of truthfulness. As such, Yaakov was tested in that he was told to dress as his brother Esav in order to obtain the bechor's bracha. Yaakov could have resisted this test by stating that he could not lie. Instead, Yaakov davened to Hashem that he should not be influenced by this single act of deception.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up.
Over the last few weeks, the National Football League has begun to crack down on blows to the head, tackles where the aggressor leads with his helmet, and hits on players who are defenseless or otherwise unprepared for the shot. This enforcement was not the result of any change in the rules, but rather an attempt by the NFL to deter players from being too agressive in their play.
Following the NFL's announcement in Week Six, the pundits began to speculate as to the cause of the NFL's actions and whether it would impact on the quality of play. Most writers suggested that the league was cracking down as a result of the number of concussions and other serious injuries which had already been incurred this year. But the main focus of discussion was whether the league's enforcement would cause players to change the way that they tackled. While players had been taught since high school the method to maximize impact when hitting other players (glorified on sports TV networks), the rules change/enforcement would penalize players severely for those hits, regardless of whether the tackled player was hurt.
In the first few weeks since the NFL's announcement, the early returns indicate that players are forgoing the "knock out" hit and are attempting to tackle lower or in some cases, slower.
The discussion as to whether players would change their method of hitting made me think of a vort that I heard from Rabbi Mansour about Avraham and Yaakov. Avraham's nature was one of chesed - kindness towards all. Hashem tested Avraham by making him believe that he would have to sacrifice his son Yitzchak on an altar. When faced with this test, Avraham could have said - sorry, this is against my nature and I can't do it. Had Avraham taken this tact, he would have demonstrated that the motivation for his chesed was not divine, but rather was because he felt that he needed to be a nice guy. Therefore, Hashem tested him to see if he would go against his nature.
Similarly, Yaakov's nature was one of truthfulness. As such, Yaakov was tested in that he was told to dress as his brother Esav in order to obtain the bechor's bracha. Yaakov could have resisted this test by stating that he could not lie. Instead, Yaakov davened to Hashem that he should not be influenced by this single act of deception.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Sunday Night Suds - Red Baron Lime
Continuing with the lime flavored beer reviews which started last week, this week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Red Baron Lime.
As discussed in last week's post, there are a few kosher lime flavored beers. The "oldest" of the kosher lime flavored beers is the Rising Moon (reviewed here), the Blue Moon spring seasonal beer which is brewed with kieffer lime leaves and lime zest. More recent entries in this field are the New Belgium Skinny Dip (reviewed here) and most recently, Miller Lime Chill.
Suffice it to say that all lime flavored beers are not created equal. While the New Belgium Skinny Dip and the Blue Moon Rising Moon provide drinkable brews with a hint of lime essence, the Red Baron Lime is like drinking a beer with a dum dum lollypop at the bottom of the bottle. The lime flavoring added to the brew hits you when you open the bottle and keep coming at you with every sip. I tried pairing this brew with various foods and there really was no flavor that was not overwhelmed by the lime flavoring in the beer. I even "tried" sharing this brew with Mrs Kosher Beers and she wanted nothing to do with it.
Red Baron Lime is certified kosher by the COR. Although the Red Baron Lime is not listed on their website as one of the approved beers from the Brick Brewery, I confirmed with Rabbi Norman of the COR by phone that the Red Baron Lime is acceptable. As to whether you would actually want to drink this beer, that's up to you...
For the experts' take on Red Baron Lime click here http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/416/54086.
As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.
If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vayeitzei
The following is a brief summary of a vort said over by R' Frand on the parsha. I have attempted to reproduce the vort to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
The gemara in Bava Basra 123a recounts the conversation between Yaakov and Rachel when they decided to get married. The gemara tells over that Yaakov asked Rachel to marry him and she agreed, but she also told him that her father was a crook and "you won't be able to get past him" as he is a ramai. Yaakov then told her - I am his equal in tricks - this is what is meant by the pasuk (Bereishis 29:12) that Yaakov told Rachel that he was "her father's brother." This is seemingly an odd choice of words for Yaakov as his mother was Lavan's sister and he was certainly not her uncle. However, the mefarshim explain that he was saying that he is Lavan's equal in tricks.
The problem with this, is that the previous parsha called Yaakov an ish tam, which Rashi explains is a person who does not know the ways of the world. How did Yaakov go from ish tam to the brother in rama'us?
Before answereing, Rabbi Frand spoke to the meaning of the phrase ba'al middos, which he explained is not that the person has middos, but that he had control over his middos.
Rabbi Frand then told a story about a man who came to R' Bunim with a problem. The man's problem was that he was too generous as he kept giving away all he had to charity. R' Bunim told the man a vort from the Chozeh M'Lublin about Yaakov who was an ish tam but also said he was equal in tricks. How? He explained that Yaakov was an ish tam, but he was an ish first and when required he would turn away his tam and act with cunning if the situation desired. So too, the man who visited R' Bunim needed to learn that there were times when he needed to say no to the aniyim, because a person needs to be in charge of himself and his middos.
R' Frand then noted a seeming contradiction in mishnayos in Pirkei Avos. In the second perek it says - lo habaishan lamed - an easily embarrassed person who is too timid, cannot learn. However in the fifth perek it states boshes panim go to Gan Eden! R' Frand explained that a baishan is someone who is defined by his midah of bushah, however a boshes panim means that only the person's face shows embarrassment, but he has control over the rest of himself.
R' Frand also made reference to a pasuk in Megillas Esther - where Mordechai says if you stay quiet now, the Jews will be saved by others. The Medrash says that Esther came from a long lineage of being quiet - derived from Binyamin who did not spill about his brothers and Shaul who did not argue with the people. Mordechai says to Esther - now is not the time to stay quiet, even if this is your nature, because the Jews need saving and if it does not come from you, Hashem will send another.
R' Frand closed by linking the pasuk in Esther to the stone for Binyamin in the choshen. The tribal stone for Binyamin was yashpeh - which can also be read as yesh peh - there is a mouth. The Chiddushei Harim asks - Binyamin was the opposite of vocal, so the stone should have been ein peh! The Chiddushei Harim answers that the tribe of Binyamin were quiet, but they knew when to speak, when there truly was a time for the peh. This is a true ba'al middos - not one who is controlled by his middos, but one who controls his actions and knows when to employ them.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up
The gemara in Bava Basra 123a recounts the conversation between Yaakov and Rachel when they decided to get married. The gemara tells over that Yaakov asked Rachel to marry him and she agreed, but she also told him that her father was a crook and "you won't be able to get past him" as he is a ramai. Yaakov then told her - I am his equal in tricks - this is what is meant by the pasuk (Bereishis 29:12) that Yaakov told Rachel that he was "her father's brother." This is seemingly an odd choice of words for Yaakov as his mother was Lavan's sister and he was certainly not her uncle. However, the mefarshim explain that he was saying that he is Lavan's equal in tricks.
The problem with this, is that the previous parsha called Yaakov an ish tam, which Rashi explains is a person who does not know the ways of the world. How did Yaakov go from ish tam to the brother in rama'us?
Before answereing, Rabbi Frand spoke to the meaning of the phrase ba'al middos, which he explained is not that the person has middos, but that he had control over his middos.
Rabbi Frand then told a story about a man who came to R' Bunim with a problem. The man's problem was that he was too generous as he kept giving away all he had to charity. R' Bunim told the man a vort from the Chozeh M'Lublin about Yaakov who was an ish tam but also said he was equal in tricks. How? He explained that Yaakov was an ish tam, but he was an ish first and when required he would turn away his tam and act with cunning if the situation desired. So too, the man who visited R' Bunim needed to learn that there were times when he needed to say no to the aniyim, because a person needs to be in charge of himself and his middos.
R' Frand then noted a seeming contradiction in mishnayos in Pirkei Avos. In the second perek it says - lo habaishan lamed - an easily embarrassed person who is too timid, cannot learn. However in the fifth perek it states boshes panim go to Gan Eden! R' Frand explained that a baishan is someone who is defined by his midah of bushah, however a boshes panim means that only the person's face shows embarrassment, but he has control over the rest of himself.
R' Frand also made reference to a pasuk in Megillas Esther - where Mordechai says if you stay quiet now, the Jews will be saved by others. The Medrash says that Esther came from a long lineage of being quiet - derived from Binyamin who did not spill about his brothers and Shaul who did not argue with the people. Mordechai says to Esther - now is not the time to stay quiet, even if this is your nature, because the Jews need saving and if it does not come from you, Hashem will send another.
R' Frand closed by linking the pasuk in Esther to the stone for Binyamin in the choshen. The tribal stone for Binyamin was yashpeh - which can also be read as yesh peh - there is a mouth. The Chiddushei Harim asks - Binyamin was the opposite of vocal, so the stone should have been ein peh! The Chiddushei Harim answers that the tribe of Binyamin were quiet, but they knew when to speak, when there truly was a time for the peh. This is a true ba'al middos - not one who is controlled by his middos, but one who controls his actions and knows when to employ them.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up
Monday, November 8, 2010
Monday's Musings on Sports - Of Marathons, Missions and Meanings
As regular readers of this blog are aware, the Monday post was usually devoted to sports with highlights and analysis of the Max Kellerman show which formerly aired on 1050 ESPN Radio. Although Max resigned from 1050 more than a year ago, I have tried to continue the tradition of linking sports to Torah which I believe was an undercurrent of the Max Kellerman show.
Yesterday was one of New York's signature events - the New York City Marathon. On the first Sunday in November, tens of thousands come to New York to run through the five boroughs. Millions more stand on the sidelines, hoping for a brief glimpse of friends or loved ones who are running in the race. The marathon also has its share of pageantry, as people run in various costumes, or sometimes propose at the finish line. And of course, there is the drama of the race itself and the question of whether an American will win.
This year's marathon was even more notable than most, based on the stories of two of the runners. One of the runners was Edison Pena, a Chilean national who was in the news over the last few months because he ran miles every day while he was trapped underground in a mine in Chile. When Pena was finally rescued from the mine, he was invited by New York City to be an honorary guest at the race. But Pena, had other ideas as he indicated to the race officials that he wanted to run in the race.
As reported by the AP, Pena ran the race to motivate others, explaining that “In this marathon I struggled,” he said. “I struggled with myself, I struggled with my own pain, but I made it to the finish line. I want to motivate other people to also find the courage and strength to transcend their own pain.” (To see the full article, click here).
Another motivational figure from yesterday's race was Amani Toomer, the former NY Giants wide receiver. Toomer entered into an agreement with Timex that they would donate $1 to a local charity for every person that Toomer passed in the race. So Toomer started last in the race and passed an estimated 20,000 runners. (For more on Toomer and his run, click here).
The use of Toomer's talents to raise money for charity and Pena's run to motivate others are truly admirable. Often times, people find themselves in unanticipated situations which they could not have predicted, but which give them an opportunity to do something great. Megilas Esther has a discussion between Mordechai and Esther, wherein Mordechai asks Esther to go to the king and ask for the Jews to be spared from Haman's plan. Esther indicates that she cannot go because no one can go before the king without permission. Mordechai responds - who knows if for this very reason you have become the queen? We see that people are put in certain positions so that they can act and be great.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up
Yesterday was one of New York's signature events - the New York City Marathon. On the first Sunday in November, tens of thousands come to New York to run through the five boroughs. Millions more stand on the sidelines, hoping for a brief glimpse of friends or loved ones who are running in the race. The marathon also has its share of pageantry, as people run in various costumes, or sometimes propose at the finish line. And of course, there is the drama of the race itself and the question of whether an American will win.
This year's marathon was even more notable than most, based on the stories of two of the runners. One of the runners was Edison Pena, a Chilean national who was in the news over the last few months because he ran miles every day while he was trapped underground in a mine in Chile. When Pena was finally rescued from the mine, he was invited by New York City to be an honorary guest at the race. But Pena, had other ideas as he indicated to the race officials that he wanted to run in the race.
As reported by the AP, Pena ran the race to motivate others, explaining that “In this marathon I struggled,” he said. “I struggled with myself, I struggled with my own pain, but I made it to the finish line. I want to motivate other people to also find the courage and strength to transcend their own pain.” (To see the full article, click here).
Another motivational figure from yesterday's race was Amani Toomer, the former NY Giants wide receiver. Toomer entered into an agreement with Timex that they would donate $1 to a local charity for every person that Toomer passed in the race. So Toomer started last in the race and passed an estimated 20,000 runners. (For more on Toomer and his run, click here).
The use of Toomer's talents to raise money for charity and Pena's run to motivate others are truly admirable. Often times, people find themselves in unanticipated situations which they could not have predicted, but which give them an opportunity to do something great. Megilas Esther has a discussion between Mordechai and Esther, wherein Mordechai asks Esther to go to the king and ask for the Jews to be spared from Haman's plan. Esther indicates that she cannot go because no one can go before the king without permission. Mordechai responds - who knows if for this very reason you have become the queen? We see that people are put in certain positions so that they can act and be great.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Sunday Night Suds - New Belgium Skinny Dip
This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at New Belgium's Skinny Dip, a brew which they describe as "Beer Brewed with Natural Flavors."
Yes its November and with the changing of the clock and the shortening of the day, the weather is getting colder. But before we fully get into the winter chill, I wanted to spend a few posts reminiscing about summer brews, by reviewing kosher lime flavored beers.
No your eyes are not deceiving you. Contrary to popular belief, there are a few kosher lime flavored beers. The "oldest" of the kosher lime flavored beers is the Rising Moon (reviewed here), the Blue Moon spring seasonal beer which is brewed with kieffer lime leaves and lime zest. More recent entries in this field are the New Belgium Skinny Dip, the Red Baron Lime (produced by Ontario's Brick Brewery) and most recently, Miller Lime Chill.
Unlike many other lime flavored brews, the New Belgium Skinny Dip is not a light beer with a splash of lime. Instead, this brew is a blonde ale with a little bit of lime flavor which is derived from lime leaf and not the introduction of lime juice, lime zest or lime concentrate. The result is a crisp brew which can be drunk without making you wonder whether there is a lollypop at the bottom of the bottle.
New Belgium Skinny Dip is under the Kosher Supervision of the Scroll-K of Colorado. Although the beer does not bear the kosher symbol on the label, it can be found on the bottom of the six pack carrier. Additionally, if you would like me to e-mail you the LOC for New Belgium Skinny Dip, send me an e-mail and I will gladly oblige.
Please note that not every brew produced by New Belgium is under kosher supervision. Please click on the link on the left side of my home page to see my latest Kosher Beer List.
To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about New Belgium Skinny Dip, please follow this link http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/192/29675 . As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.
If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).
Finally, if you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Toldos
The following is a brief summary of a vort said over by R' Frand on the parsha. I have attempted to reproduce the vort to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
Rabbi Frand began his parsha vort this evening by observing that the bracha that was given by Yitzchak to Yaakov appears to be unsuitable for Yaakov. The Torah calls Yaakov an "ish tam" or simple man, who sat in the tents and learned Torah. Meanwhile, the bracha which Yitzchak gave Yaakov was highly materialistic.
To explain this seeming contradiction, Rabbi Frand quoted the sefer Chikrei Lev, who explains that Yitzchak was aware that Esav was materialistic while Yaakov was spiritual. Yitzchak desired that Yaakov and Esav form a partnership (much like Yissachar and Zevulun did one generation later) which would allow Yaakov to learn while Esav supported him.
Esav was aware of Yitzchak's thinking and it is for this reason that the medrash recites that Esav asked his father how one gives maaser from salt. In so doing, Esav sought to give his father the impression that he was a baal tzedakah and therefore would merit the bracha that his father sought to give him.
But Esav's plan was not to be, as Rivka saw Esav for what he truly was and she was able to submarine his plan. Rabbi Frand quoted the medrash which asks - why did Rivka have to come from a family of thieves. Indeed, her brother was a thief, her father was a thief and she lived in a city of thieves. The medrash explains that Rivka had this background just so that she could use what she saw in Haran one time - to assist Yaakov in tricking Yitzchak into giving him the bracha which was intended for Esav. Rivka saw through Esav and knew that he would never support Yaakov financially. As such, she used the lessons she learned in her family home to assist Yaakov in obtaining a bracha of financial support.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up
Rabbi Frand began his parsha vort this evening by observing that the bracha that was given by Yitzchak to Yaakov appears to be unsuitable for Yaakov. The Torah calls Yaakov an "ish tam" or simple man, who sat in the tents and learned Torah. Meanwhile, the bracha which Yitzchak gave Yaakov was highly materialistic.
To explain this seeming contradiction, Rabbi Frand quoted the sefer Chikrei Lev, who explains that Yitzchak was aware that Esav was materialistic while Yaakov was spiritual. Yitzchak desired that Yaakov and Esav form a partnership (much like Yissachar and Zevulun did one generation later) which would allow Yaakov to learn while Esav supported him.
Esav was aware of Yitzchak's thinking and it is for this reason that the medrash recites that Esav asked his father how one gives maaser from salt. In so doing, Esav sought to give his father the impression that he was a baal tzedakah and therefore would merit the bracha that his father sought to give him.
But Esav's plan was not to be, as Rivka saw Esav for what he truly was and she was able to submarine his plan. Rabbi Frand quoted the medrash which asks - why did Rivka have to come from a family of thieves. Indeed, her brother was a thief, her father was a thief and she lived in a city of thieves. The medrash explains that Rivka had this background just so that she could use what she saw in Haran one time - to assist Yaakov in tricking Yitzchak into giving him the bracha which was intended for Esav. Rivka saw through Esav and knew that he would never support Yaakov financially. As such, she used the lessons she learned in her family home to assist Yaakov in obtaining a bracha of financial support.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Tuesday's Thoughts on the Daf - Horayos 4
The following are a few thoughts on Horayos 4 and the mesechta in general.
Unlike many other mesechtos, Horayos is truly devoted to one topic - what happens when the Sanhdedrin or another Beis Din makes an incorrect ruling and someone (or many someones as the case may have it) follow the directive of the authority. As my wife's cousin R' Aharon F explained to me - the purpose of the mesehcta is to teach you that sometimes even Rabbis make mistakes.
In relation to Horayos 4, I was intrigued by the opinion of R' Yehuda who teaches that if seven tribes sinned based on the ruling of the Sanhedrin, the seven tribes bring seven bulls and the remaining tribes bring bull offerings as well, as even though they did not sin, they bring an offering because of the sinners. The Kehati on the mishna quotes the Rambam who explains that whether the sinning tribes are a minority of the population of Jews (but a majority of the number of tribes), or whether they are a minority in the number of tribes but a majority of the population, or even if its only one tribe but they are a majority of the population of Jews, they are all deemed sinners and must bring sacrifices for each tribe.
My question was (and I am throwing this out to the readers of the blog for an answer as I have not seen one in print) is why must the other tribes bring their own offerings? Is it because they did not intervene to prevent the sinning tribes from improperly following the ruling of the Sanhedrin? Or could it because of a general principle of kol yisrael areivim zeh bazeh? Or perhaps for some other reasons? Please feel free to post your thoughts as a comment to this blog post.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up
Unlike many other mesechtos, Horayos is truly devoted to one topic - what happens when the Sanhdedrin or another Beis Din makes an incorrect ruling and someone (or many someones as the case may have it) follow the directive of the authority. As my wife's cousin R' Aharon F explained to me - the purpose of the mesehcta is to teach you that sometimes even Rabbis make mistakes.
In relation to Horayos 4, I was intrigued by the opinion of R' Yehuda who teaches that if seven tribes sinned based on the ruling of the Sanhedrin, the seven tribes bring seven bulls and the remaining tribes bring bull offerings as well, as even though they did not sin, they bring an offering because of the sinners. The Kehati on the mishna quotes the Rambam who explains that whether the sinning tribes are a minority of the population of Jews (but a majority of the number of tribes), or whether they are a minority in the number of tribes but a majority of the population, or even if its only one tribe but they are a majority of the population of Jews, they are all deemed sinners and must bring sacrifices for each tribe.
My question was (and I am throwing this out to the readers of the blog for an answer as I have not seen one in print) is why must the other tribes bring their own offerings? Is it because they did not intervene to prevent the sinning tribes from improperly following the ruling of the Sanhedrin? Or could it because of a general principle of kol yisrael areivim zeh bazeh? Or perhaps for some other reasons? Please feel free to post your thoughts as a comment to this blog post.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up
Monday, November 1, 2010
Monday's Musings on Sports - Moss Can't Grow on This Stone
As regular readers of this blog are aware, the Monday post was usually devoted to sports with highlights and analysis of the Max Kellerman show which formerly aired on 1050 ESPN Radio. Although Max resigned from 1050 more than a year ago, I have tried to continue the tradition of linking sports to Torah which I believe was an undercurrent of the Max Kellerman show.
Today the news broke late in the day that the Minnesota Vikings were releasing Randy Moss. This came as a surprise to many, as the Vikings had just traded for Moss less than a month before. Furthermore, if no team claimed Moss on waivers, the Vikings would be required to pay the balance of his 2010 salary (approximately $3 million) even though he would not play another game for them.
Having not watched the Vikings-Patriots game yesterday, I was unaware of Moss' having given up on a pass play shortly before Brett Favre got hurt. Still, Moss' recent history of misbehavior and criticism of teammates and management on both the Patriots and Vikings has been well publicized. But why would a team in desperate need of wide receivers, release a player who was one of the more talented in the game?
The answer of course is that sometimes a team (or person) needs to make a tough decision to do without something which might be beneficial in the short term, but much more damaging in the long term.
I heard a story from Rabbi Zev Cohen over Sukkos which drives this point home. There was a man named Conrad who had recently finished college with a degree in accounting. His brothers were involved with a bank and they offered him a senior position in the bank's accounting department. Conrad interviewed with them and during the interview he asked whether the bank was closed on Shabbos. They answered him that the bank was not shomer shabbos and that he needed to make a choice as to whether he wanted the "job of the lifetime" or to keep Shabbos. He told them that Shabbos was more important and they told him not to bother coming back.
Many years later, Conrad was invited to the ground breaking of his son's yeshiva. While he was digging, Conrad was seen saying something, but no one was sure of what he was intoning. His son asked him and he told him that he was repeating the line from Tehillim - Even Ma'asu Habonim Haisa L'Rosh Pina.
Conrad then explained that a few years before he had received a call from his brother who told him that he was dying and that he wanted Conrad to visit. Conrad flew out and was picked up by a chauffeured limousine. When Conrad arrived at the brother's palatial estate, the two began to catch up on things. The brother talked about his business, but had little to say about his children. Conrad indicated that he had done modestly well in business, but that his children had become successful rabbanim who had their own yeshivos and daughters who were happily married and raising children.
Conrad's brother then had a servant fetch his checkbook and he told Conrad that he wanted to give him a check to "buy into" Conrad's business. Conrad told him sadly that it was impossible and he left without the check.
Sometimes the short term answer may seem more attractive, but the long term effects of compromising one's standards or morals demonstrate that the more appropriate tasks is to say no.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up
Today the news broke late in the day that the Minnesota Vikings were releasing Randy Moss. This came as a surprise to many, as the Vikings had just traded for Moss less than a month before. Furthermore, if no team claimed Moss on waivers, the Vikings would be required to pay the balance of his 2010 salary (approximately $3 million) even though he would not play another game for them.
Having not watched the Vikings-Patriots game yesterday, I was unaware of Moss' having given up on a pass play shortly before Brett Favre got hurt. Still, Moss' recent history of misbehavior and criticism of teammates and management on both the Patriots and Vikings has been well publicized. But why would a team in desperate need of wide receivers, release a player who was one of the more talented in the game?
The answer of course is that sometimes a team (or person) needs to make a tough decision to do without something which might be beneficial in the short term, but much more damaging in the long term.
I heard a story from Rabbi Zev Cohen over Sukkos which drives this point home. There was a man named Conrad who had recently finished college with a degree in accounting. His brothers were involved with a bank and they offered him a senior position in the bank's accounting department. Conrad interviewed with them and during the interview he asked whether the bank was closed on Shabbos. They answered him that the bank was not shomer shabbos and that he needed to make a choice as to whether he wanted the "job of the lifetime" or to keep Shabbos. He told them that Shabbos was more important and they told him not to bother coming back.
Many years later, Conrad was invited to the ground breaking of his son's yeshiva. While he was digging, Conrad was seen saying something, but no one was sure of what he was intoning. His son asked him and he told him that he was repeating the line from Tehillim - Even Ma'asu Habonim Haisa L'Rosh Pina.
Conrad then explained that a few years before he had received a call from his brother who told him that he was dying and that he wanted Conrad to visit. Conrad flew out and was picked up by a chauffeured limousine. When Conrad arrived at the brother's palatial estate, the two began to catch up on things. The brother talked about his business, but had little to say about his children. Conrad indicated that he had done modestly well in business, but that his children had become successful rabbanim who had their own yeshivos and daughters who were happily married and raising children.
Conrad's brother then had a servant fetch his checkbook and he told Conrad that he wanted to give him a check to "buy into" Conrad's business. Conrad told him sadly that it was impossible and he left without the check.
Sometimes the short term answer may seem more attractive, but the long term effects of compromising one's standards or morals demonstrate that the more appropriate tasks is to say no.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Sunday Night Suds - Joseph's Brau Oktoberfest
This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Joseph's Brau Oktoberfest.
I just could not let the entire month of October go by without at least one Oktoberfest review. (Click here for the October 2009 SNS review of Saranac Octoberfest or here for the October 2008 SNS review of Brooklyn Brewery Oktoberfest).
To briefly recap, the style of beer known as Oktoberfest came about as a result of efforts to brew beer in the winter which was to be imbibed in the spring. As explained by the gurus at BA:
Before refrigeration, it was nearly impossible to brew beer in the summer due to the hot weather and bacterial infections. Brewing ended with the coming of spring, and began again in the fall. Most were brewed in March (Märzen). These brews were kept in cold storage over the spring and summer months, or brewed at a higher gravity, so they’d keep. Märzenbier is full-bodied, rich, toasty, typically dark copper in color with a medium to high alcohol content.The Joseph's Brau Oktoberfest poured a dark copper color and had more than a little hops in the brew. After having picked up a six pack at Trader Joe's (quite reasonable at 5.99 + tax and deposit) early last week, I tried it with a number of different dishes over the course of the week. (If you have the inclination, its not a bad way to see what kind of beer/food pairings work for you - just buy a sixer and try one each night with a different meal). I enjoyed mine with some London broil and potatoes and the flavors worked quite well.
The common Munich Oktoberfest beer served at Wies'n (the location at which Munich celebrates its Oktoberfest) contains roughly 5.0-6.0% alcohol by volume, is dark/copper in color, has a mild hop profile and is typically labeled as a Bavarian Märzenbier in style.
Joseph's Brau Oktoberfest is under the Kosher Supervision of the Va'ad of Detroit and there is a tiny Va'ad Hakashrus symbol on the back of the bottle. Please keep in mind that not every Trader Joe's brew is under kosher supervision, so check the label or search my site for the link to the latest list of beers under kosher supervision.To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about Joseph's Brau Oktoberfest, please follow this link http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10707/33029.
As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver. If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).
Finally, if you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Chaye Sarah
The following is a brief summary of a vort said over by R' Frand on the parsha. I have attempted to reproduce the vort to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
This week's parsha begins with a recitation of Sarah age (127) at the time of her death. Following the recitation of the years of Sarah's life (Chaye Sarah) the parsha makes little reference to Sarah as the remainder of the portion deals with Avraham's purchase of Ma'aras Hamachpeila and the quest to find a bride for Yitzchak. So why is the parsha called Chaye Sarah?
Rabbi Frand noted parenthetically that the same question could be asked about Parshas Vayechi - why is it called Vayechi when it is more about Ya'akov's death than his life.
Rabbi Frand answered these questions by making reference to the Sefer Milchemes Yehuda who brings a medrash from the beginning of Parshas Chaye Sarah. There is a pasuk in Tehillim which states - Yodea Hashem Yimei Temimim V'Nachalasam L'olom Tihiyeh - (Hashem knows the days of those who are tamim and their nachalah will forever be). We learn from this pasuk that even when a person has passed away, if he lived a life of Torah and mitzvos then his nachalah will continue forever. This was Sarah who is called Sarah Imeinu (our mother), whose impact has been felt for hundreds of generations after her death.
Rabbi Frand then quoted a vort from R' Chatzkel Abramski about another pasuk in Tehillim - Ki Lo B'Moso Yikach HaKol, Lo Yaraid Acharav Kivodo. This pasuk is traditionally translated as "Because not with his death will he take it all, his honor will not descend with him", a Jewish version of "you can't take it with you."
R' Abramski had a different take on the pasuk, as he learned it as a goal for a person to aspire to - that with the person's death he will not take it all with him as his acts will leave impressions behind in this world and the kavod created by the tzedakkah that he gave will endure in the institutions which were built by his acts of charity.
Finally, R' Frand quoted a vort from R' Chayim Shmulevitz about the consolation given to mourners - Hamakom Yinachem Eschem ... The "Hamakom" is usually translated as speaking of Hashem. However, R' Shmulevitz explains that the makom is the place that the person has made for himself in Gan Eden. This place should serve as a consolation.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
This week's parsha begins with a recitation of Sarah age (127) at the time of her death. Following the recitation of the years of Sarah's life (Chaye Sarah) the parsha makes little reference to Sarah as the remainder of the portion deals with Avraham's purchase of Ma'aras Hamachpeila and the quest to find a bride for Yitzchak. So why is the parsha called Chaye Sarah?
Rabbi Frand noted parenthetically that the same question could be asked about Parshas Vayechi - why is it called Vayechi when it is more about Ya'akov's death than his life.
Rabbi Frand answered these questions by making reference to the Sefer Milchemes Yehuda who brings a medrash from the beginning of Parshas Chaye Sarah. There is a pasuk in Tehillim which states - Yodea Hashem Yimei Temimim V'Nachalasam L'olom Tihiyeh - (Hashem knows the days of those who are tamim and their nachalah will forever be). We learn from this pasuk that even when a person has passed away, if he lived a life of Torah and mitzvos then his nachalah will continue forever. This was Sarah who is called Sarah Imeinu (our mother), whose impact has been felt for hundreds of generations after her death.
Rabbi Frand then quoted a vort from R' Chatzkel Abramski about another pasuk in Tehillim - Ki Lo B'Moso Yikach HaKol, Lo Yaraid Acharav Kivodo. This pasuk is traditionally translated as "Because not with his death will he take it all, his honor will not descend with him", a Jewish version of "you can't take it with you."
R' Abramski had a different take on the pasuk, as he learned it as a goal for a person to aspire to - that with the person's death he will not take it all with him as his acts will leave impressions behind in this world and the kavod created by the tzedakkah that he gave will endure in the institutions which were built by his acts of charity.
Finally, R' Frand quoted a vort from R' Chayim Shmulevitz about the consolation given to mourners - Hamakom Yinachem Eschem ... The "Hamakom" is usually translated as speaking of Hashem. However, R' Shmulevitz explains that the makom is the place that the person has made for himself in Gan Eden. This place should serve as a consolation.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Monday's Musings on Sports -- Of Celebrations, Ginger Style
As regular readers of this blog are aware, the Monday post was usually devoted to sports with highlights and analysis of the Max Kellerman show which formerly aired on 1050 ESPN Radio. Although Max resigned from 1050 more than a year ago, I have tried to continue the tradition of linking sports to Torah which I believe was an undercurrent of the Max Kellerman show.
This morning I was listening to an interview with Nolan Ryan of the newly crowned AL champion Texas Rangers. During the interview, a question was posed to Ryan about his impressions of Ranger slugger, Josh Hamilton. For those who do not know about him, Hamilton is a recovering drug/alcohol abuser who burst onto the scene in 2008 after being traded to Texas by the Cincinnati Reds.
Due to some family commitments over the past weekend, I was unaware that Hamilton had been named the MVP of the ALCS and the interview was newsworthy in at least this regard. However, the answer that Ryan gave to the question posed as to his impressions of Hamilton was even more revealing to me. Ryan talked about how after the Rangers had beaten Tampa Bay in the ALDS, the team had foregone the traditional champagne celebration and had instead doused each other with ginger ale, in order to honor Hamilton.
This evening, I did a little digging and came up with the following quote from Kevin Kaduk on yahoo:
The concept of looking out for teammates and not providing them with undue temptation can be found in Judaism as well. The Torah teaches in Vayikra 19:14 that a person should not place a stumbling block (michshol) before a blind man. There are myriad halachos which are taught from this pasuk as to how one should not put his friend in a position where he may come to sin. Its nice to see its application in the clubhouse as well.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
This morning I was listening to an interview with Nolan Ryan of the newly crowned AL champion Texas Rangers. During the interview, a question was posed to Ryan about his impressions of Ranger slugger, Josh Hamilton. For those who do not know about him, Hamilton is a recovering drug/alcohol abuser who burst onto the scene in 2008 after being traded to Texas by the Cincinnati Reds.
Due to some family commitments over the past weekend, I was unaware that Hamilton had been named the MVP of the ALCS and the interview was newsworthy in at least this regard. However, the answer that Ryan gave to the question posed as to his impressions of Hamilton was even more revealing to me. Ryan talked about how after the Rangers had beaten Tampa Bay in the ALDS, the team had foregone the traditional champagne celebration and had instead doused each other with ginger ale, in order to honor Hamilton.
This evening, I did a little digging and came up with the following quote from Kevin Kaduk on yahoo:
If you remember correctly, it was Hamilton who sat out the team's AL West clincher party last month because he's a recovering drug and alcohol addict who didn't want to be tempted or give the wrong impression to the fans who support him. A few teammates tried to douse him with water after that win, but let's be honest, there's nothing fun about getting sprayed by water. Hamilton quickly left the clubhouse to go talk with a church group.[A link to the full article can be found here - http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Celebrating-Rangers-give-Josh-Hamilton-a-ginger-?urn=mlb-276526 ].
The bubbly, on the other hand, is a different degree of fun and the Rangers were prepared this time around. According to our own Tim Brown, they started celebrating the franchise's first playoff series victory by breaking out the green plastic soda pop bottles and making sure that Hamilton got his. Their star outfielder responded by telling reporters that "this stuff burns your eyes just like that other stuff (champagne) does." Meanwhile, his wife said that it was "precious" that the team had her husband's best interests in mind.
The concept of looking out for teammates and not providing them with undue temptation can be found in Judaism as well. The Torah teaches in Vayikra 19:14 that a person should not place a stumbling block (michshol) before a blind man. There are myriad halachos which are taught from this pasuk as to how one should not put his friend in a position where he may come to sin. Its nice to see its application in the clubhouse as well.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Sunday Night Suds - Joseph's Brau Dunkelweizen
This week's Sunday Night Suds raises a toast of Joseph's Brau Dunkelweizen to my oldest daughter who celebrated her bat-mitzva this weekend
(Just to clarify -- no beer was served at the Bat Mitzva, the toast is only symbolic in nature).
The Dunkelweizen is an odd sounding beer and has an interesting mix of flavors which I am not certain that I am a fan of just yet. As explained by the good folks at Beer Advocate, Dunkelweizen are:
Similar to a Hefeweizen, these southern Germany wheat beers are brewed as darker versions (Dunkel means "dark") with deliciously complex malts and a low balancing bitterness. Most are brown and murky (from the yeast). The usual clove and fruity (banana) characters will be present, some may even taste like banana bread.The Josephs Brau Dunkelweizen was certainly cloudy, as most unfiltered wheat beers tend to be. The color was not brown like a stout, but it was darker than your standard ale. The back of the label indicates that the brew process involves dark roasted malted wheat and caramelized malted wheat in combination with pale malted barley.
The beer did have the predicted clove/banana flavors, both in the aroma and the taste. I was not too crazy about it during my first few sips, but it has started to grow on me as the temperature of the beer in my glass went up.
I could see pairing this beer with banana cake, but not much else as the flavors are very strong and would drown out most other foods.
Joseph's Brau Dunkelweizen is under the Kosher Supervision of the Va'ad of Detroit and there is a tiny Va'ad Hakashrus symbol on the back of the bottle. Please keep in mind that not every Trader Joe's brew is under kosher supervision, so check the label or search my site for the link to the latest list of beers under kosher supervision.To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about Joseph's Brau Dunkelweizen, please follow this link http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10707/39924.
As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver. If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).
Finally, if you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vayera
The following is a brief summary of a vort said over by R' Frand on the parsha. I have attempted to reproduce the vort to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
After the story of the interaction of Avraham and the angels and their news of Sarah's impending pregnancy, the Torah offers a strange interaction where Hashem questions whether He should tell Avraham that He will be destroying Sodom. In Bereishis 18:17, the Torah states that Hashem said - shall I conceal from Avraham what I will do? The next pasuk then states "And Avraham will become a great and mighty nation and the nations of the world will bless him."
The entire sequence of events is difficult to understand. Why does Hashem ask whether He should tell Avraham about the destruction of Sodom? And what does the destruction of Sodom have to do with Avraham and the Jews becoming a great nation?
Rabbi Frand answered the first question by looking into why Hashem would want to hide it from Avraham in the first place. He explained that Hashem knew that Avraham would try to daven for Sodom to be saved, but Hashem also knew that the tefillos would not change the end result and that Sodom would be destroyed as it was bereft of tzadikkim. It was for this reason that Hashem debated not telling Avraham about Sodom before relenting and giving him the news. But why even give Avraham the opportunity to daven for Sodom in the first place?
Rabbi Frand answered by making reference to the ma'amar chazal - no tefillah goes unanswered. Even though Avraham was unable to save Sodom with his tefillah, his tefillos were banked and used in the future to save other cities.
Before getting into the "unanswered" topic, R' Frand digressed to quote R' Yonasan Aibschutz in the sefer Tiferes Yonasan for the principle that we learn from Avraham the concept of a tzaddik davening for a city to be saved. Rabbi Frand indicated that the concept itself can be found in the Neilah davening (although I could not locate it in Nusach Ashkenaz) where the statement from Bereishis 18:28 which begins "chalilah lecha" is replicated in the davening. Given that Avraham was unsuccessful in saving Sodom by davening in this manner, why do we put it in Neilah? R' Frand answered that Avraham's tefilos were answered by Hashem, but Sodom was not the city saved by those tefillos.
The above concept can also be seen from the sequence of the pesukim. Hashem asks whether He should tell Avraham and then follows with a statement that Avraham will be a great nation. Hashem is telling us, while Avraham's prayers will not save Sodom, they will be banked for the future and used to save his great nation.
The concept reminded me of a vort that R' Mansour said this summer in Parshas Vaeschanan in relation to why Hashem allowed Moshe to daven 515 prayers before being told that he should stop as Hashem would not allow him to enter Israel. R' Mansour explained that a person may pray from the heart and still not get the answer he is looking for at the time. This does not mean that the request won't be answered for a different person or at a different time. He analogized the situation to blood bank. A person will donate blood to the blood bank to be used in the future as needed. If that person needs blood, he may receive it back from the blood bank. However, if another person needs blood, the "banked" blood will be available to that other person to address his medical needs.
So too with the prayers that are made. Hashem may not give the person what he is asking for when he prays. But the prayer will be answered down the road and Hashem will assist him or perhaps his children or grandchildren.
R' Frand closed the vort by repeating one of my favorite stories that he told a number of years ago. He told the story of a man who was walking on the street in Tel Aviv and was asked to join a minyan. The man protested multiple times, stating that he was not religious and had never been in a synagogue. Eventually, the man agreed and joined the short prayer service. The man later became Orthodox as a result of the experience.
Meanwhile, the gentleman's father became the butt of jokes on his Kibbutz. How could his son become Orthodox when his father had raised him to despise religion. The answer was that it must have been the prayers of the grandfather for his son. While the grandfather was unsuccessful in convincing his son to become frum, his prayers did not go unanswered. Instead, the grandson became the beneficiary of his grandfather's prayers and tears. It should be no great surprise that the synagogue where the man's journey to religion began was the same shul that his grandfather himself had prayed in.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
After the story of the interaction of Avraham and the angels and their news of Sarah's impending pregnancy, the Torah offers a strange interaction where Hashem questions whether He should tell Avraham that He will be destroying Sodom. In Bereishis 18:17, the Torah states that Hashem said - shall I conceal from Avraham what I will do? The next pasuk then states "And Avraham will become a great and mighty nation and the nations of the world will bless him."
The entire sequence of events is difficult to understand. Why does Hashem ask whether He should tell Avraham about the destruction of Sodom? And what does the destruction of Sodom have to do with Avraham and the Jews becoming a great nation?
Rabbi Frand answered the first question by looking into why Hashem would want to hide it from Avraham in the first place. He explained that Hashem knew that Avraham would try to daven for Sodom to be saved, but Hashem also knew that the tefillos would not change the end result and that Sodom would be destroyed as it was bereft of tzadikkim. It was for this reason that Hashem debated not telling Avraham about Sodom before relenting and giving him the news. But why even give Avraham the opportunity to daven for Sodom in the first place?
Rabbi Frand answered by making reference to the ma'amar chazal - no tefillah goes unanswered. Even though Avraham was unable to save Sodom with his tefillah, his tefillos were banked and used in the future to save other cities.
Before getting into the "unanswered" topic, R' Frand digressed to quote R' Yonasan Aibschutz in the sefer Tiferes Yonasan for the principle that we learn from Avraham the concept of a tzaddik davening for a city to be saved. Rabbi Frand indicated that the concept itself can be found in the Neilah davening (although I could not locate it in Nusach Ashkenaz) where the statement from Bereishis 18:28 which begins "chalilah lecha" is replicated in the davening. Given that Avraham was unsuccessful in saving Sodom by davening in this manner, why do we put it in Neilah? R' Frand answered that Avraham's tefilos were answered by Hashem, but Sodom was not the city saved by those tefillos.
The above concept can also be seen from the sequence of the pesukim. Hashem asks whether He should tell Avraham and then follows with a statement that Avraham will be a great nation. Hashem is telling us, while Avraham's prayers will not save Sodom, they will be banked for the future and used to save his great nation.
The concept reminded me of a vort that R' Mansour said this summer in Parshas Vaeschanan in relation to why Hashem allowed Moshe to daven 515 prayers before being told that he should stop as Hashem would not allow him to enter Israel. R' Mansour explained that a person may pray from the heart and still not get the answer he is looking for at the time. This does not mean that the request won't be answered for a different person or at a different time. He analogized the situation to blood bank. A person will donate blood to the blood bank to be used in the future as needed. If that person needs blood, he may receive it back from the blood bank. However, if another person needs blood, the "banked" blood will be available to that other person to address his medical needs.
So too with the prayers that are made. Hashem may not give the person what he is asking for when he prays. But the prayer will be answered down the road and Hashem will assist him or perhaps his children or grandchildren.
R' Frand closed the vort by repeating one of my favorite stories that he told a number of years ago. He told the story of a man who was walking on the street in Tel Aviv and was asked to join a minyan. The man protested multiple times, stating that he was not religious and had never been in a synagogue. Eventually, the man agreed and joined the short prayer service. The man later became Orthodox as a result of the experience.
Meanwhile, the gentleman's father became the butt of jokes on his Kibbutz. How could his son become Orthodox when his father had raised him to despise religion. The answer was that it must have been the prayers of the grandfather for his son. While the grandfather was unsuccessful in convincing his son to become frum, his prayers did not go unanswered. Instead, the grandson became the beneficiary of his grandfather's prayers and tears. It should be no great surprise that the synagogue where the man's journey to religion began was the same shul that his grandfather himself had prayed in.
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Sunday Night Suds - Shiner 101 Czech Pilsner
This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at one of the newer Shiner brews - the Shiner 101 Czech-Style Pilsner.
Another one of the beers that I picked up in Chicago at the Binny's in Lincoln Park. (If there is one thing that Chicago has over New York, its that the city has a much better selection of domestic microbrews).
Shiner has indicated that the 101 is a limited production of a Czech style Pilsner. You may recall that last year, Shiner put out its Shiner 100 Commemorator (reviewed here ) which was a limited edition Dopplebock.
The the gurus at Beer Advocate offer the following history and characteristics about the Czech Pilsner style of brew:
The birth of Pilsner beer can be traced back to its namesake, the ancient city of Plzen (or Pilsen) which is situated in the western half of the Czech Republic in what was once Czechoslovakia and previously part of the of Bohemian Kingdom. Pilsner beer was first brewed back in the 1840's when the citizens, brewers and maltsters of Plzen formed a brewer's guild and called it the People's Brewery of Pilsen.Having had some bad experiences with pilsners, I was skeptical about the Shiner 101. However, with Shiner's track record of producing quality brews (notwithstanding the Smokehaus experiment, reviewed here) I was willing to take a chance on a sixer of the Shiner 101.
The Czech Pilsner, or sometimes known as the Bohemian Pilsner, is light straw to golden color and crystal clear. Hops are very prevalent usually with a spicy bitterness and or a spicy floral flavor and aroma, notably one of the defining characteristics of the Saaz hop. Smooth and crisp with a clean malty palate, many are grassy. Some of the originals will show some archaic yeast characteristics similar to very mild buttery or fusel (rose like alcohol) flavors and aromas.
The early results on this beer are that I made a mistake, although not in buying the beer. The beer poured a deep gold with a bit of hops in the beginning. More of the beer yielded a creaminess that was almost reminiscent of a nitro, or tap poured brew. I really enjoyed this brew and regret having picked up only one six pack. Unfortunately, since its not available in NY, I will have to hope that there is still some left in Chicago the next time that I travel out there.
Shiner 101 under the Kosher Supervision of the Va'ad of Detroit, although the brew does not bear the Va'ad symbol on its label. If you would like me to e-mail you the Va'ad LOC for Shiner 101, send me an e-mail and I will gladly oblige.
To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about Shiner 101 Czech Pilsner, please follow this link http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/143/55726.
As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).
If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!
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