Sunday, January 31, 2010

Sunday Night Suds - Joseph's Brau Winterfest


This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at the Joseph's Brau Winterfest Lager.

When I first saw this beer at Trader Joe's, I was struck by the oddly conflicting terms on the label - it calls itself a Winterfest beer and a Dopplebock and a Lager. These seemed to be confusing to me for numerous reasons. I associate Winterfest with Coors Winterfest - one of the first flavored beers I ever tried, yet this beer did not indicate that it was flavored. Also, until I researched the dopplebock style, I was unaware that a double bock was in the lager category. Enter BA, which explains that:

Doppelbocks--as the name might suggest--are typically even stronger and contain enough malty goodness that they’ve been considered a meal in a glass for centuries. Generally they have a very full-bodied flavor and are darker than their little Bock brothers and sisters and a higher level of alcohol too. They range in color from dark amber to nearly black, and dark versions often have slight chocolate or roasted characters.
True to the style, the Winterfest poured a dark amber. The label on the bottle tipped me off that the brew was on the higher end of the alcohol scale for beer at 7.5% abv. But the taste was really quite special - it had the richness of the roasted malt and was quite delicious on its own. I tried to isolate some flavors during my first few sips, but I was unable to get beyond the roasted malt - maybe a little bit of vanilla in the taste.

The Winterfest is also quite a bargain at $5.99 for a six pack, as most Dopplebocks go for almost twice the price. The low price seems to be a hallmark of Trader Joe's which sells its own brews at significantly lower prices than the average comparable beer (Yes, Joseph Brau is one of the multiple lines of beers produced by TJ's). However, don't assume that because its a store brand a TJ beer is lower quality, as I have found that the TJ house brand beers are of superior quality. The only local TJ's which carries this is the one on the corner of Court Street and Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, but its worth trip as this TJ's allows you to buy singles at the same price as 1/6 of a six pack - so maybe this is the new a buck a beer!

Joseph's Brau Winterfest is under the Kosher Supervision of the Va'ad of Detroit and there is a tiny Va'ad kashrus 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 follow this link http://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2009/09/kosher-beers-semi-annual-kosher-beers.html for the latest list of beers under kosher supervision.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about Joseph's Brau Winterfest, please follow this link http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10707/41002.

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 here to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Saturday Night Special - Melaveh Malka with the Shira

Due to family vacation (aka NY Yeshiva intercession) I was unable to attend the Rabbi Frand shiur live this week and could not post the Thursday Parsha Tidbits. However, I was able to download the shiur to my MP3 player from the http://www.yadyechiel.org/ website (only $2.50 per shiur - a bargain!) on Friday and I would be remiss if I did not write a post on this week's great vort. Same rules as usual apply - I have attempted to reproduce this 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 contains one of the most famous biblical songs - the Shira on the Yam Suf. Found in Beshalach 15:1, the Shira begins "Az Yashir Moshe" - a sentence with a seeming contradiction as it apparently uses both present and future tenses. How did Moshe then sing in the future?

The gemara answers that the singing will be in the future and that this is a proof that Hashem will do tichias hameisim - the dead will come alive and sing to Hashem.

Rashi on the pasuk gives a much more p'shat oriented answer. Rashi writes that then, when Moshe experienced the miracle at Yam Suf, Moshe decided that he would sing in the future. The Sifsei Chachamim explains that Moshe and the Jews they were inspired to sing the song when they saw what happened at Yam Suf.

The Maharal further explains that when a person is inspired and wants to sing, it starts in the heart. When a person is so elated, he wants to sing from his heart. Thus Rashi is telling us - when the Jews saw the Yad Hashem they were overwhelmed with emotion and had song in their heart and this inspired them to sing. The actual words of the song were an outward manifestation of the feeling of the song.

Rabbi Frand gave a mashal - when a person has a temperature it is an external manifestation of something that is wrong internally. The fever is not the problem, it is just a signal that there is an infection or a sickness inside. In the same way, the song that comes out of the person is an outward expression of the feeling of joy that the person has inside.

Rabbi Frand then quoted the sefer Bei Chiya who links the comments to two gemaras. We learn that that Jews only say Shira on wine - when a happy occasion comes upon us we celebrate by singing to Hashem on wine (i.e. Sheva Brachos, Chuppa or Bris). An additional gemara teaches the concept of nichnas yayin yatza sod - when wine comes in a person loses inhibitions and is able to speak honestly about his true feelings. Through these gemaras we see that a Jew uses the wine to release his true feelings of happiness for what Hashem has given him.

Rabbi Frand then brought another Maharal who asks - why is that there is no brocha on the Hagaddah? Shouldn't there be a brocha on the mitzva of telling over the story of redemption from Egypt? The Maharal answers that there is no brocha because the mitzva of sipur yitzias mitzrayim is a mitzva of the heart. Although we spend hours talking about the miracles of yitzias mitzrayim at the seder - the true mitzva is internal. [We see this in the mitzva at the seder that a person must feel as he is leaving Egypt at that moment - this is obviously something which can only be internal].

Rabbi Frand then quoted the Bei Chiya who ties this back to the Shira. The gemara writes that the Shira must be written with words and gaps. The line structure for the Shira in the Torah stands apart from most other prose because it is written with script and blank spaces and there are actually more blank spaces then script. Why? Because the song can't properly articulate all the feelings one has inside - song begins in the heart and the words don't properly express all the feelings.

So where does the Shira actually begin - one might say the later part of the pasuk is the beginning - Ashira L'Hashem - I will sing to Hashem. However, if this is the case, why is the Az Yashir also written with the spaces and gaps? Because the emotion welled up inside when they perceived the miracles and then they decided to sing - this was the beginning of the song.

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Monday, January 25, 2010

Monday's Musings on Sports - The end of football for now, or why my family will see more of me on Sundays

By the time that you read this there will be no suspense left in the football season (unless you come from New Orleans or Indianapolis). At best, you and most of the country will watch the Superbowl because you are interested in good football or the commercials (or both). But before we turn the page and look ahead to the end of the season, allow me to reflect on the Jets season that was.

Going into the football season I had my concerns about the NY Jets. I thought that the defense would be good, although this was based on the misguided belief that it would be anchored by Kris Jenkins (injured in week six vs Buffalo) and Kerry Rhodes (an enigma).

My concern was with the Jets offense which I felt was being set up to fail. In training camp the job was handed to Mark Sanchez, although I was never sure if Kellen Clemens was given a chance to earn the position (getting put into the second game of the preseason cold to run the 2 minute drill at the end of the half against the Baltimore Ravens is hardly a fair audition).

Then, the Jets started to win against good teams. I did not want to get my hopes up, but there was reason to think that the season would turn out to be something special. But then came the injury bug - Cotchery and B Smith both go down and Sanchez throws five picks when he has no real WRs to throw to. Meanwhile, Leon Washington and Kris Jenkins are done for the season and the team has lost significant talent.

But when it seemed that the season was destined for mediocrity, the team started to perform well again. Not consistently well, but the breaks seemed to be going the team's way. Even the other teams were losing (or winning depending on your perspective) in ways that the Jets needed in order to make the playoffs.

Of course the improvement in the Jets fortunes had a direct impact on my family life. I made sure to be home during Jets games (rather than tape them) and we needed to juggle Sunday night dinner around the NFL's "flex" schedule.

As with most good things, the season for Jets fans did come to an end. But there is a fair amount to be hopeful for. Mark Sanchez emerged as the QB of the future. Shonn Greene learned how to hold onto the football and if all three RBs return healthy next year, the Jets will have a superior rushing attack.

On the other side of the ball, the D-Line really showed me something after Kris Jenkins went down. While they did not sack the QB often, they were able to shed blockers and manhandle opposing RBs. This is also something to look forward to for the future.

So what is the link to Torah thought? For this week I have chosen not to make the link. Not because I can't make a connection, but just because I wanted to get all this football out of me without spending the time on hold trying to call a sports radio host. B'N I will return next week to the Sports & Torah theme.

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Sunday, January 24, 2010

Sunday Night Suds - Trader Joe's Hofrau Bock


This week's Sunday Night Suds toasts the Jets on their surprisingly good season with the vastly underrated Trader Joe's Hofrau Bock.

Yes, I save sports for Monday's post and I will not be writing the eulogy for the Jets season tonight. Still, when I received a set of Jets tulip beer glasses (if you look hard enough you can see the logo on the front of the glass) as a present this week, I knew that I had to use one to toast the Jets this evening.

During my beer education, I have learned that the glass you are using to consume the brew makes a significant difference in the flavor experience. I first noticed this when I poured the second beer from a six pack into a glass, after having consumed the first straight from the bottle on the previous evening. This may not rise to the level of eating moldy bread over a petri dish filled with bacteria, but it was an accidental eye opener for me. I subsequently began to try all my new beers from glassware which I picked up at local area beer stores. There really was a difference!

Rather than attempt to explain why the glassware makes a difference, I defer to the experts at BA, who explain:

Scientific studies show that the shape of glassware will impact head development and retention. Why is this important? The foam created by pouring a beer acts as a net for many of the volatiles in a beer. What's a volatile? Compounds that evaporate from beer to create its aroma, such as hop oils, all kinds of yeast fermentation byproducts like alcohol, fusels and fruity esters, spices or other additions. So a glass that promotes a healthy foam head may enhance the trapping of certain volatiles. And as varying levels of head retention and presentation are desired with different styles of beers, different styles of glassware should be used accordingly. Presentation marries science.

As per the picture above, I savored the Trader Joe's Hofrau Bock in my brand new (toveled on Friday) Jets tulip glass which was mailed to me by a relative who is a Jets season ticket holder (they really do know how to comp their fans). The tulip glass truly opened up the flavor of the bock and allowed me to enjoy the hops and the complexity of the spice notes. One word of caution though - the Hofrau Bock has a bit of a kick as it is 7% abv, although the alcohol does not hit you up front.

Trader Joe's Hofrau Bock is under the Kosher Supervision of the Va'ad of Detroit and their is a tiny Va'ad kashrus 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 follow this link http://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2009/09/kosher-beers-semi-annual-kosher-beers.html for the latest list of beers under kosher supervision.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about Trader Joe's Hofrau Bock, please follow this link http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10707/21639. 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 here to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Bo

The following is a brief summary of a thought said over by R' Frand in his shiur this evening. I have attempted to reproduce this 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 12:1-2, the Torah provides the first mitzva which the Jews are given - to be mikadesh the new month. Immediately thereafter, the Torah provides the details of the korban pesach.

Rabbi Frand asked - why is that the first mitzva is to be mikadesh the month and only afterwards does the Torah recite the mitzva of korban pesach? Wouldn't it be more logical to have the korban pesach as the first mitzva?

Rabbi Frand first cited the Klei Yakar who answers the question from a pragmatic standpoint. He indicates that if one is to do the mitzva of korban pesach by schechting the animal on the 14th, he needs first to know when the month begins in order to calculate the date to prepare the korban.

Rabbi Frand offered an alternate explanation from the sefer Chikrei Lev. He explained that when the Jews were given the mitzva of kiddush hachodesh they were given the power over the calendar and the moon itself. Prior to this mitzva, Hashem would declare when Yom Tov would occur. However, by giving the Jews the power to be mikadesh the month, they were provided the power to designate when the month begins and when the holidays would fall.

Rabbi Frand then quoted a gemara that recited that although Hashem judges the world on Rosh Hashanah, He indicated to His heavenly court that He will not intervene in the designation of the new moon in this world as this was given to the Jews.

It was for this reason that this was the first mitzva for the Jews. When a person is enslaved, he has no power to determine anything. Indeed, the Ibn Ezra writes that there is no greater burden to bear then to be a slave to another human being. Since Hashem wanted to take the Jewish people away from their slave mentality (they had been enslaved in Egypt for 210 years), he needed to provide a medicine to allow them to look beyond the slavery they had always known. This medicine was the ability to determine their own calendar through kiddush hachodesh.

Rabbi Frand closed the vort by making reference to the famous story about the moon and the sun. The midrash recites that the moon came before Hashem and said - two cannot use the same crown. Hashem responded to the moon - then you go reduce yourself. The moon then said to Hashem - but I am right, there cannot be two strong bodies at the same time. Hashem then said to the moon, you are called katan, so too, Ya'akov and David will be called katan. Additionally, I will give you the stars to assist you.

Rabbi Frand asked - but if the moon was punished for protesting, why is it being rewarded?

Rabbi Frand answered that Hashem said to the moon - you did more than what was required. I told you to reduce yourself, but you did not have to do so to the degree that you chose. Indeed, you could have just reduced yourself slightly. However, since you acted lifnim m'shuras hadin, I will reward you.

This is the message of kiddush hachodesh to the Jews. You have power much like the moon. Use the power properly so that you can be rewarded.

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Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Tuesday's Thoughts on the Daf - Bava Basra 151

On Bava Basra 151, the gemara presents an interesting distinction between tefillin and sifrei Torah.

Previously, on Bava Basra 150, the gemara had been discussing which items are deemed to be nechasim - resources which are capable of being bequeathed in a will. These included, money, property and other similar objects.

On Bava Basra 151a, the gemara asks whether tefillin are nechasim. The gemara answers that tefillin are nechasim and learns this from a gemara in Erchin which teaches that a person can pledge his tefillin to hekdesh (the Rashbam teaches that as a result he must redeem the tefillin, but the money is sanctified).

Immediately thereafter, the gemara asks whether a sefer Torah is deemed nechasim. The gemara gives both sides of the equation - since a sefer Torah can be sold in limited circumstances (specifically so that the scribe has money to learn or to get married) it could be deemed nechasim. On the other hand, since the sale of the sefer Torah is highly restricted, perhaps it is not nechasim.

While the gemara leaves this as a teiku, the meforshim provide interesting color to the discussion. The Rashbam explains that since tefillin are considered clothing they are capable of sale (and are thus nechasim) even though they contain parshios from the Torah. The Rambam distinguishes a sefer Torah from all other seforim as the latter are all deemed nechasim.

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Monday, January 18, 2010

Monday's Musings on Sports - The Rivers, Frogs & George Costanza

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. As Max has resigned from 1050 and has not yet resurfaced on the NY area radio waves, I have decided to continue the tradition of linking sports to Torah which I believe was an undercurrent of the Max Kellerman show.

Yesterday's Jets - Chargers game had all the elements of a classic novel. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. OK, maybe not that much of a classic, but there were two quarterbacks who dealt with pressure and frustration in two different ways.

In the first half, the Jets were unable to move the football. It was repeated incessantly during the telecast that the Jets had not made a first down (until they did midway through the second quarter). Having said that, Mark Sanchez, the Jets rookie quarterback, did not try to force the ball down the field and threw no first half interceptions.

On the other side of the field, All Pro QB Phillip Rivers was having problems of his own. Although the Chargers put up one TD in the first half, Rivers was not marching his team down the field and his team wound up using two time outs and taking multiple delay of game penalties as the Jets defensive scheme was confusing and frustrating the Charger offense.

In the second half, the Jets continued their game plan of running the ball with occasional passes. To use a hackneyed expression, Sanchez and the Jets offense "took what the defense" gave them. That is, until the running game wore down the Charger defensive front and the team started ripping off chunks of yards.

Meanwhile, Rivers began to show his frustration, both in his demeanor on the sidelines and with his pass selection on the field. The normally unflappable QB threw two interceptions and was trying to force the ball when he had no truly open receiver.

The need to stay cool under pressure to prevent turning a difficult situation into something much worse can be seen from this past week's parsha. Moshe tells Pharaoh that the plague of frogs will befall Egypt and that frogs will be everywhere. However, when the Torah discusses the result of Aharon hitting the river, the Torah recites that one frog emerged from the water.

Rashi explains that one frog came out of the river, but that each time the frog was struck by the Egyptians it would divide again and again until the land was filled with frogs.

This past Friday night, my friend Dan L. told a vort in shul in the name of the Steipler Rav which taught a lesson in relation to how one should act when under pressure. The Steipler asked the question - why did the Egyptians keep hitting the frogs? Since it was fairly obvious that the frogs were going to keep multiplying, the Egyptians would have been better served to stop hitting the frogs.

The Steipler answers that it is a lesson in human nature. When a person gets angry it becomes all consuming and he ceases to act logically. While he may be aware that his actions are causing the scenario to worsen, he needs to cool down in order to stop himself from repeating the same acts which are causing his problem.

After shul, a number of were talking to Dan about the vort and the famous Seinfeld episode where George Costanza starts saying the mantra "Serenity Now" to try to calm himself. If the Egyptian or Phillip Rivers had tried this tact, who knows where we would be right now...

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Sunday, January 17, 2010

Sunday Night Suds - Saranac Irish Stout



This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Saranac's newest beer (offered in six packs or in the What Ales You Winter Box 2010) - Saranac Irish Stout.

The Saranac website identifies the Irish Stout as a dry stout. As explained by the experts at Beer Advocate, dry stouts:

tend to have light-ish bodies to keep them on the highly drinkable side. They're usually a lower carbonation brew and served on a nitro system for that creamy, masking effect. Bitterness comes from both roasted barley and a generous dose of hops, though the roasted character will be more noticeable. Examples of the style are, of course, the big three, Murphy's, Beamish, and Guinness, however there are many American brewed Dry Stouts that are comparable, if not better.

The Saranac Irish Stout has some similarities to the BA definition, albeit with some significant differences. Since Saranac does not utilize the nitro delivery system like the English imports, there is no artificial creaminess to the beer after it has been poured. There is some bitterness, almost as if this was a distant cousin of Guiness, but the strong coffee flavor is not present.

I would recommend this beer to those who are looking to try stouts, but are not yet ready for the true English stouts. This beer would go well with cholents, stews and char-grilled steaks. Although the brew is on the high end of the alcohol scale for dry stouts (it has a 5.5% abv) it is not significant enough to effect the flavor of the brew and will not clash with the meat.

Saranac Irish 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 Irish Stout, please follow this link http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/99/55183.

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 here to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Va'era

The following is a brief summary of a thought said over by R' Frand in his shiur this evening. I have attempted to reproduce this 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 Va'era 6:6 the Torah recounts Hashem's message to Moshe to tell the Jewish people that he will take them out of the "Sivlos" of Egypt. While the word sivlos is generally translated as burden, Rabbi Frand had a different p'shat this evening.

Rabbi Frand quoted the sefer Tiferes Shlomo who stated that the sivlos is actually the key to how the Jews survived in Egypt. As explained by the Tiferes Shlomo - the word sivlos is similar to the word savlanus - patience. The Jews were able to withstand the oppression in Egypt because they had patience and knew that it all came from Hashem. The Jews knew that if this is correct in His eyes, it is proper for them.

Rabbi Frand then quoted a sefer Bei Chiya which recounted a story in the gemara Berachos about Hillel HaZaken. Hillel was returning to his town when he heard a great scream. Hillel remarked, I am sure that it is not coming from my house. The gemara then remarks - one who is correct of heart has faith in Hashem.

The problem with the literal interpretation of Hillel's statement is that it is contrary to understanding of bitachon. We believe that everything Hashem does is for the best. This does not mean that Hashem does everything that we want Him to do, or that Hashem's idea of what is the best for us is the same as our own personal idea. So how could Hillel be certain that it was not coming from his home?

Rabbi Frand answered that Hillel was saying that I am certain that the screaming is not coming from my house because I have taught my family not to scream when something which appears to be troubling occurs. While it may be difficult to comprehend the reason that something occurred, Hillel's family knew it was not proper to cry out. As such, this man of faith was certain that the cry was not coming from his home.

The Bei Chiya then drew a parallel to Hillel's view of Corech. The haggada instructs that one is to take matza and marror and put them together and say that it is remembrance for Hillel, who during the times of the Temple would bring together matza and marror...

The concept of Corech seems to be illogical. The matza is a sign of freedom while the marror is a sign of slavery. Why would the two be combined?

Rabbi Frand answered that the Corech sandwich teaches that there is galus and there is geulah and the lesson of the Corech is that both come from the same source, as such they can be eaten together.

Rabbi Frand then made reference to a Rambam in Hilchos Chametz u Matza (8:8) who writes that we dip the matza in the charoses. The Raivid writes that this is error. The Tur explains that matza is a sign or freedom and charoses represents the mortar of slavery, so they should not be joined.

However if it is problematic to join the charoses with the matza, then how can we have the Corech sandwich?

Rabbi Frand answered that when one eats the matza with the marror they do not blend or merge. (I can recall many a pesach when my Corech would wind up on my kittel as the pieces of the matza fell away from the marror). On the other hand, if one dips matza in charoses they will blend together.

The difference in the combinations is that when one eats the Corech, there is a cognizance that these are two distinct items which are being taken together. As such, we see that both come from the same source, but are still distinct. However, when eating the matza with charoses, the separation is blurred.

Rabbi Frand closed by telling over a poem which was sung by Jews as they were marching to the gas chambers. He attributed the poem to a R' Tzvi Wolner who recounted that his aunt who was in the camps told him the poem. The poem was recited in Yiddish and then translated into English. As I do not speak Yiddish, I am only providing the English version.

G-d in His judgment is right
No one can say that G-d is bad
G-d knows what he does
He never does evil
G-d in his judgment is correct

I apologize, but it truly does lose something in English. Although I do not speak Yiddish it was much more powerful when read and linearly translated.

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Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Tuesday's Thoughts on the Daf - Bava Basra 144

If you were to ask a person to end the sentence - Hakol B'yidei Shamayim Chutz M'... the answer that would normally be given is Yiras Shamayim (translated into English this means - all is in the hands of Heaven with the exception of choosing to fear Him). Today's daf offers an alternate end to the classic phrase.

On Bava Basra 144b, the gemara discusses the plight of one who became ill and needs to expend funds in order to recuperate (obviously they did not have ObamaCare in the time of the gemara). The Mishna on 144b states that if a person who was one of the heirs of an estate became ill in performing duties related to the estate, he must pay his own doctor bills.

In interpreting the mishna, Ravin states that it is only when one becomes ill due to his negligence that he alone must bear the costs of the doctor care. However, if he is injured due to an accident, the cost of the medical care is borne by the estate. The gemara then asks what is an accident? The gemara answers in the name of R' Channina that everything is in the hands of Hashem except for tzinim pachim - cold drafts (no not from the tap).

The Rashbam explains that a person has the ability to guard himself against becoming ill from the cold and if he does not take care of himself, he is to blame.

Tosafos (d'h Hakol) explains that whether a person will be attacked by a lion or a thief is in the hands of Hashem, but Hashem does not declare whether the person will become ill from exposure to cold as this is something that he can protect himself from. Tosafos further explains that a person has the ability to kill himself through fire or drowning as even though Hashem has not declared that the person will die, Hashem does not prevent him from taking these steps.

Tosafos then finishes the thought by making reference to (and distinguishing) the "Chutz M' Yiras Shamayim" concept. Tosafos explains that this refers to Hashem's determination as to whether a person will be strong or weak, wealthy or poor, short or tall or smart or stupid. These are things that Hashem determines. However in our gemara we discuss things which are in a person's hand - the ability to avoid illness through common sense.

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Sunday, January 10, 2010

Sunday Night Suds - Samuel Adams Imperial White Ale


This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Samuel Adams Imperial White Ale.

As you can see from the picture above, the Imperial White is part of the Samuel Adams Imperial Series which includes Double Bock, Imperial Stout and Imperial White. These beers are known by their premium price ($10 for a four pack) and elevated alcohol content (the Imperial White is above 10% abv).

Although some people are aware of the alcohol content of the products they consume, very few people know how abv is calculated. As explained by the folks at Beer Advocate:

Alcohol by volume (ABV) simply represents what portion of the total volume of liquid is alcohol. Our liquid of choice is, of course, beer. And to determine the ABV of a beer, a brewer typically uses what's called a hydrometer, which is an instrument that aids in measuring the density of liquid in relation to water (it essentially free-floats in a cylinder or liquid). The hydrometer will be calibrated to read 1.000 in water (at 60°F), and the denser the liquid (example: add sugar to the liquid), the higher the hydrometer reading.

Okay, so how does this relate to beer? Well, before yeast cells are introduced to ferment beer, the liquid is called "wort (pronounced wert)," and it's full of all kinds of sugars that were previously extracted from the grain. A brewer will take a hydrometer measurement of the wort (at 60°F) to determine what's called the original gravity (OG). Then yeast is pitched into the wort, and fermentation begins. As the yeast cells eat the sugar in the wort, they create two wonderful by-products: carbonation (CO2) and alcohol. And once the brewer has determined that our hungry yeast have had enough (could be days, weeks or months), s/he'll go ahead and pull another hydrometer reading (at 60°F) and record what's called the final gravity (FG).

Calculating the ABV - Say our brewer crafted a high-alcohol beer. The OG measured at 1.080, and the beer stopped fermentation with a FG measurement of 1.011. Simply subtract the FG from the OG and multiply by 131. 1.080 - 1.011 = 0.069 x 131 = 9.039%

The Samuel Adams Imperial White is not a beer that can be consumed quickly. It has some of the characteristic spice notes of a wheat beer, but the brew is much heavier. My first impression of the beer was that it had the color and consistency of apple juice. My second thought was that no apple juice had the alcohol flavor of this beer.

I consumed this beer as a palate cleanser with my shabbos lunch. (OK, for those with a background, I had it between the fish and the main course). On its own, the beer was quite good. I then made the mistake of trying it with various salads and cholent (a beef, barley and potato stew) and the combination just did not work.

Samuel Adams Imperial White is under the Kosher Supervision of the Star-K. However, this is yet another Samuel Adams brew which does not have the certification mark on the label. If you would like to verify that the Imperial White is on the LOC issued by the Star-K, please click here http://www.star-k.org/loc/kosher_letter_6635_bostonbeercompany.pdf.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about the Imperial White, please follow this link - http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/35/47317 .

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.

Finally, 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 such as JBlog, please feel free to click here to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Shemos

The following is a brief summary of a thought said over by R' Frand in his shiur this evening. I have attempted to reproduce this 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 2:11-12, the Torah discusses how an adolescent Moshe leaves Pharaoh's palace and sees an Egyptian man strike a Jew, one of his brethren. The Torah writes that Moshe looked this way and that and saw that there was no man, so he struck the Egyptian man and killed him.

Rashi explains that Moshe did not look around to see if there were any witnesses. Instead, Moshe looked in the future to see if any geirim would come from this man. Rashi further explains that Moshe killed him by reciting the hidden name of Hashem.

Rabbi Frand then asked in the name of the Brisker Rav - if the Egyptian was already chayav missa, why did Moshe first look to see whether any geririm would come from this man before killing him?

The Brisker Rav answered by making reference to a Kessef Mishna to the Rambam in Hilchos Melachim who writes that while striking a Jew is a crime for which the perpetrator is chayav missa - it is missa biydei shamayim.

With this background, we can understand the steps Moshe took. Moshe caused the Egyptian's death by reciting the Heavenly name and as such left the Egyptian's fate in the hands of Hashem - if this person was truly chayav missa then the missa would come from Shamayim, if not, he would live.

This also explains why an examination was performed into whether there were any future geirim which could have come from this man. An earthbound Beis Din does not look into such factors before determining whether a person must suffer capital punishment. However, when the punishment is meted out by Hashem, there is room to examine whether the missa would prevent the birth of future righteous people.

Rabbi Frand closed the vort by mentioning a story about a boy who was learning in Lakewood and became a chassan. During the sheva berachos following the wedding, the boy's grandfather who was an am haaretz, asked whether he could speak. After being granted permission to address those gathered at the sheva berachos, the grandfather told a story about a young boy who was a "cut up" when he was in cheder. One day, the boy took a goat and hid it in the aron kodesh. When the men came to take out the Torah, they opened the ark and found the goat! It was soon discovered that the boy was responsible and they threw him out of cheder.

The boy then came to Beis Din and announced that he wanted to take the principal of the cheder to a Din Torah. At the Din Torah the boy stated - I may be worthy of being tossed out of the school for my act - but what will happen to me? There is no other cheder in town. What will become of me and my children and grandchildren if I am prevented from continuing my Jewish education? The principal relented and allowed the boy to stay in cheder.

The grandfather then said that he was the boy from the cheder. And look at my grandchild - see he has turned out well and is a Yeshiva Bochor.

In this case it was good that they considered whether there could be an Ish when they contemplated the punishment for placing the goat in the ark.

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Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Tuesday's Thoughts on the Daf - Bava Basra 137

Bava Basra 137 continues the recent "Blackacre" discussions. I refer to them in this manner as my Property professor, Eva Hanks, used to call the land which was being given as a life estate "Blackacre". Now more than eighteen years later, I am learning gemara which offers hypotheticals including A gives Blackacre to B for long as he shall live, with the remainder to C. Or to use language of the gemara "Nichasai Lach, V' Achacrecha L'Ploni."

On Bava Basra 137a, Rav Nachman raises the following scenario - what happens if a person gives an Esrog to another for as long as he shall live, with the Esrog passing to another after his death. Can the person actually be mikayaim the mitzva of Esrog with this fruit, if part of the mitzva requires that the Esrog belong to the the user (learned from the use of "Lachem" in Parshas Emor)? In this scenario he only can use it during his lifetime, but title to the Esrog passes to another after death? The gemara resolves that it can be used, but then ties the question of whether it can be sold or eaten by the original grantee to a machlokes between Rebbi and Rabban Shimon Ben Gamliel as to whether the benefit of using the peiros of an object also allows the recipient to alienate the item.

The more intriguing Esrog scenario comes on Bava Basra 137b where the gemara asks whether a person who receives an Esrog as a gift on condition to return it (Matana al Minas L'Hachzir) can be mikayaim the mitzva of the Esrog. Rava resolves that he can, provided that he actually returns the Esrog to the grantor. The Rashbam explains that the mitzva does not become effective until he returns the Esrog. As such, if he returns the Esrog, it bears out that he had proper ownership of the gifted Esrog when he used it. On the other hand, if he never returns it, then his use of the Esrog is illegal and he is not mikayaim the mitzva.

The gemara reminded me of a halacha I learned in regard to the use of Esrog on the first day by a minor. It is well established that a child does not have the ability to alienate property. Therefore, if one gives the child the Esrog on the first day of Yom Tov, the person cannot take the Lulav & Esrog back and be able to use them on the second day, since the items still "belong" to the child and cannot qualify as "lachem." For an in depth discussion of this problem and possible solutions, click here http://www.shemayisrael.com/yomtov/sukkot/arba.htm .

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Monday, January 4, 2010

Monday's Musings on Sports - Rex Recants and the Jets Unwreck

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. As Max has resigned from 1050 and has not yet resurfaced on the NY area radio waves, I have decided to continue the tradition of linking sports to Torah which I believe was an undercurrent of the Max Kellerman show.

Those tortured souls who call themselves Jets fans may recall that two short weeks ago, Rex Ryan gave a press conference after the Jets lost to the Atlanta Falcons where he announced that the Jets could no longer make the playoffs. Twenty four hours later he gave another press conference wherein he withdrew his prior statement and said that the Jets could make the playoffs. A week later, following the Jets victory over the Colts "B" team, Rex lauded the team and its defense and spoke of how the team had its destiny in its own hands. And then finally the team repaid Rex's confidence in them by dismantling the Bengals.

Yes, the ultimate goal is to win the Super Bowl, not just make the playoffs. But when you are a team with a rookie head coach with a rookie quarterback, accomplishments need to be put in perspective. Even if the Jets don't advance beyond the first round of the playoffs, the season must be deemed a success, since the team which had a tremendous turnover in personnel and lost a key offensive (Leon Washington) and defensive (Kris Jenkins) player still managed to be better than all the other second place teams in the conference.

The Rex Ryan emotional roller coaster could be easily understood if the comments were made by a fan or even a journalist (you know the kind, the ones who shout that the sky is falling and then later say that they "keep it real" and always said that it would turn out this way). But when a coach makes brash statements which swing back and forth along the emotional pendulum, there is a real danger that he could lose the team. Fortunately, in the Jets case there was never any muttering about the coach or "unnamed players" who criticized management behind their backs.

The merit of a leader keeping an even keel, even when faced with adversity can be learned from Aharon. We first see Aharon in the beginning of Sefer Shemos as Moshe's assistant who helps with communication with Pharaoh and actually has a hand (OK a staff) in some of the plagues in Egypt. Although Aharon undergoes a number of trials and tribulations, including: seeing two of his sons die; having his position as kohen challenged by Korach and being the focus of the people's attention when they miscalculate Moshe's return from Har Sinai, Aharon never loses his cool. In fact, Aharon's acts are always seen as positive as Pirkei Avos 1:12 teaches that one should try to be like the students of Aharon.

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Sunday, January 3, 2010

Sunday Night Suds - Saranac Black Forest



This week's edition of Sunday Night Suds looks at Saranac Brewery's Black Forest beer.

Saranac's Black Forest is one of Saranac's unheralded, but truly underrated brews. The beer itself is a dark beer, but does not carry the heft of a stout or porter. The good folks at beer advocate call this beer a schwarzbier, and explain that:

Schwarzbier ("shvahrts-beer"), is simply German for black beer. It doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily heavy or light in body, although they tend to lean towards light. Unlike other dark beers, like porters or stouts, they are not overly bitter with burnt and roasted malt characteristics that the others tend to depend on. Instead, hops are used for a good portion of the bitterness. Very refreshing and soul lifting beers, they also make a great alternative for the Winter. Especially when you are looking for a lighter beer, but one with depth of colour and taste.

As I mentioned above although the Saranac Black Forest is dark it is not a heavy beer. Having said that, the beer is not like some black lagers whose dark color is essentially due to additives. The Saranac Black Forest is exceedingly rich in flavor with hints of caramel blended with a generous amount of hops.

I had my Black Forest with spicy meat hors d' oeuvres, savory potato kugel and season salt roast chicken (we deferred New Year's Eve to Friday Night so that we could make our shabbos meal extra special by combining the traditional New Year's Eve treats with our Friday Night supper) and the combination was fantastic.

Saranac Black Forest 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 Black Forest, please follow this link http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/99/312.

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 here to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!