Sunday Night Suds - Blue Moon Grand Cru

This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Blue Moon's Grand Cru.

When I first saw the Blue Moon Grand Cru I was intrigued by the bottle's shape and presentation. It is made to look like a champagne bottle (although there is no stopper). It also does not have a twist top like all the other Blue Moon products I have seen.

The Grand Cru runs a little more than a six pack of the regular Blue moon ($9-11 a bottle). Yes it is 25 oz and has a little more of a kick (8.2% abv). But is it any different from the standard Blue Moon? The label does not provide any insight as it seems to have the same description as the standard brew. Still, since it was Purim, I decided to spend the money and bring it to our friends down the street for the twilight portion of the seudah.

When I first poured the Grand Cru I could smell the familiar orange aroma. The taste of the beer also had some similarity to the regular Blue Moon, but with more body and a more pronounced yeast flavor. And yes, the beer does give you a greater alcohol bite.

Blue Moon Grand Cru is under the kosher supervision of the Orthodox Union, although there is no OU on the bottle. I was able to obtain an LOC which confirms that the OU gives hashgacha for the brew - if you would like a copy please send me an email.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about the Grand Cru, please follow this link - http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/306/54083 .

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).

Melave Malka and Enter Purim Post

The following is a brief summary of a thought said over by R' Frand in his shiur on Thursday 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.

Towards the end of the megillah, there is a phrase which is read by the congregation before being repeated by the ba'al koreh. The same line is repeated in the havdalah - "Layehudim Haisa Orah V'Simcha V'Sasson V'Yikar" - to the Jews there was light and happiness and rejoicing and goodness. The gemara in Megillah explains that Orah means Torah, Simcha means Yom Tov, Sasson means Bris Milah and Yikar means Tefillin.

Rabbi Frand asked the following question - did the Jews not have Torah, Yom Tov, Bris Milah or Tefillin prior to the miracle of Purim?

Rabbi Frand answered by quoting the Chasam Sofer who discusses the pasuk in Vayikra 32:22 "V'lo Sichallilu es shem Kadshi V'Nikdashti B'soch Bnei Yisrael" - You should not profane My holy name and make Me holy within the Jewish people. This pasuk is unique in that it discusses both chillul Hashem and Kiddush Hashem. This concept can be illustrated by a gemara in Sanhedrin. The gemara asks what happened to Chananyah, Mishael and Azaryah after they were saved from the fiery furnace? The gemara gives numerous answers including that they drowned in the spit of the other nations.

The Chasam Sofer explains that the nations of the world were incredulous that the Jews were continuing to worship idols. Hashem had just performed an open miracle in saving Chanayah, Mishael and Azaryah from certain death in the furnace. How could the Jews continue to worship idols? The nations then spat on the Jews to show their disgust. This was a clear example of how an event could cause a chillul or kiddush Hashem. Had the Jews strengthened their emunah in Hashem as a result of seeing the miracle, they would have been lauded for their devotion. But alas they did not and were looked down on by the nations.

The Jews of Shushan did take note of the miracle which occurred in their midst and they changed their ways. Although they previously had Torah, Tefillin, Bris and Yom Tov, they were more enthusiastic in their actions. Torah was learned with greater inspiration, Yom Tov and brissim were celebrated with greater fervor. The tefillin was worn with greater pride. As a result of their greater devotion, the miracle of Purim became a great Kiddush Hashem.

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Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Tezaveh Zachor

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.

Parshas Tezaveh discusses the various garments which the kohanim wore while performing their priestly duties. Rabbi Frand linked this to a vort by the sefer Akeidas Yitzchak (author unknown to me) on the use of clothing.

The Akeidas Yitzchak stated that clothing covers a person's body like middos cover a person's soul. He explains that the end of a garment has a hem and it is tailored so as to not cover the hand or foot. In the same way, middos must be finite as well. A person can have the middah of being patient, but there must be some limit to his level of patience when he must act. Similarly, a person can be a tremendous ba'al tzedakah, but a person cannot give away all of his money to charity.

Rabbi Frand brought a proof to this from the Haftorah of Parshas Zachor. The Haftorah tells the story of Shaul and Shmuel when Shmuel chastised Shaul for not wiping out Amalek as he had been instructed. In response to Shmuel's rebuke, Shaul states that he has sinned because he was afraid of the people and listened to their voices.

Shmuel's message to Shaul was that being the king sometimes involves taking unpopular steps and standing up to others. While it is nice to be patient or the nice guy, there are times when you must act, even if the act was unpopular.

The connection of middos and clothing can be seen a few pesukim later when Shmuel takes leave of Shaul. Shaul grabs the corner of Shmuel's garment in an attempt to prevent him from leaving and the garment tears. The corner of the garment is symbolic that there is an end to the covering much like there must be a limit to the middah of patience. The corner tears off and Shaul learns that his monarchy will be cut off as well.

IYH I will post R' Frand's vort on the megillah in a special Motzei Shabbos post.

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Tuesday's Thoughts on the Daf - Sanhedrin 11

Sanhedrin 11 is one of those dapim which are truly enjoyable to learn. There are many topics which branch off the main theme of the rules for making a year into a leap year (aka intercalating). I would like to briefly touch on two points from the daf.

Sanhedrin 11 begins with a discussion of how the judges who determine whether to make a leap year must be chosen by the Nasi for this task. It then digresses into the issue of preventing another person from being embarrassed by telling the following story. R' Gamliel once asked that seven judges assemble in his attic the following day so that they could decide whether to make the year a leap year. The following morning he found that there were eight people present. R' Gamliel then said - whoever came up without permission (thus demonstrating that the judge must be appointed by the Nasi) should go out. Shmuel HaKatan got up and said, I was the one who was not invited. However, I am not here to judge as I merely came to observe the proceedings so that I could understand the process of determining whether a leap year would occur. R' Gamliel responded to him - all years would be worthy of being determined by you as to whether they are leap years, but only those chosen by the Nasi may make the decision.

The gemara then gives the punchline - Shmuel HaKatan was actually invited to be a judge. However, since he did not want the outsider to be embarrassed, Shmuel got up and claimed that he himself was the uninvited guest.

Later in the daf, the gemara brings a beraisa which states that after the death of Chaggai, Zechariah and Malachi, the power of prophecy (Ru'ach HaKodesh) left the Jewish people, but they still were able to use the power of Bas Kol.

I must have heard the term Bas Kol thousands of times in my life, but I never stopped to think about what it means. Literally, the words mean the "daughter voice" or "daughter of voice." Still, I always thought it was just a heavenly voice which was heard by a select person.

Tosafos d'h Bas Kol gives a better understanding of where the term comes from. Tosafos writes "yesh omrim" that the Bas Kol was not a voice coming from the sky. Instead, the voice was a voice within another sound. Tosafos gives the example of when a person hits an object and besides the bang there is another sound (a vibration or concussive sound). The person who hears the Bas Kol is hearing the same outer sound that others are hearing (like the bang on the wall) but he also hears and understands the underlying sound as well.

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Monday's Musings on Sports - Tennis, Rachel and Being Prepared

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.

Last week there was an international sports story which went virtually ignored by the sports media due to the Olympics and the Tiger "press conference." One year ago, Shahar Peer was denied an entry visa by Dubai to play in a WTA tournament because she was from Israel and Dubai did not feel that it could "provide adequate security." This was a farce as Peer was clearly excluded because Dubai did not want to admit that Israel existed as there are no ties between the countries.

The Peer exclusion created attention in 2009 as Dubai was fined $300,000 by the WTA and several top players boycotted tournaments there in protest.

This year Peer (who was ranked 22nd in the world prior to the tournament) was allowed to play in Dubai. Even so, she was only allowed limit travel in Dubai as she could only be in the stadium or the hotel and could not visit any other location.

Despite all of these "distractions" Peer managed to advance at the tournament, beating the 15th seed, the 24th seed, the top seed and the eight seed before losing to eventual champion Venus Williams in the semi-finals. Yet this story was virtually ignored by the media.

At the same time that the media was ignoring Peer's romp through the tournament, it was making a major story about Israel's addition of Rachel's Tomb and Ma'aras Hamachpeilah to a list of protected historical sites. This was viewed by the media as a provocation since the locations are "holy" to Muslims. Indeed, a recent article quoted a Palestinian leader who stated that Israel was trying to raise tensions by making the "fight" about religion.

It never ceases to amaze me how the media ignores the fact that the main goal of the Palestinians are to eradicate the Jewish presence in Israel. Palestinian talk about how the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is their "third holiest site" - this despite the fact that it is not mentioned in the Koran. Meanwhile, our second and third holiest sites - Rachel's Tomb and Ma'aras Hamachpeilah are in cities which are controlled by the Palestinians (Bethlehem and Hebron). The international media does not seem to have a problem with Jews needing an armed escort to visit these sites or that the cities which house them have been ceded to the Palestinians due to international pressure. Instead, the media just portrays any Jewish presence at these sites as a provocation, without divulging that the Palestinian connection to the locations is less than twelve hundred years old (at most).

The Palestinian focus on erasing the Jewish presence, either in our cities or by the identity of our athletes, reminds me of the Rashi on the first pasuk in the Torah. Rashi asks - why did the Torah have to include the stories in Genesis - couldn't it just have started with the first mitzva related to the Month of Nissan (found in Exodus). Rashi answers that the stories are told so that the world will know that the Jews have been promised the land of Israel.

Imagine how tenuous our hold on Israel would be if the stories were not written in the Torah? Of course the media would be deprived of calling our holy places "biblical sites", but I am sure they would find something else to write about.

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Sunday Night Suds - Samuel Adams Noble Pils and Bonus Pre Purim Beer Guide

This week's Sunday Night Suds presents a review of one of Samuel Adams' newest seasonal beer - Samuel Adams Noble Pils. Also, following the review is this year's Pre-Purim beer guide.

The Noble Pils draws its name from the use of five Noble hops varieties which are used in the brew process. For those of you keeping score at home, the varieities are Hallertau, Tettnang, Spalter, Saaz and Hersbrucker.

The five Noble hops come together to make one of the finest Pilsner beers which I have ever tasted. This is the kind of beer that you can drink with almost any meal or even on its own. The beer has a great hop flavor and smell, with some bitterness. The beer also has good carbonation which almost gives the beer a creamy delivery - similar to the European nitro delivered brews.

Samuel Adams Noble Pils 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 Noble Pils 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 Noble Pils, 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).

*****BONUS PRE-PURIM BEER GUIDE*****
As a community service, Kosher Beers is proud to provide a Purim Beer Guide for those who choose brews for their seudah.

This post will be updated regularly as new information becomes available. There also may be an update after the AKO conference later this week.

Please note that there is no mitzvah to get stone drunk on Purim. The mitzvah is "ad d'lo yadah" which can even be accomplished through sleep (since while one is sleeping they do not know the difference between Haman and Mordechai).

Still, for those who do utilize alcohol as part of their seudah, the following is a brief guide to beers:

Does beer require a hashgacha? The major kashruth organizations utilize the chazakah that unflavored beer does not require a hashgacha as unflavored beers are made only from four ingredients: malted barley, hops, water and yeast. For a great article by Rabbi Tzvi Rosen on kashruth in alcohol, including an in depth analysis of beer making please click here http://www.star-k.com/kashrus/kk-thirst-highspirits.htm .

Additionally, for those trying to make sense of the different styles of beer which can be found in your local beer store - please click here for the Beer Advocate beer style list which breaks down the beers both by their type and country of origin: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style.

Assuming that you are looking for a beer with a hashgacha, I have compiled a list of beers along with their certifying agency. Please note that the list below is not meant to be exhaustive as it only reflects the results of my individual research. Finally, to my friends, I have not tried every beer on this kosher beer list and merely because I list them here does not mean I recommend them for your consumption. If you find a beer which looks interesting to you, please feel free to search the archive on the kosherbeers site to see if I have reviewed it.

Samuel Adams - as per Star-K, the following varieties are kosher even without a certification on the label. Please note that not every variety of Sam is on this approved list. To see the Star-K LOC for Samuel Adams, please click here http://www.star-k.org/loc/kosher_letter_6635_bostonbeercompany.pdf.

Black Lager; Blackberry Wit Beer; Boston Ale; Boston Lager; Brown Ale; Cherry Wheat; Coastal Wheat; Cranberry Lambic; Cream Stout; Double Bock; Hefeweizen; Holiday Porter; Honey Porter; Imperial Stout; Imperial White Ale; Irish Red Ale; Light; Nobel Pils; Octoberfest; Old Fezziwig; Pale Ale; Summer Ale; White Ale; Winter Lager.
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Gordon Biersch - the following beers were listed as certified kosher on an LOC which I received from the Va'ad of Detroit by fax. The LOC indicated that it was subject to renewal on April 26, 2010.

Blonde Bock; Czech Style Pilsner; Dunkelweizen; Festbier; Hefeweizen; Marzen; SommerBrau; WinterBock.
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Josephs Brau - the following beers were listed as certified kosher on an LOC which I received from the Va'ad of Detroit by fax. The LOC indicated that it was subject to renewal on April 26, 2010.

Dunkelweizen; Hopfest; Oktoberfest; Summer Brew; Winterfest.

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Brick Brewery - This Canadian Brewery only sells its fine product in Ontario. However, should you be lucky enough to find some where you are located, the following varieties are approved by the COR on their website - http://www.cor.ca/en/20177 .

Brick - Amber Dry; Anniversary Bock; Premium.
Laker - Honey; Ice; Premium Lager; Premium Light; Red; Strong.
Waterloo - Dark Lager, Wheat.
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Brooklyn Brewery - This beer company brews in multiple locations including Brooklyn, New York and Utica, New York. The following beers which are brewed in Utica and sold in 12 oz bottles were listed on an LOC which I received from the Va'ad of Detroit. The LOC indicated that it was subject to renewal on March 10, 2010.

Brooklyn - American Ale; Black Chocolate Stout; Brown Ale; East India Pale Ale; Lager; Monster Ale; Oktoberfest; Pennant Ale; Pilsner; Summer Ale; Weiss Beer; Winter Ale.
Post Road - Pumpkin Ale.
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Coopers Brewery (Australia) - The following beers are listed on the LOC from Kosher Australia which can be found by clicking here http://www.coopers.com.au/media/54992/kosher_cert.pdf .
Coopers - Best Extra Stout; Dark Ale; Extra Strong Vintage Ale; Mild Ale; Original Pale Ale; Premium Ale; Premium Light Beer; Sparkling Ale; Special Old Stout.
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Coors - To my knowledge, all beers produced by the Coors Brewing Company (including its Blue Moon subsidiary) are under the Orthodox Union. The beers generally have an OU on the label. The following are the varieties which are on the LOC which is subject to renewal on March 31, 2010.

Aspen – Edge.
Blue Moon - Belgian Ale; Full Moon Winter Ale; Grand Cru; Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale; Honey Moon Summer Ale; Pale Moon Pale Ale; Rising Moon Spring Ale.
Coors - Banquet Beer; Golden Ale; Light.
Keystone - Ice; Light; Premium.
Killian's Irish Red.
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Kirkland - the following beers which are sold at Costco under their Kirkland house brand are certified kosher. These beers were listed on an LOC which I received from the Va'ad of Detroit by fax. The LOC indicated that it was subject to renewal on April 26, 2010.

Kirkland Signature Amber Ale; Signature German Style Lager; Signature Hefeweizen and Signature Pale Ale.
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Lakefront Brewery - also certified by the Star-K. Very difficult to find outside of the Midwest, although some are available in Brooklyn at American Beverage on Court Street in Cobble Hill. The following varieties are found on the Star- K LOC which can be viewed here - http://www.star-k.org/loc/kosher_letter_8197_lakefrontbreweryinc.pdf .

Big Easy Lager; Bock Dark Lager; Cattail Ale; Cherry Lager; Cream City Pale Ale; East Side Dark Lager; Fuel Coffee Stout; Holiday Spice Lager; Klisch Pilsner; New Grist Beer; Oktoberfest; Organic Barleywine; Organic ESB; Pumpkin Lager; Riverwest Stein; Snake Chaser Stout; White Beer.
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FX Matt Brewing - this company brews many different brands of beer at its Utica factory. The following beers were listed on an LOC which I received from the Va'ad of Detroit by fax. The LOC indicated that it was subject to renewal on March 10, 2010.

Lake Placid: Ubu Ale; IPA; 46'er Ale.
Saranac: Adirondack Lager; Amber Wheat; Belgian Ale; Belgian White; Big Moose Ale; Black Diamond Bock; Black Forest; Black & Tan; Bock; Brown Ale; Caramel Porter; Chocolate Amber; Dunkel; ESB; Golden Pilsner; Hefewiezen; Helles; High Peaks Imperial IPA; Imperial Stout; India Pale; Irish Red Ale; Kolsch; Light; Maple Porter; Marzenbier; Mocha Stout; Mountain Ale; Nut Brown Ale; Oatmeal Stout; Oktoberfest; Pale Ale; Pale Pale Ale; Pomegranate Wheat; Pumpkin Ale; Rauchbier; Roggen Bock; Rye Pale Ale; Rye Pilsner; Season's Best; Scotch Ale; Single Malt; Stout; Summer Ale; Summer Brew; Traditional Lager; Winter Wassail;
Utica Club : Light, Pilsner.
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Miller - only select beers produced by SAB Miller Brewing Company are under kosher supervision. Although these were formerly under the OK laboratories, they are now under kosher supervision by the Orthodox Union. The following beers are on the LOC which is subject to renewal on March 3, 2010.

Miller Genuine Draft (MGD); Miller Genuine Draft Light; MGD64 and Miller Lite.
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New Belgium -only select beers produced by the New Belgium Brewing Company are certified kosher under the LOC which I received from the Scroll-K. The LOC indicated that it was subject to renewal on June 30, 2010 and included:

1554 Black Beer; 2 Below; Abbey; Blue Paddle; Fat Tire; Frambozen; Mighty Arrow; Mothership Wit; Old Cherry; Skinny Dip; Sunshine; Trippel.
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Pete's Brewing Company - The following beers were listed on an LOC which I received from the Va'ad of Detroit. The LOC indicated that it was subject to renewal on March 10, 2010.

Pete's Wicked Ale; Rally Cap Ale; Strawberry Blonde; Wanderlust.
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President's Choice - PC is the private label brand for the Loblaws supermarket chain. The following PC beers are listed as are approved by the COR on their website - http://www.cor.ca/en/20177 :

Choice 2.5, Dry, Genuine Draft, Genuine Lager, Honey Red, Light, Low Carb 2.5, Pilsener, Wheat.
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Redhook Brewery - This brewery produces beer on both the East Coast (New Hampshire) and West Coast (Woodinville, Washington). Both breweries produce beers which are under the kashruth supervision of the OU (all Redhook bottles which I have seen have the OU on the label) including:

Blonde, Copperhook Spring Ale, ESB, Longhammer IPA; Tripel; Winterhook Winter Ale.
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Spoetzel Brewery - This small town Texas brewery has a cult like following among those who have tried its product. The following beers (brewed under the trade name Shiner) were listed on an LOC which I received from the Va'ad of Detroit by fax. The LOC indicated that it was subject to renewal on December 31, 2009.

Blonde; Bock; Bohemian Black Lager; Hefeweizen; Holiday Cheer; Kolsch; Kosmos Reserve; Light; 99 Helles; 100 Commemorator; Smokehaus; Spezial Leicht.
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Trader Joe's - the following beers which are sold at Trader Joe's under their own label are certified kosher. These beers were listed on an LOC which I received from the Va'ad of Detroit by fax. The LOC indicated that it was subject to renewal on April 26, 2010.

Trader Joe's Bavarian Hefeweizen; Bohemian Lager; Hofbrau Bock and Vienna Lager.
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Note -Merely because a beer is not on this list does not mean that it is not kosher. This list contains the results of my research and is based on what I have been able to independently verify.

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Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Terumah

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.

Parshas Terumah starts with a pasuk which uses the expression that a person who has "generosity of heart" contributes to the mishkan - (asher yidvenu libo). R' Frand commented that this is a continuing theme in the parshios which discuss the building of the mishkan as there is a common use of the term nideev lev - generous or giving from the heart.

Why in this period of the building of the mishkan is there an emphasis on giving from the heart? Rabbi Frand answered by quoting the sefer Milchemes Yehuda who said that the term must be viewed in the context of the times. The Jews had been slaves in Egypt and were penniless. Before they left Egypt they asked the Egyptians for objects, while other valuables washed up on the shores of the Yam Suf.

The money that the Jews received was not like the common ways that a person comes into money in today's times. Today, a person comes into money instantly by inheritance or by hitting the lottery. These items are termed "found money" as they come out of the blue and help with buying things which are not bottom line items.

In contrast, the Jews of the desert had no concerns for parnasah. The manna came from the heavens. They did not need to worry about rent or utility bills. Their clothes never wore out - the clothes they wore when they left Egypt were what they wore when they entered Israel. They did not need to struggle for money at all. When the Jews were asked to donate to the mishkan they had no problems because they had nothing to spend money on. This was not hard earned money.

Since the money was not an issue, the way to see how much they desired to support the cause could not be viewed by "the amount of the check." Instead, the barometer was the amount of their nedivus ha'lev - how much they felt in their heart that they wanted to support the building of the mishkan.

This is why the avnei shoham that were contributed by the nessi'em were listed last among the donations, behind even the goat hair that was contributed by the commoners, because they gave the goat hair with mesiras nefesh. The nessi'em who were lazy in giving, although the objects were more valuable, were not held in high regard as there was not the same level of generosity of spirit.

Monday's Musings on Sports - The Message of Snow and Ice

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.

The Winter Olympics has always had a special meaning to me. My earliest memories of any Olympics is the miracle of Lake Placid and the country's momentary fascination with patriotism at a time when the economy was underwater. The recent Disney movie ("Miracle") gives some color to what was going on at the time by weaving old newscasts into a dramatization of the events of the Lake Placid games. My recollection of the era is more general in nature as I remember that people started displaying the American flag and chanting USA, USA. I can recall being at a hockey game between the NY Rangers and the Winnipeg Jets when the fans started chanting USA (yes the Rangers were losing).

The miracle of Lake Placid was more than just about patriotism. Those of you who are not hockey oriented or were born after the mid 80's, many not be aware that the Olympics used to be about the US and Canada sending their amateurs to play against the grizzled veterans of Sweden, Finland, Russia and the Soviet bloc countries. The North Americans would field teams comprised of college and Junior level players. Meanwhile, the teams they were playing against were made up of players who had played together for years at a time.

In 1998, Olympic hockey, perhaps motivated by the success of the basketball "dream team" began allowing the use of professional players in the Olympics. The games became an All Star game of sorts, although the teams with the most professionals did not always win. Indeed, the first games to use professional hockey players saw Canada lose a semi-final game to the Czech Republic and the Bronze medal game to Finland.

I recently heard a recording of a shmuz from R' Mattisyahu Solomon of Lakewood, who discussed a different miracle of snow and ice. R' Solomon said over a story he had heard from his Rebbi, R' Leib Guerwitz about an extended winter in Brisk. R' Guerwitz had been sent along with a number of boys from the Mirrer yeshiva to learn under the Brisker Rav. That year, the winter continued beyond the traditional season and when spring came the river was still frozen over and the ground covered with snow. R' Solomon mentioned that people were having weddings on the frozen river so that they could write in the kesubah that the wedding was held on the river.

One day, R' Guerwitz was walking when he passed the Brisker Rav's house. The Rav called him and asked him if he knew why the river and ground was still frozen so late in the year. Knowing that this was a rhetorical question, R' Guerwitz waited for the explanation. The Brisker Rav answered his own question by stating - the people of the world have changed their nature and are acting ways that make Hashem unhappy. As a result he is changing his nature by allowing the snow and ice to remain well beyond their normal time of year.

R' Solomon closed by stating that when we see a newspaper story about something out of the ordinary, we need to stop and think about the message in the story. If Hashem has allowed the teva to change, even if only briefly, there is certainly a message means for us to find.

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Sunday Night Suds - Saranac Winter Lager

This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at the Saranac Winter Lager.

Since the New York area is under a layer of white with another storm on the horizon, I decided to review a beer with snow on the label and winter at its heart.

First question - what is a winter lager? Much like other season related beers, there is no definition for a winter lager. Certain types of beer fall within the classification winter warmer - these beers are English in origin and heavy on the malt, with or without spice. None of the above are terms that you would use for a lager.

The Saranac website classifies the beer as a German Style Lager, but even this is not a true definition as there are many different kinds of German lagers including: Bock, Dopplebock, various styles of Munich Lager, Rauchbier, Schwarzbier. The common belief about the Saranac Winter Lager is that it is a Vienna Lager.

As defined by the experts at BA, a Vienna Lager is:

Named after the city in which it orginated, a traditional Vienna lager is brewed using a three step decoction boiling process. Munich, Pilsner, Vienna toasted and dextrin malts are used, as well wheat in some cases. Subtle hops, crisp, with residual sweetness.

The Saranac Winter Lager has a subtle hop flavor and is an unobtrusive accompaniment to most foods. The beer is 5.9% abv, but you really cannot taste the alcohol in the brew. If they were to sell this in six packs (I have only seen it in the 12 Beers of Winter) I could definitely go through more than one with a meal.

Saranac Winter 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 Winter Lager, 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).

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Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Mishpatim

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.

This week the TCN shiur was given from the Yeshiva as Baltimore has more than 54 inches of snow on the ground. I don't know if shiur was said differently because of the location of the shiur, but the the parsha portion of the shiur was atypical as it had one short vort and the balance of the time was spent on stories.

In Shemos 23:25 the Torah writes "You shall worship Hashem your g-d and He shall bless your bread and water and I shall remove illness from your midst."

Rabbi Frand quoted the Chidushei HaRim who explains that the blessing of the bread and water is linked to the removal of illness as the illness is not illness in the traditional sense. The Torah is actually discussing the illness of "Da'agas HaParnasah" - worry about finances. Hashem is telling the Jews that if they worship Him properly, He will remove their worries about earning a living which is in their midst (aka human nature).

Rabbi Frand then told a series of stories which were linked to honesty. [The parsha contains the pasuk (23:7) of Midvar Sheker Tirchak - "distance yourself from falsehood"].

A person once asked R' Ya'akov Kaminetzky whether it was permitted to take off work for Purim. The man had been told that business was too hectic for employees to take personal days and that workers could only miss time if it was for sick leave. The man rationalized - I will have fasted on Ta'anis Esther and people sometimes don't feel well on Purim - can I take the day off as a sick day?

Rabbi Kaminetzky told the man that he should not take Purim off. The Rabbi explained - Purim is a mitzva d'rabbanan, while Midvar Sheker Tirchak is a mitzva d'orisa. Indeed, this is the only time in the Torah where we are instrcuted to stay far away from something.

Another story about R' Kaminetzky related to his time as a Rabbi in Toronto. One year, the community gave him a silver platter as a gift. Later, the Rabbi was seen in a pawn shop with the platter. The people of the community were shocked and he was asked why he was selling the platter.

R' Kaminetzky responded that the platter was a financial benefit of his position and as such he would need to pay taxes on the platter. He had visited the pawn shop to find out the value of the platter so that he could properly declare it on his taxes, not sell it.

The final story involved R' Aharon Soloveitchik. R' Aharon was once at the airport with his mother in law. When he went to the ticket counter he was told by the desk clerk that the airline was running a special - spouses fly free. R' Aharon responded that this was his mother in law, not his wife. The desk clerk said that it was not a problem as the airline does not examine these things carefully. R' Aharon then asked - do you have permission to overlook this? The desk agent was unable to answer the question and the supervisor was called.

When the supervisor arrived, R' Aharon mentioned again that this was not his wife. The supervisor said that the airline does not check marriage licenses. R' Aharon asked - do you have permission to change the promotion? Ultimately, he bought the second ticket.

Monday Musings on Sports - From Yisro With Love

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.

A wise man named Mike (I can't remember whether it was Golic or Greenberg) once said - the football season never truly ends. While the public may perceive that the football season ends with the Super Bowl, the coaches and player personnel administrators are already hard at work the day after the Super Bowl. OK - maybe not the staff of the team that won the Super Bowl, but the other thirty one teams are already at work.

So what goes on behind the scenes after the season ends? Teams ramp up their scouting of the players who will enter the NFL draft. Last week's paper was filled with information from the Senior Bowl, including no so flattering reviews of Tim Tebow's performance. Then comes the NFL combine (for a link to the combine schedule click here http://www.nflcombine.net/players/schedule ) and various player's pro days.

Meanwhile, teams look to fill out their coaching staffs by plucking coordinators and assistant coaches off of the Super Bowl teams. (It is an unwritten rule that you don't hire a coach to fill a vacancy from a team which is still alive in the playoffs). Unlike most other sports, football has many assistant coaches per team. While baseball has a bench coach, pitching coach, bullpen coach and strength/conditioning coach, an NFL team has many many more coaches. Each team has a defensive coordinator and an offensive coordinator. The team will also have a position coach for each position - linebackers, secondary, d-line, o-line, wide receivers, running backs, special teams, etc...

Why do the teams have so many assistant coaches? Because the head coach (while ultimately responsible for the team's performance) simply does not have the time to each every player the nuances of his position. Instead, the head coach has to be involved in making the decisions on the playing field and dealing with the media and ownership.

The concept of the head coach dealing with the major issues while leaving minutiae to his sergeants at arms can be seen in Torah thought, more specifically in last week's parsha - Parshas Yisro.

Parshas Yisro begins with Yisro coming to Moshe after having heard about the Jews' exodus from Egypt. Moshe's father in law then observes Moshe's daily life and sees that he is sitting and judging the people from morning until evening. Yisro comments to Moshe - this is not a good thing for you or the Jewish people. Instead , you should appoint magistrate judges to assist you in judging - they should judge the minor cases and the larger controversies should come to you.

I'm not saying that Yisro invented the forward pass (or the onside kick), but the concept of delegation of duty so as to improve performance and productivity can certainly be found in the parsha.

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Sunday Night Suds - Redhook Tripel

This Super Sunday Night Suds looks at a limited edition super beer - Redhook Tripel.

Periodically I receive email from people inquiring about the kashruth of Belgian beer. Unfortunately, I have little information about the Belgians as the kashruth organizations there do not have a significant Internet presence. I have had some limited contact with the Belgian kashruth authorities, but the only answers that I have received to my questions about which beers the Jews of Belgium drink is that they only drink unflavored beers.

This brings me to my most recent beer email. A few weeks ago I received an email asking about kosher tripels. While this is a Belgian style, there are quite a few tripels that are brewed domestically. I did a little digging and was able to find two tripels which are under kosher supervision - one by New Belgium of Fort Collins, Colorado and the other by Redhook of Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Woodinville, Washington.

Since I knew that the New Belgium beers are not available in the Northeast, I decided to try for the Redhook. I tried some of the better local beer stores, but none of them carry it. I then emailed the brewery, but they were unable to identify any stores in the New York area which carry the Tripel. Instead, they suggested that I contact the beer distributors and see who they sell the Tripel. I have tried this in the past with very limited success.

Fast forward to yeshiva vacation week. We took the kids for two days to the Fitchburg, Massachusetts area. While at the hotel I checked BA and saw that there was a well regarded beer store nearby (Kappy's) so I swung by and saw some high end kosher brews including the Redhook Tripel. At $8 a bottle it was expensive for a brew, but I picked one up and saved it for this shabbos.

So what is a tripel? As defined by BA:

The name "Tripel" actually stems from part of the brewing process, in which brewers use up to three times the amount of malt than a standard Trappist "Simple." Traditionally, Tripels are bright yellow to gold in color, which is a shade or two darker than the average Pilsener. Head should be big, dense and creamy. Aroma and flavor runs along complex, spicy phenolic, powdery yeast, fruity/estery with a sweet finish. Sweetness comes from both the pale malts and the higher alcohol. Bitterness is up there for a beer with such a light body for its strength, but at times is barely perceived amongst the even balance of malts and hops. The lighter body comes from the use of Belgian candy sugar (up to 25% sucrose), which not only lightens the body, but also adds complex alcoholic aromas and flavors. Small amounts of spices are sometimes added as well. Tripels are actually notoriously alcoholic, yet the best crafted ones hide this character quite evil-like and deceivingly, making them sipping beers.

The Redhook Tripel had a higher end alcohol content (10.2% abv) and since it comes in a 22 oz bottle, it could pack quite a kick. I shared it with Mrs Kosher Beers and a few friends at shabbos lunch and solicited their opinions. Mrs Kosher Beers said that it was a little strong for her taste. Eli B thought that it had a nice amount of hops. I was struck by the strong cloves and vanilla flavors. I would not call it a sipping beer, but I could not see drinking a few of these at a sitting.

Redhook Tripel is under the kashruth supervision of the Orthodox Union. For the experts' take on the Tripel, please click here http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/18134/48411.

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's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Yisro

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 18:13-23, the Torah recounts the story of Yisro's observation of Moshe's role as a judge and Yisro's recommendation that Moshe appoint magistrates to assist in judging. As part of this conversation, Yisro tells Moshe at 18:20 that Moshe should warn the new judges about the chukim and toros (the decrees and teachings) and show them the derech (path) they should go down and the deeds they should do.

The Sefer Tiferes Shlomo (the Radomsker Rav) asks - why does the pasuk appear to be redundant? Wouldn't it have been enough just to say that Moshe should warn them about the chukim and toros? The Tiferes Shlomo answered that the pasuk teaches us that there is more than just keeping the Torah. A person needs to work on the way that he does his avodas Hashem and the manner in which he conducts himself when doing the mitzvos. Each person is different in nature and the way that he does his avodas Hashem should reflect his nature.

Rabbi Frand then quoted the Gra on Mishlei who explains that each person is different - in the way that they appear, or think or act. During the times of the prophets, a person would approach the Navi and he would tell the person how that person needed to act, based on that person's nature.

Rabbi Frand also quoted another Gra on Mishlei which took a similar tact in explain the famous pasuk "Chanoch L'Na'ar al pi darco" - teach the child according to his way. The Gra explains that a person must look at the student and understand how he learns and then teach the child in the way that he is comfortable learning. If a teacher attempts to force a method on a child which is not suitable for the child, the child may learn for a few years, but eventually he will rebel.

Rabbi Frand then quoted the sefer Bei Chiya which brings down a story from Gemara Gittin 58a. In this gemara, R' Yehoshua Ben Chananya had gone to Rome and people told him that there is a Jewish boy in prison who has a fine appearance. R' Yehoshua went to the entrance of the prison and quoted the beginning of a pasuk from Yeshaya (42:24) "who has given Ya'akov for spoil and Yisrael to plunder? The boy answered R' Yehoshua with the end of the pasuk - That Hashem was responsible for this situation because the Jews sinned against Hashem.

R' Yehoshua then stood outside the prison and said that he was certain that the boy would someday render judgment (Morah Hora'ah) for the Jews. Therefore, R' Yehoshua said that he would not leave there until he had enough money to redeem the boy from the prison. R' Yehoshua was able to raise the money and the boy was redeemed. Not long after the boy began to to render judgment - he was R' Yishmael Ben Elisha.

Rabbi Frand then asked about the gemara - merely because the boy was able to finish the pasuk from Yeshaya, was that enough of a reason to proclaim that the boy would teach halacha? Surely many children knew how to finish pesukim!

Rabbi Frand answered by citing R' Bunim in his sefer Sod See'ach who states that the problem in that generation was that people were running around without knowing their purpose. R' Yehoshua knew from the boy's answer that he was capable of giving direction to the Jews, because he gave direction to R' Yehoshua in the way that he finished the pasuk. The boy essentially said to R' Yehoshua - don't cry about me. Do the task you were destined to perform and raise the money needed to redeem me from prison.

This was the language of Morah Hora'ah - that the boy would some day grow up to be able to tell people the proper way to live their lives.

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Wednesday's Weird But True Legal Cases - Can that FedEx Truck Really Double Park Legally?

This week's weird (but true) legal case asks the question - can the ubiquitous FedEx truck really double park legally?

The above question was considered by a Supreme Court Judge in the matter of Yavkina v. New York City Police Department, 19 Misc.3d 1111(A) (Sup Ct Kings Cty 2008).

In Yavkina, a pedestrian was struck by a NY City Police Van when she was crossing in front of a double parked FedEx truck in Brooklyn. After she filed suit against the City and the driver of the van, the City brought a third party action against FedEx, asserting that the double parked truck obstructed the driver's view and contributed to the accident.

After discovery was closed, FedEx moved for summary judgment, asserting that it cannot be found to be negligent as New York's Vehicle and Traffic Law permits FedEx to double park when making deliveries.

In discussing the VTL, the court explained:

Thus the statute prohibits double parking but creates an exception to such prohibition for commercial vehicles while expeditiously making pick-ups, deliveries or services calls provided there is no unoccupied parking space or designated loading zone on either side of the street within 100 feet that can be used for such standing.

The problem for FedEx in this matter was that its driver had no recollection of the events which took place on the day of the accident. As such, FedEx could not establish that the driver was actively engaged in making deliveries or that there were no unoccupied parking spots.

However, the court was not done with FedEx as the Judge further explained that:

The evidence submitted on this motion establishes that the Federal Express vehicle was double parked. The photographs also establish that any vehicle passing the Federal Express vehicle would be compelled to travel in a portion of the lane of oncoming traffic. To pass the Federal Express truck, a vehicle would be required to leave little room between itself and the Federal Express truck to avoid oncoming traffic.

Based on the above, the court denied the motion, explaining that:

While double parking on wide streets would permit a passing vehicle to provide a margin for safe viewing and for pedestrian error, a narrow street does not. In this case, the question of the relative culpability of Federal Express, the City of New York and the plaintiff herself, all of whom appear to have had a role in the cause of this occurrence, must await resolution by a finder of fact.

As a post script it should be noted that FedEx took this up on appeal, but the Appellate Division affirmed the Supreme Court decision.

If you would like to view the Supreme Court decision please click here http://www.nycourts.gov/reporter/3dseries/2008/2008_50641.htm .

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Monday Musings on Sports - When its not yet time to back up DeVan

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.

One of the quirks of the NFL schedule is that there are two weeks between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl. In order to fill those two weeks, the media usually beats the bushes to provide interviews with famous players' high school or elementary school teachers. In the alternative, the media will "discover" a little known player and do an in depth story about what motivates the player or his path to the pros. While I don't care for the former stories, the latter ones occasionally pique my curiosity.

This morning, Yahoo Sports ran an AP story about Kyle DeVan, one of the starting guards for the Indianapolis Colts. Written by Michael Marot, the story talked about how DeVan was undrafted when he graduated Oregon State in 2008 and signed as a free agent with the Washington Redskins before being cut and then bouncing on and off NFL rosters before spending a few weeks of the season on the Jets practice squad.

When DeVan was not playing football, he worked as a substitute teacher in his home town of Vacaville, California. In his words, DeVan taught elementary school through high school, “I taught everybody from fifth grade through seniors everything.”

DeVan never gave up on his dream of playing professional football. When the Arena league2 season started, DeVan went to Idaho to play football for the Boise Burn. While playing for Boise, DeVan was scouted by the Indianapolis Colts, who brought him into training camp prior to the 2009-2010 season. By the time Week 8 of the season rolled around, DeVan was in the starting lineup.

DeVan's incredible trip from Fifth Grade sub to Superbowl starter has a great Torah message. Ever since Adam and Eve ate from the apple, man has been cursed with a need to work in order to sustain himself. However, merely because one wants to perform a certain job, it does not mean that the job is the right one for him at the time.

A number of months ago I heard a story from Rabbi Shafier (of http://www.theshmuz.com/) about a person who lived in Rochester, NY during the height of the Kodak years. The fellow had been working in computers and was laid off. He spent a number of years looking for a job, but was unsuccessful. Eventually, the man and his family moved to the New York City area and he was able to find a parnassah.

Rabbi Shafier explained that the man later appreciated why it would have been a bad move to have found a job and stayed in Rochester. The man's children were in need of a more structured school program than what was available in Rochester. Having moved to NY, the children were able to have access to schools which met their needs and they thrived in that environment.

If you were to have asked the man during the time he was unemployed whether he would have preferred a job, he would certainly have said yes. However, the lack of the job was the impetus for him to move to NY and as a result his children were able to succeed in school.

Similarly, DeVan might have preferred regular work on an NFL team in 2008. However, if he were to be given the choice of playing for two awful Washington Redskin teams (12-20 combined over the last two years) or starting for the AFC champion Colts, there really would be no question at all.

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