Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Chukas

The following is a brief summary of a thought said over by R' Frand on the parsha 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.

Rabbi Frand began his vort by noting that the Parah Adumah is a classic paradox. It causes those who prepare it to become tamei, but the only way that one can become pure from tumah is if he receives the ashes of the Parah Adumah. This chok was a paradox which even King Solomon could not understand.

Rabbi Frand quoted the gemara which states that the mitzva of Parah Aduma was given at Mara, prior to the grant of the Torah to the Jews. The mitzva of Parah Aduma was not the only mitzva commanded at Mara, as the Jews also received the mitzva of Shabbos, and the mitzva to respect one's parents.

Rabbi Frand then quoted R' Yaakov (I assume Kaminetsky) who asked why the mitzva of Parah Aduma was given prior to Matan Torah? Since the miztva requires a kohain gadol and a mishkan and the Jews had neither at the time, it seems premature to be given this mitzva at that time.

Rabbi Frand then asked a second question - why is Parah Aduma described as the quintessential Chok. There are other mitzvos which appear to be more illogical, such as shatnez or the issur in eating non kosher animals. Yet, this is the mitzva which the Torah calls the number one Chok.

Rabbi Frand quoted a sefer called Be'er Yosef which theorizes that the reason that Parah Aduma is the classic Chok and needs to be learned prior to Matan Torah is that Parah Aduma symbolizes that bad things can happen to good people and bad people can have good things in their lives. Parah Aduma is the mitzva that teaches that there are things in life which happen that we do not understand. There are funerals six days a week and people needed to relate to it. When the Beis Hamikdash was operational there were people going on a daily basis to be mitaheir from their tumah that they incurred while taking care of a dead body. Thus the Parah Aduma was a constant reminded of death.

R' Frand quoted R' Yaakov, who explains that this is the reason why the mitzva of Parah Aduma was given before the Torah was given to the Jews. The Jews needed to learn that there are laws in the Torah which are not meant to be understood, but they still need to be observed.

R' Frand then stated that the thought clarifies a Magen Avraham (580) which teaches that there was a minhag of Jews to fast on the Friday before Chukas. Why? Because twenty wagon loads of Gemara were burned in France on that Friday. However, this fast was unlike any other fast since it was not tied to a date in Tamuz. Instead, it was tied to the Friday before Chukas because it was a gezeirah that they could not understand. This is the Parsha that teaches that things happen which we just cannot understand and therefore the fast was tied to the Friday of this week.

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Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Korach

The following is a brief summary of a thought said over by R' Frand on the parsha 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 Korach begins with the phrase "Vayikach Korach" which is translated as "Korach took." The question asked by many meforshim is, what did Korach take? Rashi answers that Korach took himself from within the community. However the question remains, why did the Torah use the term Vayikach instead of Vayavo (and he came) or Vayomer (and he said).

R' Frand answered his question by quoting Rabbi Isaac Bernstein who explained (al pi drush) that there is a lesson about human kind through the use of Vayikach.

The gemara teaches that Korach was very bright as well as very wealthy. Chazal teach that there were two incredibly wealthy people, Korach and Haman. There is even a yiddish expression "Rich as Korach."

Rashi states that Korach even had prestige as he was one of the carriers of the aron kodesh.

So how did Korach go wrong? Because Korach was a taker (Lokayach) and not a giver (Nosain). A person who is a taker will never be happy, even if he is rich and prominent, because he looks at other people and wants to have what they possess and more. A giver on the other hand will be happy with what he has.

R' Frand then quoted a story about R' Dessler and what R' Dessler used to say to couples before they went under the chuppah. He would tell them that at this moment in time, your greatest desire is to want to give to each other. If this stays with you, then you will be happy. But when you see this as an opportunity to take, the bliss will be gone from your marriage.

R' Frand said that he was asked once by a student what is the key to success in marriage. R' Frand answered, "selflessness". Every thing else is just commentary.

The message of the parsha is that Korach was a taker, this is why he rebelled against Moshe and wanted to be the Kohain Gadol.

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Sunday Night Suds - Saranac Shandy

This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Saranac Shandy.

I will be he first to admit that there are some styles of beer that I am just not a big fan of. I like my IPAs, APAs, Stouts, Porters, Bocks and Dopplebocks. I occasionally try other styles of beers which are not among my favorites (or as one of my bosses would say, they are not in my wheelhouse). While these would not be styles of beer that I would want to stock up on, I can still appreciate when a particular beer maintains the proper characteristics of its beer style.

But then there is this stepchild called the Shandy or German Rader. Its not truly a beer style, its a mad science experiment which people drink when they are really looking to spike their beer with something to eradicate the beer flavor. Or at least that is the way that it seems to me.

The folks at BA did not define the Radler style of beer, so I had to go to the fount of all knowledge --wikipedia (hey if its online, it must be true) which defines Radler as:

a Biermischgetränk (beer-based mixed drink) with a long history in German-speaking regions. Consisting of a 50%/50% or 60%/40% mixture of various types of beer and German-style soda pop or lemonade, the invention of the Radler has been widely attributed to the Munich gastronomer Franz Xaver Kugler in 1922. However the recipe for the Radler had been mentioned as early as 1912. Nowadays, the Radler is drunk not only in Bavaria but across Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Slovenia, Northern Italy and Republic of Macedonia. During the summer months, Radler is very popular due to its reputation of being a thirst-quencher. The product is now being offered by various breweries in bottles and cans.

Try as I might, I just can't get past the first through sips of a Shandy, even when it is produced by a quality brewery like Saranac. The Saranac Shandy had a sugar, ginger and lemon flavor that hit me in the face like mountain dew on steroids. The sugar content is so high that I could feel it on my teeth. I can't tell you about successive sips, because I really couldn't get past the first few.

Saranac Shandy is under the Kosher Supervision of the Va'ad of Detroit as is every other beer produced at the Matt Brewery plant in Utica, NY. To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about the Summer Brew, please follow this link - www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/99/80668.

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

If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Shelach

The following is a brief summary of a thought said over by R' Frand on the parsha 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.

Rabbi Frand noted that in this week's parsha, Moshe gives Hoshea Bin Nun, the name Yehoshua. The mefarshim ask, why does Moshe only give a bracha to Yehoshua and not the rest of the meraglim?

The Maharal writes that since Yehoshua was Moshe's talmid, it would have been very embarrassing to Moshe if Yehoshua went off the derech. As such, Moshe felt a responsibility to daven for Yehoshua.

Rabbi Frand then quoted a sefer called Milchemes Yehuda that gave a different answer. Moshe felt that the other meraglim had a zechus that Yehoshua did not have. During the sin of the Golden Calf, the other meraglim withstood the will and desire of the people to participate in the sin. Yehoshua did not have this problem, since he stayed at the foot of Mt Sinai during the entire time that Moshe was on the mountain. Moshe believed that since the meraglim had not succumbed and participated in the sin of the Golden Caf, they had a zechus which would assist them during their mission. However, since Yehoshua did not have this zechus, Moshe felt a need to pray for assistance for him.

Rabbi Frand explained that there is a lesson in this vort. Some people have easy lives and they are never tested. Other people have troubles and twists and turns and they come out stronger. If we had a choice, we would probably select to have the easier time, but the one who goes through the troubles and comes out unscathed is usually better off. [R Frand then used an expression, if it does not break me, it makes me, but I prefer the old adage, if it doesn't kill you, it just makes you stronger].

Rabbi Frand then quoted a vort in the name of R' Shach. R' Shach noted that when Yaakov met with Eisav, Yaakov first put the children of Bilha and Zilpa first and then those of Leah and only then Rachel. Why did Yaakov do this, did he see the children of Bilha and Zilpa like cannon fodder? That would not be Yaakov.

Rabbi Frand stated that R' Shach explained that the sons of Bilha and Zilpa were put first because they had the most zechuyos. Since they were always treated as less than the others, they had a zechus for continuing. The sons of Leah also were seen as lower than the sons of Rachel and they earned a zechus for carrying on despite this. The sons of Rachel had the least zechuyos, thus they were placed last.

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Sunday Night Suds - Leinenkugel Summer Shandy

This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Leinenkugel Summer Shandy.

For years, people have been asking me about whether Mike's Hard Lemonade is under hashgacha. And for years, my answer has always been the same, I am unaware of any kashruth agency which certifies Mike's Hard Lemonade as kosher. Having never tried Mike's Hard Lemonade, I am unsure why people are so interested in drinking it. I ask myself, why would someone mix lemonade with malt liquor and think that the result could be anything palatable? A little lemon flavor with a beer, might make sense. But why would you want to have a "half and half" type drink which mixes beer and lemonade?

Apparently some people must like this combination, as year after year Leinenkugel produces their Summer Shandy. The Leinenkugel website writes that the Summer Shandy is a "traditional German Radler" which is brewed with "natural lemonade flavor." I don't know what a traditional German Radler is supposed to taste like, but to me, this is a pitcher of Country-Time poured into a small cup of lager. The result is artificial lemon flavor with beer, something akin to a couple of yellow lollypops which have steeped in a beer bottle. (Mrs KB was less kind in her comments, as she told me that she thought it tasted like Pledge).

Leinenkugel Summer Shandy is certified kosher by the Orthodox Union, although the product currently in the marketplace does not yet have an OU on the label. If you would like a copy of the LOC please contact me via email.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about Leinenkugel Summer Shandy, please follow this link http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/710/36010.

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Behalosecha

The following is a brief summary of a thought said over by R' Frand on the parsha 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.

At the end of this week's parsha we read about Miriam being afflicted with tzaraas as a punishment for speaking lashon hara about her brother Moshe. The Torah writes that Miriam was required to stay outside the camp of the Jewish people for seven days until her tzaraas cleared. During this entire time, the camp of more than two million people did not travel and the Jews waited for Miriam before the camp moved on.

Rashi explains that the reason that the camp did not move was to repay Miriam for the chessed she did for Moshe. When Moshe was placed in the basket, Miriam waited at the shore to see what would happen to Moshe. To repay this kindness, the Jews waited for Miriam before moving on.

R' Frand asked two questions on this Rashi. The first question was -- this event took place eighty three years after Miriam waited for Moshe. Why couldn't her kindness have been repaid earlier?

Rabbi Frand's second question is how can this be a chessed for Miriam? She is branded as one who speaks lashon hara and is excluded from the camp of the Jews. How is this a reward? Would we take someone who is incarcerated and make him "man of the year?"

Rabbi Frand answered his questions by quoting his son (he did not identify his son's name). He stated that this Rashi is a lesson in hakaras hatov. R' Frand mentioned an old GM advertising slogan "It is uniquely American to ask, what have you done for me lately?" R' Frand commented that this is an anti-Jewish theme. Why do we only care about what was done for us lately if the person has a history of doing right by us.

R' Frand then quoted Pete Rose, who once said "You are only as good as your last at bat. If you strike out and then are men on base and the game is lost, you are a goat."

This is another example of a negative train of thought. People may ride the bandwagon with you when times are good, but will jump off the bandwagon when things go badly. You are a loser, they say.

This Rashi is a proof that Hashem never forgets. It may have been 83 years prior, but now Miriam will get her reward. It does not matter that she is being punished at the time, since by giving Miriam her reward when she was "in the doghouse" Hashem is saying - its not what have you done for me lately, its what have you ever done? Miriam had done the right thing years earlier and was now going to receive her reward.

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Sunday Night Suds - Hoegaarden Wit Blanche

This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Hoegaarden Wit Blanche (aka Original White Beer) - a self described "original Belgian wheat beer."

Hoegaarden and I have an interesting history and this is technically not the first time that I have reviewed this beer for a Sunday Night Suds. A number of years ago, my wife and I went out for dinner and this was on the restaurant's beer menu. Since the steakhouse was under hashgacha, I assumed that this beer was fine and ordered it with my dinner.

Within a day or two I received an email from someone asking me who gave the hashgacha on the Hoegaarden. I started doing the research and could not find any kasruth agency which certified the brew at the time. As the beer is flavored and therefore exempt from the general chazakah, I did not buy any more Hoegaarden as there was no way to know at the time that beer was kosher.

Fast forward to winter 2011-2012. I received another email from a reader who mentioned to me that he had seen Hoegaarden with hashgacha in Israel. After some emailing and digging I was led o the KF who provided me with an LOC for Hoegaarden as well as many other European beers. These were incorporated in the "special European section" of the most recent kosher beers list (found here http://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2012/03/purim-5772march-2012-updated-kosher.html).

So what does the Hoegaarden taste like? It is a classic European witbier which pours a medium golden color and is quite cloudy. The beer has some cloves/coriander tones but it is not stifling. There are little hops to be found in the brew, which is typical to the style. Overall, it is a refreshing, light (but not in the low calorie sense) brew, well suited for summer.

Hoegaarden Wit Blanche (aka Original White Beer) is under the Kosher Supervision of the Kosher Federation (London). If you would like to see a copy of the LOC, please email me and I will forward it to you. To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about Hoegaarden Wit Blanche, please follow this link http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/99/80728.

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver. If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).

Finally, if you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!