Thursday, September 29, 2016

Thursday's Torah (but not parsha) Tidbits - a Vort on Yom Kippur

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand this evening. As indicated in the title above, the post halacha portion of tonight's shiur was solely about Yom Kippur so there will be no Nitzavim thoughts this week. Still, I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

R' Frand began the vort by quoting from the famous mishna in Yoma which discussed the training given by the rabbis to the Kohain Gadol before Yom Kippur. The mishna recites that at the end of the training they would make him swear that he would not deviate from the instructions. After he swore the oath, he would leave and cry and they would walk away crying. They would cry because they suspected an innocent and he would cry because he was suspected of being a Tziduki.

R' Frand next quoted the Rambam on Hilchos Yom HaKippurim which recited the entire story again, including the crying by both sides.

R' Frand asked on the Rambam - this is not a historical book - its a book of halachos. Why does the Rambam tell a story, and then tell us about the crying? This is not a halachic question!

R' Frand next quoted a mishna in Meseches Derech Eretz which instructs that when a guest comes to your house you should treat him finely and give him food and drink like you would be hosting Raban Gamliel, but also suspect that he might steal from you. The mishna tells a story about a guest who visited R' Yehoshua. He was hosted and given fine food and then was given lodging on the second floor. At night the man began to steal items from the second floor, but when he wanted to come down from the second floor he fell and broke his leg as R' Yehoshua had removed the ladder at night in case he was a thief. In the morning, R' Yehoshua found him on the floor with a broken leg and a bag of R' Yehoshua's possessions.

Based on this story, the Rishonim asked - why did the Rabbis cry after they suspected the Kohain Gadol? They had an obligation to suspect him because there was a real problem at that time with the Tzidukim. So why did they cry?

R' Frand answered the questions by quoting the Tolner Rebbi who cited the Sfas Emes in explaining a story in the gemara Yoma. The gemara tells that Rav was giving a shiur and people kept coming in late and he would restart the shiur. When R' Chanina, who was the 4th late comer, came in - Rav did not restart the shiur. R' Chanina got upset about this and felt that he was being disrespected. Rav then went to him for 13 Yom Kippurim to ask forgiveness, but was turned down each time.

The Sfas Emes asked - why did not Rav need to go and apologize? Rav was in the right, he did not need to restart the shiur for a fourth time, merely because another person came in very late. If someone does something wrong to you and your Rav agrees that he was wrong, why should you ask mechila?

The Sfas Emes explains that all year long if someone is wrong and you are right, you are not obligated to ask mechila. But that is for all year long. But Yom Kippur is different. R' Frand quoted the Tanna Dvei Eliyahu on the words "Vlo Echad Meyhem" in Tehillim 139 - there is one day a year that the Satan does not have impact on us - that is Yom Kippur. But on that day we need to be different by building achdus.

This is the reason why Rav only went to ask mechila on Erev Yom Kippur, and he did it every year in that day. Rav was right and he was wrong. But on Yom Kippur we must make shalom - not because Rav was wrong, but because its a day of achdus.

Similarly, this is the reason that the Rabbis cried after suspecting Kohain Gadol. They did their job exactly the way that they were required to. But still, it causes dissension and that's why they cried.

This is also why the Rambam tells the story - because if one causes pirud on Yom Kippur its not good - it is antithetical to the sense of achdus. The mission on Yom Kippur is to try to make shalom, even if you did nothing wrong, do what you can to bring the Jews together on this day.

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

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Tuesday's Thoughts on the Daf - Bava Kamma 119

I have not really found the time lately to write much, but I did not want the mesechta to close without at least one Tuesday's Thoughts on the Daf post. And when I was preparing the daf, I remembered a thought said by Rabbi Frand a few weeks ago which did not make it into a TPT post, so it gave me the perfect opportunity.

On Bava Kamma 119 there is a discussion as to whether a person can destroy the property of a "Moser" - someone who turns over Jews and/or the property to the government for being Jewish. The gemara offers two alternatives - that since there is a mitzva to kill a moser to prevent him from turning a Jew in to the government, then there certainly it is permitted to destroy his property. The second view is that his property should be taken as he might have children who are not evil in nature and they should not be deprived of support, merely because their father is evil.

I was reminded of a vort said by R' Frand on the concept of Ir Miklat - the city of refuge. He noted that during the first fourteen years after the Jews entered the land of Israel there were no Jews sent to Ir Miklat. But why?

R' Frand quoted the Meshech Chachma who explained that the concept of Ir Miklat existed for Jews who killed accidentally to seek refuge there until the death of the Kohain Gadol. However, during the first years that the Jews were conquering and dividing the land, Elazar the Kohain Gadol was involved in the division. Since it was certain that Elazar would not die until his mission was fufilled, no Jews were sent to Ir Miklat because they would have no hope of ever leaving.


R' Frand explained that a Jew must always have hope and that without hope it is difficult to continue. However, there is an exception. As explained by R' Shlomo Zalman, the moser should have no hope. If these people are driven to give over Jews to the government for being Jewish, there is no hope for them.

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


Sunday, September 25, 2016

Sunday Night Suds - Coney Island Brewery Mermaid Pilsner


This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Coney Island Brewery Mermaid Pilsner.

To first answer the questions which I am sure you are dying to ask, no they don't make this beer out of real mermaids and no, I don't have a clue why Coney Island has linked mermaids with pilsners.

Having gotten that out of the way, I can tell you that as pilsners go, this is a pretty good version. The beer poured a full golden yellow with decent carbonation and some lacing which faded quickly.

As opposed to most pilsners, this beer did have some floral hops which I appreciated and enjoyed. There was even a bit of a sharpness to the brew, although I would chalk that up to the rye malts.

This beer would be a decent pairing with most foods - the flavor is not strong enough to say that it would mesh well with any food, but it would not clash either. Call it a parve brew.

The Coney Island Brewery Mermaid Pilsner is certified kosher by the Star-K, although not every beer brewed by Coney Island is currently on the LOC. To view and download the LOC for Boston Beer which includes Coney Island (as well as Angry Orchard) click here https://express.star-k.org/viewer/LOCViewer.aspx?PEFQZ4N3.

To see what the experts at BA think about this brew, click here http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/27114/50743.

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

If you are reading this post more than six months after it was written, please note that it is possible that the product is no longer still certified kosher. To verify that the product is still certified kosher, please click on the kosher beers list link on the top left corner of the blog.

Lastly, 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, September 22, 2016

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Ki Savo

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

R' Frand said his first vort about HaKaras HaTov and quoted the Alshich who cited the well known vort on the first pasuk in the Torah (Bereishis Bara Elokim) that because of what was called first - the Torah, the Jews and Bikkurim, Hashem created the world. This is understandable as it relates to the Torah which preceded creation as well and as it relates to the Jews who are called reishis by Hashem, but why Bikkurim? The Alshich explains that since the concept of Bikkurim is emblematic of Hakaras HaTov, the world was created for the mitzva of Bikkiurim so that we could see the importance of having HaKaras HaTov.

R' Frand quoted the Vilna Gaon on Sefer Yehoshua to illustrate this point. After the meraglim were saved by Rachav, she says to them - I did you a chessed and I want you to do for my family a chessed - I want you to save the lives of my family. The Gaon notes that Rachav says that she wants them to save her because that is Emes whereas saving her family was a chessed. Why the distinction? Because since she did a chessed for them, they are required to do a good deed for her - this is mandatory in order to recognize the good that was done for them. For her family -- that was just chessed.

R' Frand next said a vort on Rosh Hashana. He quoted the Chazon Ish who says that on Rosh Hashana one is allowed to make personal requests. However this is controversial and in the Vilna Gaon quoting the Zohar says that one cannot make personal requests. In fact, we see the tefillos are all about asking Hashem to reveal himself and his glory. If we are devoted servants, it should be incumbent on us to be focused on causing Hashem glory and not on our own needs. The personal needs can be addressed during the Aseres Yimei Teshuva and Yom Kippur.

R' Frand quoted R' Nosson Wachtfogel who heard from R' Leib Chasman who heard from the Chazon Ish the reason he stated that a person can make personal requests. 

He began by telling a story about how the Czar wanted a parade, so he first went to St Petersburg and had a large parade and then went to Moscow and also had a parade. This continued into the smaller cities until he wound up in a small town filled by simple farmers. The townsfolk did not know who the Czar was and they actually feared strangers and would stone them. The Mayor was concerned that if the people were to throw stones, the Czar would order the town to be plowed under, so he asked them not to throw stones. The Czar proceeded through the town to small applause and all was fine.

On Rosh Hashanah, Hashem comes down and is first given a respectful greeting by the Avos. He then comes to Moshe Rabbeinu and gets a similar greeting. He then continues down eventually to the common folk. We don't recognize Hashem's greatness and we are like the simple townsfolk. Our job is to recognize that it all comes from Hashem and that He is responsible for our needs. We are so far removed from the revelation of Hashem's greatness that we don't even recognize it. In a perfect world we would be lauding His revelation and greatness, but we cant. However, we do see that He is responsible for all that we need and He can help us with finding parnassah, or a shidduch or health. By recognizing that it all comes from him, we are revealing his greatness in the only way that a 21st Century Jew can do.

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

Sunday, September 18, 2016

Sunday Night Suds - New Belgium Fat Hoppy Ale




This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at New Belgium's Fat Hoppy Ale.

This summer New Belgium celebrated the 25th anniversary of Fat Tire by collaborating with other notable breweries and producing their ode to Fat Tire. The Fat Tire and Friends mix box contains five beers in addition to Fat Tire itself, including: Fat Funk Ale; Fat Hoppy Ale; Fat Pale Ale; Fat Sour Apple Ale (reviewed here http://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2016/08/sunday-night-suds-new-belgium-fat-sour.html) and Fat Wild Ale.While this would be exciting to most beer aficionados, it is even more exciting to the kosher beer consumer since all of these brews were produced at New Belgium and the 12 pack box even has the Scroll K (Va'ad of Denver) symbol on the bottom of the box.

The Fat Hoppy Ale was produced in collaboration with Firestone Walker Brewery. It has a mix of citrus, leaning towards grapefruit which hits before the glass even gets near the mouth and continues well past each swallow. The beer is a little high on the alcohol content (6% abv) but the flavor does not manifest in the brew. There was some pine which also followed through in each sip and made the flavor profile even more complex.

I could see pairing this beer with charred chicken or even smoked brisket. If you had a good pairing experience, please post it in the comments below.

Please note that not every brew produced by New Belgium is under kosher supervision. For a list of the New Belgium brews currently under supervision, please click on the link on the left side of my home page for my latest Kosher Beer List.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about New Belgium Fat Sour Apple Ale, please follow this link beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/192/217618. As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.

If you are reading this post more than six months after it was written, please note that it is possible that the product is no longer still certified kosher. To verify that the product is still certified kosher, please click on the kosher beers list link on the top left corner of the blog.

Lastly, 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, September 15, 2016

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Ki Tseitzei

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

The parsha begins with the laws of the Eishes Yifas Toar who is captured in battle. R'  Frand noted that besides the obvious question as to why there is even a need for the rule, it is puzzling how the soldier would have a desire, based on the connection between this week and last week's parsha.

In Parshas Shoftim, the Torah lists in Devarim 20:3-9, the men who are exempt from battle. When the Torah lists those who are faint hearted, the Gemara explains that this makes reference to those who are afraid because they have sinned. As a result of these exemptions, the only ones going out to battle are the tzaddikim who have not sinned. So if this is the type of solider who is in battle, why was there a need for this law?

R' Frand answered by quoting R' Ya'akov Galinski (sp?) who explains that people have a misconception that tzaddikim don't do battle with (and occasionally fall before)their yetzer hara.  A tzaddik will have issues resisting his yetzer hara, however he works at trying to overcome it by setting up gedarim - fences- which prevent him from being in a situation where he might fail. 

R' Frand gave an example of a person who is trying to lose or maintain their weight. If they are invited to a wedding and know that there will be all sorts of tempting foods, the smart move would be to eat a full healthy meal before going to the wedding, so that the person will not feel hungry and desire to partake in the shmorg. 

The problem is that the fences are only effective when a tzaddik is in an environment over which he has control. However, when the tzaddik goes out to battle, he is thrown into an environment of chaos where there are no fences to keep him in line. It is in such an environment that he may encounter an Eishis Yifas Toar and it is is for that reason that the law exists.

R' Frand also spoke about the concept of returning lost objects and made reference to the pasuk in Devarim 22:2 that if the owner of the lost object is not nearby, there is an obligation to bring the object in using the word "V'asafto". R' Frand quoted the Ba'al HaTurim who notes that the word V'asafto appears only twice in the Tanach - here and Melachim II 5:6, in discussing the gathering in of someone with Tzara'as.

R' Frand quoted the sefer Merapeh L'Nefesh which explains that the law of Hashavas Aveidah is not only about objects, but is equally applicable to people. If you see someone who appears to be lost in the wrong path, there is an obligation to help him right himself and return to the derech. 

R Frand quoted the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh who explains that the use of the word Shor in Devarim 22:1 is allegorical and really refers to a person who is like an animal. You should return him to Achicha - bring him back to Hashem's ways. When the Torah states later in Devarim 22:2  that the lost item is "Lo KaRov" it is a reference to the end of days when many Jews may be off the derech. At this point one must gather the object "El Toch Beisecha" - bring him into the Beis Medrash so that he can learn.

The Merapeh L'Nefesh states the same concept by Tzara'as. A person gets Tzara'as because he is Tzar Ayin - he has a very narrow view on things and people and he does not see the whole picture. It is incumbent on us to gather him and show him the wonders of Torah life.

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

Sunday, September 11, 2016

Sunday Night Suds - Leinenkugel Grapefruit Shandy


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

Its no secret that I am not a fan of the Radler/Shandy style of beer. I don't think that the big guy upstairs intended for lemonade and lager to be joined together. But this beer was not your average Shandy, largely because it did not taste like a Shandy.

The Grapefruit Shandy poured a deep cloudy yellow with about two inches of foam. But the foam was about the only resemblance this had to beer. The taste reminded me of store brand/no frills grapefruit juice. The alcohol content was imperceptible and at most it bore a passing resemblance to a wine cooler. If there was lager in this brew, I did not notice it.

Leinenkugel Grapefruit Shandy is certified kosher by the Orthodox Union, and has an OU on the label. To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about this brew, please follow this link beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/710/159431

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).

Also, if you are reading this post more than six months after it was written, please note that it is possible that the product is no longer still certified kosher. To verify that the product is still certified kosher, please click on the kosher beers list link on the top left corner of the blog.

Lastly, 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, September 8, 2016

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Shoftim

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

In Devarim 17:18, the Torah writes that a King should have two sifrei Torah (as opposed to the average Jew who only needs to write one). The Gemara in Sanhedrin states that one of the Torahs is to be kept in his storehouse and the other is to travel with him.

R' Frand quoted the Sefer Ner Uziel who explains that a Jew generally should be the same on the inside as the outside - tocho k'barro. However, a King is commanded to be different. While he is to be humble at home, he needs to an imposing and fearful presence when he is outside of the home. If is for this reason that he has two sifrei Torah - one to read at home to remind him that he is to be humble and yield to others and one to take with him as a reminder that he must have an awe inspiring presence outside the home.

R' Frand next quoted a pasuk from Vayelech (Devarim 31:7)  where Moshe calls Yehoshua and tells him to be strong and courageous. R' Frand asked - where should the "comma" be in the pasuk? One would think that it would be before the words Chazak V'Ematz. However, the notes on the pasuk place the "comma" earlier in the pasuk as it precedes the words "L'einei Kol Yisrael" and as such the pasuk is read "before the eyes of all of Israel be strong." Why? Because the King or leader needs to be strong before the eyes of the people. 

R' Frand made a parenthetical joke that generally if one acts as a King in public he needs his wife the Queen to remind him to be humble at home.

R' Frand closed the vort by quoting the Chassam Sofer who discussed how when King David knew that he would be dying he asked that his son Shlomo be given his mule to ride on. This was significant as there is a general concept that two kings don't share (make use consecutively of)  the same items. So why the mule and why would a king ride a mule? Even Avraham and the Moshiach used donkeys.

The Chassam Sofer answers that a mule comes from a union of a horse and a donkey. A horse is a royal creature and a donkey is lowly. The resultant offspring has characteristics of both - haughtiness and humility. This is the role of the king.

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!

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Labor Day 2016 Kosher Beers List

As a community service, Kosher Beers publishes a list twice a year of the beers which are known to be certified kosher. The list will be updated periodically until the next edition (Purim 2017/5777). For the Labor Day 2016  edition, I will again be using scribd to upload and maintain list. All newly added beers are in bold.


Kosher Beers List Labor Day 2016

Monday, September 5, 2016

Sunday Night Suds - Baderbrau Chicago Pilsner


This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Baderbrau's Chicago Pilsner.

This past weekend I had the privilege to be in Chicago for my nephew Asher's Bar Mitzva celebration. Even though we flew, Mrs KB agreed to find a way to pack up some of the Midwest only available beers in our checked bags, so I went to visit the new Binny's on Touhy in Lincolnwood. And boy was I not disappointed!

I have written on more than one occasion that Chicago is one of the best beer towns in America, both for price and selection. I recently had read that the CRC (Chicago Rabbinical Council) had certified Baderbrau as kosher, so I was hoping to find some in this new Binny's. However, I found three different kinds in the mix your six section (along with some other new beers!) and a six pack of the Oktoberfest which I also needed to try.

The Chicago Pilsner poured a golden yellow, almost orange with decent foam which quickly receded. I poured the decently chilled can into a glass Banks Beer mug and watched the foam rise and settle. There was moderate to low carbonation but it did not dissipate that quickly. I found that the malt backbone was more than generous and there was the slightest bit of hops, but I was not really expecting much from a Pilsner.

As discussed above, Baderbrau Chicago Pilsner is certified kosher by the CRC and there is a CRC logo on the label. To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about this brew, please follow this link beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/29318/82618

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).

Also, if you are reading this post more than six months after it was written, please note that it is possible that the product is no longer still certified kosher. To verify that the product is still certified kosher, please click on the kosher beers list link on the top left corner of the blog.

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!

Lastly, due to some family and work related obligations, this Labor Day's updated Kosher Beers list will iyh be published on Wednesday September 7, 2016. Sorry for any inconvenience!

Thursday, September 1, 2016

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Re'eh

Since there are no Rabbi Frand shiurim during the summer, I have been substituting a vort from other Rabbanim each week, rather than leaving the blog without a vort for shabbos. This week, I am attempting to repeat a vort heard from R' Eli Mansour as recorded on www.learntorah.com. Same rules as usual apply - I have attempted to reproduce the vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to the maggid shiur.

R' Mansour noted that in the beginning of the parsha the Torah recites that there will be brachos and klallos depending on the Jews' actions. However the language of the pesukim are not parallel. In Devarim 11:27 the Torah states "Es HaBeracha Asher Tishm'u" - the beracha, that you shall listen... In the following pasuk the Torah states "V'HaKillalah Im Lo Tishm'u" - and the curse, if you do not listen... Clearly, the pesukim are not parallel, but the question is why?

R' Mansour answered by quoting the Rambam in Hilchos Teshuva wherein he asks - how is it that there can be reward promised (quoting all the berachos in last week's parsha - Devarim 7:13-16) if there is a general principle of S'char Mitzva B'Hai Alma Lecka - the reward for the mitzva is not in this world?

The Ramban answered that the reward for mitzvos is in the next world - for the simple reason that there is nothing in this world that is equal to the world. R' Mansour explained the concept by quoting a story from the Chafetz Chaim. He was approached by a man who was living in a community that was suffering from famine. The man said to the Chafetz Chaim and said to him - I want to cash in the reward for my putting on tefillin if this will break the fast. The Chafetz Chaim said to him - this wont work. The man then said, OK I will cash in two days of tefillin. The Chafetz Chaim said to him - you dont understand. He gave a parable of a kid who walked into a candy store and wanted to buy two pieces of penny candy with a $100 bill. The owner of the candy store would not make change because its not worth the effort. The nimshal is that Hashem would look at this and say - the reward for your tefillin is so much greater than breaking the fast.

The Ramban explained that there is a reward for mitzvos, but it is solely the amelioration of problems which prevent a person from doing mitzvos. In a time of stress it is difficult for a person to open a sefer and learn or concentrate on his davening. Thus the reward for mitzva is a mitzva - the opportunity to do a mitzva. He will have the ability to observe the mitzvos and prepare for shabbos and yom tov without concerns or job related distraction.

Thus the reward for the mitzva and the punishment is now. The beracha in this world is that you will have the ability to do the mitzvos - today. But if a person is not interested in keeping the mitzvos - the punishment will also be in the next world. But there will also be a curse that he will be deprived of the ability to do mitzvos.

R' Mansour quoted the Chassam Sofer that a person who therefore gets the reward here will have reward in the next world without a dimunition in his reward, because all he is getting is the opportunity to do other mitzvos. However, the curse will be if you don't do mitzvos - there will be a curse in this world, but the silver lining is that it will take away from punishment in the next world.

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!