Raybin:
There is also an "Orthodox" Jew who lives a gay lifestyle. One Jew saying something doesn't make it kosher.

Hello, again, Rav. SAM:
The name of the book is KOSHER LIVING, It's more than just the food, by Rabbi Ron Isaacs, copyright, 2005.
I have read it thoroughly. This Rabbi strikes me as a strong conservative, but does consistently offer the more Orthodox take on the subjects he lists, which I appreciate greatly and think was very responsible of him.

He speaks on everything from ecology to circumcision. I really enjoyed it. Moreover, it serves as a decent quick reference if one is interested on a certain subject, one can look it up quickly and get a four-page synopsis on the standing on the issue without having to have to read the whole book in a sitting. All in all, I was impressed.
Yocheved

quote:

Today there are many different kosher symbols out there, that there is practically no excuse not to eat kosher today.

There are still places nowadays where people have to make great sacrifices to keep kosher. There are small towns and villages throughout Europe (no OU products here) where there is virtually no access to kosher food at all, and keeping kosher means eating fruit, vegetables, grains and fish. And there are Jews who go to great lengths to keep kosher despite the difficulties.

quote:

here are small towns and villages throughout Europe (no OU products here) where there is virtually no access to kosher food at all,

Your recent move kind of begs the question of whether you knew this about the place before you came, and what overriding concerns caused you to go forward anyway?

Are there other Yidden in these towns who do not yet know what they are missing?

Is bulk shipments of dry food, such as instant dinners, possible? We bulk order some foods by mail that we cannot get locally, ordering online.

Quote "This Rabbi strikes me as a strong conservative, but does consistently offer the more Orthodox take on the subjects he lists, which I appreciate greatly and think was very responsible of him."

You should always be careful what people who are not Orthodox write what is the Orthodox view on things are. I generally do not find them to be too accurate. I don't think it's on purpose, but since the complicity of the subjects, it's too easy to make a mistake.

quote:

Originally posted by Yocheved Broscova-Guerra:
Hello, again, Rav. SAM:

I am not a Rav - just a simple yid.

[Note: The picture in my profile is that of "Rabbi Avigdor Miller Zatzal". - Here is a link to the obiturary given by By Rabbi Gershon Tannenbaum & Rabbi Yaakov Klass from the Jewish Press -
http://www.jewsformorality.org/aaaw076.htm ]

quote:

The name of the book is KOSHER LIVING, It's more than just the food, by Rabbi Ron Isaacs, copyright, 2005.

Thank you very much for providing the author etc.

SAM:
You are most welcome. And thankyou for the correction.
Rav. CHAIM
That is a very important point. So often even my own family members who are less observant than I (yet have first hand knowledge of me and how I run my home) misrepresent my views to others. It is through ignorance, but the damage is done. For instance they tell people that I don't believe in an afterlife at all, or that I believe a Jew would go to hell if they had a tatoo. Neither of these are accurate, but because they read somewhere that SOME Orthodox Jews believe these things, and since I live a very Orthodox life, then I must believe likewise. Bad logic. How much more might that be the case with others representing us.
That said, I still feel the book is worth reading because it brings up many things in a person's lifestyle that people may not being approaching/dealing with in a kosher way. It really IS more than just the food, and that often goes overlooked. FOcusing on one part of a kosher lifestyle at the expense of others is inappropriate. I think this premise is what the book is founded on and that is a worthy subject, in my humble oppinion.
Yocheved

quote:

Your recent move kind of begs the question of whether you knew this about the place before you came, and what overriding concerns caused you to go forward anyway?

Are there other Yidden in these towns who do not yet know what they are missing?

Is bulk shipments of dry food, such as instant dinners, possible? We bulk order some foods by mail that we cannot get locally, ordering online.

Actually the city I live in does have kosher food, we even have two kosher restaurants! However, it is not like the US in that I cannot walk into a supermarket and find dozens, if not hundreds of OU products. The items I can buy from a supermarket are very very limited. The price of kosher food here is exorbiant.

There are many many Jews in Germany, a lot of Jews from the FSU emigrated here.

Quote "For instance they tell people that I don't believe in an afterlife at all, or that I believe a Jew would go to hell if they had a tattoo. Neither of these are accurate, but because they read somewhere that SOME Orthodox Jews believe these things, and since I live a very Orthodox life, then I must believe likewise. Bad logic."

There is no orthodox opinions that there is no afterlife, as the Talmud says countless times that there is. Nor is there anyone that permits a tattoo, since it's a explicit prohibition in Vayikra 19:28

Yes, I am aware that of that(although I was NOT aware of where precisely the tatoo prohibion was), but as I said, because they happen to know of SOME Orthodox Jews who buy that (regardless of the fact that it is not mainstream, nor in my opinion, defensable as a position) they therefore apply it to all Orthodoxy. It seems that everytime they hear some outlandish story of what strict conservatives (Orthodoxy) believes, they automatically ASSUME that it must be a fact for all of us. My brother specifically is constantly misleading people as to what Orthodoxy believes without asking a Rabbi first. I am sorry if I didn't explain myself well.

The rumor about the not getting a tatoo or you'll go to hell, I think, was an outgrowth of that rumor that Geraldo started about not being able to be buried in a kosher cemetery due to the fact that he has a Magen David tatooed on his hand. But, I cannot be sure that is it's origin.
Yocheved

Regarding foods which seem inocuous enough - such as a spaghetti sauce: many of these items are produced in a plant which also processes other sauces - which may indeed be treif (such as a meat sauce); therefore, one cannot purchase spaghetti sauce without a reliable hechsher. Sometimes, the plant produces more than one type of food - say they also make clam chowder in a plant that processes. . . hmmm. . . . jelly (not saying that this is the case, just trying to give an example where the products are not related). Therefore, if they do not do a thorough enough cleaning of the line, the jelly would not be kosher. Another example is chocolate. I believe that some plants use chocolate itself to clean the line - so perhaps some chocolate without the hechsher, may indeed have a good reason why the hechsher is missing.

If we take a look at a hechsher which many do not deem reliable (not saying one should or should not use this hechsher) we'll see this in action. Let's look at Triangle K. They make a number of products - I believe including Little Debbie's. Now most of Little Debbies bear a plain K on the packaging. However, the ones containing marshmallow do not. Therefore, should one eat the little debbies? certainly not the marshmallow ones, but what about the others. One would have to speak with the company and find out if they are made on the same line and how the line is cleaned out.

As for bread. . . I would probably make my own if I could not find some with a reliable hechsher. Ironically, I believe that i"m going to be doing just that - not that there is any lack in kosher bread where I live, but I'm going to be trying my hand at my own.

In summmary, it is best to rely on the hechsher; it is there for a reason. And if it is absent, most likely there is a very good reason. If you do have a kashrus question or two, feel free to email me and I'll be happy to find out the answers for you.

I still have another question about cheese. Is hard cheese that you buy in the supermarket kosher if it says that it is made with "enzymes"? I read that most cheese made with enzymes has renin in it sometimes. When I went on vacation this summer I could buy cheese with vegetable rennet in it. So now I have been avoiding cheese. I saw the ingredients in kosher pizza and it said that the cheese had enzymes in it. So maybe cheese with enzymes is OK?

First of all, no cheese may be eaten except that which has a Hechsher, even vegetarian cheese. This is due to a rule laid down by the Rabbis in Mishna Times that non-Jewish cheese be forbidden.

Secondly, kosher cheese may well have rennet in it, and this will have come from a kosher cow that was slaughtered correctly.

Thank you. I had a feeling I wasn't supposed to be eating it, it has been so long since I was taught by my rabbi. But I didn't know about the vegetarian cheese.

Why is kosher cheese kosher if it has kosher rennet in it? Isn't that considered eating meat with milk?

quote:

Why is kosher cheese kosher if it has kosher rennet in it? Isn't that considered eating meat with milk?

No, because it is only a very small quantity as against the amount of milk.

A small amount? But that reminds me of a chinese friend of mine who always says "one mouse dropping in the rice vat renders it all dirty." How much is small enough that it doesn't contaminate the whole batch of cheese. Am I missing something?

Up to one sixtieth - otherwise known as "Batul B'Shishim" nullified in 60.

quote:

quote:
Why is kosher cheese kosher if it has kosher rennet in it? Isn't that considered eating meat with milk?



No, because it is only a very small quantity as against the amount of milk.

Something seems off in this...

Even if the rennet is obtained from a kosher animal, I believe it is an enzyme found in the animal, and not the meat of the animal. On what basis are we assuming that the rennet has a Din of being Fleishig?

Secondly, isn't there a very big difference in choosing to put in a meat product ahead of time and after the fact discovering something accidental which can be nullified?

And also a difference between something liquid and something solid?

For these reasons I think the quoted post can give the wrong impression and should be clarified.

I can do no more than quote from the Shulchan Aruch on this matter:

Shulchan Aruch YD Siman 87:11

11 If cheese is made with a kosher piece of ohr hakaiva (a piece of the stomach) if the taste of meat is present in the cheese then the cheese is forbidden. If there is no meat taste then the cheese is permitted. But if a nevaila [an animal that died other than through Shechita], treifa [an animal that was killed by Shechita but had something wrong with it] or t'maiah [a non-kosher animal] piece of kaiva was used then even a kol shehu (a very small amount) will make the cheese forbidden.

RAMA Because that which itself is forbidden and is used as a ma’amid (catalyst) is not batel [nullified] even in one thousand.

That reminds me of the drop of milk that falls into the pot of beef cholent, but you can't taste the milk so the cholent is still kosher. Just the opposite.

The thing is, is that you have to taste it, and if you tasted it and you DID taste it then you wouldn't be eating kosher. Oh, the skills of a good cook!