Your preferred scotch Kosher, or not?

 

UPDATE The blog entry for November 9, 2014 lists a number of single malt scotches that are matured (aged) solely in either former American Bourbon barrels or virgin oak casks. The entry is titled Kosher vs. Kosher - Scotch for a makpeed.

I got into a "warm" discussion during seudat shleshi one recent Shabat about Chivas Regal scotch, which with Johnny Walkers probably are the most common "synagogue" scotches around.

According to the Chicago Rabbinical Council (cRc), "Various brands of blended scotch may be aged in wine barrels. However, the cRc policy is that unless the questionable casks are printed on the label, they are permitted to use. If one wishes to be more stringent, then only those brands of scotch listed above should be considered free of any wine cask issues." Both Chivas and Johnny Walker fail to appear among "those brands of scotch listed above." (Note: A combined cRc and Star-K scotches list is near the bottom of this blog.)

I checked a bottle of 12-year-old Chivas and failed to see any cask information. It had none - not a clue.

Star-K's liquor list also omits Chivas and Johnny Walker from its list of acceptable potent potables. Star-K notes that "Single Malt and Blended. Except when label states “aged in sherry casks”, “sherry finish”, “port finish”, “madeira finish”, “dual cask finish”, “double matured” are acceptable."

Chivas and Johnny Walker are blends.

What is Chivas' status?

I checked the Chivas' Web page and read:

"We use two types of oak – the original is European oak used to make the large Sherry casks. During maturation in these casks, the new spirit will pick up a dark amber colour, and the character of the spirit will be enhanced with nuances of sweet nuttiness and spicyness. The other type is American White oak used to make the American oak barrel which has previously matured the Bourbon whiskies in the US. During maturation in these casks, the new spirit will pick up a golden colour and the character of the spirit will be enhanced with nuances of vanilla sweetness and dry oakiness.

"Therefore, for his blends, the Master Blender is not only selecting each of the individual whiskies for their own unique characters and flavours, but also whether they have been matured in Sherry casks or American oak barrels." (Emphasis above mine.)

I asked the importer, Pernod Ricard USA, about the casks Chivas uses. Pernod Ricard's Paris headquarters owns Chivas and a number of other well-known brands but is not "email friendly."

The exchange follows.

I wrote: "How can I know which Chivas is aged in sherry casks and which is aged in Bourbon casks - is there an indication on the label? Or is all Chivas a possible mix of both type casks.

The question applies to ALL Chivas scotches.

Lori of Chivas Regal Consumer Relations, replied: "Chivas Regal is matured in a combination of both types of cask. The proportion of which types of cask are used is one of the best kept secrets in the Scotch whisky industry! Only a very select group of individuals including master blender Colin Scott are privy to this information."

So the bottom line for Chivas is, as the cRc writes, "unless the questionable casks are printed on the label, they are permitted to use," with the caveat that "If one wishes to be more stringent, then only those brands of scotch listed above should be considered free of any wine cask issues."

I am not a rabbi and I don't play one on tv, nor am I a scotch drinker - I prefer sour mash and Irish - but some of my friends like the taste of peat.

What about the 1/60th rule? I repeat, I am not a rabbi - check with your rabbi on this. However, the Orthodox Union (OU) mentions the 1/60th rule several times at http://www.oukosher.org/index.php/learn/faq. Search for "1/60" (sans quote marks), it appears several times.

How does the 1/60 rule effect scotch? Will the remnant in the cask formerly used for (non-kosher) wine equal or exceed 1/60th of the casks scotch content? Does the 1/60 rule even apply since the injection of wine flavor is deliberate? Again, ask a rabbi.

I asked a number of authorities:

Does the 1/60th rule apply to a stam product (grain alcohol) that is deliberately put into contact with a non-kosher product?
Specifically, adding grain alcohol to used (non-kosher) wine casks to make scotch (and Irish) whiskies.
This is NOT an "accidental" mixing, it is deliberate and done to achieve a special taste and color.

The following were among the answers I received in the order they were received. (More were invited to comment but elected to ignore the question.)

Rabbi Yisroel Cotlar, Chabad: When a taste is specifically added it can not be considered "batul" because clearly it does give a taste and otherwise wouldn't be added!

Rabbi Sender Haber: Off the top of my head, the 1/60 rule does not apply to something which was deliberately added to the mixture for taste."
R. Haber then presented my question to Rabbi Yaacov Haber, Rav, Shivtei Yushrun, Ramat Beit Shemesh and Rabbi Mordechai Orbach, Rosh Kollel, Lakewood. "Both Rabbis I spoke to felt that the whole issue is a stringency. They did not see any reason to be stringent when the bottle does not even mention the sherry casks. This was after I shared with them the words of the employee who claimed that all of the bottles of Chivas are aged in wine tainted casks." (ibid.)
Finally R. Haber ("The Younger") provided the URL of a blogger who wrote extensively on the subject and who, fortunately, cited his sources: http://alanlaz.blogspot.com/2006/06/kosher-whisky-part-ii-sherry.html

Kosher Miami after a second email, replied that In general, the rule of "bitul" or " 1/60", doe not apply in advance, in a premeditated way. It is a leniency used for an "after the fact" situation.
For a more detailed answer about your specific situation, many more details are needed before a proper answer can be given.

Yehudit Friedman of Services International Kosher Supervision (SIKS), headed by Rabbi Moshe Saadoun, writes that "The 1/60th rule only applies when the grain alcohol comes into contact with a cask which is more than 12 months old. This is because the wine has lost his taste."

Kosher Whisky and Liquor (http://www.kosherliquorlist.com/, linked from the London Bet Din page lists Chivas products as "Kosher according important poskim." The "important poskim" never are identified. Some scotches, such as one White Horse label, as listed as "Kosher for Mehadrin Consumer," but again, the kashrut authority never is cited; rather like having a "K" on a product.

cRc, Star-K Scotches List

 

To be fair, not every brand of every whisky or whiskey is listed by cRc and Star-K. Star-K's list of Irish whiskies includes only Middleton Very Rare, Powers, Jameson Regular, and Kellan (with kosher label). cRc lists Jamesons, Kellan, Midleton, Paddy, Powers, and Tullamore Dew (regular only- NOT those aged in sherry casks)..

Still according to Kathy of Bushmills, a label omitted from cRc and Star-K lists, "Bushmills Original, Black Bush, 10 Year Old Single Malt, Bushmills Distillery Reserve and Bushmills Malt Select Casks have been awarded Kosher status by the Chief Rabbinate of Ireland."

As for Johnny Walker scotches, Jennifer H. a Johnnie Walker Consumer Representative when asked about Johnny Walker scotches wrote: "In response to your inquiry, please be advised that Johnnie Walker products are not kosher." (Updated 4 September 2011)

A Follow-up From the "Irish Jewish Community [irishcom@iol.ie]"

Having visited the Bushmills' Web site and seeing that most Bushmills' whiskies are aged - "matured" - in former wine casks, I asked the Office of the Chief Rabbi of Ireland if, indeed, Bushmills was certified. The reply:

Bushmills is no longer under the supervision of the Chief Rabbinate of Ireland.
The following whiskeys from Bushmills are approved kosher in the guide of the London Beth Din
Bushmills 1608 anniversary edition – Bushmills Malt 10 – Bushmills original.
I am attaching the relevant pages from the KLBD guide for your information.
Shana Tova
Stewart Barling

 

The London Bet Din notes that

"As a direct result of the London Beth Din's work with the manufacturers of Irish whiskey, Irish legislation has recently been changed and it is no longer permitted to add flavour enhancers (including those which are wine based) to Irish whiskey. This applies to all new whiskey produced in Ireland since 2008. However since whiskey is generally left to mature for several years, whiskey currently on sale would have been bottled before the new legislation went into effect. Thus kosher consumers are advised only to purchase the brands listed below which have been specifically checked and approved."
Those approved by the London Bet Din from Bushmills are listed above.

UPDATE An expanded list of Irish whiskeys that are aged/matured in either former Bourbon barrels or virgin (never used) oak casks is presented at Kosher vs. Kosher - Irish whiskey "By the barrel" http://yohanon.blogspot.com.au/2014/11/kosher-vs-kosher-irish-whiskey-by-barrel.html

Bet Shamai or Bet Hillel?

Either way, לחיים !

Odds & Ends

 

Two things to share.

Thing 1: American Red Cross "Safe & Well" Web site

The ARC "Safe & Well" Web site allows people in, or from, disaster areas to post their status on line and make it available to selected people.

The "Safe & Well" home page is at

https://safeandwell.communityos.org/

Using the page takes some pre-planning and sharing of information before the event.

Searches are by name and address (street, city, state, zip) or name and telephone number (the person who is "safe and well" may register as many as three 20-digit numbers, a match on one is sufficient).

The information is straight forward both for the person who survived an event and for people searching for the person. The add-a-name form includes a dropdown menu with a list of current disasters, but is made flexible by offering an "Other" option.

The site is well supported by HELP (how to) and FAQ pages.

The only pre-event activity is to make sure the people who you want to find you (or the people you want to find) have the critical search information: first and last name, as many as three (3) telephone numbers, and a complete address. The more information the more accurate the search.

Thing 2: Closing out social networking accounts

AccountKiller,

http://www.accountkiller.com/en/

is a Web site that lists ways to kill/delete accounts on a number of programs, including 4shared, 9lives, Aardvark, About Me, About.com, Adobe, Adsense, AdultFriendFinder, AIM, Alexa, Amazon, Amigos.com, Amplify, Ancestry.com, Answerbag, Answers.com, AOL, Apartment Therapy, Auran, Backupify, Badoo, Bart Smit, Battle.net, Bearshare, Beautiful People, Bebo, Beliefnet, Bigpoint, Bitly, BlackPlanet, Blekko, Blip.tv, Blockbuster, Blogcatalog, Blogger, Blogshot, Bol.com, Buitenlandse Partner, BuxJunction, CGHub, CNET, Facebook, Gmail, Google, Gravatar, Habbo, Hotmail / Live, ICQ, Microsoft Live, MSN / Messenger, Myspace, OurWorld, RuneScape, Skype, Tagged, Twitter, Windows Live, Wordpress, World of Warcraft, Yahoo, Zoosk

Deleting personal information from some sites is relatively simple; from other sites less so.

Bonus thing: Separate personal and work email.

Work email is not private; the employer retains the right to read both outgoing and incoming emails.

If you ever intend to use email for something personal, get a personal account.

There are a number of free accounts available, some of which allow you to "POP" the correspondence down to an email consolidator such as Outlook.

If you want to express yourself on groups and blogs - such as LinkedIn - you are well advised to set up an account with a fictitious name and employer. That may limit your "connected to"s, but you cannot be associated with - and possibly fired from - your employer for expressing your opinions. Some organizations have a serious lack of humor when it comes to unflattering information being posted for all the world to read. (Imagine that.)

Escorting guests

  Description: The Misva of Escorting Guests From DailyHalacha.com http://www.dailyhalacha.com/

The Gemara in Masechet Sota (46) comments, “Anyone who escorts his fellow four cubits – he does not suffer harm.” This passage establishes the Misva of escorting guests from one’s home after their leave. The Sages teach that if a host walks with his guest even just four Amot (6-8 feet) outside the door of his home, it grants the guest protection along his journey.

A number of Halachic scholars raise the question of why this Halacha does not appear anywhere in the Shulhan Aruch. Some explain that this Halacha applied only in ancient times, when road travel did not entail as much danger as it does nowadays, and thus escorting guests four Amot could protect them. In our times, however, escorting guests cannot guarantee protection. The En Yaakob, however, disputes this position.

In any event, although the Halacha of escorting guests does not appear in the Shulhan Aruch, it is mentioned by the Rambam (Rabbi Moshe Maimonides, Spain-Egypt, 1135-1204), in Hilchot Abel (chapter 14). He writes (listen to audio recording for precise citation) that there is a Misvat Aseh (affirmative command) to escort one’s guests, which falls under the general category of Gemilut Hasadim (performing acts of kindness). Although this specific obligation was ordained by Hazal, the Rambam adds, it is also included in the Biblical command of “Ve’ahabta Le’re’acha Kamocha” (“Love your fellow as yourself”), which requires treating others in the manner in which one would want them to treat him. The Rambam emphasizes the great reward for escorting guests, and notes that this practice was instituted by Abraham Abinu, who would invite guests, feed them, and then escort them. The value of hosting guests, the Rambam writes, exceeds that of greeting the divine presence, and escorting guests is even greater than hosting them. The Rambam concludes his discussion by citing Hazal’s remark that one who hosts guests but does not escort them is considered as though he kills them – because he denies them the protection that they need as they travel to their destination.

The Kaf Ha’haim (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909), in Siman 110, writes that the word “Levaya” (“escorting”) may be read as an acronym representing the words “Le’hayim U’le’shalom Yelech Ha’ore’ah” – “The guest shall go for life and peace” – indicating the protective powers of escorting. Furthermore, when the word is read backwards, its letters spell the phrase “Ha’melave Yelech Ve’yashob Le’shalom” – “The escort shall go and return in peace” – indicating that the merit of this Misva protects the host, as well. And the Abkat Rochel noted that the letters of the world “Levaya” also represent the phrase “Ve’lo Yiten Ha’mash’hit Labo” – “He will not allow the destroying angel to come” – further emphasizing the ability of escorting to protect the guest from harm.

The Kaf Ha’haim adds that after the host escorts the guest, the guest should not tell the host to go back home. He should rather allow the host to return when he chooses to.

A story is told of the Gaon of Vilna (1720-1797) that demonstrates the importance of escorting guests. There was a man who lived at that time and was renowned for his generous hospitality. He welcomed many guests and treated them with royalty. One day, a fire broke out in his home and burned the entire house. The people approached the Vilna Gaon and asked how it was possible that a home that welcomed so many guests with such generosity could burn down.

The Gaon answered by citing the verse in the Book of Bereshit (21:33) that relates that Abraham Abinu planted an “Eshel.” Rashi explains that this refers to Abraham’s hospitality, as the word “Eshel” represents the words “Achila” (“eating”), “Shetiya” (“drinking”) and “Levaya” (“escorting”). The Gaon noted that if a person welcomes guests but does not escort them, fulfilling only “Achila” and “Shetiya,” then instead of “Eshel,” he has only “Esh” – “fire,” Heaven forbid.

Indeed, great Torah Sages have always gone to great lengths to escort their guests outside their homes. Hacham Ben Sion Abba Shaul (Israel, 1923-1998), even when he was old and frail, would ensure to put on his slippers to escort guests outside his apartment, to the elevator or to the stairs. Many Sadikim would escort their guests outside their home and wait until the guests were out of view. Technically speaking, however, one must escort guests only four Amot out of his home. And the merit of this great Misva will guarantee protection to both his guests and himself.

Summary: It is a Misva to escort one’s guests four Amot (6-8 feet) outside his home, and this serves as a source of protection and blessing for oneself and for his guests.

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YAWN It's that time of year

 

September 1/2 Elul opens the Selihot season for Sefardim and Mizrachim.

It's the season sleepy-headed Sefardim wish they were Ashkenazim since it means getting up to be at synagogue (at least) an hour earlier than normal. We're late starters where I count for something - selihot start at 6 a.m.

If could be worse.

My father-in-law's generation got up in the middle of the night - OK, maybe 4 a.m. - for Selihot, and when the men were awakened, the entire neighborhood was awakened..

I suppose the Ashkenazi's ability to "sleep in" is payment for their not being able to eat kitniyot during Pesach. Fair is fair, but 8 days vs. a month ... ?

According to the midrash, King David was anguished when he prophetically foresaw the destruction of the Holy Temple and the cessation of the offering of the sacrifices. “How will the Jews atone for their sins?” he wondered.

G-d replied: “When suffering will befall the Jews because of their sins, they should gather before me in complete unity. Together they shall confess their sins and recite the order of the Selihot, and I will answers their prayers.”

While Elul prepares us for Yomai Noraim (Days of Awe) with appeals for forgiveness, it also gives us a hint that on Yom Kippur we will be forgiven for our sins against HaShem. (We need to do our own repairs of sins against of fellows, and that has to be done before we can stand before G-d on Yom Kippur.)

According to the rabbis, the word Elul - in Hebrew, אלול , is an acronym for אני לדודי ודודי לי - roughly "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine" - this is interpreted to be G-d's words to us.

There are exceptions to the early "rise and shine" for selihot. Rabbis and other hakhamim are exempt as are yeshiva students on the thought that they - the students - probably were up until 2 or 3 a.m. studying. Why rabbis are exempt, other than the exemption is a rabbinical ruling, is beyond me. From past experience I know the congregation's rabbi will be "present and accounted for" every morning. G-d willing we'll have a minyan; perhaps sleepy-eyed, but a solid 10, none-the-less.

Although we still are a few days from the second day of Elul, it may be time to start practicing the pre-Yom Kippur greeting: Ketivah vachatimah tovah.

Not close to a Sefardi congregation? Listen to Rabbi Joshua Maroof at http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/selichot/id82388611. R. Maroof is, or was, rabbi at Magen David Sephardic Congregation/Beit Eliahu Synagogue in Rockville MD.

By the way, Chabad's version of Selihot is online at http://www.chabad.org/media/pdf/56/JODh562118.pdf .Chabad customs and Chabad's Selihot are different than Sefardim, but for anyone unable to join a minyan for Selihot, it's a resource.

How to make a plan B A C K F I R E

 

The other day Hamas shelled Israel from the safety of Gaza.

The UN "observers" there either were told to get out of town or decided to hit the road before Israel dared to retaliate. Either way, they cleared out of Dodge.

Did they take the pro-Hamas "journalist" with them? I'm not 100 percent sure.

We know that some "foreign journalists'" reason d'être is to give Israel a political black eye no matter what it does or to what extremes Tzhal goes to avoid civilian casualties - never mind that the "freedom fighters" lack uniforms and often are pre-teen children used as shields - or bombs.

Israel should take a leaf from the U.S.'s book on embedding journalists with combat troops.

Ditto the UN "observers."

Invite the displaced UN troops and selected foreign journalists - in particular those representing media known to be Hamas sympathizers - to travel with the IDF combat forces. Offer the option: Go with the IDF or leave the county and forget about ever being allowed back in.

A least this way - pairing pro-Hamas UN staff and pro-Hamas "journalists" with true neutral observers and honest journalists perhaps there will be fewer lies that Israel is targeting "civilians."

If a child is being used as shield for a Hamas "freedom fighter" and the child is wounded or killed by Israeli fire, at least the Hamas sympathizers will be standing next to someone who sees the same thing for what it really is - not Israel "targeting" children, but Hamas using children as living shields for the cowards hiding behind them.

If BBC, CNN, and Fox are filming the same scene it becomes fairly simple to see how each team edited the tapes to suit their point of view.

If AP and Agence France-Presse are covering a battle, there is a better chance that the truth will win out, or at least lies will be exposed.

Israel must insist that UN staff from Gaza and "journalists" - preferably from Gaza and the Arab press as well as the international contingent - be embedded with IDF front line units.

Funny enough, from what I've seen of Al Jazeera, it seems to be trying to provide unbiased news, even about Israel and its dealings with the PA and Hamas.

Putting the Israel bashers where they can't miss seeing the truth won't make the liberals in - or out of - Israel happy, but it might - might let the world see the truth.

And of Israel does deliberately shell a civilian target that is not being used as a shield by a "freedom fighter", then the IDF will be caught in the act. Still, if the civilian structure is like the UN building the IDF allegedly targeted during Cast Lead, the observers and "journalists" will see what is, or was, behind the walls.

What about children clothed in explosive vests packed with shrapnel? Let them walk to the UN observers and "journalists" to kill and maim.

Shipboard Shabat

 

Syrian rabbi Eli Mansour wrote in a daily email titled "Boat Travel on Shabbat," that an observant Jew should not plan to be on a boat during Shabat, particularly if the boat is owned and crewed by non-observant Jews.

The reasoning: "Hazal enacted this prohibition forbidding boarding a ship within a few days of Shabbat because doing so will likely interfere with one's "Oneg Shabbat" – the enjoyment of Shabbat. It often takes several days to accustom oneself to sea travel and overcome seasickness, and so the Sages forbade boarding a ship too close to Shabbat in order to ensure that one will be comfortable and at ease on Shabbat."

He did note that "Rabbi Moshe Halevi (Israel, 1961-2001), in his work Menuhat Ahava (1:2), raises the possibility that this enactment of Hazal might not apply nowadays, when boats are very large and stable. Furthermore, most people who travel on cruises are accustomed to sea travel and thus do not become seasick. Nevertheless, the vast majority of Halachic authorities dispute this position and forbid boarding a ship after Tuesday (or Wednesday), unless one travels for the purpose of performing a Misva."

We have acquaintenances who traveled on a cruise that included Shabat.

All the men are observant.

In order to "make" Shabat, they brought everything they would need; candles, wine for kiddush, and a sefer Torah which one of them read. It goes without saying - but I'll write it anyway - that these people also brought their own food.

Not only did they celebrate Shabat, but it was a memorable Shabat.

We have other acquaintenances who, as this is written, are on a recently boarded ship headed for Alaska. The husband has a unique diet - no meat, no fish, no eggs; the guy lives on breads. His wife will "make do" with salads and fish cooked in a foil cocoon. It might not be acceptable in Deal, but all things considered . . . The couple is armed with candles, wine, and all the other requirements to "make" Shabat.

During a Wife-to-Wife call on Thursday, my wife asked if the couple had found any other Jews on board. I don't know if they had, but they were looking, so not only would they celebrate Shabat "by the book" (they don't have a sefer Torah, ergo not "by The Book"), but others would have a chance to join them. Maybe they can find a minyan. Maybe there will be someone with a sefer Torah! But even if they don't, Shabat still will be "special" for them.

The days of dinky ships tossing and turning with every wave are, at least for the cruise industry, long gone.

Today, all three of Columbus' boats could be stowed on board the 5,000 passenger Oasis of the Seas owned by Royal Caribbean. Add to the 5,000 passenger capacity a crew of 2,150. (The ship's specifications are at http://tinyurl.com/3ss97sm.; the ships of Columbus' 1492 "cruise" are described at http://tinyurl.com/3sq4f4d.)

We've come a long way from the days when Hazal (a general term referring to the sages of Talmud, and other rabbinic literature from the times of Second Temple until the 6th century CE) ruled that taking Shabat on a ship was not only dangerous but, if the seas were a little rough, most uncomfortable. We all recall the story of Yona who "elected" to finish his journey in the belly of leviathan rather than suffer the tribulations of the ship he had boarded.

According to jweekly.com, it seems Reform and Conservative rabbis have the cruise business in their pockets. Many observant Jews can get along very nicely sans a rabbi or cantor - at least in the Sefardi community we generally are self-sufficient. (We need our rabbis to answer questions.)

The Web site notes that some cruise ships even have a sefer Torah on board. Kosher meals - airline meals, by and large - are available on most cruises on request.

Maybe it is time for the Sefardi and Ashkenazi Orthodox rabbinute to re-examine Shabat on board a ship, especially if the rabbi can serve double duty as a mashgeach (kashrut supervisor).

Why should WE pay?

 

The incumbent president is campaigning in the midwest in an effort to hang on to his job for another 4-year term.

He's traveling in a $1.2 million Canadian-made/U.S.-modified "bus" across several midwest states. As an aside, there are at least two companies in the U.S. that could have provided the bus: Blue Bird in Fort Valley, GA, and MCI in Schaumburg, IL .

How did he get to the midwest?

By Air Force One.

AF1,and its twin, AF2, are Boeing "VC-25"s; modified Boeing 747s designed to ferry the nation's chief executive in comfort and security. VC-35 specs are given at http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/vc-25-specs.htm..

All AF1 costs the taxpayer, according to Fox News (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/11/24/military-pegs-hourly-air-force-cost-g-obama-sets-travel-record/) is a "mere" $181,757 per hour. Of course that's an "all inclusive" figure.

I don't mind POTUS traveling on a CV-25 for government business, and the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania has done a lot of that; Fox reports that "President Obama, as it turns out, has spent more days abroad in his first two years than any other president."

But I DO object to paying for the incumbent's campaigning.

That goes for ANY incumbent of ANY political party.

I also take umbrage when I hear of any politician, Allen West included, traveling on taxpayer expense to keep their job. Free rides are not limited to the president.

Incumbents always are in the catbird seat on the campaign trail.

They can send postage-free campaign literature to clutter our mail boxes.

And the travel perks.

When The Glorious Leader travels - and again, my comments are aimed at all presidential incumbents - the armored executive limo goes along (except when POTUS is traveling by "bus") as well as a cluster of Secret Service agents and other police and security personnel; the press tags along, too; the chosen ones with POTUS in AF1 and the "pool" in another government plane.

Once on the ground. local taxpayers are "privileged" to pay for the lights and sirens that precede and follow his entourage down blocked streets - a minor inconvenience for taxpayers on their way to/from work.

The party National Committee might pick up the tab for the politician's lodging - unless POTUS can figure some way to make it an "official" trip - in Miami's case, maybe to look where the new tunnel will be started . Likewise, the National Committee may even pick up the tab for the president's speaking venue.

The bottom line for me is to protect my bottom line - and, by extension, the country's.

We should not be forced to pay for purely political jaunts with little or no benefit to the taxpayer.

In these tough economic times, the incumbent should realize that and find other ways to fund the campaigning.

American Rothschild?

 

Warren Buffett, who according to Forbes.com is worth some 62 billion, wrote in a New York Times op-ed that that those making over $1 million per year should be taxed at higher rates. He is noted for telling members of the Forbes 400 that he would donate $1 million to charity if the collective group of richest Americans would admit they pay less taxes, as a percentage of income, than their secretaries.

A novel idea?

No.

In 1875 Great Britain was in financial distress. It had to borrow money from the Rothschild bank to purchase control of the Suez Canal. In a discussion with Sir Edward Rothschild, Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli asked how to set right the nation’s finances. Sir Edward replied, “Tax the rich and tax them heavily.”

Still, Buffett is talking the talk even if he is not yet walking the walk.

He reportedly stated that “Last year my federal tax bill — the income tax I paid, as well as payroll taxes paid by me and on my behalf — was $6,938,744,” he wrote. “That sounds like a lot of money.

"But what I paid was only 17.4 percent of my taxable income — and that’s actually a lower percentage than was paid by any of the other 20 people in our office. Their tax burdens ranged from 33 percent to 41 percent and averaged 36 percent.”

I'm not a tax accountant so I don't know how the super-rich can pay such relatively low rates on their substantial incomes while the average Joe and Josephine pay higher rates, but I do know that this country is in a fiscal crisis.

While the average American is worried about keeping a roof over the family's head, the oil industry - racking up massive profits helped by subsidies - is advertising that increasing the tax load on its profits is counter-productive to the national well-being.

According to the Washington Post dated April 28, 2011, "Exxon Mobil reported a first-quarter profit Thursday of $10.7 billion, a 69 percent jump from the year before as higher crude oil prices, fatter U.S. oil refining and marketing margins, and a revival in global demand for petrochemicals boosted earnings."

Back in 1875, Britain was strapped by its wars and colonization exploits and had to find new ways to increase revenue.

In 2011, the U.S. is strapped by what I deem mismanaged foreign wars and mismanaged foreign welfare, The "Washington crowd" with its wasteful ways - it's not their money, after all - aggravate the issue.

I agree with the Republicans that small businesses - and their owners - need protection so they can hire and grow, but I agree with the Democrats that taxes for the super-rich can and should be raised, at least so they pay the same percentage their secretaries pay.

While I support higher taxes on the very rich, the Buffetts and Gates and their fellow Forbes 400 Club members, the government needs to reduce the country's obligations without damaging U.S. social programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid (whose efficiencies can be greatly increased), education, etc.

We have sold America to the Chinese; it's time to start buying it back.

The only way to do that is to increase income while reducing spending.

Does the U.S. really need to station troops in - as examples - Germany and England?

Does the U.S. really need to send in thousands of troops to eliminate a few individuals?

Does the U.S. really need to subsidize so many other nations' economies?

If I was in the Forbes 400 Club and the U.S. wanted to increase my taxes to a rate that equaled my secretary's, I would want to see some fiscal responsibility from inside the beltway.

The country deserves better than we are getting.

The country deserves sensible government, not the extremist politics both parties are foisting on us today.

"Righteous" or "pious"?

Righteousness Is Not Enough; Thoughts for Parashat Ekev

By Rabbi Marc D. Angel

In this week’s Torah portion, we are reminded that God does justice on behalf of the orphan and the widow; He loves the stranger and provides food and clothing (Devarim 10:18). The implication is that we, too, should emulate these compassionate qualities of the Almighty, caring for those who need our assistance and protection.

The theme of God’s mercy is echoed in Psalm 146. In listing His attributes, the Psalm states that God “provides justice for the oppressed; He gives food to the hungry; He frees those who are bound; He gives sight to the blind; He raises those who are bowed.” But then, surprisingly, the Psalmist adds the phrase “God loves the righteous,” and then goes on to state that “God watches over strangers and upholds the orphan and widow.” The pattern of the above phrases is to describe a person who has a deficiency (e.g. is oppressed, hungry, bound, blind, bowed, in the weak social position of stranger, orphan or widow)—and then to indicate that God resolves the deficiency and restores the person to fullness.

The only exception to this pattern is the phrase that “God loves the righteous”. What is that phrase doing in the midst of these descriptions? (Logically, it should be connected to a later phrase that God “thwarts the way of the wicked.” Yet, it is not so placed in our Psalm.)

I would suggest that the phrase should be interpreted in the same pattern as the other phrases in which it is included. Just as in the other phrases, it refers to a human deficiency which the Almighty comes to heal. What is the deficiency of the righteous? The lack of love! Since the righteous lacks love, God fills this deficiency by showering love upon the righteous.

This can be understood in two ways. A righteous person—since she/he has high principles—is not always a beloved person. People don’t necessarily like others who are righteous, seeing them rather as being self-righteous. Or they don’t like righteous people who seem to stand in criticism of the lifestyles and opinions of others. Since a righteous person might feel lonely and unloved, he/she should take comfort in the fact that the Almighty will love him/her. That Divine love makes up for the deficiency of human love that he/she experiences.

I would suggest a second interpretation—not that the righteous are deprived of the love of others, but that the righteous lack the ability to love others! A righteous person follows the rules carefully, and does that which is right. In being committed to these rules, he/she might become disdainful of others who aren’t quite as meticulous. The righteous person becomes characterized by love of the rules, not by love of fellow human beings. Indeed, those people who do not conform to his/her standards of righteousness become objects of scorn or disgust.

The Talmud relates a strange passage about a father who prays on behalf of his ailing son. If the father says that he will give charity if God will heal the son, the father is considered to be totally righteous. Yet, this prayer seems to be less than ideal. Why should the father be considered to be righteous by making a bargain with God? Rabbi HayyimYosef David Azulai, one of the great sages of the 18th century, commented on this Talmudic passage. He stated: the father is considered righteous—but not pious! He is righteous in that he strikes a bargain and meets its terms exactly. He has not deviated from the rules. Yet, he is not pious—his attitude reflects a low level of religiosity. It lacks true love of God.

A righteous person might not even realize that righteousness is insufficient to make one a good person, a religious person. A righteous person can be cold, calculating, unsympathetic to others—and still be following the rules meticulously. Such a person is lacking in piety—in love of God and love of fellow human beings. Such a person is devoted to the rules, but is not devoted to living by ideals that deepen and transcend the rules. The righteous person lacks love.

Thus, the Psalm lists the deficiency of the righteous as a deficiency of love—a deficiency in his/her ability to live with a loving attitude toward God and human beings. So God must intercede and teach the righteous person to love.

When the Bible describes God’s love and compassion and His concern for the weak and downtrodden, it is presenting a model for emulation. Just as He is kind, so we are to be kind; just as He is merciful, so are we to be merciful. The essence of religion is not merely doing that which is right—but doing that which is imbued with compassion and love.

Our goal is not merely to be righteous—but to be pious. To be pious entails the qualities of empathy, compassion—and sincere love.

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The Angel for Shabbat column is presented as a service of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals. Please visit our website jewishideas.org for a wide array of articles of special interest to those who wish to foster an intellectually vibrant, compassionate and inclusive Orthodox Judaism.

The Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals
8 West 70th Street
New York, NY 10023

"Kosher"≠ "Safe"

 

Recently there have been headlines about salmonella-contaminated turkey meat.

At least one person died and dozens were sickened before any announcement was made warning consumers.

The FDA, due to court rulings and other influences, cannot aggressively combat products infected with salmonella or e coli. Bottom line: Don't depend on the government to assure the food you are eating won't sicken or kill you.

I queried the three major kosher certifying agencies - OU, OK, Star-K - and the very best kosher authority I know, Arlene J. Mathes-Scharf, Food Scientist - Kosher Food Specialist and creator of Kashrut.com. asking if the certifying agencies checked for salmonella and e coli.

In each case, the response was: No, they leave that to the feds.

As it happens, none of the infected turkey meat was certified kosher.

While those Jews who "keep kosher" were safe from cattle infected with the so called "Mad Cow Disease," it was not due to inspection of the meat but do to kosher slaughtering laws, Biet Yosef for Sefardim.

Understanding that a kosher label is no guarantee that the product is safe to consume, how can the consumer protect himself and his family?

When it comes to meat, the primary safety measure is to COOK THE MEAT THROUGHLY. Use a meat thermometer to check the inside temperature of the meat being cooked. Proper temperatures can be found in many cook books and by searching the World Wide Web.

Wash hands and utensils after every contact with meat and before contact with a different meat or a non-meat product. Carefully clean all surfaces on which meat has lain.

But, you say, you gave up meat. Bravo, but you're still not safe.

Dairy products must be kept cold; set the refrigerator to 32-to-40F and the freezer to 0F. If the dairy product is cooked - as a pasta meal - once the food has cooled from the stove, move it back into the refrigerator.

The "final word" on food safety comes from the FDA - while it cannot guarantee the food we buy is safe, it CAN help assure its safety is not further compromised in our kitchens - is at http://www.foodsafety.gov/.

Tisha b'Ab

 

It's a bit late, but a few notes on the 9th of Ab/Av.

Before the fast

Drink lots of fluids, preferably water.

Avoid colas and sugared drinks.

Most recommend avoiding caffeinated drinks - coffee, tea, colas, etc. My wife insists that loading up on coffee before the fast puts enough caffeine in her system for the duration.

Eat a good meal a couple of hours before the fast starts.

Load up on starches - rice, pasta - and proteins - lentils are good.

The final meal, סעודת מופסקת , traditionally only water, pita, and one cooked food, typically a boiled egg, is eaten sitting on a rug or low chair before heading off to synagogue for services.

Some rabbis tell congregants that it's a good idea to have it in mind that a person is allowed to drink water until a few minutes before the actual fast begins. Water but no food.

A quick note on medicines: ASK YOUR RABBI.

Before leaving the house for the synagogue, trade leather footwear for non-leather shoes.

Be careful; many "sneakers" are leather, and many "regular" shoes are non-leather (plastics and other man-made materials). It might say somewhere on the shoe what materials were used. The shoes you wear for Yom Kippur are suitable for Tisha b'Ab.

No non-leather shoes? Wear clean socks and doff the shoes when entering the synagogue.

Plan to sit on low stools or chairs or on a rug/carpet at the synagogue. (The practices also should be followed at home.) The elderly and infirm may sit on regular chairs if unable to sit and rise from the low stool or the floor.

Leather belts are permitted.

Driving is permitted.

Work, while discouraged, is permitted.

Many congregations have special programs to help pass the time between services. Keeping occupied with something is the best way to pass the time.

Study of mourning-related and otherwise "sad" texts is permitted; study of Torah (biktav/written and ba'al pei/oral) is prohibited.

Sefardi men do not wear tallit or tefillin for the morning service.

Sefardi cohanim do not bless the kahal during the morning service.

But wait - do not despair.

What was missing in the morning is added to the afternoon service.

No bathing - even in cold water. Washing after a bathroom break is just up to the fingers.

No marital relations; some people sleep on a low bed or a blanket or rug on the floor sans a pillow. Sefardim never sit directly on the floor nor do they prostrate themselves directly on the floor (on Yom Kippur) - there always is a rug or other material between the person and the floor.

Children are not obliged to fast until 12 (girls) or 13 (boys) although if they CAN, they should be allowed to fast a little. Small children should be given their regular meals without extra treats.

CAVEAT: I am not a rabbi nor do I play one on tv. But I DO listen to my rabbi and I read what other rabbis write and convey what I learn to this blog.

May you have an easy fast.

On being "politically correct"

 

The other day I read a CNN article on a local tv station's Web site titled U.S. Rep. Apologizes For 'Tar Baby' Comment

Seems Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colorado, trying to distance himself from the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, allegedly said "...I don't want to even have to be associated with him (Obama). It's like touching a tar baby and you get, you get it, you know ... you are stuck and you are part of the problem now and you can't get away."

Now I often refer to Joel Chandler Harris' Song of the South and Uncle Remus' tar baby; my children grew up with me complaining that someone who failed to return my greeting was a "tar baby" and they knew the story.

As a young person in Indiana I saw Song of the South.

I guess I missed the racist part.

I thought Uncle Remus was a grand old man who told some tall tales. Sort of like a grandfather.

Later I learned that Uncle Remus was supposed to have been a house slave and the white children listening to his tales were kin to the slave owner.

That didn't make the tales any shorter - a tall tale is a tall tale, no matter who tells it or the color of the story teller's skin or his manner of speech.

I can understand, and appreciate, the Republican's desire to distance himself from the president du jour and I can understand how he might have done something to link him to that person; it's the old "birds of a feather" thing - or could that expression be considered anti-avian?

It's hard for me to understand how anyone could consider Lamborn's remark as racist, but I suppose some ignorant folk looking for a cause might manage to assume the worst..

Lamborn compounded the problem by apologizing to Obama for using a term some might find "insensitive."

It is true that Lamborn is, according to Wikipedia, a WASP and the president is not. Maybe to boost the latter's image - lately in dire need of boosting - someone, perhaps a CNN producer, managed to hear, or hear of, the remark and ran with it.

It's fairly obvious by the context of Lamborn's remark that the representative knows the Br'er Rabbit vs. the Tar Baby story. It's also fairly obvious that the CNN producer does not know the story and does not have time to do any research - or perhaps her prejudices just got in the way. If it was for want of research, all she had to do was visit the Internet. The battle of wits between Br'er Fox, Br'er Bear, and Br'er Rabbit can be found, among other URLs, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHNDKxySTvU&feature=related. The story is a two-parter; Part 2 is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4D470YSl2Y&feature=related.

I'm of a generation that remembers a "well rounded" Aunt Jemima (http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/public/default.asp?t=1&m=1&c=34&s=264&ai=42091&ssd=11/9/2002&arch=y). Nancy Green always will be the face I conjure up when I hear the name Aunt Jemima or even think about pancakes. Does that make me and other lovers of griddle cakes racist?

Uncle Remus. accent and all, was no Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry, a/k/a the groveling Steppin' Fetchit. As a south Floridian, I must note that Perry was a Key West native. Uncle Remus had the respect of the "master" who put his children into Uncle's hands for an education in humanity - which is what each of the Uncle Remus stories is all about.

What if Aesop was black - would all the Aesop fables be banned? Anyone know how a Greek accent sounds?

I understand that different folks react differently to the same things.

When someone wanted to moor a replica of the La Amistad in Tampa Bay, the local black population objected. The ship "went north" where it found a home at the Mystic Seaport in Mystic CN in 2010.

Given that, it is possible to see how a person ignorant of Song of the South could associate "tar baby" - tar being black - as a reference to a black president. That was not the case, but for a person with an agenda, it's "obvious."

After thought. I wanted to include a photo of James Baskett, the actor who played Uncle Remus, but Disney apparently owns the copyright to all the pictures I found on the Web and Disney has a reputation of restricting use of its property. Still, a search for "James Baskett" will turn up several sites with photos and biographies of the actor; it's worth the effort.

How to balance a budget

 

S T O P

  *  borrowing money from other nations

  *  giving foreign aid to ungrateful nations

  *  meddling in other nation's civil wars; remember the Monroe Doctrine

  *  being the world's policeman; keep U.S. troops on U.S. soil

  *  being the first with the most with emergency assistance

  *  wasting funds - the GAO has a long list of wastes

S T A R T

  *  taking care of the people who pay the bills

  *  thinking about future generations

R E A L I Z E

  *  we can't buy friends

  *  people hate the U.S. for its freedoms

  *  the U.S. does NOT have to be all things to all people

  *  we have people in the U.S. who need assistance and that "charity" - or in this case, "their due" - begins at home (with the caveat that those that can help themselves will help themselves)

It's really very simple.

There are many - altogether too many - nations on the U.S. dole. Only a handful even attempt to replay their debt to the U.S.

Yet the U.S., trying to buy friends - that never has worked- borrows money from real and potential (political) enemies to give away to others.

Why is the U.S. involved in Libya? Certainly not to protect the dissidents else it would be in Syria and Sudan. Oil? Does anyone think that the dissidents will sell Libyan oil to the U.S. cheaply? What has Syria or Sudan got to offer? In Syria, the conflict is religious; let each sides' coreligionists settle the issue however they like, but let the U.S. stay out of it. Sudan seems to be the same thing, but while Syria is Muslim vs. Muslim, Sudan's oppression is Muslim on non-Muslim.

Why does the U.S. make noise - and only noise - about Iran and is relatively silent about North Korea? Perhaps because it worries about ally South Korea while thinking that only Israel will be attacked in the middle east? South Korea sells cars (Hyundai and Kia) in the U.S., what does the U.S. get from Israel other than technology and a loyal ally? China used to call the U.S. a "paper tiger." Now even the paper is owned by China.

The politicians, if you ask the Government Accounting Office, are spendthrifts; money is wasted left and right, and not just on pork barrel projects. Basic expenses are inflated to the point of obscenity.

The United States has resources beyond measure, but the politicians - of both parties - have pledged them to foreign governments while encouraging companies to send jobs overseas (or bring foreign workers to the U.S. to replace unemployed Americans with equal, or better, credentials).

There are ways to balance the budget or at least get the debt to a reasonable level - that is, one that can be paid "on demand." Regardless of what the talking heads say about government debt being "different" from family debt, to the people who have to PAY the debt, debt is debt is debt.

Our politicians need to work together - they used to and the schism I lay at the feet of the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and a few of his political stooges. It is not because the president is a Democrat and the Republicans control the House. Some of the greatest political advances have been made when BOTH houses were one party and the president was of the other party. Currently, the U.S. is, as a former senate candidate declared in 1858, "a house divided," The candidate added that "A house divided against itself cannot stand."

I'm afraid he's right at this point in U.S. history.

Kibbutzim rise like phoenix?

 

Kibbutzim, according to a Israel National News article, could be the answer to the housing crunch in Israel.

Titled Kibbutzim Offer Solution to Housing Prices, "Kibbutzim (cooperative communities) have offered themselves as a solution to high housing prices, in response to a student sit-in protest for more affordable housing."

The housing crisis, which hits young adults and new olim hardest, may reverse the decline in kibbutz membership and impact Israeli politics.

Once the bastion of almost everything Israeli, kibbutz' communism - about the only place true "communism" ever existed - gave way to the socialism of the moshav and the capitalism of the cities.

At the height of kibbutz popularity, most of Israel's left-of-center politicians and military leaders had a "kibbutz connection."

Kibbutzim played a major role in helping the state absorb olim - by hosting work/study ulpans (a win-win for the kibbutz) and by accepting a selected few for membership.

Kibbutzim went from agriculture to industry, sometimes to include both (as at Netzer Sirini near Beer Yakov).

Over time many kibbutzim became less and less "communal" and more "individual." Some kibbutzim allowed their members to work outside the kibbutz as long as the member's outside compensation went into the communal treasury.

In return, kibbutz members "enjoy a variety of services that give them and their families a high quality of life,” Kibbutz Movement head Zev Shor told the Hebrew-language daily Maariv.

The trick for those considering kibbutz life is to find one that has the candidate's political and communal philosophy, understand that overtime this may change.

For all that, the housing troubles may cause a resurgence in kibbutz popularity, and with that, who knows.