Sheimos Guidelines

By: Rabbi Moshe Heinemann

According to the Torah, holy objects may not be discarded by throwing them directly into the trash. Some objects always have kedusha and must be placed in sheimos. Other objects gain kedusha once they are used for a mitzvah and need to be treated with special care.

SHEIMOS

Objects which have innate holiness, kedusha, are sheimos. This means that when discarded they must be wrapped in plastic and buried. The following objects are included in this category:
1. A Sefer Torah
2. Sefer Torah covers
3. Tefillin, tefillin bags, mezuzos and mezuzah covers
4. Siddurim and bentchers
5. Seforim, whether handwritten, printed, photocopied or downloaded and printed (e.g., Chumashim, siddurim, machzorim, seforim, Gemara, Shulchan Aruch, etc.)
6. A quote from Tanach, Chazal, Rishonim or Achronim, that has been printed or written with the intention of explaining Torah, or to teach us how to conduct ourselves according to hashkafos haTorah
7. Invitations from organizations and individuals that contain parts of […]

Balsamic Vinegar: Sour Grapes or Sour Sweet Success

By: Rabbi Tzvi Rosen

Vinegar is one of nature’s most unique and versatile products. Folklore maintains that vinegar was discovered quite by accident, when wine was inadvertently left to sour. This resulted in the first batch of full-bodied wine vinegar. Indeed, the word ‘vinegar’ is derived from the French word vinaigre, which means sour wine. Euphemistically, the Talmud refers to a ne’er-do-well son of a righteous father as a Chometz Ben Yayin, “vinegar son of wine.”
Folklore aside, vinegar was well known in the time of Tanach. The Torah forbids a Nazir to drink wine vinegar or eat other grape and wine products. In Tehillim,1 Dovid Hamelech asked to drink vinegar when he said, “Vlitzmaie Yashkuni Chometz”. In Megilas Rus, Boaz’s workers dipped their bread in vinegar.2
The Hebrew term for vinegar, chometz (pronounced ch-oh-metz), is similar to the word chametz (pronounced ch-aw-maitz), leavened bread products. This etymological similarity underscores the correlation […]

Kashrus in the Workplace

By: Rabbi Dovid Heber

The new food trends that have been embraced by society at large have led to a similar preoccupation with food within corporate America. This development has obvious ramifications for the kosher consumer at the office. The following is a guide to dealing with kashrus issues in the workplace.1 While it is impossible to address all the kashrus issues that may arise, this article provides an overview. As with all halacha, when questions arise, one should consult his rav.

1) Eating in a Cafeteria Shared with Co-Workers Who Eat Non-Kosher – Food on a plate, may’iker hadin, may be eaten even when placed on a non-kosher clean table. The Baday Hashulchan2 notes that today, the general custom is to use a napkin (or a placemat or something of a similar nature) when eating on a non-kosher table, even if it is clean.3 Although, in many cases a “heker” is […]

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