Published Summer 2013
When a tourist comes to Israel from the Diaspora one of the things he has to get used to is the mitzvos hatluot b’aretz, the mitzvos that are unique to Israel. After he gets through taking trumah and maaser, tithing, and makes sure he doesn’t come during shmitta (beware next year!) he is suddenly hit with orla. And when he asks how to cope with this unfamiliar problem he is sometimes given a chart with a list of fruits and orla percentages which, if he isn’t totally confused, the charts will certainly finish off the job. “What do all these percentages mean? And why,” he asks, “can’t someone give me a yes or no answer instead of these percentages?” So what do the percentages on these fruit charts mean?
Charting the Course of Orla
A Halachic Exercise in self control
Published Summer 2013
SCENE 1: You are hungry. You desperately need something to hit the spot. Suddenly your friend offers you a delicious chocolate frosted cupcake . . . complete with sprinkles. Your mouth begins to water . . . you are just about to take that first irresistible bite when your inner voice raises the age-old query, “How do you know if it is Kosher?” Your ecstasy is short lived. Your hand pulls back and you put the cupcake down. You exercised self control. You are still hungry but you passed the test.
Oven Kashrus For Everyday Use
Hashem, in His eminent act of chesed, created a world with abundant gifts expressly designed for the enjoyment of man. The Torah often limits, directs or restricts these worldly opportunities afforded to us to help us remember that we do not own this earthly bounty. Instead, we are using them with the permission of their Owner.
A clear example of this Divine Direction manifests itself in the foods we eat. Before we eat, we must make a bracha, a blessing that permits the consumption of kosher food. Certain foods are intrinsically non-kosher and are forbidden to us. Dairy and meat products, while they may be permissible individually, are forbidden to be mixed, cooked, processed or eaten together. These limitations, restrictions and directions form the basis of the laws of kashrus.
Those who carefully adhere to the laws of kashrus do not only restrict the mixing of dairy and meat products; they have […]
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