Time Flies: A Guide To Time-Related Halachos When Flying
The STAR-K office and its Institute of Halacha receive hundreds of inquiries from STAR-K mashgichim, businessmen and tourists traveling to all corners of the globe. The most common questions relate to kashrus information. However, more common than ever are shaalos related to davening and other halachic issues impacted by changing time zones while in transit. There are excellent websites1 that project the times for sunrise, sunset, and other halachic zmanim for aircraft passengers. A basic understanding of the halachos that relate to these times and the metzios2 enhances the use of these powerful tools, which is analogous to how we can increase the usefulness of a GPS by possessing a basic knowledge of the route one must drive.
I. What Happens In-Flight?
As is well known, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. In the summer, the days are longer (earlier sunrise, later sunset), and […]
PURE Hashgacha Pratis Leads to Opening of STAR-K Certified Kosher Dining at Penn State University
This year, for the first time in Pennsylvania State University’s 162-year history, its estimated 4000 Jewish students will have kosher food options, thanks to the amazing Divine Providence that inspired one student to advocate for them.
On one weekend, last year, Philadelphia native and industrial engineering student Aaron Goldberg—who was completing an internship in Pittsburgh during his junior year–came back to his college campus located in State College, Pennsylvania. At that time, he met a student who was considering attending Penn State. She was observant and told him that, although she may have wanted to go to Penn State, she decided to go elsewhere because the kosher food options at the university were limited.
Subsequently, after Aaron attended a Pesach seder in Pittsburgh, his hosts observed and commented on the fact that he kept kosher for Pesach but not year round. Both incidents got Aaron to reflect not only on his own […]
What Bracha Does One Make on Matza Brei?
Have you ever taken a bite out of a coconut macaroon and later doubted your choice of bracha? Was it really “haeitz” or is it “shehakol”? And, what about that matza brei or matzah lasagna? Do they require washing for a “hamotzei” or are they “mezonos”? Guess no more, thanks to STAR-K Kashrus Administrator Rabbi Dovid Heber’s new Pesach App: “Common Pesach Foods and Their Brochos”:
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1.A brochah acharonah is recited when drinking at least a reviis (3.8 fl. oz.) within a 30 second span. If one drank between 1.0 fl. oz. (kzayis according to some opinions) and 3.8 fl. oz. (and cannot drink more) within a 30 second span a brochah achronah is not recited. However, if one also requires an al hamichyah or al ha’etz at this time, one can also include al hagefen. See Mishnah Brurah [M.B.] 208:82.
2. This depends on the percentage of grape juice. If there […]
Important Appliance Pre-Purchase Advice
When shopping for a new appliance, it is worth considering the different features each one offers and whether they meet your needs regarding Shabbos and Yom Tov use. Here are some suggestions and considerations to help you make the best decision for your needs.
Advice Re: Cooktops
Electric smoothtops may present a problem of kashering for Pesach. Check with your rav.
Electric cooktops may pose a problem with adjusting the temperature on Yom Tov.
Electronic ignition may pose a problem with initiating a flame on Yom Tov.
Some cooktops (gas or electric) have knobs that light up when the burner is turned on, and on some of these cooktops an illuminated ring displays on the knob itself. Some knobs are backlit with a soft glow to indicate an ‘On’ setting, and some knobs offer progressive illumination that adjusts to indicate the burner setting. These types of knobs pose a problem.
Additionally, be aware that some high-end […]
Oven Kashrus: For Yom Tov Use
Yom Tov celebrations could never be complete without the traditional piping hot delicacies from past generations. However, the kosher homemaker must be well educated on how to prepare Yom Tov meals without fear of transgressing a Torah or rabbinic prohibition.
When mentioning the prohibition of work on Shabbos the Torah writes, “Do not do any melacha (work prohibited on Shabbos).”1 This prohibition applies to melacha performed for food preparation, as well as other non-food purposes. In stating the prohibition of melacha on Yom Tov the Torah writes, “You shall not do laborious work.”2
In addition, when giving the initial command about the Yom Tov of Pesach, the Torah writes, “No work may be done on them (first and seventh day of Pesach), except for what must be eaten for any person, only that may be done for you.” (Shmos 22:16) The Ramban explains that the contrast of terms (work versus […]
Balsamic Vinegar: Sour Grapes or Sour Sweet Success
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
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 […]
STAR-K Kosher Certification Goes Ivy League: Cornell University’s 104 West
The logistical challenge of feeding 400+ Cornell University students and staff members Rosh Hashanah dinner in “Trillium at Kennedy Hall” and an overflow in an outside tent–in addition to two daily meals throughout the school year– was one that STAR-K Kashrus Administrator Rabbi Mayer Kurcfeld was up for. Cornell’s 104 West! and It’s Kosher– the campus’ satellite kosher dining station at North Star Dining Room—is presently the sixth college kitchen under this campus kashrus expert’s supervisory guidance.
Cornell upperclassman Sam Baer, president of the college’s Center for Jewish Living, first approached STAR-K Kosher Certification in March, 2015, about the possibility of certifying an on-campus kosher kitchen. After making three 12-hour roundtrip drives from Baltimore to the Cornell campus in Ithaca, New York, the STAR-K and STAR-D logos were awarded in time for the Fall Semester.
One of the factors unique to certifying a college kitchen versus a restaurant is finding just the […]
Yoshon & Pas Yisroel Guidelines
Updated January 16, 2024
This page is dedicated in memory of Rav Yosef Herman הרב יוסף בן הרב יהושע זצ”ל, who is credited with singlehandedly raising awareness about Yoshon in America and throughout chutz la’aretz and renewing the klal’s commitment to this precious mitzvah. He undertook the responsibility to conduct extensive research about Yoshon products and to publish Yoshon updates year after year without remuneration. May all of our work be an aliyah for his neshama.
Yoshon season 2023-24 has now begun. Any item from any of the grains (wheat, oats or barley) purchased prior to September 1, 2023, can be considered Yoshon. Rye and spelt in North America are always considered Yoshon.
Every year, STAR-K publishes the Yoshon Quick Reference Guide and an up-to-date list of Baltimore establishments, which notes the Yoshon and Pas Yisroel status of their products. Both the Yoshon Quick Reference Guide and the local Baltimore establishment list are […]
K’zayis: A Guide to Halachic Food Measurements
How much must one eat to recite a brocha acharona? How much bread must one eat to fulfill one’s obligation of seudas Shabbos?
Although Chazal chose to describe measurements in terms of commonly used items or foods such as a k’zayis (olive) and a k’beitzah (egg), the size of a standard size egg 1800 years ago may have been larger than today’s egg. Similarly, there are many varieties of olives, and we are uncertain as to which one is used for the k’zayis measure. Therefore, shiurim must be defined in contemporary terms.1 The following is based on the psak of Rabbi Moshe Heinemann shlit”a.
I. K’zayis Measurement2 – 1.27 fl. oz. (38 ml) – If one eats a k’zayis3 of bread, he must recite birchas hamazon.4 Similarly, if one eats a k’zayis of any other food a brocha acharona must be recited.5
Our testing indicates […]
Bayamim Haheim Bazman Hazeh, Olive Oil: The Contemporary Industry of Antiquity
Olive oil – the liquid gold of the ancients – was touted for its nutritional, medicinal, and cosmetic value. As a fuel, olive oil illuminated the home; as a food ingredient, it was a feast to the palate. Olive oil production is one of the world’s oldest industries which has not changed much over the millennia.
Numerous olive oil brochures of the Mediterranean coastal region proudly claim that the olive oil industry dates back to over 5,000 years. This is demonstrated by the discovery of a 5,000 year old olive oil earthenware vessel in Turkey. Shemen zayis, as mentioned in the Torah, is one of the seven special species of Eretz Yisroel. The Torah requires the purest of pure olive oil, shemen zayis zach, to light the Menorah. Olive oil was an integral part of the service in the Bais Hamikdash. The olive branch is considered a symbol of peace […]
Oven Kashrus 101: Using the Same Oven for Meat, Dairy, Fish and Pareve
Spring 2016
If your kitchen is equipped with four ovens – for meat, dairy, pareve and fish – you don’t need to read this article. However, if you do not have such a luxury, you will find various halachic details enumerated below quite relevant.
There are numerous factors involved in an oven “going back and forth” between meat and dairy or using an oven for fish or pareve.1 They include the following:
The oven: Is it clean? Was it kashered? When was it last used?
The food: Is it liquid? Is it covered? When was it prepared?
Does the question arise to do the action l’chatchila (I can do this) or is it only okay bedi’eved (it already happened)?
NOTE: The halachos addressed are based on the psak of HaRav Moshe Heinemann shlit”a, STAR-K Rabbinic Administrator.2 This article addresses issues only involving regular gas or electric ovens. It does note address […]
Checklist for Approving a Shechitah Facility
Published Winter 2016
All the knives of the shochtim must be checked to ensure that they are sharp and without even the slightest ‘pegima’. This must be done before and after the shechitah.
There must be a sink with running water near the place of shechitah for the shochtim to sharpen their knives.
Animals may not be prodded to the shechitah box with a plug-in electric prod.
The head restraint in the box which holds the animal during shechitah must be calibrated so that the animal’s head cannot move during shechitah, but not so tightly that it affects the animal’s breathing.
A system must be in place, to track any animal that becomes a nevaila.
Animals may not be stunned at any time after the shechitah.
No hot water may be used on the animals anywhere in the slaughter house.
No electric current may be applied to the animal at any point, including when used to tenderize the […]
Dried Fruit: Nature’s Way of Wrinkling Gracefully
Published Fall 2015
It has been called nature’s candy and is a sweet source of nutrition whose popularity is on the rise. Commensurate with its growing popularity is its demand. In today’s global economy, the dried fruit trade literally spans the entire globe – apples from China, prunes from Bulgaria, figs from the Middle East, dates from Tunisia, raisins from South America, and of course apples, peaches, plums, raisins, figs, and dates from the good old U.S.A. Naturally, this growth presents a whole new set of challenges to kashrus agencies. How do they send a mashgiach to supervise date productions in Pakistan, raisin productions in Iran, or plum productions in Bulgaria? Let’s learn about this popular healthy snack alternative.
The Process
Fruit is dried through a process known as dehydrating, which removes enough moisture from the fruit to retard the growth of bacteria and mold while retaining the great taste and nutrients of […]
Kashering Dishwashers
Stainless steel, plastic or porcelain dishwashers which have plastic pumps, parts and rubber hoses cannot be kashered for Pesach or the rest of the year.
Kashering Countertops
Porcelain Enamel, Corian, Plastic/Formica, Silestone
CANNOT be kashered (for Pesach). Clean and cover for cold food. Cardboard or thick pad for hot food and utensils.
Granite, Marble, or Stainless Steel
Can be kashered by doing eruy roschim (purging through a hot water pour). Make sure that the material is a PURE granite, limestone, etc. Sometimes they are really “composites” which have plastic in them and therefore CANNOT be kashered.
Kashering Glass, Corning, Halogen or Ceran Cooktops
Passover
Electric – Kashering a Glass, Corning, Halogen, or Ceran electric smoothtop range for Pesach use is a bit complex. To kasher the burner area, turn on the elements until they glow. The burner area is now considered kosher for Pesach. However, the remaining area that does not get hot is not kashered. The manufacturers do not suggest covering this area as one would a porcelain top, as it may cause the glass to break. Real kosherization can be accomplished by holding a blow torch over the glass until it is hot enough to singe a piece of newspaper on contact with the glass. However, this too may cause the glass to shatter and is not recommended. As the area between the burners cannot practically be kashered, it would be wise to have a trivet on the open glass area to move pots onto. In addition, it would be wise to […]
Pluto and the Tur’s Jewish Calendar Cycle
http://www.thelakewoodscoop.com/news/2015/09/pluto-and-the-turs-jewish-calendar-cycle.html
http://matzav.com/pluto-and-the-turs-jewish-calendar-cycle/
http://baltimorejewishlife.com/news/news-detail.php?SECTION_ID=1&ARTICLE_ID=64235
“New Horizons” (NASA’s Mission to Pluto) recently came within 7,800 miles of Pluto and brought much attention to this dwarf planet that at any given time is between 2.66 billion and 4.68 billion miles away from Earth.
As we begin Rosh Hashanah, 5776, which will mark the beginning of the final year of the 304th nineteen year cycle since Brias Haolam (the creation of the world), it is interesting to note the amazing similarity between the amount of time it takes Pluto to orbit the the sun and the Jewish Calendar cycle based on 13 – nineteen year cycles found in the Tur (Orach Chaim Siman 428).
The Tur’s chart is based on a 247-year cycle and it takes Pluto about 247 years to orbit the sun.
This is the Tur’s 247-year calendar found in Orach Chaim, Siman 428, in Hilchos Rosh Chodesh. Note the marks we have added […]
Year-Round Money Saving Tips and Strategies
Published Winter 2014
With a little forethought and planning, you can implement some helpful year-round money saving tips in anticipation of Pesach.
To assess your budget, ask yourself:- What do I typically spend on groceries per month?
– What did I spend for Pesach last year?
– What are the specifics of this year’s Pesach plans?
– Will I be eating meals at home or eating out?
– Will I have more expenses because I am entertaining guests?
– What can I afford this year?
– How can I cut back on expenses a month or two prior to Pesach?
– What can I live without?
Decide on your menu, taking into account where chol hamoed falls out on the calendar, as well as fleishig/milchig meals. Be sure to make a list before you go shopping. Hopefully, you can refer to your post-Pesach notes from the previous year to remind you of your ever-changing Pesach needs. These could include:
– Number of boxes of matzah, matzah meal, cake meal, and potato starch used
– Number of bottles of wine needed
– Popular brands
– Amount of milk used
– Amount of chicken used
– […]
From The Chronicles Of A Kosher Caterer
Published Winter 2014
A Fictional Account of a Factual Situation1
Pictures: Large industrial stove, oven, fryer, elegantly set ballroom with tables
Mendy enjoyed his job at Elegant Touch Catering (ETC). His primary responsibilities were in the office, but his sharp eye was noticed by Rabbi Ephraim Rubin, the caterer’s veteran mashgiach, who needed extra help with vegetable checking. Finding people with the skill and acumen to determine acceptability of leafy greens, especially in the pressurized environment of a commercial kitchen, was a challenge for Rabbi Rubin and he was eager to recruit Mendy as an assistant.
After two months of training, and hours squinting in the harsh glow of a light box covered by microfiber mesh cloth, Mendy became adept at detecting tiny translucent thrips and aphids hiding in the folds and crevices of romaine, kale, broccoli, dill, and parsley. Finally, the STAR-K Kashrus Administrator overseeing foodservice establishments approved him as a vegetable checker. Eventually, Mendy […]
‘Beer Halacha’: Clarifying The Kashrus of Beer
Published Winter 2014
Hashem , in his ultimate kindness, has provided man with the keys to unlock some of nature’s most amazing secrets. For centuries, a great secret has been revealed to man – the bubbling elixir known as beer.
Beer’s ingredients – water, barley, yeast and hops – bear no resemblance to the finished product. These natural ingredients undergo a series of simple yet fascinating processes to convert them into one of the world’s most popular beverages. It is not coincidental that alcoholic beverages have been given the distinctive appellation “spirits”, alluding to the fact that these beverages seem to magically emerge from these natural ingredients as if they have been assisted by spirits. The four steps of beer making are malting, roasting, brewing and fermenting.
THE PROCESS : The first step of beer making combined barley and water in a process […]
Bishul Yisroel Sephardi: And Now For The Rest Of The Story
Published Spring 2014
If anyone ever visited New Orleans, one of the must-see tourist highlights in Metairie, a suburb of New Orleans, is a quaint Cajun wooden floor coffee shop known simply as Morning Call. Morning Call is a café that sold one product only – a delightful, deep fried square doughnut that you smothered with heaps of confectioners’ sugar and enjoyed along with a delicious hot cup of French market coffee. These square doughnuts are known as beignets (pronounced ben y’ays). I don’t know if a beignet matches a fresh jelly-filled sufgania , but beignets are a New Orleans favorite and Morning Call is still frying beignets.When I was a member of the New Orleans Kollel many years ago, Morning Call was certified kosher by the local congregational rabbi, and at that time there was no Kosher Cajun restaurant to go to for a kosher bite to eat. The proprietor of Kosher Cajun was […]
A Halachic Guide to Seudas Shabbos and Lechem Mishna
Published Summer 2014
One of the highlights of the week is the Shabbos seuda. The divrei Torah, zemiros, Shabbos delicacies, family and guests allow us to come closer to the Ribbono Shel Olam and recharge our ruchniyos and gashmiyos (spiritual and physical) batteries. Although a delicious bowl of chicken soup on Friday night and hot cholent during the daytime seuda enhance the Shabbos meals, one does not fulfill his obligation of “seudas Shabbos” with either of these items. What is necessary to fulfill one’s obligation for seudas Shabbos?
I. Seudas Shabbos
Men and women are obligated to eat three meals every Shabbos. Each “meal” must consist of bread.1 Chinuch-age children are also obligated. On Yom Tov, one2 is obligated to eat only two seudos as there is no obligation for a third meal.
Ideally, one should eat the volume of a “k’baytza v’yoser”3 from challos, […]
Zman Cheiruseinu
Published Summer 2014
There was a story told about a very elderly Yid who was in the hospital with medical complications. The doctor came in with the patient’s test results and said, “Mr. Goldberg, your blood pressure is high and your cholesterol is high. You must change your diet. No more chopped liver; nothing cooked in chicken schmaltz.” Mr. Goldberg peeked out from under his blanket as his children were attending him, looked the doctor straight in the eye and said, “Vos vais a doctor vos a yid darf essen!”1
Although Judaism frowns upon a ‘Live to Eat’ mantra, eating does play a central role in the life of a Torah observant Jew. How can one observe Shabbos without Kiddush and Hamotzi? Who can observe a Pesach seder without matza? A Melava Malka, a Purim seuda, dipping an apple in the honey on Rosh Hashana – our calendar and our chagim […]
Taam Tov Btuv Taam: A Flavorful Blend of Kashrus and Spices
Published Fall 2014
Unquestionably, the one area of food ingredients that attests to the global nature of the food industry is the spice trade. The Torah is replete with reference to the spice traders who carriedYosef to Egypt to the ketores, that was fundamental to the avoda in the Bais Hamikdash. The spice commerce has thrived from the beginning of commercial trade. New World exploration forged forward fueled with the hope of finding shorter spice routes to the Far East. Centuries earlier, Marco Polo witnessed flourishing spice trade first hand, during his travels to the Orient. Spice empires thrived as the European powers deepened their trade with the Far East. Today, spice trading continues to prosper. Spices hail from Albania to Zanzibar and arrive to these shores in many different forms as whole spices, spice extracts, oleoresins and essential oils. What are the kashrus issues facing this fascinating ancient/contemporary industry? Have modern processing techniques simplified or complicated matters?
What are spices? Are spices and herbs synonymous?
The term spice is […]
Shmitta 5775
Published Fall 2014
For over nineteen hundred years, the Jewish people have longed to return to Eretz Yisroel, the Land of Israel. It is only in the Land of Israel that we can realize our full potential as a nation; it is only in the Land of Israel that the Torah’s blueprint for life can be completely fulfilled. For the millennia, the most important dimension of this longing was the yearning to once again be able to fulfill the mitzvos hatluyos ba’aretz (agricultural laws), the commandments that can be observed only in the Land of Israel. With Hashem’s help, many of us in this past generation have realized part of this two thousand year old dream. Yet, this realization has presented us with new challenges.
Without a doubt, one of the greatest mitzva challenges of all times is the fulfillment of the mitzva of Shmitta, the year of Sabbatical rest for the land of Israel. The Midrash perceives this multifaceted mitzva as being so challenging and difficult that he who meets […]
Inspections In All Directions
Published Winter 2015
The STAR-K certifies tens of thousands of products manufactured across the globe. There are well over a million ingredients and products certified by hundreds of kashrus agencies worldwide. The following example may provide an idea of how many products are kosher certified.One million different products that are in containers measuring 6 inches in diameter lined up side by side (with no space between them) would stretch from Manhattan to Philadelphia. Since there are considerably more than a million kosher certified products, and industrial products are often sold in wider containers (e.g., 55 gallon drums), this line of products would most likely continue all the way to Baltimore. Furthermore, every kosher certified item (i.e., every container of every kosher product certified by every reliable kashrus agency) would easily stretch from the earth to the moon.To certify all of these products, kashrus agencies must adequately communicate with companies and mashgichim […]
Laws of Biur Ma’aser
Published Spring 2015 | Updated Spring 2022
The Land of Israel follows a unique seven-year cycle. For the first six years, fruits and vegetables grown there are tithed.1 The seventh year is Shemita, the sabbatical year, which has its own set of special laws. These laws mainly affect those living in Israel, but also those living in the Diaspora if they are in possession of Israeli-grown produce.2
For the tithing of the first six years, the Torah 3 sets an end date for the process called Biur Ma’aser. Biur Ma’aser includes a number of components, which are still applicable today:
Biur Ma’aser
Any untithed produce (tevel) in one’s possession must be tithed by Erev Pesach 4 of the fourth and seventh years of the Shemita cycle.5
Ma’aser Sheini is the second tithe separated on produce harvested in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th […]
Grillin’ With a ‘Bren’
Published Spring 2015
One of Moshe Rabbeinu ’s first directives from the Ribono Shel Olam was that the Korban Pesach had to be tzli aish , no compromise – not boiled, not cooked, not raw – but grilled on the open flame. This was B’nei Yisroel ’s honest to goodness first barbecue! “ Maase Avos Siman L’Vanim .” Grilling has taken on a life of its own. As the weather warms, and once again we are ready to enjoy the outdoors there are many dos and don’ts that the savvy kosher griller should keep in mind before throwing that delicious rib steak onto the coals.
Kashering a Non-Kosher Grill
As unlikely as it sounds, there are times when the occasion arises where a non-kosher grill requires kosherization. This method is impractical for a barbecue pit in the park. However, in the event that one needs to kasher a non-kosher grill, below are the steps […]
Three Mentchen Ready for Bentchen
Published Summer 2015
The scene is ever so common in Jewish homes. A delicious meal is served and followed by mayim achronim . Then one of the participants of the mezuman proclaims, “ Rabosai mir vellin bentchen ”[1] (Gentlemen, let us recite Birchas Hamazon ), and everyone present responds.[2]
The basic halachos are well known. If three men who have reached the age of Bar Mitzvah [3]eat bread[4] together, they form a “ mezuman. ”[5] One of them, known as the “ mezamein ” is the leader.[6] If there are ten men, “ Elokeinu ” is added[7] by the mezamein between the words “ Nevoraych ” and “ She’ochalnu ”, and by the rest of the group between “ Baruch ” and “ She’achalnu ”.
The Mishna at the beginning of the seventh perek of Brochos [...] Read More
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