PDF - Kosher Certification

‫ב"ה‬
‫חנוכה תשע"ג‬
KISLEV 5773
CERTIFIED SOUL NUTRITION
!‫א פריילעכן חנוכה‬
Wishing You a Happy Chanukah!
FEEDBACK
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Share Your Spirit
SHARE YOUR SPIRIT
QUESTIONS FOR THE ~
HEALTHY SPIRIT
How Is Your Child Smart?
KEEPING KOSHER IN...
GREECE
By Chanie Brod
SAVOR THE FLAVOR
8
KASHRUS AND THE FLAVOR
INDUSTRY
By Rabbi Elisha Rubin
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WHAT’S SO COMPLICATED
ABOUT CHOCOLATE?
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WHO’S BEHIND THE ~
By Rabbi Don Yoel Levy
ANNUAL MASHGIACH
CONFERENCE 2012
CHANUKAH RECIPE
Basil Pea Risotto
191 WAYS ~ KOSHERED
YOUR WORLD IN 2012
New Companies
Interview with Rabbi
Yeshaya Prizant
CHASSIDIC INSIGHTS
THE WISDOM OF THE
CHANUKAH LIGHTS
Compiled by Dina Fraenkel
SOUL NUTRITION
KOSHER SPIRIT Chanukah 5773
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:
Rabbi Chaim Fogelman
EDITOR:
Dovi Scheiner
Dear Reader,
hile I was home with my
family, taking cover from
the super Hurricane
Sandy, I was surprised to see that the
U.S. Postal Service delivered the mail
right to my door. I realized the truth
of the motto, “Neither snow, nor rain,
nor heat, nor gloom of night stays
these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” Then
it dawned on me that while most of
us are taking a step back from our daily work schedule, taking a
day off or working from home, there are people who can’t and
won’t break from their critical and vital work—firefighters, policemen and women, emergency medical technicians and rescue
operators all immediately come to mind. Not only are they not
stepping back, they are working even harder!
W
And perhaps in some small way, in the spiritual realm, there is
another group of people that get too little recognition for their
work in the trenches and doing their job in snow or rain or 50
mile per hour winds—they are the kosher supervisors and
mashgichim, without whom a kosher production would not be
possible. While the banks and government offices were all closed
and the skies dimmed with hurricane clouds, the lights were
burning brightly at the ~ headquarters in Brooklyn, New York
and our internet servers were at full capacity with office personnel logging in and just doing their jobs.
Perhaps ~ Kosher Certification should adapt the same motto
as the U.S. Postal Service:
“Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these
rabbis from the uncompromising supervision of their appointed
kosher productions.”
In this issue you will read about the annual ~ Kosher
Mashgichim conference and get to know some of these wonderful
rabbis that span the globe just to ensure that the food that is
served at your table and mine is kosher without compromise.
Wishing you a Freilichen Chanukah,
Rabbi Chaim Fogelman
Editor-in-Chief
ASSOCIATE EDITOR:
Dina Fraenkel
DESIGN & PHOTOGRAPHY:
Spotlight Design
We welcome your comments,
submissions and letters to the editor.
Mail: 391 Troy Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11213
Email: editor@kosherspirit.com
© 2012. No portion of this publication may
be reprinted without written consent from
the publisher.
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Scan the QR code
Dear Kosher Spirit,
I loved reading “Keeping Kosher in
Buckingham Palace”. Thank you for
sharing this interesting article with us
fans of all things royal.
Dear Kosher Spirit,
Thank you for the recent Kosher
Spirit, it’s very exciting and
informative. The picture on page 16
struck a chord with me and I’d like to
hang it in my sukkah. I was wondering
if you could send it to me by e-mail.
Thank you,
YS, Monsey
~ Certified “SportStrings” Tzitzis have been receiving compliments
from around the world since their debut last year!
“Super. It’s got a great feel”
A lawyer from New Jersey
“Ari has not taken them off yet. 24 hours and
counting.”
Father of a basketball player
“They are amazing.”
Young professional in Cleveland, OH
“I have now been wearing the Sport Strings Tzitzit
for a couple weeks. They are very well made, and
hold up well and keep pretty cool even under the hot
sun here in Afghanistan. I am very pleased! Thank
you so much and keep up the great work!!”
“My son absolutely loves the tzizit—he said he is
never taking them off except to shower—and he
wants to sleep in them. I told him to take them off
before bed…turns out he slept in them!!!”
“I am the father of Eli. I want to tell you a quick
story—last night Eli played basketball at our local
yeshiva. He used the Sport Strings tzizit, which is the
first time he wore tzizit while playing basketball. In
addition, he normally doesn't wear a yarmulke when
he plays. Last night before we went to the Yeshiva, he
said, ‘I took clips because I don't think it is right to
play basketball in the Yeshiva without wearing a
yarmulke.’
There is no doubt in my mind that it is your
influence that made him decide to wear a yarmulke.”
A mother in Teaneck, NJ
A father in Connecticut
David D. Stanton
US Contractor—Deployed, Afghanistan
with your smartphone to
receive a PDF subscription
to Kosher Spirit
www.KosherSpirit.com 3
The ~ receives many
letters/emails with kosher
questions...
Dear Kosher Spirit,
In a previous issue of Kosher
Spirit (Tishrei 5768), the article
on kosher fish mentioned that not
all varieties of tuna are kosher.
How is this possible and what
varieties are not kosher?
~
The ~ responds:
epending on where you are in the
world, fish names are surprisingly
interchangeable! In one country a
certain fish is called “tuna”, while in
another country it is called “mackerel”.
This is especially common in the “cod”
family of fish.
D
Tuna, mackerel and kingfish are part of
the same family of fish species. A specific
mackerel, called “snake mackerel” is NOT
a kosher fish, but depending on the
country, it may be referred to as
“mackerel” or “tuna”. In addition, many
fish in the tuna, mackerel and kingfish
family have scales that fall off as the fish
leaves the water, making it very difficult
to discern the kosher status of the fish.
Therefore it is important to buy only tuna
with a reliable kosher certification and
mashgiach temidi.
how Is
Your Child
Smart?
The 8 Intelligences:
LINGUISTIC: Sensitivity to the meaning and order
1
of words. Expanded vocabulary and usually like to
tell jokes, riddles or puns. They also like to read,
write, tell stories and play word games.
NATURALIST: Recognizing and classifying
6
LOGICAL-MATHEMATICAL: These learners
2
enjoy working with numbers, want to know how
things work, ask lots of questions, and collect items
and keep track of their collections.
BODILY-KINESTHETIC: Kinesthetic learners
3
enjoy sports and love to be physically active. They
tend to use body language, dance, act or engage in
mime.
MUSICAL: Sensitivity to pitch, melody, rhythm
4
and tone. These children love to listen to and play
music, sing, hum, move to the rhythm, and create
and replicate tunes.
SPATIAL: The ability to perceive the world
5
accurately and to re-create or transform aspects of
that world. These learners doodle, paint, draw and
build with blocks. They also enjoy looking at maps,
doing puzzles and mazes, and taking things apart
and putting them back together.
The easiest way to discover a child’s learning style is to
observe the child at play. Does the child study objects intently, or feel them with the hands? Does the child prefer
to exercise his body rather than play with toys? Does the
child focus well on a book, prefer the pictures, enjoy the
sound of your voice as you read the words? Each prefer4 www.OK.org
Chanukah ‫ חנוכה‬has the same root as the
word chinuch ‫—חינוך‬to educate. Parents
and teachers have always known that
children learn in different ways. An
activity that captivates one child will
leave another child uninterested, and a
method that reaches one child may lose
another. The Torah calls this method
“Chanoch le’naar al pi darko. Teach every
child according to his way.” Reaching a
child according to their individual
intelligence and learning style helps the
child learn best and reach his or her
highest potential.
~
the numerous species, the flora and fauna, of an
environment. These kids like to spend time
outdoors observing plants, collecting rocks and
catching insects, and are attuned to relationships
in nature.
INTERPERSONAL: Understanding people
7
and relationships. These children have many
friends and tend to mediate between them and
be excellent team players.
INTRAPERSONAL:
8
The ability to use one’s
emotional life as a means
to understand oneself and
others. Children with this
type of intelligence control
their own feelings and
moods and often observe
and listen. They do best
when working alone.
ence points to another area of intelligence. Most children
have multiple intelligences and many children display a
preference for a particular style by age 2.
Teaching a child “al pi darko” as our Torah teaches allows for the mastery of new skills while minimizing frustration and developing a lifelong love of learning.
www.KosherSpirit.com 5
T
he year was 167 BCE. The place, Judea. Under the
leadership of King Antiochus, some forty thousand
Syrian Greek soldiers were sharpening their spears
and mounting their war elephants. The enemy? The Maccabees, a tiny army of poorly equipped Jewish warriors
under the leadership of Mattisyahu. The objective was
simple, to eradicate those archaic Jewish practices such
as kosher observance and circumcision and replace them
with Hellenism—the “enlightened” culture of the Greeks.
Antiochus had little doubt that by
the end of the century, the observance
of kashrus would have gone in the way
of the dinosaurs. Had someone suggested that two millennia later Jews
would not only be keeping kosher in
Israel, but in Greece itself.... well,
chances are that Antiochus would
have enjoyed a good laugh at the ludicracy of the notion. And for the one
that suggested the treacherous notion?
That comment would have cost him
his life, but he would have been right.
The Jewish community in Greece is
among the oldest Jewish communities
still in existence, dating back to the
time of the Second Beis HaMikdash.
After the expulsion of the Jews from
Spain by Ferdinand and Isabella in the
fifteenth century, the small community grew further as many refugees
made their way to Greece. Today the
country hosts thousands of Jewish
tourists each year as they come to
enjoy the perfect blend of sandy
beaches, mountain views and historical architecture.
Yet despite its rich heritage, there
was little organized Judaism available
for the small community. In 2001,
Rabbi Mendel Hendel and his wife
Nechama moved to Athens, Greece.
The couple moved there as Chabad
Shluchim with the aim of meeting the
spiritual needs of the local Jews. One
of the first hurdles they encountered
was keeping kosher.
“Keeping kosher in Greece is often
difficult,” the Israeli rabbi admits. “It’s
a lot less accessible than in cities with
larger Jewish populations. We can’t get
much more than fruit, vegetables and
a few other basics at the local stores.
We have most of our food delivered.”
At first that sounds like something I
may be able to relate to. Rather than
being honked at by angry New York
drivers and then hunting for that rare
parking spot that was neither by a fire
hydrant nor a driveway, I, too, choose
to order my groceries online and have
them delivered. I quickly find out that
our deliveries are not all that similar.
For a start, while my groceries are
from a mile or two away, the Hendels
receive their deliveries from an entirely different country.
“We usually order our food from
kosher supermarkets in France,
Belgium or Italy. As they too are
members of the European Union,
transporting the food is often much
faster since they don’t have to pass
through customs.” He explains. While
the weeks leading up to Pesach are
not the most relaxing for most
families, the Hendels had an extra
nerve-wracking couple of days when
a shipment from Israel (not a member
of the EU) containing matzah,
wine and meat for the holiday was
treated to an extended stay at Greek
Customs. The release date was
indefinite despite Passover’s date
rapidly approaching. “Thank G-d, we
received it just a few days before the
holiday,” he exhales at the memory.
In recent years the size of the deliveries increased dramatically. No
longer were the groceries being ordered exclusively for the Hendel family
and their many guests. Instead,
Chabad of Athens opened a kosher
mini market to make kosher food
available to the wider community and
many tourists. Rabbi Hendel explains
what triggered the opening of the mini
market.
“People were learning about
kashrus in our Torah classes. They understood the beauty and significance
of this core mitzvah and they wanted
to put what they had learned into
practice. But kosher food was not easily accessible, I can promise you that.”
Rabbi Hendel recalls. “We saw that we
had to provide them with more than
just the knowledge about kashrus. We
had to make keeping kosher accessible
for the Jews of Athens.” Foregoing
steak and cheese and subsiding on
beans and rice was hardly an appealing
prospect for those considering adopting the laws of kashrus, and so the
mini market was opened.
For the Jewish residents and
tourists of Athens, keeping kosher
meant sacrificing the option of dining
out. There were no kosher restaurants
where one could enjoy gourmet cuisine in celebration of a birthday, anniversary, or just because. There was
nowhere to order dinner from on the
rare occasion that one was too tired to
cook themselves. And for the many
tourists, there was nowhere to enjoy a
hot meal. But all that changed last year
with the opening of Greece’s first and
only kosher restaurant, an elegant
Sephardic diner called Gostijo.
Friday nights it hosts Shabbat dinners.
Other times it hosts kosher cooking
classes or musical evenings. “The
restaurant is much more than a place
to eat,” agrees Rabbi Hendel. “It is a
place where we celebrate our rich Jewish culture and heritage.”
2000 years after Antiochus penalized the observance of kosher with
death, Judaism is thriving in Greece.
Unfortunately Greece itself is going
through one of its roughest patches in
history and its own rich heritage is
being violated. Today Greece is synonymous with a failed economy as unemployment affects 25% of its citizens.
Zalman, a young man who recently
visited Athens, describes his impres-
The Jewish community in Greece is among
the oldest Jewish communities still in
existence, dating back to the time of the
Second Beis HaMikdash...
“It was a highlight of our visit to
Athens,” Erica, a native New Yorker,
enthused of her recent visit to Gostijo.
“The chef produces such delightful
food and the hosts are warm and welcoming, with such interesting backgrounds. Nechama speaks four
languages, all with a native accent and
idiomatically correct! The Hendels
could not be more charming.”
But Gostijo is more than just a place
to sample exotic Mediterranean dishes
such as Mujadera or Poyopatata. As
well as catering all types of events, on
sions of the city. “It was not pretty. The
city itself is beautiful with magnificent
architecture and amazing history. But
now there was graffiti everywhere,
desecrating historical landmarks....
The people are going through a rough
time. There were constant protests,
police out in riot gear...It was a rather
depressing scene.”
As Greece struggles to overcome
one of their darkest times, the light of
Chanukah is even more poignant. In
her blog “It’s all Greek to Me!”
(chabad.gr/blog), Nechama Hendel
describes how their campaign to
spread the light of Chanukah throughout Greece. Several years ago, Rabbi
Mendel and Nechama set out on a
mission: to equip as many Jews as possible with the tools to light the
Chanukah menorah.
“We spent days and days in the car
with maps and the GPS, which proved
not to be always reliable.” writes
Nechama. “One time we were in
Lykavettos, a very hilly area, and the
authoritative voice of the GPS tells us:
‘Turn left”… onto some stairs! We continued and she urged us: ‘Turn left
NOW!’ and after we passed it we heard
the dreaded: ‘You are now off track!’.
Despite the difficulty involved, the
effort was much appreciated by the
grateful recipients. After finding a
menorah and candles on his doorstep,
one delighted gentleman called the
Hendels the next day. “How did you
know?” He asked in wonder. “Just yesterday morning my wife and I were
discussing how we would love to light
Chanukah candles, but we had no idea
where to find them. And that same
evening you bring them to our door!”
Now dozens of volunteers join the
couple in spreading the light of
Chanukah by delivering the kits. The year is 2012. The place, Athens.
As the city struggles through one of its
darkest times in history, a small group
of Jews gather in the city center. Their
mission is simple, to share the light
and joy of Chanukah with the hurting
city. And so they sing and dance and
enjoy kosher jelly doughnuts, and then
the streets become a bit brighter as the
flames of the menorah dance in
Athens.
Greece
KEEPING KOSHER IN...
BY CHANIE BROD
6 www.OK.org
www.KosherSpirit.com 7
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ne of the perks of working in kashrus is that we get
to see the food we eat being made and the
processes involved. The processes can be rather interesting, but it does not always lead to better appetite! As the Gemara in Sanhedrin (39a) says
Antinonus asked Rabbi, “Why did Hashem have to put Adom to
sleep when He took out the rib to create Chava? Was He trying
to steal something and therefore had to take it in a sneaky
manner?” To answer, Rabbi took him to watch the slaughtering
and butchering process and showed him how watching the
process took away his appetite for an otherwise tasty piece of
meat. (Unfortunately, I still haven’t managed to lose much
weight.) Flavor companies are a prime example of a fascinating
industry, from both perspectives — kashrus and production
(with sometimes not so appetizing processes).
O
8 www.OK.org
and artificial” (N&A) instead of just artificial. This information is very important because now you can
understand why a natural cheese flavor can be pareve, or conversely a natural orange flavor can easily be dairy
or a natural cherry flavor can be nonkosher.
Certifying modern food production
facilities is not just about walking in
and looking around. In many factories,
the kosher complexities are often hidden from view and not at all obvious.
It takes an understanding of the technology and production methods employed in the factories to provide
proper kosher certification.
ing tanks. The workers in the flavors
house (compounders) just mix the flavors together following a recipe, without any complicated processes or
technology.
To create a flavor, the flavorists test
many combinations and amounts of
chemicals to find the ideal recipe.
After rigorous testing, a recipe is finalized (that’s why there are so many different kinds of vanilla flavored ice
cream, for example). While there is
complex chemistry involved in the
creation of the flavor chemicals (some
chemicals carry the skull and bones
insignia on them and if more than the
correct amount is mixed into a recipe,
In reality, natural flavors are made from
bottles of chemicals just like artificial flavors
are made from synthetic chemicals...
Growing up, like most people, I
thought “natural flavors” were actually
squeezed out of the relevant fruit,
meaning “blueberry flavor” was
squeezed out of a blueberry and only
artificial flavors came from chemicals.
In reality, natural flavors are made
from bottles of chemicals just like artificial flavors are made from synthetic
chemicals. The only difference is that
the chemicals for natural flavors are
derived from natural materials rather
than from synthetic sources, like petroleum, coal, gas or minerals. (In the
US, even if the item undergoes synthetic chemical processing, it is still
considered natural as long as all the ingredients used were natural. In the European Union, they require that only
natural process, such as fermentation,
can be used to produce natural flavors.)
Sometimes, natural ingredients are
added that actually have almost no
practical effect on the flavor (such as
fruit juices), but when added the company can label the flavor as “natural
Flavor production facilities, also
known as “flavor houses”, are especially complex. A flavor house produces the flavorings that are used in
commercial products. For example,
lemon iced tea contains a lemon flavor
that is created by a flavor company
and then is used as an ingredient by
the iced tea company. At first, flavor
companies can sound scary and foreboding with ingredients like methyl
cyclopentolene, 2,6 Decadeinal, 3,6
methyl heptylpryazine, etc., which are
very foreign to the average mashgiach
or consumer. In reality, while the ingredients used in flavor production are
often confusing or foreign, the approval and certification of those ingredients can be quite complex and
requires special knowledge of chemical processes. This will IY”H be discussed in a future article. The actual
technology for making a flavor in a flavor house is deceptively simple. A flavor house contains many shelves and
racks of bottles and drums with different chemicals in each, along with mix-
it could be poisonous), the design of
the flavors (the actual recipe) is a
process of mixing tastes (called notes)
and is actually more of an art than a
science.
It is expected that the ingredient approval department will have a challenge determining how each
ingredient is made and which can be
approved or must be rejected, but that
is done in the central ~ office, not on
the factory floor. On the floor, the
mashgiach should have it easy; if all
the ingredients have been vetted by
the Ingredient Approval Department
at the ~, and added to the mashgiach’s
list of ingredients permitted in the facility then you might think there are
no problems. Well, it’s not that simple.
A typical flavor facility has thousands
of ingredients with unfamiliar and
confusing names. No one inspecting a
bakery is going to confuse shortening
and flour – they don’t even look remotely similar. Nor is one likely to
confuse Bunge Shortening with
Cargill- Magic Chef shortening. But in
www.KosherSpirit.com 9
a flavor company you can have (almost) identical bottles – one containing Geranyl Acetate (innocuous from
a kashrus standpoint) and one holding
Geranyl Caproate (very kosher sensitive). Additionally, a typical flavor facility will have around 3,000
ingredients. The ~ currently certifies
a flavor house with close to 8000 ingredients and checking the thousands
of bottles on the shelves is not an easy
task. It takes extremely serious attention to detail to keep track of all the ingredients. While many of these
ingredients are readily available as
kosher, it is common for a flavor facility to have both kosher and nonkosher versions of an ingredient on the
shelves, requiring much diligence on
the part of the mashgiach.
Also challenging, the end products
are similar. A company can have hundreds, or even thousands, of varieties
of each kind of flavor. Asking a flavor
company for a “cherry flavor” is like
asking an Englishman for tea or a supermarket for food. There are too
many varieties for the name “cherry
flavor” to mean anything and the only
distinguishing factor is the flavor
number. One mushroom flavor can be
kosher while another can contain castoreum (beaver extract). Only by paying careful attention to every single
detail, including the precise flavor
name and number, can we be sure of
the kashrus status.
Aside from the obvious attention to
detail, a flavor house mashgiach needs
a thorough understanding of the production process. In order for something to be kosher, in addition to its
ingredients being kosher, the equipment it is processed on needs to be
kosher. Of the three thousand ingredients in a typical flavor house, it is rare
that all will be kosher. Therefore a part
of the certification process will be to
make sure that kosher products are
only made on kosher equipment. As
we discussed, flavor blending is typically simple blending of different ingredients with different flavors. There
is no cooking in the process and there-
10 www.OK.org
fore no heat should be needed. In fact,
flavor companies want to avoid using
heat as much as possible to prevent
the evaporation of volatile chemicals
which would be a health and quality
concern.
Sometimes, heat must be employed
to blend various ingredients into a
final product. The degree of heat involved can have an impact on the
kosher status of the utensils and
equipment. Yad Soledes Bo is the halachic term for heating a liquid to a
temperature that a person cannot bear
to touch with a bare hand. If a liquid is
heated to this temperature, it can
change the kosher status of the equipment or utensil used and requires a
specific kosherization process to return it to its prior state. If a liquid is
heated below this temperature, it is
possible to avoid kashrus complications, as long as the equipment is
cleaned adequately. Due to the powerful nature of the ingredients used, flavor companies thoroughly clean the
equipment to avoid cross contamination and other healthy and quality issues. There are areas though where
heat may be used above Yad Soledes
Bo and the mashgiach needs to be
aware of those situations due to the
kashrus implications.
The following are some of the typical production processes that will be
employed in a flavor company. In
larger companies, each of these will be
done in their own separate facility, but
in smaller companies all of these
processes often occur in the same
building.
TYPICAL PROCESSES:
Liquid (Cold) Blend
Dry blend (including Plating)
Emulsion
Reaction (Savory)
Spray Dry
LIQUID (COLD) BLENDING:
DRY BLEND:
The vast majority of sweet flavors
are made by cold blending. The
process is as simple as it sounds. Flavors chemicals are poured out into
tanks and mixed to create the desired
flavor. But, even “cold” blending sometimes needs some heat in the process.
Liquid flavors are typically made by
mixing the active ingredients into a
base solvent. The most common bases
are PG (Propylene Glycol) and Etoh
(Ethyl Alcohol). Other bases, such as
MCT (Medium Chain Triglycerides)
and oils are also used.
Many flavor ingredients are powders and in order to dissolve them in a
liquid base heat is often required. Examples of this are Methyl Cyclo Pentalone (MCP), acetoin, ethyl vanillin or
vanillin in PG (when mixed with Etoh
they do not require heat). It is possible
that the company will use heat below
Yad Soledes Bo and just mix for a
longer period of time, but this needs
verification by the mashgiach.
Some common flavor ingredients,
such as capric acid, dimethyl anthranylate (used in every grape flavor),
and AMF (Anhydrous Milk Fat =
Concentrated Butter) are solid at
room temperature and need to be
heated to be poured into a mix. There
are a number of common ways they
can be heated – storing in a hot room
or box, heated in a hot water bath,
heated with a heating belt/drum
warmer (an electrically heated belt
that is wrapped around the drum to
warm it up), or heating in a standard
production kettle. Obviously, we need
to make sure that kosher and nonkosher (or parve and dairy) are not
heated on the same equipment in a
manner that compromises the kosher
integrity of the equipment.
Animal fat is not commonly used in
liquid flavors, but would be used in
dry blends and would need to be
heated to melt. If dry blends are made
in the same facility, they could share
the same melting equipment and compromise the kosher status of the
equipment.
Dry blends are typically exactly
what they sound like. Dry powders are
mixed together, typically with a ribbon
blender (a large open container with a
“curled ribbon”, or corkscrew, shaped
blending mechanism that runs down
the center), but there are multiple
ways to mix dry powders. I have even
seen a facility where they put the powders in a drum and then roll the drum
around on the floor. For the most part,
this blending is done dry and cold, but
here too there are a few potential complications. Sometimes, liquids are
added to these blends. Typically it is
done in a process called, “plating”,
where the liquids are poured over an
absorbent powder, such as salt, and
mixed in before adding the other dry
ingredients. Sometimes these “liquid”
ingredients might require heating in
order to become liquid enough to
pour and spread. If the same equipment were used with kosher and nonkosher hot liquids it would create a
kashrus problem.
dry machine, including koshering all
hoses and utensils. The koshering
process is done with boiling water
heated above boiling temperature to
ensure that all surfaces, inside and
outside, reach boiling temperature.
REACTIONS:
...A flavor house
mashgiach needs
a thoroughwith a carrier, usually a starch, in an
EMULSIONS:
Emulsions are made by mixing a
starch into a water and flavor mixture
to create a stable blend. Many starches
require heating to “activate” and start
absorbing. Some special “pre-gelatanized” starches will swell even in
cold water.
SPRAY DRYING:
Spray drying is a process that converts a liquid into a powder. Many flavors will be spray dried because
powders are easier to store and can be
safer to work with than their liquid
counterparts.
Spray drying is done in a Spray
Dryer. Spray dryers are interesting
pieces of equipment. A typical spray
dryer can be up to two to four stories
tall and approximately 10 to 21 feet in
diameter (though a pilot dryer can be
as small as 6 feet tall and three feet in
diameter).
Spray drying is a multi-step process.
First the product is mixed together
emulsion tank. The mixture is then
heated to create an emulsion. The
dryer is heated to around 400˚ F (the
exact temperature depends on the
product being dried), The emulsion is
then pumped up to the top of the
spray dryer and through a nozzle, usually an atomizer which rotates at high
speed, to disperse the product down
into the dryer (some dryers use high
pressure nozzles that do not rotate).
The product then dries as it drops to
the bottom of the dryer, sometimes
hitting the walls of the dryer as it
drops down. The product then goes
up and down in various pipes and
bends, called cyclones, to concentrate
the product and cool it down.
As one might realize from the preceding description, spray dryers are
very expensive pieces of equipment.
While the ~ has convinced some facilities to actually dedicate a spray
dryer to only kosher pareve production, this is uncommon because the
cost of the equipment is prohibitive to
such restricted use.
Spray dryers are very difficult to
kasher because of their size and the
way they operate. The ~ has a complex koshering protocol in place to ensure the kosher status of all spray
dryers used for kosher production.
The spray dryer must be eino ben
yomo (not used for 24 hours) and the
mashgiach is given detailed instructions on how to kasher the entire spray
Sweet flavors are produced through
liquid cold blending. There are also savory flavors (used for meat or similar
product flavorings), which are frequently produced by reactions.
Reactions are made by reacting
amino acids and sugars under intense
heat and pressure to create new,
unique flavors with the ingredients
used to make the blend (as opposed to
the liquid blending described above
that is just a combination of the flavors
of the components). Theoretically
only ingredients that are easily available as kosher could be used in these
products. However, sometimes companies want to have a natural image,
so frequently some of the actual product flavor they are trying to imitate is
used. For example, some pork is added
to the mixture so that the company
can say “Natural & Artificial Ham Flavor” even though the natural ham
plays no real role in the taste of the flavor. This of course would render the
flavor and the equipment not kosher.
The ramifications of this are:
If a formula contains amino acids
and sugars, it will need to be heated.
Proper controls need to be in place to
prevent non-kosher flavors from being
made on the same equipment as
kosher flavors without proper kosherizing procedures.
The heating of Vanillin in PG (as
described previously) can take place
on the same equipment as non-kosher
formulations, so care must be taken to
ensure proper kosherization.
It is for these reasons that the ~ invests much effort though into monitoring the kashrus and training
mashgichim of flavor companies. The
~ does the work so that the consumer
can savor the delicious flavor without
needing to give it a second thought.
www.KosherSpirit.com 11
What’s so
complicated
about
Chocolate?
A
s many readers are aware, there was a controversy in the world of chocolate production over
the summer and many brands of pareve chocolate chips became dairy. Most notably, the famous
Trader Joe’s chips under the supervision of the ~ had a
status change from kosher pareve, to kosher dairy. In
light of the intense focus on chocolate production and
the many kashrus implications involved, I spoke at
length about the general process of chocolate production and kosher certification process at our recent
Mashgiach Conference.
12 www.OK.org
A series of calculations, based on the
temperature of the fire and the thickness of the walls of the machine, are
made to determine the amount of time
needed to complete the libbun.
Due to the complexity of kashering
chocolate equipment between dairy
and pareve, the ~ encourages the use
of separate lines for dairy and pareve
productions. In fact, we implemented
this standard about 35 years ago!
Sometimes, a chocolate production
does not turn out well and the chocolate is recycled, called “rework”, and
run through the entire production
process again. It is very important to
ensure that dairy “rework” does not
end up reprocessed on a pareve production line.
Once the chocolate production is
complete, it is often stored in liquid
form in tanks and shipped to other
col and stop thoroughly cleaning out
the machine between dairy and pareve
packaging runs. Unfortunately, the
new method does not ensure that no
dairy chocolate chips are left in the
packaging machine. As a result, every
bag of previously pareve chocolate
chips has a high probability of being
contaminated with actual dairy chocolate chips. Therefore, the kosher designation on this well-known brand
was changed from pareve to dairy.
As you can see, even a seemingly
simple product with few ingredients
can present a wide array of kashrus
concerns. Even the simple pleasure of
a chocolate bar requires diligent
kosher supervision from beginning to
end. When you enjoy your homemade
chocolate chip cookie for dessert on
Shabbos afternoon, or a few squares of
dark chocolate on Pesach, you want to
Some people are under the mistaken impression that
cocoa butter is dairy, but it is in fact pareve...
By Rabbi Don Yoel Levy
Chocolate production begins in
Africa and Central America where the
pods of cocoa beans are hand cut from
trees, split open and the beans removed. The beans are then fermented
by laying them in a sunny field and
covering the beans with banana leaves.
The beans ferment and turn brown
after about 5-8 days. The fermentation
process is not an issue for Pesach because no yeast is used in the fermentation process. It is a natural process
gets into the actual chocolate it ruins
the production and causes the chocolate to inflate like fudge. In addition, it
can introduce bacteria into the chocolate which is obviously a quality concern. At ~ certified factories that want
to use the same mixer for dairy and
pareve chocolate, we add a control to
the machine to prevent the chocolate
mixture from reaching the temperature of Yad Soledes Bo (too hot to
touch with the hand). Of course, the
mixer is thoroughly cleaned out before
pareve productions.
After the blending stage, the chocolate mixture goes through a series of
five rollers. The center roller can reach
60 degrees Celsius, which means the
roller requires kashering between
dairy and pareve. During the conch
stage, the chocolate is mixed for over
24 hours. The liquid gets quite hot,
that occurs inside the actual bean.
After fermentation, the beans are
transported to factories throughout
the world for the actual production.
Once the fermented cocoa beans
reach the factory they are roasted with
the shells still attached and then winnowed into small bits called nibs. The
nibs are then heated and melted into
chocolate liquor. The liquor can be
pressed and separated into cocoa butter and cocoa powder, or it can be kept
in liquid form. Some people are under
the mistaken impression that cocoa
butter is dairy, but it is in fact pareve.
It is only called “butter” as a description of the consistency, much like shea
butter and coconut butter.
In order to make chocolate, the
cocoa liquor (or butter or powder) is
blended with sugar and lethicin.
Starch can also be introduced into the
mix, which can be an issue for Pesach
since the starch is either chometz or
kitniyos. The mixer is heated to maintain the liquidity of the chocolate. The
mixer itself is one of the biggest potential kashrus concerns in the chocolate
production. Many, if not most, chocolate factories produce both pareve and
dairy products and want to use the
same equipment for both. The typical
and accepted way to kasher a pot
(mixer in this case) is by hagola (boiling over with water). Companies are
very reluctant to bring water into a
chocolate factory because if any water
Cocoa beans fermenting
in the sun
Cocoa Pod with cocoa
beans inisde
with dark chocolate reaching a higher
temperature than milk chocolate,
above the temperature of Yad Soledes
Bo.
Since it is rare that a company will
agree to kasher by hagola, we have to
kasher by libbun (burning with fire)
which is much more difficult. The machinery often has many layers and very
thick walls, so it is difficult to discern
how long the fire must be lit under the
machine in order to kasher by libbun.
factories for molding, wrapping and
packaging. As discussed in previous
articles, bulk liquid transport has a
host of kosher requirements. In addition, during the wrapping and packaging process it is vital to be sure that
dairy chocolate does not mistakenly
end up in packages of pareve chocolate. This actual scenario happened
with a well-known brand of chocolate
chips this summer. The company decided to change the packaging proto-
be sure that the highest standards
were upheld and not one tiny dairy
chocolate chip entered your bag of
pareve chocolate chips, and not the
slightest bit of chometz was in the factory that created your delicious kosher
for Pesach chocolate bar. As you bite
into a chocolate coin this Chanukah
just remember, we are what we eat and
we should only accept the best for ourselves and our families – kosher without compromise.
www.KosherSpirit.com 13
Photo Gallery
Mashgiach Conference 2012
KOSHER
CERTIFICATION
Mashgiach Conference 2012
n 27 Mar-Cheshvan (November
12), we held our annual Mashgiach Conference at the Jewish
Children’s Museum in Brooklyn, NY.
Over 150 ~ personnel and mashgichim
were in attendance, including many
from around the world.
O
HIGHLIGHT OF THE CONFERENCE
The ~ honored two outstanding mashgichim —
Rabbi Favish Moster and Rabbi Yehudah Pink.
Both rabbis were chosen for their dedication to
14 www.OK.org
upholding the rigorous kashrus standards set
forth by the ~ and the sheer volume of work they
do on behalf of the ~. In addition, the ~ honored
two of their Rabbinic Coordinators from the Israeli
office — Rabbi Shmuel Levi and Rabbi Yeshaya
Prizant, as well as the liaison between ~ Headquarters and ~ Israel, Rabbi Moshe Fox, for their
dedication and exceptional work.
The ~ also honored ConAgra Foods, a company
who is making strides in increasing their kosher
offerings, goes out of their way to uphold the highest kashrus standards, and works well with their
mashgichim and rabbis. ConAgra Foods, makers
of Hunt’s ketchup, Wesson oil, Pam cooking spray,
and countless other kosher products was represented by longtime employees and kosher liaisons Mr. Britt Nichols and Ms. Patty Harvey
who were on hand to accept the award on behalf
of ConAgra Foods.
In addition, the ~ celebrated our longtime relationship with Mr. Willy Geeraerts, who is soon to
retire from Barry Callebaut Chocolate, the premier producer of kosher chocolate.
Rabbi Levy, Kashrus Administrator, opened the
conference with words of Torah and chizuk and a
fascinating explanation of kosher chocolate pro-
duction which has been transcribed in this issue
of Kosher Spirit. Other speakers included noted
lecturer Rabbi Yossi Jacobson, Rabbi Saul
Emanuel, Executive Director of Montreal Kosher,
Rabbi Ahron Haskel of ~ Israel, and ~ Rabbinic
Coordinators Rabbi Yitzchak Hanoka and Rabbi
Yitzchak Gornish. Rabbi Levy was also presented
with Hakaras HaTov awards from three camps
whose campers benefit greatly from his generous
camp scholarship program.
The conference ended with a lavish buffet
lunch allowing the rabbis to interact with each
other and ~ personnel.
www.KosherSpirit.com 15
Mashgiach Conference 2012
CHANUKAH RECIPE
Basil Pea Risotto
servings: 4-6
1 cup basil divided
(½ cup basil chopped
+1/4 cup basil chopped)
Risotto is slow cooked Arborio rice, a very popular Italian dish that is
featured on many menus in restaurants all over the world. The starch in
the rice releases during cooking and makes a naturally creamy rich dish. It
does take a while to prepare, so if you have time and patience and want to
bring the restaurant experience to your kitchen, try out this delicious
risotto. The risotto is great served with pan seared fish.
3 tablespoons butter
6. Add 1 cup of stock and simmer on low,
constantly stirring rice mixture, until liquid is
absorbed.
1 cup Arborio rice
1. Place 3/4 cup chopped basil and 2 cups peas
in boiling water for three minutes, strain.
Place mixture in a bowl and add a tablespoon
of butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper and
puree with immersion blender (or a regular
blender), set aside.
1 cup of room
temperature white
wine
2. Place stock in a pot and bring to a simmer.
Keep stock hot during the entire cooking
process.
8. Add last cup of stock and simmer until all
liquid is absorbed.
3-4 cups vegetable
stock
3. As vegetable stock is simmering, melt
butter and oil in a large sauté pan and sauté
shallot and garlic until shallots are translucent.
2 ½ cups frozen peas
(divided into 2 + ½
cup)
1 tablespoon of oil
1 shallot
1 clove garlic
½ cup shredded
parmesan cheese
4. Add rice, stir rice with butter and onion for
about five to seven minutes until rice absorbs
butter and rice becomes translucent.
5. Add wine, bring to a simmer and let the
wine cook out, constantly stirring rice
mixture.
7. Add 1 cup more stock and simmer until
liquid is absorbed. Continue to stir the
mixture.
9. Taste rice. Add salt to taste. If rice is too al
dente, add a bit more stock as necessary and
simmer until all liquid is absorbed.
10. Once rice is fully cooked, gently stir the
basil-pea puree with risotto and mix until
combined.
11. Add parmesan cheese, ½ cup reserved
peas and 1/4 cup chopped basil to the risotto
and serve immediately.
Recipe submitted by: Shifra Klein, editor in chief of Joy of Kosher Magazine.
16 www.OK.org
Visit www.joyofkosher.com/magazine to subscribe and view thousands of kosher recipes.
www.KosherSpirit.com 17
KOSHER
CERTIFICATION
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IMPORTACAO LTDA.
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MINAS GERAIS BRAZIL
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CHEWY INC.
BROOKLYN, NY USA
CHHATARIYA DEHYDRATES
ONION EXPORTS
MAHUVA,BHAVNAGAR,
GUJARAT INDIA
CHINA MEHADRIN
BROOKLYN, NY USA
CJ CHEILJEDANG CORP
SEOUL, KOREA
COFFEE PROCESS TECH CORP
HOUSTON, TX USA
COLONIAL COOKIES LIMITED
KITCHENER, ON CANADA
COOPERATIVA CUATRO PINOS
PACKING PLANT
SANTIAGO SACATEPEQUEZ,
GUATEMALA
CUORE EMILIANO SRL
MEMBER OF THE PURATOS
GROUP
VIADANA, ITALY
LABRIOLA BAKING COMPANY
ALSIP, IL USA
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GENERAL MILLS
MINNEAPOLIS, MN USA
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LIMITED
MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA INDIA
CV ACQUISITION LLC DBA
BOCHNER CHOCOLATES
IOWA CITY, IA USA
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INC.
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LAXMICHAND DAYABHAI
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SEOUL, KOREA
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MYAKKA CITY, FL USA
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DAVID BRADLEY CHOCOLATIER
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LADSON, SC USA
ROCAL SAS
SAINT BENOIT SUR LOIRE,
FRANCE
TIANJIN HENGXIN
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT
DEVELOPING CO.,LTD
TIANJIN, TIANJIN CHINA
ROKACH WINE WITH LOVE
AZUR, ISRAEL
TRIFECTA FOODS, LLC
PACOIMA, CA USA
RUPAREL FOODS PVT. LTD.
MAHUVA , GUJARAT INDIA
TSB GROUP, LLC
PITTSBURGH, PA USA
SANMENXIA LUCK FRUIT
INDUSTRY CO., LTD. SANMENXIA
CITY, HENAN CHINA
TWIN TOWN MILK MEN
ALMENA, WI USA
SAS HUILERIE CAUVIN
NIMES, FRANCE
UNREAL BRANDS
BOSTON, MA USA
SAY IT WITH CAKE LTD.
NEW YORK , NY USA
UPFRONT FOODS, LLC
BOCA RATON, FL USA
SC VLADOVLAD SRL
CHISINAU, MOLDOVA
USANA HEALTH SCIENCES
SALT LAKE CITY, UT USA
NESTLE SUISSE S.A.
KONOLFINGEN, SWITZERLAND
NITIKA PHARMACEUTICAL
SPECIALITIES PVT. LTD.
NAGPUR, MAHARASHTRA INDIA
SASOL YIHAI (LIANYUNGANG)
ALCOHOL INDUSTRIES CO.
LIANYUNGANG, JIANG SU CHINA
SICHUAN HUILI GUOGUO FRUIT
FOOD CO., LTD.
XICHANG, SICHUAN CHINA
UNITED CONFECTIONERS LTD
MOSCOW, RUSSIA
XINJIANG WON-STAR TOMATO
PRODUCTS CO.,LTD
FUKANG, XINJIANG CHINA
YIHAI (LIANYUNGANG) OILS &
GRAINS INDUSTRIES CO.,LTD
LIANYUNGANG, JIANG SU CHINA
YIHAI (LIANYUNGANG)
OLEOCHEMICAL IND. CO. LTD
LIANYUNGANG, JIANG SU CHINA
www.KosherSpirit.com 19
~
BEHIND
“Determination, thoroughness and
follow up are some of the traits that
characterize Reb Shaya...”
ME ET OUR STAFF:
WHO’S BEHIND THE ~
– Rabbi Don Yoel Levy
Kashrus Administrator, ~ Kosher Certification
Interview with
out giving up any of our high standards. The ~ feels responsible for
every Jew – for example, our website contains so much relevant,
timely information geared toward the consumer. Nonetheless, the
~ doesn’t rest on its laurels; we keep certifying more and more
products that meet all of the halacha demands, while simultaneously improving our standards on a daily basis.
Rabbi Yeshaya
Prizant
Rabbi Yeshaya
KS: Where did you grow up? Where did you go
to yeshiva?
RYP: I was born in Eretz Yisroel in Kiryat Sanz, Netanya. The home of my wonderful parents ‫שי’ לאוי’’ט‬, was
the best atmosphere for both physical and spiritual
growth. When I was 7, shortly after my parents became
his mechutonim, the Klausenburger Rebbe zt”l instructed
our family to move to Tzfat, where he was determined
to reestablish a kehilla and revive the Divrei Chaim’s Beis
HaMedrash. I spent the rest of my childhood in Tzfat. I
remember how as a boy I walked in the ancient streets
thinking of the great tzaddikim, such as the Ari Hakadosh, the Beit Yosef, the Ramak and many other
tzadikkim zt”l, who used to walk through the these
streets. As a bochur, I travelled back to Yeshivat Sanz in
Netanya, where I spent most of my best years studying
and advancing in Torah and halichos chaim.
KS: What did you do after yeshiva?
RYP: At Perek Ha’Ish Me’kadesh I was married to my
wife Esther ’‫ תחי‬from Brooklyn, NY and we lived near
my wonderful in-laws. I then began halacha studies in
Kolel Sanz in Boro Park. After my family grew I had to
start working, and by a wonderful Hashgocha Protis I
decided to improve my knowledge of electricity, concentrating on Industrial Heating/Cooling systems and engineering, and worked in this field for quite a few years.
KS: What is your current position at the ~?
RYP: I am currently the Rabbinic Coordinator of the
China Department at ~ Israel.
20 www.OK.org
Prizant
KS: What prepared you the most for your current
position at the ~?
RYP: “MeHashem mitzadei gever konenu. The steps of man are
ordered by Hashem.” (Psalms 37, 23) is the verse that comes to
mind. The combination of my halacha studies and my engineering work was exactly what led me to work in the kashrus field,
and later, to my current position. As anyone who knows something about how kosher works, inspecting facilities requires a
great deal of halachic knowledge as well as a great deal of technical knowledge to understand the heating systems, steam systems, etc. I am fortunate to have such helpful background skills.
KS: What is best thing about working at the ~?
RYP: There are many possible answers to this question, all of
them relate to the excellence of the system. I will mention the one
point I consider most important and unique. The management
has succeeded in making the organization one big “family”. There
are no rivalries, and no personal interests. Just like it is in a good
family environment, everybody working for the ~ feels their colleagues’ desire for them to succeed and each person contributes
their own knowledge and experience to help one another. A good
example would be the head of the Israeli branch, Rabbi A. Haskel,
who conducts his Rabbinic Coordinators with an extremely warm
and kind attitude. The feeling of unity and the mutual goodwill
is exactly what makes working for the ~ such a great experience.
KS: How would you describe the ~ today?
RYP: Our holy sages have taught us that “Hamefursamot e’inan
tzrichot ra’ya. The well-known, requires no proof.” The ~ has become an international kosher symbol, which caused a revolution
in the Jewish world. This was done with responsibility, and with-
KS: Can you share an interesting experience that you
had while working at the ~?
RYP: A few years ago I received a phone call from one of our
senior mashgichim, Rabbi Yaacov Perlov, who was in China at
that time supervising a kosher production in Zhangzhou. The
production was finished by Thursday afternoon and his plan was
to fly to Beijing and stay there for Shabbos in the Jewish community. However, that day, as he was walking through the hotel’s
lobby, he happened to come across a frum woman from Israel
who was stunned to meet a frum Jew at such a distant place. She
told him her husband was very sick and they were waiting for a
transplant. They ran out of kosher food and all they had to eat
was fruits and vegetables. Rabbi Perlov immediately rushed to
his room and gave them all the food he had with him. Shortly
after that, he called me and shared the story with me. By the
time that he was telling me the whole story a bright new idea
came up in his mind. No, he won’t spend his precious Shabbos
in the Jewish Center. His new idea was to fly to Beijing, get a
whole new fresh supply of food and fly back to spend Shabbos
with this Jewish couple. I immediately began arranging the
flights. However, I found out that there was merely 50 minutes
between the flight to Beijing and the flight he would need to
board in order to be back in Zhangzhou on time for Shabbos.
I called Rabbi Menachem Piekarski, a Chabad Shliach, who
works under Rabbi Shimon Freundlich. Rabbi Piekarski
arranged enough food for about two weeks, including freshlybacked challos, and waited for Rabbi Perlov at the airport with
two big suitcases which he had already checked in for Rabbi
Perlov. Rabbi Perlov got off the plane, took the boarding pass
and rushed to board the plane again…
A few days later I called Rabbi Freundlich, wishing to pay
for all the food he sent. His answer was: “When Rabbi Levy
does a Gemilus Chesed, I want to be his partner! I don’t want
any payment…”
What Other People Say
About Rabbi Yeshaya Prizant
D
etermination, thoroughness and
follow
up are some of the traits that
characterize Reb Shaya, as he
is
affectionately known to his frie
nds. Over the
years he has also built up a sub
stantial
network of acquaintances in the
kashrus
world. This helps him to be at
the forefront of
ensuring high kashrus standar
ds in China
today. I have personally witness
ed some of
his accomplishments when acc
ompanying
him on his visits in China.”
Rabbi Don Yoel Levy
Kashrus Administrator, ~ Kos
her Certification
O
ne of the greatest things about
Rabbi
Prizant is that along with the mas
tery of
kosher halachos, he brings vas
t technical
experience which is very help
ful in his
kosher work.
Rabbi Prizant doesn’t ‘come to
work’. He is
always at work. He is always con
nected,
always thinking about his dep
artment and
the accounts he is responsible
for. He
believes that our work as a kos
her
organization isn’t about ‘issuing
certificates’.
It’s about giving a quality serv
ice package to
the client. He is definitely a perf
ectionist—he
expects much from others but
his highest
expectations are from himself
.”
Rabbi Ahron Haskel
Executive Rabbinic Coordinator
, ~ Israel
www.KosherSpirit.com 21
SOUL NUTRITION
CHASSIDIC INSIGHTS
Compiled by Dina Fraenkel
The Wisdom of
The Chanukah
n the well-known maamar
“Tanu Rabbanan – Ner
Chanukah”,
the
Rebbe
RaShaB, Rav Sholom DovBer of
Lubavitch teaches: “G-d created
[the universe in such a way
that] each being has its opposite counterpart.”1 Each one of
us was created with a Nefesh
HaElokis, a G-dly soul, which
possesses potential for G-dly
intellect, emotion, thought,
speech and action. In addition,
we were all created with a Nefesh HaBahamis (animal soul)
whose potentials stem from the
sitra achra (the “other”, negative side).
Our lives can be simplified as a
grand struggle for the G-dly soul to
reign over the animal soul. For most of
us, this is a lifelong battle. A tzaddik,
however, is on a higher level – the level
of repose. The tzaddik’s love and joy of
G-dliness allows him to overcome his
animal soul without difficulty and it
becomes nullified on its own.
This concept can be applied to the
Chanukah lights. The goal of the
Greeks was to make the Jews “forget
[G-d’s] Torah and violate the decrees
I
The holiday of Chanukah is a preparation for the
time of Moshiach:
.‫מדליקין שמונת ימי חנוכה = משיח‬
Lights
of [His] will.” They wanted the Jews to
embrace the wisdom of kelipah (the
shell that conceals the G-dly light in
something), of the sitra achra. This is
why the Greeks defiled the oil in the
Beis HaMikdash.
Oil is a common metaphor for wisdom. The Greeks did not destroy all of
the oil so there was none available.
They defiled it and made it unfit for
use in the menorah. The objective was
to bring in the wisdom of kelipah to
make the holy wisdom of Torah impure.2 The Greeks wanted to divorce
the Jewish people from G-d, saying,
“Write on the horn of an ox [that you
have no share in the G-d of Israel].”3
The Tanya (end of chapter 8) explains that unholy wisdom brings
more severe impurity than the impurity brought by frivolous negative experiences. Frivolous experiences
impact one’s middos (emotive attributes) which can be corrected by increasing in Torah.4 Negative wisdom,
however, brings impurity to one’s intellectual qualities – Chochmah, Binah
and Daas (wisdom, understanding
and knowledge). These qualities are
part of the core essence of the G-dly
soul and damaging them with negative
wisdom can impart a much deeper
impurity on the soul.
Pure Torah wisdom uplifts the soul
and refines one’s characteristics, culminating in the ideal characteristic of
being bitul (subservient) to Hashem.
On the other hand, impure wisdom
brings about the opposite – an increase in self-absorption (yeshus),
which is contrary to the Torah.
The Greeks, representing the sitra
achra, wanted to hold sway over the
Jews and destroy the bitul of the
Torah’s wisdom and replace it with the
self-centered approach of secular philosophy. That is why the Maccabees,
after their victory over the Greeks, declared that the Chanukah lights should
be lit as a symbol of the “light” of
“Torah”.5
Just as the Maccabees were victorious over the impure wisdom of the
Greeks, we should all be blessed with
great success in elevating our G-dly
soul over the animal soul and placing
Torah wisdom above all other philosophies. May the Jewish people achieve
the success of the Maccabees and the
dominion of Torah reign supreme
with the immediate Redemption and
revelation of Moshiach.
A hint of Chanukah can be found in the Torah in parshas Emor. After the
Torah tells us about all of the Yomim Tovim, the Torah tells us ‫ויקחו אליך‬
‫שמן זית זך‬. Some say this is a reference to Chanukah.
The Gemara asks ‫“ מאי חנוכה‬What is Chanukah?” What is the Gemara’s
question? Don’t we all know about the holiday of Chanukah? Rabbi Meir
Schapiro answers that the Gemara means to ask, “What is the essence of
Chanukah... What gives us the strength to fight the evil and our evil
inclination?” The answer is the holy flames, the flames of Torah and
mitzvos give us the strength to live according to Hashem’s will.
There were many miracles that happened on Chanukah, so why did the
Sages establish the holiday based on the miracle of oil? Because the other
miracles, like winning the war and the many in the hands of the few, etc.
could sometimes be mistaken for natural occurrences that just happened
to work out in favor of the Jews. With the miracle of oil it was a clear
miracle and everyone had to admit that Hashem made it happen.
KOSHER BY THE NUMBERS
EXCLUSIVELY KOSHER OBSERVANT
JEWS WORLDWIDE:
France
5,500,000
40%
3,500,000 keep kosher at
certain times of the year, such as
Rosh Hashanah and Pesach.
USA
of Jews observe
kashrus
The largest Jewish population in
Europe, has as many as 40% of its
near 500,000 Jews observing
kashrus.
1,000,000+ keep kosher
year-round.
There are aprox. 5,500,000
Jews in the USA.
Of the 6,000,000 Jews in Israel:
Israel
1,200,000 are Orthodox
yet over 4,000,000 Jews
observe kashrus in Israel.
22 www.OK.org
1. Cf. Koheles 7:14. See Zohar III, 47b, and Tanya, ch. 6. 2. See Torah Or, p. 41a.
3. Bereishis Rabbah 2:4; 16:7. 4. Torah Or, p. 29a. 5. Shabbos 21b.
Other countries with 10,000+
kosher observing Jews:
UK, Argentina, Canada, Australia,
Mexico, Brazil, and Russia.
www.KosherSpirit.com 23
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