OU Kitniyot Kosher for Passover Supervision
Previously the OU has not issued Hashgacha for retail Kitniyos products for Pesach, despite requests to do so. This was avoided over the concern that different Pesach symbols might confuse consumers.
The OU has this year, on a limited basis, authorized the attached certification to appear on Kitniyos products:
OU Kitniyot
With an explanatory message:
“Acceptable for those who consume kitniyot on Passover.”
The symbol is presented in such manner so as to avoid any confusion and the packages will not indicate Kosher for Passover except as indicated.
This decision was taken at the urging of our Poskim, to benefit many Kitniyos consumers who relied on various assumptions (rather than actual Hashgacha) for Kitniyos Pesach products.
The Tempering of Grains and its Chametz and Hafrashas Challah Implications
The milling of grains has been going on for millennia, and in all that time, the process has not changed dramatically. Milling is still done by simply grinding kernels, albeit with rollers instead of stones. Sifting is still done with sifters, although by automated machines instead of by hand. There is another part of milling known as tempering. Tempering refers to spraying grain kernels with water before they are milled. This makes the bran tougher and less brittle. If the wheat kernel has not been tempered, the bran may shatter and leave brown flecks (“ash”) in the flour when the kernel is milled. This is undesirable in regular white flour. Tempering strengthens the bran so that it is removed from the endosperm easily and does not cause brown flecks in the flour.
Kli Rishon and Kli Sheni
Both a kli sheini and a kli rishon shelo al ha’aish are pots of hot water that will gradually cool down. Since it is difficult to distinguish between them, we require Tosafos’s help to properly understand the distinction. Although they look almost identical, a kli sheini has difanos mikareros (walls that cool down the product) while a kli rishon shelo al ha’aish has difanos michamemos (walls that maintain the heat of the product). An extended irui is none of the above, for the simple reason that the walls of this pot will not cool down. So long as the irui continues, there is a heat source that is preventing the kli from cooling. For this reason it is most similar to a kli rishon al ha’aish.
Shaking up Your Passover Menu, or Have Some Fun in the Pesach Kitchen: It’s not Just Matzah
On Passover, we’re all looking for those new and different appetizers and entrees that aren’t the same old same old recycled boring ones. This year, shake up your Pesach menus with the following extra special and fun recipes by Eileen Goltz.
Lo Basi Ella L’orer: Glass
The laws regarding kashering glass are especially confusing, because the opinions range from one extreme to the other מקצה לקצה.
• Rashba (Teshuva 1:233), Ran (Pesachim 9a) – glass is smooth, hard and does not absorb (or absorbs very little) and therefore does not need to be kashered. דשיעי וקשים ובליעתם מעוטה מכל הכלים
• Ra’ah (Brought by Ritva Pesachim 30b) – Glass is boleya and is polet like metal, but may not be kashered with hagalah because we are concerned that it might crack, משום דחייס שמא פקעה.
• Mordechai – Glass has the status of cheres, הואיל ותחלת ברייתו מן החול.
OU Press Publishes Haggadah Commentary by Rabbi Norman Lamm
Imagine being able to invite one of the most eloquent and insightful rabbis in the world to be a guest at your Passover seder. His presence would transform the event, adding words of wisdom that inform and inspire all who are there. With OU Press’ publication this year of The Royal Table: A Passover Haggadah by Rabbi Norman Lamm, everyone can have the distinguished Chancellor and Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshiva University at their home.
OU’s Pre-Passover Webcast Answers Variety of Pesach-Related Questions, Tuesday, March 23
Almost everyone knows the four questions that are read in the haggadah during the Passover seders, but for two OU Kosher poskim (halachic authorities) – Rabbi Yisroel Belsky and Rabbi Hershel Schachter – multiple other questions are asked of them every year during the Orthodox Union’s Pre-Passover webcast, which this year will take place on Tuesday, March 23 at 2:30 p.m., EDT.
Yashan and Chadash
A brief summary of the laws of Yoshon and Chadash.
Dairy Industry Training Webinar
On Friday October 16th the OU presented the first of a two-part webinar (Internet seminar) on dairy hashgacha. The second session took place one week later on Friday, October 23. Rabbi Yaakov Mendelson, Senior Dairy RC, moderated the sessions and presented e-mail questions sent in advance and on-the-spot by RFRs; Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer and Rabbi Avrohom Juravel responded verbally and live to the questions.
Lo Basi Ella L’orer: Cheres
In the times of Chazal, cheres was made from various baked clays. In modern times common examples of cheres include earthenware and stoneware. The Gemara Pesachim (30b) tells us that a cheres utensil cannot be kashered with hagalah התורה העידה על כלי חרס שאינו יוצא מידי דופיו לעולם. Even libun gamur is not permitted in situations where there is a concern that one might not be milaben properly for fear of cracking. Therefore, one may not kasher china by putting it through a self cleaning cycle of the oven. In such cases, the only permissible kashering is to place the utensil into a potter’s kiln which gets much hotter than libun chamur. This demonstrates that one is not concerned about potential damage.