We join Klal Yisroel in mourning the passing of Rav Nachum Zev Dessler Zatzal, the Dean of the Hebrew Academy of Cleveland, OH, son of the Michtav M'Eliyahu Zatzal.
May he be a Melitz Yosher for all of Klal Yisrael. Today's halachos are dedicated L'Ilui Nishmaso. Click Here to read about him.
1)It is very common, when purchasing Challos or rolls of cake from a bakery, that they come with a label stuck to them indicating a Hechsher, a variety, or other certification or information about the item.
To remove this label, which is placed on the Challah or cake before being baked and is baked along with it, and is thus considered "in a mixture", is a prohibition of Borer.
If a piece of the Challah is removed along with the label it would be permitted.
In this case, even the Chazon Ish would agree that removing a piece of Challah along with the label is permitted, as the label is not "in a mixture" with the entire Challah, rather it is only mixed together with the immediate area of Challah that it rests upon, and being that the entire surface is removed, it is considered like the entire mixture was removed and that isn't Borer.
2) Wax paper which is commonly used under baked items to keep them from sticking to the pan, may be removed from under the baked items, as the baked items and the wax paper are distinctly separate items and nobody considers them "in a mixture".
However, in a situation where when removing the wax paper some of the paper gets stuck to the baked items (common when cookies or cake are over baked) indeed some Poskim consider it "in a mixture" and require removing some of the baked item along with the paper when removing it from the bottom of the baked item.
QUESTION & ANSWER CORNER
Reader Submitted Questions of interest on topics related to Halachos we covered, as well as other interesting topic and Answers. Taken from the Q & A pages on the Halacha For Today website.
Although the answers I give to questions are taken directly from the Sifrei HaPoskim, and aren't my own, they are still for study purposes only, NOT for Psak Halacha.
Questions can be emailed to HalachaForToday@Yahoo.com
Reader's Question:
Why can't one eat before kiddush?
Answer:
It is prohibited to eat before performing any Mitzvah[ once its time has arrived to perform].
However, with most Mitzvos, only sitting down to a meal is prohibited before the Mitzvah is performed, while before Kidush even eating a small snack is prohibited.
One of the reasons for this is that the Rabbis wanted a person to recite Kidush as soon as possible after sunset, and in order to make sure this happens they prohibited even small snacks or drinks.(See Mishna Berura Siman 271:11)
CHIZUK CORNER
As a Zechus for the Refuah Shelaima of one of the Gedolei HaDor, the Telzer Rosh Yeshiva , HaRav Chaim Stein Shlita, R' Chaim Yaakov ben Chasya Miriam, B'soch Sha'ar Cholei Yisroel, we will B'Ezras Hashem post here each day a short inspirational thought to help us all improve our lives and grow in our service of our Father in heaven, HaKadosh Baruch Hu.
IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING MEANINGFUL FOR THIS SECTION, PLEASE EMAIL IT TO ME. THANK YOU AND TIZKEH L'MITZVOS!
אל תתיאש מן הרחמים
Chizuk For Today:
Napoleon Bonaparte
Question:
How could you prove to a small believer that the Torah was Divinely given and wasn't man made?
Answer by HaRav Avigdor Miller Zatzal:
Once a Rosh Yeshiva was sitting in his house, in America - this story is about 50 years ago. He was a European Rosh Yeshiva; he was on Henry Street sitting in his room where he was staying in America. A man came in with his son. The son brought his father, and the father said to the Rosh Yeshiva; "How do I know that the Torah was given at Sinai"? So the Rosh Yeshiva said, "Do you believe there was a Napoleon?"
"Oh yes," said the man, "certainly."
The Rosh Yeshiva said, "Did you see Napoleon?"
"No, never saw him."
"Did you see anybody that saw him?"
"No."
"How do you know that there was a Napoleon?"
"Everybody said so!"
So he said, "You know, there a lot of people in this world who never heard of Napoleon, a lot of people. Millions in India, millions, never heard of Napoleon. Millions!"
There are more people that heard about giving the Torah at Sinai, than heard of Napoleon. So if you believe what everybody says, that there was a Napoleon, means you're going after a great number of witnesses, or people who are handing over traditions. There's a still greater number, because all the Mohammedan's say that Hashem gave the Torah to the Jewish people at Sinai; there are millions and millions of Mohammedan's.
All the Christians say that Hashem gave the Torah to the Jewish people at Har Sinai, and the Jewish people surely say that. So you have so many witnesses. So therefore unless you stop believing in Napoleon or you stop believing in George Washington, then you have to believe in the Torah. Nobody saw George Washington today. Nobody saw anybody that saw George Washington, and still when Washington's Birthday comes they talk about George Washington all the time. They are convinced that he was there.
Oh, there are books of George Washington, you say.
There are books about Moshe Rabbeinu, certainly. There's the whole Torah that talks about Moshe Rabbeinu. Shmos and Vayikra and Bamidbar and Devorim, and Sefer Yehoshua, and Sefer Shoftim, they all talk about Moshe Rabbeinu constantly. Shmuel Aleph and Shmuel Bais, "you should walk in the ways of the Toras Moshe", and Melachim Aleph and Melochim Bais, and then comes Yeshaya and Yirmaya, many books speak about him So we have books upon books, besides the books of the gentiles. So therefore, how can you prove to a non-believer that there was a Napoleon? If you'll prove to him that there is Napoleon, then Al Achas Kama V'kama, you can tell him he can safely believe there was a Moshe Rabbeinu and a Matan Torah.
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