March 19, 2003 – Number 6

Preparing for Pesach 2

Cleaning the Kitchen for Pesach is clearly the biggest job in preparing for the holiday. The rest of the house has only incidental crumbs, but the Kitchen is the place where Hametz lives. It needs a through cleaning. The cleaning of the Kitchen is virtually a re-kashering of the entire space. If you are not Kosher and would like to have a Kosher Kitchen, preparing for Pesach can be a good first step to making your Kitchen Kosher. Consult your Rabbi for advise and tips for going Kosher.
In general, you have to clean the space in the way that it is usually used. Cabinets are not a place of food preparation, so they just need to be emptied, wiped clean and new shelf paper installed. If you are not using your dishes for Passover, you can begin to consolidate them into just a few cabinets, freeing up the others for Passover use. Cabinets that contain Hametz need to be emptied, the food stored away in a locked or secured place and the cabinet washed clean. Once the cabinet has been cleaned, it may not be used for Hametz until after the holiday (unless you want to wash it out again!)
The refrigerator is cold which means that the Hametz inside needs to be removed and the entire insides need to be washed thoroughly. If you must return Hamets to the refrigerator, you have to make sure it is in a seal container and it must be used up before the holiday. The Dishwasher can also be made Kosher for Passover. Don’t use the dishwasher for 24 hours then run a cycle with detergent, followed by a hot wash cycle without detergent. Make sure to clean the gasket around the door and the drain at the bottom carefully by hand. The Microwave can be Kashered by cleaning the inside completely, and then putting a microwave safe cup filled with water and bringing it to a boil. Consult your instruction book on how to boil water in your microwave. A toaster can not be made Kosher for Passover. It has to be put away for the holiday. Toaster ovens are a problem and you should consult your Rabbi for information on if your oven can be used or not.
The oven and range need to be cleaned thoroughly. Make sure you clean under the drip pans on the range and the range hood as well. There can be a lot of grease up there and maybe even an air filter for the hood fan. A good grease cutter can make this task easier. If you have a self cleaning oven. Run it at its hottest cleaning setting for at least ½ hour. When it is done, make sure to clean out whatever ashes remain. If permitted, you should also make sure all oven racks and parts are inside during the cleaning. After cleaning the Range top you should turn the burners on their highest setting for ½ hour. IMPORTANT NOTE: the range will get very hot! It is a good idea to keep the hood fan on to disperse the heat. Do not run more than two burners at a time to prevent a fire hazard. The severe heat has been known to set the wall behind the range on fire. Make sure you monitor the range constantly while the burners are on. Keep small children and pets away from the burners. Do not leave the stove unattended while kashering.
Depending on what your countertops are made of, you should clean them carefully, including any grouting, and then cover them with paper or some heavy shelf liners. Some counter tops can be Kashered, some can not, you should consult your Rabbi for advice. In general, ceramic tile can not be kashered, but other, non-porous materials can be made Kosher.
Wash the floor last and the kitchen is ready for Passover. This is only an overview, if you have any questions, consult your Rabbi.
Next week: Making Dishes Kosher for Passover

March 10, 2003 – Number 5

Preparing for Pesach

Preparations for Pesach begin as soon as Purim is finished. The commandment is threefold, to not eat Hametz, to remove Hametz from our homes and to remove all ownership that we may have over Hametz for the duration of the eight day festival. The Bible is clear: “Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread; on the very first day you shall remove leaven from your houses, for whoever eats leavened bread from the first day to the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. …. In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. No leaven shall be found in our houses fro seven days. For whoever eats what is leavened, that person shall be cut off from the community of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a citizen of the county. You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your settlements you shall eat unleavened bread.” [Exodus 12:15,18-20]
Matza (Unleavened bread) has two different meanings for the Pesach Festival. On the one hand Matza is called “Lechem Oni” or “the poor person’s bread”. This is because when our ancestors were slaves in Egypt (Mitzrayim) they did not have the time to bake ordinary bread. They were always at the beck and call of their taskmasters. They ate this special bread because it could be baked quickly and they would then be able to get back to their work.
The other meaning for Matza is the “the bread of redemption.” Our ancestors, after the final plague, were to quickly leave Mitzrayim. There was no time to properly provision themselves for a long journey. They baked unleavened bread because there just was not enough time to let the bread rise properly. This was a reminder of how quickly the redemption came upon us and so Matza became the symbol of the redemption of our ancestors. We will examine the difference between these two understandings when we look into the nature of the Pesach Seder
Beginning with Purim, we begin to use up all the Hametz that we have in our homes that will not be able to be stored away for the eight days of Pesach. We should use up the items in the freezer, in the refrigerator, and on the shelves that we can not use or own on Pesach. There is an old custom that even if we can store it, we should not have “pure Hametz” in our homes for Pesach. This would mean that bread, crackers, cereal and grains should not be found in our homes for the eight days of the festival. Hametz that we do not use up will have to be removed in a different way that we will describe later.
Even as we use up our Hametz, we need to begin to clean our homes of all traces of Hametz. To do this one should divide the house into two parts. The Kitchen, and everywhere else. Everywhere else is the easiest to do but it covers a lot of ground. One should go through drawers and pockets of clothing to insure that food items have not been stored there long ago. Beds, sofas, and chairs need to be cleaned of all residual crumbs. Furniture in rooms where food is regularly eater needs to be moved and the floor vacumed. Counter tops are cleaned, floors are vacuumed and anyone caught eating in a room that has already be “de-hametized” should be condemned to re-clean the room by themselves.
Next week: Cleaning the Kitchen.

February 27, 2003 – Number 4

Purim 3

The Megilla notes that the Jews of Persia celebrated their great victory over Haman by exchanging gifts of food with each other and providing for the poor. These customs have come down to us as MiShalach Manot and Matanot L’Evyonim.
MiShalach Manot are gift baskets of food that we exchange with our neighbors and friends. While many people consider Purim to be a “Jewish Halloween” because of the costumes and parties, there is a major difference. Judaism has no concept of “trick or treat”, it goes against most of what Judaism stands for. (Some call Halloween simply blackmail). Rather than go door to door demanding treats, on Purim we go door to door handing out treats. It really does change the entire tone of the day. Typically the baskets contain at least two different kinds of food.
Hamentachen, triangular cookies filled with poppy seeds or other fruit fillings are the food of the day. According to the Legend, the triangular shape is modeled after the hat that Haman wore. In Israel, the same cookies are called Oznai Haman, or “Haman’s Ears” on the assumption that Haman had triangular ears. Other foods that are included in the baskets are nuts, raisins or candy.
Matanot L’Evyonim are gifts to the poor. The first part of this gift is called M’hatzit HaShekel, a donation that is recalled in synagogue on Shabbat Shekalim, which is usually the Shabbat before the beginning of the month of Adar. Originally this was a tax paid to the Temple. Today, Synagogues may put out a collection plate on Purim to gather donations on behalf of the poor. Since the poor also should receive MiShelach Manot, some include money in their baskets for the poor. Since Purim always falls exactly a month before Passover, this is the beginning of the requests for contributions on behalf of those who will need support to celebrate Passover.
The final hours of Purim are often spent at a Purim Seudah, a costume gala party where everything and anything is fair game for a parody. I have heard a special Kiddush recited at the beginning of the meal that covered not only the gamut of Hebrew songs but included popular hits from the radio and even TV show tunes familiar to the participants. It is said that these parodies, often scathing, were the seeds from which the entire Yiddish Theater grew. It started with Purim plays, parodies of the Megilla or the Torah, and it kept growing right into the modern age. There is an old custom that one should get drunk on Purim, and the Seudah was the place that one could imbibe. On a personal note, however, this is a custom that we can live without. I have seen all too often the ravages that alcohol brings upon families and individuals. I feel that Jews can have a wild and crazy time and not have to get drunk to do it.
With the end of the Seudah and the end of Purim, it is time to turn our attention to preparing for Passover. The revelry of Purim must give way to the importance of preparing ourselves to recreate the Exodus.
Next week : Preparing for Pesach

February 27, 2003 – Number 3

The reading of the Megilla on Purim has many details and traditions that have grown up around the reading over the ages. The most well known tradition is to make noise whenever Haman’s name is mentioned. This is only the beginning however of many customs that are a part of the reading.
There was a great deal of controversy about including the Megilla in the Bible at all. The story is a bit on the “racy” side, there are some serious Halachic issues (assimilation and Kashrut for example) and it is the only book in the Bible where there is no mention or hint of G-d’s name. In spite of this, the Sages included the Scroll of Esther in the canon for two reasons. First, because there is a clear indication that while only human beings are mentioned in the text, there is clearly the hand of G-d at work behind the scenes ( why else would the king be unable to sleep while Haman is plotting to kill Mordecai and the Jews?) And second, because the story is so very popular among those who read the bible. It is a wonderful story with a beautiful heroine, a brave hero, a dastardly villain and a foolish king, the kind of stuff that can be found in any popular soap opera or telenovella.
There are four verses that are first read by the congregation and then repeated by the Megilla reader. These four verses are called the “verses of redemption” and they all refer to the salvation of our people. They are: 2:5 -“In the fortress Shushan, lived a Jew by the name of Mordecai, son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite”; 8:15 – “Mordecai left the king’s presence in royal roves of blue and white, with a magnificent crown of gold and an mantle of fine linen and purple wool.”; 8:16 – “the Jews enjoyed light and gladness, happiness and honor.” (This verse is also a part of the Havdalah Service); and 10:3 – for Mordecai the Jew ranked next to the King Ahasuerus and was highly regarded by the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brethren; he sought the good of his people and interceded for the welfare of all his kindred.”
There are also six other verses where the reader raises his voice. These are key points in the reading and we want to make sure that everyone hears them. These verses are 1:22, 2:4, 2:17, 4:14, 5:4 and of course 6:1 which is the turning point of the whole story.
Chapter 2, verse 6 recalls the exile of our people by Nebuchadnezzar and it is read not in the regular trop (music) of Esther, but in the trop used in Aicha (Lamentations) as a sign of our sadness over the destruction and exile.
Next week : More Purim: Customs and the Seudah

February 12, 2003 – Number 2

The main observance for Purim is the reading of the Megilla, the Scroll of Esther. This is written on a scroll like a Torah but instead of winding it on two sides, it is all rolled to one side as if it were a letter being delivered to the Jews of Persia. The Mitzvah of Purim is not so much to read the Megilla, but to hear it being read. Like the Torah, it is hearing the words that is important. Unlike the Torah, hearing the Megilla is usually a challenge. The reading of the Megilla is usually accompanied by lots of noise as everyone tries to drown out the name of the villain of the story, Haman.

Anyone who complains that services are stuffy and boring, has never attended a Purim service. Purim is naturally loud and boisterous. Participants often come in costume. The usual custom is to dress up like the characters in the Megilla, but people have been known to make up Megilla characters and to dress up as a parody of modern news makers as well. (The only costumes that may be improper are Halloween costumes of ghosts and witches)

One also brings to Purim a noisemaker. Any object that makes noise is appropriate (pots and pans, whistles, air horns or baby brothers). A Gragger (Raashan) is a noisemaker that is special for Purim. Small tin ones are readily available as Purim gets close, but a large wooden one is true to tradition. If you are really handy with wood, they are not hard to make from scratch.

While many learn to read a Haftara for their Bar/Bat Mitzvah, and others may learn to read Torah from the scroll, the crowning achievement for a Baal Koray (a master reader) is to learn to read the Megilla. The Megilla is read much like the Torah only the reader deserves “combat pay” since there is no end to the people around who try to trip him/her up. (Not to mention the interruptions every time Haman’s name is mentioned.) The cantillation for the Megilla is unique to this scroll. The final test of the Baal Koray is found in the next to last chapter where the list of the ten sons of Haman can be found. This list must be read in one breath to signify that they all died together. The Megilla, however, does go on. It doesn’t leave you “hanging” but tells of the great deliverance of our people due to the actions of Esther and Mordechai. This is the real reason for our joy and gladness on this holiday

Next week, More on Purim…and remember, when Adar begins, joy increases

Halacha L’Moshe Mi Sinai
February 12, 2003 – Number 1

Judaism uses a lunar calendar for all holidays except for Shabbat which falls every seventh sunset. The calendar, however, is not a true lunar calendar. A true lunar calendar will lose 11 days against the solar year. Jewish Holidays, however, are sensitive to the seasons. Passover must fall in the spring, Sukkot must arrive in the fall, at the end of the harvest in Israel. The lunar calendar, therefore is modified to keep it in line with the solar seasons.

A lunar year has 354 days. A Jewish year can have 353, 354 or 355 days. A Jewish leap year has 383, 384 or 385 days. A month of 30 days is added to the calendar seven times in a 19 year cycle. The extra month is just before the Hebrew month of Nisan, the month where Passover falls. It is added here to make sure that the rainy season in Israel is over and the roads are dry enough so that all who wish to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem will be able to do so without difficulty or danger.

A lunar month has 29 and 2 days. A month on the Jewish calendar will have either 29 or 30 days (you can=t have a half day). The months alternate between 29 and 30 days except sometimes Heshvan, the month after Sukkot, which should have 30 days is given 29 or sometimes the following month, Kislev, which should have 29 days, is given 30. These days are usually added or subtracted to make sure that certain holidays can not fall on the wrong day of the week. For example, Yom Kippur is on the 10th of Tishre, but it can not fall on a Friday or a Sunday. One can not be fasting and preparing for Shabbat and one can not observe Shabbat and then begin a fast. It would be too difficult for people to endure. Hoshana Rabba, the final intermediate day of Sukkot, requires that we beat willow branches in the synagogue. This is forbidden on Shabbat so Hoshana Rabbi can not fall on Shabbat. Heshvan and Kislev are therefore adjusted so that these days are not in conflict.

This year, 5763 is a leap year and we are in the middle of Adar 1. It will be followed by Adar 2 when we will celebrate Purim.
The quickest way to keep track of the Jewish Calendar is to pick one up at the synagogue just before the High Holy Days. Jewish Calendars are also available on the web and in a format that is compatible with a PDA using the Palm Platform