KISLEV 5770

fxku ,aWg

C e r t i f i e d S o u l N u t r i t i o n

2 • www.OK.org

Dear Reader,

as the month of Kislevis upon us, I can’t helpbut think about the

horrific atrocities that tookplace in Mumbai and realizethat a year has alreadypassed. The kedoshim thatwere murdered in the ChabadHouse, solely because theywere Jewish, had very closeties with the world ofkashrus. Rabbi Leibish Teitel-baum (Hy”d) and Rabbi Benzion Kruman (Hy”d) were visitingmashgichim who were in India to inspect food production facil-ities and Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg (Hy”d), the Chabad shliach inMumbai, was an ~ Kosher representative who made full-time,regular inspections on behalf of the ~. Rabbi Holtzberg moni-tored many facilities to ensure that the kashrus was maintainedat the highest kosher level possible.

It seems like just yesterday that one of the secretaries in the~ New York office mentioned that she spoke to RabbiHoltzberg earlier … and he just doesn’t answer his phone any-more… This was on Wednesday and on that very Motzei Shab-bos, just three days later, a New York rabbi from our main officewas scheduled to fly to Mumbai to meet with Rabbi Holtzberg.Over the next day or two, much to our chagrin, we all learnedof the terrible situation that these holy and innocentpeople were in. (The ~ has since set up a new office in Mumbaiwith a steady flow of rabbis coming in from Israel.)

Those of us who work in the kashrus arena know that with-out the Chabad shluchim throughout the world, kashrus wouldnot be where it is today. All of the different kashrus agenciesrely on these dedicated rabbis to monitor food factories in themost distant and remote locations, and all of us, the kashrusagencies and the kosher consumers as a whole, owe a great debtof gratitude to them.

At this time of the year, when we spread light into the dark-ness by lighting the Chanukah candles, let’s remember theseeternal flames. May Hashem spread His light upon us all and dis-pel the darkness forever with the coming of Moshiach.Hum chaehay Moshiach abee! (“We want Moshiach now!” in

Urdu, one of the languages of India.)

Rabbi Chaim FogelmanEditor-in-Chief

EDiTOR-iN-CHiEF:

rabbi Chaim fogelman

EDiTOR:

Dovi Scheiner

aSSOCiaTE EDiTOR:

Dina fraenkel

DESiGN:

www.SpotlightDesign.com

34

59

1012

13141618

20

22

23

ShAre Your SpiriT

QueSTioNS for The ~

CheeSe De-LighTBy Rabbi Yitzchak Gornish

8 uSeS for fire

KoSher piCKLe By David Brown

heALThY SpiriT

Chanukah reCipe

LeT’S geT CooKiN’

phoTo gALLerY annual Mashgichim Conference

Who’S BehiND The ~iNTervieWWith Rabbi Yitzchak Gornish

107 WAYS ~ KoShereDYour WorLD iN 2009

ChassidiC iNSighTS: Chanukah: viCTorY of The SouLCompiled by Dina Fraenkel

SouL NuTriTioN

We welcome your comments,

submissions and letters to the editor.

Mail: 391 Troy Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11213

E-Mail: editor@kosherspirit.com

Share Your Spirit

f e e D B A C K

Readers share their thoughtsabout the last issue...

Dear Kosher Spirit,

Yasher Koach to Chazzan Sherwood Goffin for hisbrilliant and timely article “Kosher Music - The

Music of the Yomim Noraim.” I read it Erev RoshHaShanah and found it engaging and informative.Unfortunately we are witnessing a time when toomany shuls are avoiding hiring a trained andknowledgeable chazzan in favor of someone whoseexperience with Jewish music is limited to being asinger at weddings and Bar Mitzvos and has little orno training in what is obviously a very specializedfield and sacred responsibility. Like the sound of theshofar, I hope Chazzan Goffin’s article will be awake up call to these synagogues, and that nomatter where one finds themselves for the YomimNoraim, they will hear the appropriate nusach thathas been used for generations.

Marsha Greenberg, Englewood, New Jersey

Dear Kosher Spirit,

i n the Tishrei 5770 issue, in the article “HowSweet It Is,” on page 15, it says the earliest

recording of cane sugar collecting was in the 14thcentury in Arabia. The Rambam in Hilchos Brochos8:5 describes the process of making sugar fromsugar cane and discusses different opinions as to thecorrect Brocha Rishona to say on it. The Rambamwrote his Mishneh Torah at the end of the 12thcentury, and he is quoting the opinion of the Geonimwho came before him. Clearly the practice predatedthe Rambam considerably.

Don Greenberg, Lakewood, NJ

rabbi gornish responds:Dear Mr. Greenberg,Thank you for your letter regarding my article, “HowSweet it is.” You wrote that the RaMBaM mentionssugar in the Mishneh Torah. While this is true, the sugarreferred to by the RaMBaM was a coarse sugar that didnot have much resemblance to today’s sugar. in fact,the earliest mention of some type of sugar was in thefourth century, around the time of the completion of theTalmud Yerushalmi! The sugar first mentioned in 14thcentury arabia, on the other hand, was a refined sugarthat was analogous to the table sugar we use today.That is why i wrote that the first mention of sugar wasin 14th century arabia.

Dear Kosher Spirit,

Cantor Goffin’s article is an important document whosecontent should be shared with all who approach the

amud to act as Shliach Tzibur. Many who approach the amudseem to forget that their “job” has a number of importantfacets such as Kovod HaBrios, Kovod HaTefillos and TirchaHaTzibur. They have a duty to be as pleasant and melodic aspossible and, maybe, should not act as Baalei Tefilah if theydo not have melodic voices. Additionally, there is a nusachtradition, which many ignore or are not aware of. There aretimes when the Rav of the kehillah, who we must assume isdavening with true kavana, yet does not have a melodicvoice, insists upon acting as Shliach Tzibur during Moadimand Shabbosim. Is there a way to get this message acrosswithout embarrassment or hurt? Should not the Rav of a ke-hillah be sensitive to this important caveat?Joe Polansky

Chazzan goffin responds:

Thank you for your interest in the very important topic ofNusach HaTefillah and the responsibilities of the Shliach Tzibbur.The Shulchan Oruch OC 53:4 says that the chazzan must have asweet voice and be “Mrutsah L’Kohol” – acceptable to thecongregation. it also says in 53:5 that if no one with all thequalifications can be found, choose the one with the mostwisdom and good deeds. Therefore, it has become somewhat ofa minhag for many shuls to have the rabbi daven, even if hedoesn’t have a good voice. The Rama is quoted as saying –when it comes to the Yomim Noraim one must be strict andappoint the one most qualified in Torah and good deeds (Ramaon Orach Chaim 571:1). also, when there are two candidates andone is a Torah Scholar, he gets preference-Mishna Brurah on theprevious citation.So, it has become a “minhag” to ask the rabbi to daven, and mostof the time he will refuse if he has a bad voice or doesn’t knowthe nusach. The one area that has become traditional for everyrabbi – qualified or not – is Neilah. in Europe the rabbi alwaysdavened Neilah. Hopefully, he knew what he was doing!if we are members of a shul and its board we can makesomewhat of an impact to insist on standards. it has to be doneWiTHiN the shul. Outsiders or non-board members cannot beand are not effective in this area. We have to educate the public,and that is what i’m trying to do with my articles. Thank you again and Shalom — Sherwood Goffin

The ~ receives many

letters/emails with kosher

questions...

Dear ~, Why are all or most parts of a cow kosher forconsumption in israel, whereas the Jews in Americaare forbidden to eat anything behind a cow’s waist?(for example, beef tenderloin, which is used forfillet mignon steaks or kabobs.)

rabbi Krinsky responds:There are some fats, veins, & nerves that may

not be eaten & must be removed from the meat

of a cow before the meat is soaked & salted.

Some of these are in the front quarters, but

most are in the hindquarters.

in israel there are a few expert butchers that

have been trained to remove these and still

save some parts of the hindquarters for con-

sumption. Many of the better cuts are in fact

damaged during this process, but since meat is

so expensive and hard to get in israel, they take

the time to get whatever they can. additionally,

there are not as many non-kosher consumers

(percentage-wise) in israel to buy the tradition-

ally expensive cuts of the hindquarters (without

proper de-veining) at a viable price.

On the other hand, here in the United States,

labor is more expensive, there is enough

kosher meat (from the front quarters that do not

have that many issues), and most importantly

there are many non-Jewish consumers to sell

the hindquarters to, so it is not commercially vi-

able to work on the hindquarters. The percent-

age of kosher consumers to non-kosher

consumers here in the U.S. is much smaller than

in israel. The front quarters are de-veined and

certain fats removed here in the U.S. The front

quarter cuts remain vi-

able even after de-vein-

ing.

One of the major Glatt

Kosher suppliers here in

the U.S. tried to de-vein and

then soak and salt hindquar-

ters (and actually brought in special

butchers from israel to work on the meat)

but gave up after a while due to losing a

lot of money. They received more money

from the non-de-veined hind quarters cut

up & sold as non-kosher than they received

from the ones that went through the kosher

process (to take out the veins and fats).

Due to the above complications, for

many generations, certain communities

have taken upon themselves to only eat the

front quarters of the cow.

4 • www.OK.org

Cheese is a very historical food,found on Egyptian tomb murals anddepicted in ancient cave etchings. De-spite its ancient heritage, it is interest-ing to note that cheese is onlymentioned three times in all of Tanach– twice regarding Dovid HaMelech3,and only once using its commonname, gevinah, in Iyov (Job)4.

Cheese, however, is the subject ofmuch rabbinic discussion. Followinga rabbinic edict, Chazal forbade the

it is a Jewish custom to partake of cheese during

the festival of Chanukah.1 This is to commemorate

the Jewish heroine, Yehudis, who during the Syr-

ian-Greek occupation of Eretz Yisroel plied a highly

ranked enemy officer with rich cheese and wine and

during the tyrant’s drunken stupor, she decapitated

this hapless official. after losing their leader, the

enemy troops fled in panic.2

www.OK.org • 5

By Rabbi Yitzchak Gornish

Cheese

6 • www.OK.org

consumption of cheese produced bya Gentile.5 There are several con-cerns that prompted the rabbis toforbid this, including the suspicionthat the cheese might be smearedwith non-kosher fats or that non-kosher milk was used in making thecheese. However, the accepted rea-son is because non-kosher rennet(more on this later) was utilized byGentiles to produce cheese.

This ban was even extended as anacross the board prohibition to Gen-tile-produced cheese utilizing herbsand flowers.6 Rabbinic bans such asthis can only be overturned if a laterbody of rabbis best the earlier groupin scholarship and number. Unfortu-nately, as Torah knowledge weakenswith every generation, overturningthis prohibition is next to impossibleeven as circumstances change and itis no longer common to utilize non-kosher additives to produce cheese.7

Even if one relies on the leniency ofconsuming non-Cholov Yisroel milk,there are no loopholes for Gentilecheese.8

The rabbinic ban on Gentilecheese is not as far reaching as itoriginally appears. One first mustdecide on the definition of cheeseprohibited by the ban.

The History of CheesePopular lore has it that cheese was

discovered early in human historyby a traveler who fashioned a sad-dlebag from the lining of a calf stom-ach which he filled with milk for hisjourney. Arriving at his destination,he discovered that the bag was in-stead filled with a lumpy, whitefoodstuff. He had no idea that theenzymes in the lining, plus the agi-tation during travel, caused the milkto convert to cheese. This is becausemilk is actually a delicately balancedemulsion, which is a water solutionwith tiny globules of protein, fat,minerals and sucrose, suspendedwithin by different chemical bonds.The enzymes in a calf’s stomachhelp it digest its mother’s milk bybreaking down the milk into differ-ent components.

When calf rennet is introduced tomilk it becomes prone to spoilage, asdifferent airborne bacteria willquickly begin to produce acidicbyproducts. One way to avoidspoilage is to introduce desired bac-teria before the rennet is added tobegin the milk breakdown, or bycurdling (adding salt to the curds orsoaking the cheese blocks in brine),which will then crowd out any

harmful bacteria that can take hold.Sometimes an acid such as vinegar isused to curdle milk as well. The ren-net mostly serves as a coagulator,which causes the curd (the proteinsin the cheese) to clump togethertrapping desired fats in those parti-cles. The resulting liquid, or whey,byproduct is a common dairy bakeryingredient.

As an aside, while Gentile cheeseis not kosher, the whey resultingfrom the curdling can in fact bekosher, provided that the cheese isproduced at an acceptably low tem-perature as not to affect the kosherstatus of the whey. The cheese in-dustry has even switched to startercultures that prefer lower tempera-ture so that the whey can be used inkosher products.

Some cheeses, such as ricotta,cream cheese9, and farmer cheeseonly contain vinegar or starter cul-tures and as such were never in-cluded in the rabbinic ban since theconcern was a rennet based coagula-tion which these cheeses do not pos-sess. Cottage cheese, which doescontain rennet, is also not coveredby the ban according to acceptedsources, since the function of therennet is only to speed up the cur-

www.OK.org • 7

dling and not because of the coagu-lation attributes.10 Today, cheesesoriginally produced with calf rennetare now largely produced with mi-crobial enzymes, which serve thesame purpose, but of course they arestill subject to the rabbinic ban onGentile cheese.

Kosher CheeseAn apparent question that might

occur to the reader is, “Why isn’tkosher calf rennet prohibited since itresults in a mixture of milk andmeat, which is a Biblical prohibi-tion?” While some authorities goabout tackling this issue by insistingthe rennet to be completely driedout as to render it no longer meat11,many authorities frown on this solu-tion12. In fact, before the introduc-tion of microbial rennet, the onlyacceptable method of producingcheese, aside from herbs, was to usepartly digested milk found in thestomach of a calf after being prop-erly slaughtered.13 As the timing ofthe slaughter must have had to be

soon after the calf had eaten and thissubstitute rennet was prone tospoilage. It is fortunate that todaymodern kosher cheese is producedwith microbial rennet, which pres-ents no kashrus issues.

For those who are not intimatelyfamiliar with the cheese productionprocess, it is hard to appreciate howmuch effort is required to producekosher cheese. As many kashrus au-thorities require that a Jewish personactually add the rennet to milk (asopposed to a Jew merely observinga Gentile add rennet to ensure CholovYisroel)14, a mashgiach must be at thecheese facility around the clock.Cheese factories operate almost 24hours per day, because 10 pounds ofmilk (one gallon of milk weighsabout 8.6 lb – the industry standardweight) is required to produce justone pound of cheese! A new batchof cheese is produced approximatelyevery hour and the mashgiach iscalled upon to add the rennet withevery new batch.15 Rabbonim takethis position because the rabbinic

ban is all encompassing. Even if youknow that only kosher rennet isused, it might seem that a Jewwatching the process is enough tosatisfy the ban against Gentilecheese, but only action by a Jew (i.e.adding the rennet) will suffice. Itstands to reason that he does not getmore than one hour of sleep at anygiven time. In fact, since these facil-ities are often located in farm coun-try, a drive of several hours from thenearest Jewish community, themashgiach must live on the groundsof the plant, usually in a trailer, forweeklong shifts. Many cheese facil-ities even operate on Shabbos andYom Tov, so for these times we relyon poskim who do not require themashgiach to actually add the rennethimself.16

Try to imagine that the mashgiachmust somehow find time for daven-ing, preparing and eating meals, per-sonal hygiene, laundry, etc. duringthese less than one-hour breaks. Healso has to monitor the ingredients,labels, etc. If the plant also producesnon-kosher cheese, the mashgiachneeds to monitor the packing, slic-ing, salting, and tasting of everycheese product to ensure that nokosher cheese comes into contactwith non-kosher cheese or non-kosher equipment. In addition, themashgiach has to be courteous andprofessional to all of the employeesat the facility, despite his require-ment to be almost superhuman, jug-gling so many responsibilities.

Some cheese plants have a com-puterized system that adds the ren-net to cheese batches. A mashgiachassigned to such a facility naturallyhas an easier workload, as he canprogram the computer system in themorning to add the rennet at properintervals and in the proper amountsto avoid plant employees supple-menting the rennet being added bythe computer.

Cholov YisroelProducing Cholov Yisroel cheese

provides an additional challenge.First, the equipment in the plant

For those who are not intimately familiar

with the cheese production process, it is

hard to appreciate how much effort is

required to produce kosher cheese.

8 • www.OK.org

must be cleaned and kashered cor-rectly to the desired temperature.Then, in addition to procuringCholov Yisroel milk for the cheeseproduction, the starting culturesthemselves must have been grownon a Cholov Yisroel media. These cul-tures can be obtained by growingfour subsequent generations of cul-tures that were originally producedon non-Cholov Yisroel media.17 Asthese cultures are acquired from cul-ture libraries supplying specializedblends of microbes designed to im-part specific traits in the cheese, pro-ducing Cholov Yisroel (and kosher forPassover) versions also require a

mashgiach present during culture pro-duction. The silver lining to this isthat Cholov Yisroel cheese productionis more accommodating to the mash-giach in terms of Shabbos and YomTov.

Six-Hour CheesesA second aspect of cheese is the

requirement to wait six hours afteringesting certain cheeses before eat-ing meat, while most dairy productsrequire a much shorter wait.18

Cheese that has been aged sixmonths or become wormy (inciden-tally, as long as these worms neverleft the cheese, they may be con-

sumed)19, according to many author-ities, are treated the same as waitingfrom meat to dairy.20 Fortunately,most kosher cheeses are not agedthat long.

Before the existence of microbeswas discovered, producing cheesewas an act of constant trial and error,largely depending on atmosphericconditions to cure the cheese, whichrequired long periods of time. Today,with our advanced understanding ofmicrobiology, we are able to collatethe precise desired microbes and addthem, thus cutting down on the timerequired to process cheese.

For instance, Muenster cheese isnot aged at all, since aging addssharpness to cheese and a mildcheese would be detrimentally af-fected. Even Swiss cheese, which re-quires some aging to form the “eyes”(holes in the cheese) is not agedlonger than four months, since pro-longed aging dries out cheese caus-ing cheese blocks to crack. However,many sharp cheddars and Parmesancheeses are aged six months orlonger. Regarding Parmesan, thereare those who drop the six-hour ruleif the cheese has been cooked orbaked, so Parmesan on a saladwould require a six-hour wait, whileEggplant Parmesan would not.21

While we don’t know exactlywhich cheese Yehudis supplied tothe Greek general, consuming anysort of cheese satisfies this Chanukahcustom (though I don’t think sourcream on latkes passes muster). ThisChanukah, may we merit revealedmiracles and celebrate salvation inour times.

Today, with our advanced understanding

of microbiology, we are able to collate

the precise desired microbes, thus

cutting down on the time required to

process cheese.

1. Shulchan Oruch, Orach Chaim 670, SimanBeis, Rama.

2. Mishna Bruriah, sham, ois 10.3. Shmuel I, 17:18 and Shmuel II, 17:29.4. Iyov, 10:10.5. Masechtas Avodah Zara 77, Daf 29b.6. Shulchan Oruch, Yoreh Deah 115:2.7. Beis Yosef on Tur, Yoreh Deah 115.8. Igros Moshe, Yoreh Deah, Siman 38..9. Igros Moshe, Yoreh Deah, Siman 50.

10. Igros Moshe, Yoreh Deah 2, Siman 48.11. Shulchan Oruch, Yoreh Deah, Siman 87,

Rama sif 12.12. Shach ois 33.13. Shulchan Oruch, Yoreh Deah, Siman 87,

Rama sif 10.14. Shulchan Oruch, Yoreh Deah, Siman 115:1.15. Shach, ois 20.16. Shulchan Oruch, Yoreh Deah, Siman 115:1.17. Shulchan Oruch HaRav, Orach Chaim, Siman

132:10.

18. Shulchan Oruch, Yoreh Deah, Siman 89:2.19. Shulchan Oruch, Yoreh Deah, Siman 84,

Rama.20. Shulchan Oruch, Yoreh Deah, Siman 89, Taz,

ois 4.21. Yad Yehudah, Hilchos Basar V’Chalav, Siman

89:30.

www.OK.org • 9

HUNTINGSmoking bees from their hive.

MEDICINECauterizing wounds to stop

bleeding.

FOODPRESERVATION

Smoking meat to preserve it forlong periods of time.

COMMUNICATIONSending signals via smoke or

campfire to other communities.(Rosh Chodesh)

LANDSCAPE MODIFICATION

Clearing brush for ease of traveland hunting.

WOODWORKINGRecurve and reflex bows

for hunting.

COOKINGRoasting food on coals or a grill.

TOOLSSharpening and fire-hardening

digging sticks and spears.

MODERN COMMUNICATIONToday, we use cell phones as a mainmeans of communication. Did you knowthat the average person uses only 33%of their cell phone minutes and pays anaverage of $3.02 per minute?! 41% ofcell phone users pay 50 cents perminute, less than 10% pay 10 cents perminute, and 11% pay $10 per minute! I guess talk isn’t so cheap after all!

usesfor

Fire, more spiritual than physical, provides light and warmth and is compared to the soul (Ki ner Hashem nishmas adam). Jews use fire to bring in Shabbos and Yom Tov, for Havdallah

when we part with Shabbos, and to light our Chanukah menorahs...

But did you know fire is also used for…

1 2 3

4 5

7 8

6

By David Brown

~ Kosher Co-Sponsors The TravelingKosher Pickle Factory

Kosher

Pickle

10 • www.OK.org

The Traveling Kosher Pickle Fac-tory was Rabbi Marcus’ brainchild.Marcus, the Chabad rabbi to Cy-press, California would visit an 86-year old former pickle-maker, for aTefillin prayer and the crunch ofhomemade Kirby’s (not necessarilyin that order). The two came up withan idea. Rabbi Marcus figured thatthe public school students he taughtat Hebrew High would love to learnhow to make a kosher pickle. Theopportunity would allow him to sur-reptitiously slip a few kosher lessonsin as well – while the rabbi learnedabout the pickle world, his studentsand audiences learned about thekosher world.

What he didn’t count on was theinterest the eclectic program wouldengender among the teens’ parents.Over 200 phone calls poured in asadults vied for the opportunity topickle their own cucumbers. Organ-izers had to turn people away as theprogram spread like wildfire acrossSouthern California.

The course’s layout is similar tothat of the popular Living Legacy Se-ries, designed to teach about upcom-ing holidays through the Shofar andMatzah factories and the Olive OilPress. Unlike the Living Legacy,though, this program is designed foran older audience.

Since it began in 2005, 7,000 peo-ple have prepared personalizedpickle jars. During the hour-longpresentation, participants choosetheir own spice combinations andtartness. According to Rabbi Marcus,adults prefer the deli pickle, associat-ing it with traditional Judaism, muchlike a bagel shmeared with cream

cheese and lox. Word of its popular-ity quickly leaked across the country.

Following requests, the Rabbilaunched a national tour with showsin Chicago, Miami Beach, Boston,Las Vegas, and recently in NewYork’s Culinary Institute of America.Since the recent collaboration withthe ~, the Traveling Kosher PickleFactory is expected to reach 30,000people over the next three years.

One recent stop was at HofstraUniversity in New York. RabbiShmuli Lieberman welcomed the“Pickle Rabbi” and students on asnowy Tuesday night. Although thesnowstorm left some in a pickle, thestudents who braved the weather

loved the hands-on ap-proach and the factthat they couldmake their own jarof kosher pickles tobring home.

Through humorand history, the Rabbiexplains that kosher “is nota stylistic choice,” butrather, “something G-dwants us to do.”

One aspect the Rab-bis emphasize is thatsixty to seventy per-cent of what is in anaverage shopper’scart is already kosher.Rabbi Marcus tells hisaudience that theyare “eating morekosher than theythink.” The goal, hesays, is for participantsto leave more kosher-conscious through a prac-

tical demonstration of kosher lawsand symbols. In fact, he proudlynotes, some participants have beenso inspired by the unique approach,they have committed themselves tokeeping kosher.

“It’s all about keeping it kosher,”concludes Rabbi Marcus, on the pro-gram’s broader goal. With five mil-lion pounds of this popular snackconsumed daily, there seems no bet-ter way to reach an audience andthanks to the support of the ~ thisprogram has become a reality.

For more information on the Kosher

Pickle Factory or to get a rabbi to give

a kosher pickle class in your area, visit

www.RabbiPickle.com.

kosHer “is not a stylistic cHoice,” but ratHer, “sometHing g-d wants us to do.”

www.OK.org • 11

How do you teach the basics of kashrus in a captivating,relevant way? This is a question that the ~ educationdepartment deals with on a regular basis and was the

catalyst for our sponsorship and support of a unique, stimulatingkosher education program—The Traveling Kosher Pickle Factory.

5Apart from having very highcalcium content, cheese is alsorich in vitamin-B, which isvery good for children,women, and elderly people,for formation andstrengthening of bones andcartilages. The vitamin-B aidsproper absorption anddistribution of calcium.

5Certain cheeses such asCheddar, Swiss, blue,Monterey Jack, and processedAmerican cheese, amongothers, have beendemonstrated to reduce therisk of dental cavities.

5Many cheeses, particularlyaged cheeses such as Cheddarand Swiss, contain little or nolactose. For this reason, cheeseis an important source ofcalcium and many othernutrients found in milk forlactose maldigesters orpersons who have difficultydigesting lactose or milk'ssugar.

5Cheese, in moderation, isincluded in the DASH(Dietary Approaches to StopHypertension) diet designedto reduce the risk ofhypertension.

12 • www.OK.org

Healthy SpiritTraditional Chanukah Foods

Olive Oil

Cheese

Potatoes

Olives grow on trees, so oliveoil is technically a fruit juicerather than an oil. The olivesare pressed to release theirjuices just like oranges andlemons are pressed.

In Ancient Greece, peopleapplied olive oil to their skinand hair as protection from theelements and to maintain apleasant fragrance.

Using olive oil in place of otheroils offers protection againstheart disease by controllingLDL ("bad") cholesterol levelswhile raising HDL (the "good"cholesterol) levels.

Olive oil's protective functionhas a beneficial effect on ulcersand gastritis.

Extra virgin olive oil, from thefirst pressing of the olives,contains the highest levels ofantioxidants, particularlyvitamin E and phenols, becauseit is less processed than othergrades of olive oil.

5Since potatoespredominantly containcarbohydrates, they areeasy to digest andfacilitate digestion.

5Potatoes contain vitamin-C and B-complex andminerals like potassium,magnesium, phosphorusand zinc, which are goodfor the skin.

5Pulp obtained fromcrushed raw potatoes,mixed with honey, canserve as excellent skinand face masks.

5Potato pulp, if appliedexternally on burns, givesa quick relief and aids inhealing.

Ch

an

uk

ah

re

cip

e

2 pounds zucchini

1/2 pound russet potatoes, peeled

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup chopped scallions

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

3/4 cup chopped parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 tablespoon pepper

2 teaspoons sugar

1/3 cup flour

2 medium eggs

Peanut oil for frying

Zucchini parmesan Latkes(Dairy)

1. Grate the zucchini and potatoes and

toss in the lemon juice to prevent

browning. Squeeze the zucchini and

potatoes through towels or a sieve. It is

imperative that you get almost all the

moisture out of the vegetables.

2. Add the scallions, cheese, garlic, 1/2

cup of the parsley, salt and pepper,

sugar, flour, and eggs and toss to make

sure that the ingredients are well mixed.

3. Heat a 1/2 inch of peanut oil in a pan

until hot and add thin silver dollar-size

pancakes, frying over high heat until

golden brown and crispy. When serv-

ing, sprinkle with a little more salt and

the remaining chopped parsley.

Yield: 24 pancakes

www.OK.org • 13

The Jewish People are a nation of traditions.

Our customs sometimes travel back thousands

of years.

The Jewish calendar is sprinkled with joyous holi-

days, celebrated in the synagogue with prayer sung to

ancient melodies and in the home with family meals;

recipes passed down from generation to generation.

Today a cook has a variety of resources when she

looks to plan her holiday menu. She may turn to fam-

ily heirlooms, recipes kept and cherished from years

of old or she may gather recipes from friends, cook-

books, and weekly magazines.

The Kosher Spirit is excited to showcase Let’s get

Cookin’ a new and creative recipe organizer devel-

oped by Tzivi Eichenholz and Chavi Wilner, two “bal-

abustas” [Yiddish for good homemakers] living in

Brooklyn, NY. Let’s get Cookin’ allows you to add, or-

ganize, share, and browse through all of your favorite

recipes in one place. it takes old traditional recipes

and thrusts them into the modern era and will instantly

create shopping lists and help in planning your menu.

The Kosher Spirit sat down with Tzivi and Chavi to

discuss Let’s get Cookin’.

14 • www.OK.org

Kosher Spirit: What was the

inspiration for this project?

Tzivi Eichenholz: I’d had enoughof fruitless searching for recipes thatI had scribbled on the back of en-velopes. I wanted to create a placethat would sort and assemble myrecipes in a comprehensive and easy-to-use manner.Chavi Wilner: My children grew tiredof eating the same old chicken soup soI started collecting recipes and tryingnew foods but soon I had so manyrecipes in so many places I could notfind what I needed when I needed it.

KS: How did you meet?

CW: Our children learn in the sameschool, and once while chatting I ex-pressed frustration with organizingall my loose recipe clippings andTzivi knew exactly what I meant.We decided that we would team upto find the best solution and the restis history!

KS: How did you get started?

TE: We tried other recipe programsand weren’t satisfied, so we hired agroup of programmers, put a lotof brainpower and “yiddishe kup” in oneroom and we worked to make it right.

KS: What is unique about this

software?

TE: Let’s Get Cookin’ is the onlykosher recipe organizer in the world!It is very easy to use, incorporatesthe Jewish Calendar so you can seewhen Yom Tov comes out and planyour menu, features video presenta-tions on food garnishing, includes ~Kosher Certification’s Guide toChecking Vegetables, and as abonus, has hundreds of kosherrecipes included. It also does not re-quire an Internet connection.CW: We included Devorah Heller’sChallah Workshop in our program.Devorah is famous worldwide forher fast and easy method to makechallah. Devorah takes you on a jour-ney through the spiritual significanceof making challah and describes the

beauty of this important mitzvah.After learning to make challah usingDevorah’s video tutorial, I now con-sider myself a pro!

KS: How are recipes added to the

program?

CW: There are two easy ways toadd recipes. You can manually enterrecipes you’ve collected over theyears, and, our software also allowsyou to select any recipe you’vefound from cooking sites, recipe col-lections and food blogs and easilyimport it into the program.

KS: How about printing and

sharing recipes?

CW: We have a wonderful featurewhere you can print the recipes onindex cards formatted to print inhigh design. Our import feature is afavorite! It allows friends to easilyshare recipes with just a few simpleclicks, it is a real time saver!

KS: The variety of features is

fascinating, please tell our

readers more!

CW: For a timesaving specialty,check out our Shopping Lists. Just se-lect the recipes you’ve planned touse for a Shabbos or Holiday mealand in seconds you will have all thenecessary ingredients for all of therecipes you’ve chosen addedto your shopping list. Addi-tionally, recipes are cus-tomizable; planning a BasMitzvah? Need to feed a largecrowd and your favoriterecipe only feeds six? Simplyadjust the recipe yield and itwill automatically adjust theingredient amounts.

KS: How has the ~ been

involved with this project?

TE: The ~ has been sohelpful! It has been such apleasure to work with thestaff of the ~ on this proj-ect. Their dedication tokosher and their profes-sionalism and sweetness

impressed us. The ~ contributed tothis program by providing the userwith quick and accurate kosher in-formation, tailored to a recipe’sneeds. For example, when yousearch for a vegetable using thesearch bar, you will find step-by-stepinstructions on how to inspect itproperly for insects. When enteringin a new recipe that includes a veg-etable which needs checking, a re-minder will pop up guiding youthrough the process. (It’s really cool!)A special tab was added to make theentire ~ Vegetable Checking guideeasily accessible at any time.

KS: any final thoughts?

TE: Yes. This program can be usedas a powerful fundraising tool forschools and charities as the recipescan be shared and customized toyour community’s needs.

KS: Where can i pick up a copy of

let’s Get Cookin’?

TE: By the time you read this article,we expect most Judaica stores to becarrying it. CW: You can also purchase a CDby emailing info@onlykosherrecipes.com or calling Tzivi at917.455.2468 or myself at347.846.8276.

www.OK.org • 15

in Action!

Rabbi Yitzchak Hanoka

at the 11th Annual~ Mashgichim Conference

Rabbi Loewenthal, Denmark

Mr. Ken Aicardi and Mr. Adam Self accepting

Featured Company award on behalf of Costco

Rabbi Don Yoel Levy

Rabbi Aaron Weiss

16 • www.OK.org

HaRav Usher Anshel Eckstein,

Dayan of the Belzer Kehilla

www.OK.org • 17

Rabbi Teller, Belgium

3rd edition of the popular

~ VEGETABLECHECKING

GUIDEHelping you do things right

Available FREE at your local ~ certifiedrestaurant or download a PDF @

www.OK.org

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!

~ 2009 Mashgichim Conference

KS: Where did you grow up? Where did you go to

yeshiva?

RYZG: I grew up in Flatbush, Brooklyn. For yeshiva, I at-tended Yeshiva Torah v’Daas in Flatbush; Beis Talmud, Ben-sonhurst; and, Mir Yerushalayim. I eventually receivedsemicha from Beis Midrash Gevoha in Lakewood. The ~also sponsored my Bachelor of Science in Biology fromTouro College and later a Master of Science degree inFood Science from Rutgers University.

KS: What did you do after yeshiva?

RYZG: After yeshiva, I started working as a mashgiach atdifferent hashgocha agencies such as the Orthodox Union,the Star-K, and the Vaad of Queens.

KS: What is your current position at the ~?

RYZG: I currently head the Formula Review and Ingredi-ent Submittal Department. I am also the Rabbinic Coor-dinator for Food Service, Restaurants & Caterers.

KS: What prepared you the most for your current po-

sition at the ~?

RYZG: My varied experiences in hashgocha and my aca-demic degrees prepared me for my current work at the ~.

KS: What is best thing about working at the ~?

RYZG: The best thing is working with great people whoare conscientious of the importance of kashrus. I feel priv-

ileged to work with the other ~ rabbis. Kashrus is anever-ending learning experience, and I am able to callon the experience of my colleagues for continual insightinto a variety of kashrus matters.

KS: How would you describe the ~ today?

RYZG: The ~ is a pioneer, a visionary in kashrus and issensitive to the needs of all who work on its behalf.Each Rabbinic Coordinator has had previous field ex-perience. This is very beneficial when it comes to deal-ing with kashrus problems. It also helps us to establishbetter relationships with the mashgichim in the field.Once you have been in someone’s position, you relatewith more sensitivity.

KS: Can you share an interesting experience that

you had while working at the ~?

RYZG: During one of my visits to Japan, I found myselfstranded at the airport due to a snowstorm. Deter-mined to conduct my inspection, I inquired how totravel by train. A ticket agent gave me directions andcalled the facility (he spoke much better Japanese thanme) to ensure someone would pick me up at the trainstation. After hours of traveling, I found myself alonein a small village just as it was getting dark. Apparentlythere was some type of miscommunication betweenthe ticket agent and the facility, because no one wasthere to meet me. Passersby were of no assistance due

Interview with Rabbi Yitzchak

GornishRabbi Yitzchak Gornish

~BEHiNDWHO’S BEHiND THE ~

MeeT our STAff:

18 • www.OK.org

“

What Other People SayAbout Rabbi Yitzchak Gornish

Rabbi Gornish is a talmid chochom and master in Chemistrywho is well-known for his spellbinding lectures. His broadknowledge contributes greatly to the kashrus world. With his vastexperience in many areas and his youthful energy, Reb Yitzchakis one of the new generation of ~ rabbis who ensures that the ~will always be the pioneers in kashrus.

Rabbi Don Yoel Levy, Kashrus Administrator, ~ Kosher Certification

When the Torah wants to describe the word of Hashem – theword of Emes, the Torah tells us to ignore the loud noisesand pushy opinions. Rather, we should pay attention to the softerand steady voice. i believe this can describe my good friend,Reb Yitzchak. There are many voices in a conversation but hissoft, steady thoughts and opinions are usually the prevailingvoice of emes.

Rabbi Sholem Fishbane,Kashrus Administrator – CRC-Chicago

Rabbi Gornish makes himself available day and night in orderto ensure that our restaurants meet the kosher standards weset for them. His Master’s degree in Food Science allows him toapprove restaurant ingredients in an incredibly efficient manner.Due to his background in hashgocha, he is able to understandthe nature of restaurants and caterers, and is sensitive to all thedetails that go into certifying them.

Rabbi Naftali Marrus,Rabbinic Coordinator – Restaurants & Catering

to the language barrier. I trudgedthrough the snow in the dark withmy luggage for what felt like for-ever. Finally, I came across a build-ing that had a flashing emergencylight attached — it was a first aidbuilding. I went inside and founda boy who in broken English ex-plained that I would never be ableto reach my destination due tothe weather. After a little coaxing,he offered to give me a ride to thefacility in an ambulance. When Iarrived at the facility, in an am-bulance in the middle of a hugesnowstorm I wish I would havetaken some pictures of theirshocked faces. Unfortunately myguide was no longer there, andthere were no more Englishspeakers working. With the in-terpreter’s help on the phone, Iconducted my inspection. Whileit was difficult to ask questionsand to read the labels printed inJapanese, I was able to success-fully complete my inspection!

“His broad knowledge contributesgreatly to the kashrus world”

– Rabbi Don Yoel Levy,Kashrus Administrator, ~ Kosher Certification

www.OK.org • 19

20 • www.OK.org

107WAYS

~ Koshered yourworld in 2009!

AArhuSKArLShAMN LATiN

AMeriCA S.A.

MONTEviDEO, URUGUaY

Oils and Specialty Fats

ADegerMex, S.A. De C.v.

ESTaDO DE MExiCO

AMeriCAN hArveST BAKiNg

Co., iNC. D/B/A AhB fooDS

NEW JERSEY, USa

artisan Breads

ArTWorK CooKieS & CAKeS

NEW YORK, USa

Cakes and Cookies

AuerBACh’S MeAT

CoMpANY

COlORaDO, USa

Glatt Kosher Meat (Chassidishe

Shechita)

BAiShui ANDre JuiCe

Co.,LTD

SHaaNxi PROviNCE, CHiNa

Juice & Juice Concentrates

BALDor SpeCiALTY fooDS

NEW YORK, USa

Packaged vegetables

BeiJiNg huiYuAN group

JiZhoNg fooD AND

BeverAge Co., LTDHEBEi, CHiNaJuice & Juice Concentrates

BeNiCor u.S.A.NEW YORK, USa

BiTe WiSeBROOKlYN, NY, USaBaked Goods

BioDieSeL pALDiSKi ASESTONiaEsters, Glycerines & Oils

BLue SeASoN

iNTerNATioNAL LTDiSRaElvodka

CANADiAN goLD

BeverAgeSCaNaDaFlavored Sparkling Water

CASA De oro fooDSNE, USaTortillas/Taco Shells

Ce orgANiCSBC, CaNaDaBases & Syrups

CherrY griLLNEW JERSEY, USaMeat Restaurant

ChuNg MiN LiNerBAgS(huiZhou) LTD.GUaNGDONG, CHiNaPackaging

CiNe CiTTA griLLFlORiDa, USaDairy Restaurant

CoNServerA AMAZoNiCAlORETO, PERUvegetables (Canned)

CoSMoS AroMATiCAiNTerNACioNAL, S.A.BaRCElONa, SPaiNFlavors

DeLfi CACAu BrAZiL LTDABRaZilCocoa products

DeriCheM (M) SDN. BhD.PENaNG, MalaYSiaSoap Noodles

DeuTSChe Bp AKTieNgeSe-LLSChAfT, iNDuSTriALLuBriCANTS & ServiCeSGERMaNYlubricants and Mineral Oils

eDeLWeiSS ToWN hALL

CheeSe Co. (pLANT #55-188)

WiSCONSiN, USaDairy Products

eieio, iNC.TExaS, USaFlavoring Extracts

eLiTe CooKieS iNC.NEW YORK, USaCookies & Crackers

eox, LLC DBA go2

iNTerNATioNALCaliFORNiaWater Sanitizer

fABriCA De MAiCeNA iriS

CiA LTDAPiCHiNCHa, ECUaDORRice & Rice Flour

fiSh, fiSh AND CANNoLiBROOKlYN, NEW YORK, USaDairy Restaurant

freSCo hAZevA 2006iSRaElPackaged vegetables

fuSo CheMiCAL Co., LTD.OSaKa, JaPaNacids & acidulants

N e W C o M pA N i e S

gALiL reSTAurANTNEW YORK, USaMeat Restaurant

giDroN iNDuSTrieSiSRaElBakery

gLATT KoSher fAMiLY, iNC.NEW YORK, USaMeat Restaurant

gourMeT MuShrooMSCaliFORNia, USaFresh Mushrooms & NutritionalSupplements

greeN MeADoWS fooDSiOWa, USa

gvf ALiMeNToS LTDACHilEFruit (Dried), Nuts & Seeds

hAiNAN xiNTAiSheNgiNDuSTrY Co., LTDHaiNaN, CHiNaFish Products

heALThY TeMpTATioNSNEW YORK, USaDairy Cholov Yisroel Yogurt

heBei feNgTe fruiT &vegeTABLe JuiCe CoHEBEi, CHiNaJuice & Juice Concentrates

J h hANANNEW YORK, USaBaked Goods

JeruSALeM 2 MArKeTpLACeNEW YORK, USaDairy Restaurant

JeruSALeM gLATT KoSherreSTAurANTNEW JERSEY, USaMeat Restaurant

JiAxiNg TAiSheNg LifefooDS Co., LTDZHEJiaNG, CHiNavegetables (Frozen)

JohNSoN & JohNSoNCoNSuMer iSrAeL (A DiviSioN of J-C heALTh CAre)

iSRaEl listerine

KATLAv WiNerY LTDiSRaElWine

KerrY oLeoCheMiCALiNDuSTriAL (ShANghAi) Co.,CHiNaGlycerine

KiMMie CANDY CoMpANYNEvaDa, USaCandies

KoSher KArT LLCNEW YORK, USaMeat Carts

KoSher veNDiNg CAfeNEW YORK, USaMeat vending Machines

LuNCh BoxNEW YORK, USaDairy Restaurant

MAAS refiNerY B.v.ZUiD-HOllaND, NETHERlaND

Refined Oils

MATerNeFRaNCE

Fruit (Candied)

MiSSioN BioTeChNoLogieS

SDN BhDSElaNGOR DaRUl EHSaN,

MalaYSia

Glycerine

NATure SoYPENNSYlvaNia, USa

Soy and Tofu products

NeSTLe DeuTSChLAND Ag-

fACTorY BieSSeNhofeNBavaRia, GERMaNY

Materna- baby formula

NeSTLe iNDiA LiMiTeDHaRYaNa, iNDia

Tea

NeT CACAoFRaNCE

NorDiC SugAr A/SDENMaRK

Sweeteners

NTrA. SrA. De LAS virTuDeS

SPaiN

Olive Products

oLgA’S oN SMiThNEW YORK, USa

Dairy Restaurant

oLiveSTilliNOiS, USa

Oil & Shortenings

pAgYSA pAMuK giDA YerLi

uruNLer TiC. ve SAN. A.S.TURKEY

Dried Fruits

pAKiSTAN SeSAMe MiLLS

SiNDH, PaKiSTaN

Sesame and Tahini Products

pALiSADiuM MANAgeMeNT

Corp.NEW YORK, USa

Caterer

perfeCT reNAiSSANCe LTDiSRaEl

Wine

piDY gourMeTNEW YORK

Pie and Dessert Shells

pieDMoNT CANDY CoMpANYNORTH CaROliNa, USa

Candy and Chocolates

piZZA MANiAFlORiDa, USa

Dairy Restaurant

piZZA NoSh oN JNEW YORK, USa

Dairy Restaurant

preMiuM fooDS LTD.iSRaEl

Chocolate

pro-AMiNo iNTerNATioNAL

QUEBEC, CaNaDaHealth Bars

pT. WiLMAr BioeNergi

iNDoNeSiARiaU, iNDONESiaGlycerine

pureLY AMeriCANOHiO, USaSoup Mixes and Beans

QiN’AN greATWALL fruiT

JuiCe & BeverAge Co., LTDGaNSU, CHiNaJuice & Juice Concentrates

rAfAeL’S BAKerYNEW YORK, USaBakery

roDLeBeN CheMie gMBhGERMaNYEmulsifiers & Stabilizers

ruShAN heNgYu fooDSTuff

SHaNDONG, CHiNaFruit (Canned)

rZ DiSTriBuTorS of freSh

MeAT, iNC.NEW YORK, USaMeat

SABABA gourMeT, iNC.NEW YORK, USaFrozen Foods

ShAANxi MiNgrui

AgriCuLTure

DeveLopMeNT Co., LTDSHaaNxi, CHiNaJuice & Juice Concentrates

ShANDoNg QiNgguo

fooDS.,LTDSHaNDONG, CHiNavegetables (Frozen)

SiChuAN DeYi greeN fooD

SiCHUaN, CHiNainstant Rice

SoCo CreAMerYMaSSaCHUSETTS, USaice Cream

STiLL riDiNg piZZACONNECTiCUT, USaGluten Free Pizza Crusts

STYLe JeruSALeMNEW YORK, USaBagels, Pitas & laffas

SupreMe MANufACTuriNg

CoMpANY, iNCNEW JERSEY, USaBases & Syrups

SYfAN MfgNORTH CaROliNa, USaPlastic Products

TAKe 2 Dough

proDuCTioNS, iNC.MaiNE, USaPizza Dough/Crusts

TAT NiSASTA SAN. TiC .A.S.TURKEYGlucose

TrADiTioNAL BAKerYNEW JERSEY, USaBaked Goods

Tru-ChoCoLATe D/B/AMeChANiCS of WeALThMaiNE, USaChocolate

uNiLep SASFRaNCEDairy Products

WALDNieLer fruChTSAfTgMBhGERMaNYJuice Concentrates

WeiNSoN WiNerYNEW YORK, USaWine

WheATLeY BAKerYNEW YORK, USaBakery

WheATLeY piZZeriANEW YORK, USaDairy Restaurant

WhoLeSoMe SpiCe &SeASoNiNg Corp.NEW YORK, USaSeasonings & Spices

WiSCoNSiN SpeCiALTYproTeiNWiSCONSiN, USaDairy Products

xiANYANg ANDre JuiCe Co.SHaaNxi PROviNCE, CHiNaJuice & Juice Concentrates

xuZhou ANDre JuiCe Co.JiaNGSU, CHiNaJuice & Juice Concentrates

YANTAi LoNgKou ANDreCo., LTDSHaNDONG, CHiNaJuice & Juice Concentrates

YANTAi Luxe vegeTABLefooDS CoMpANY LTD.SHaNDONG, CHiNaFrozen Fruits and vegetables

YoNgJi ANDre JuiCe Co.SHaaNxi PROviNCE, CHiNaJuice & Juice Concentrates

ZeeLANDiA h.J. DoeLeMANNETHERlaNDS

ZheJiANg Nhu CoMpANYZHEJiaNG, CHiNaFood additives

ZMY fooD pACKiNg iNC.NEW YORK, USaSmoked Cheese

visit www.ok.orgfor a complete list of certified

companies and their products.

www.OK.org • 21

22 • www.OK.org

ChASSiDiC iNSighTS

The Talmud asks inTractate Shabbos,

“What is Chanukah?” Ac-cording to Rashi, the realquestion is, “What is themiracle that we celebrateon Chanukah?”

The Talmud answers: “When theHellenists entered the BeisHaMikdash, they defiled all of its oil.Then, when the royal Hasmoneanfamily overpowered and wasvictorious over them, they searchedand found only one cruse of pureoil... sufficient to light the menorahfor a single day. A miracle occurredand the Maccabees lit the menorahwith this oil for eight days.”

Based on this answer, there are twomiracles of Chanukah: the physicalvictory of the Jews over the Greeks, atiny band of soldiers versus the mostpowerful army in world, and thespiritual victory of finding oneunspoiled cruse of oil, whichmiraculously lasted for eight daysinstead of one. Why is the specificmiracle that warranted theestablishment of Chanukah theseemingly lesser miracle, the cruse ofoil, rather than the more obvious,“larger” miracle of the victory of thefew over the many?

The “smaller,” spiritual miracle iscelebrated, because the Jews did notreally face a threat to their physicallives during the Greek occupation.Rather, the Greeks wanted the Jewsto forsake their spirituality, to removeHashem from their lives. The Greeksdemanded of the Jews, “Inscribe uponthe horn of an ox that you have nopart in the G-d of Israel.”1 In actuality,

the war between the Jews and theGreeks occurred because the Jewscourageously ignored the decreesagainst Judaism and belief in Hashem.

The real miracle, therefore, is themiracle of “rescuing the soul of thepeople”. The miracle of the oil, a mir-acle connected to a mitzvah involvingthe lights in the Beis HaMikdash, wasthe true miracle. As the Torah says,“For a mitzvah is a lamp and Torah islight.”

Even though we understand thepriority of the spiritual miracle, an-other question still remains. Whydoesn’t the Talmud refer to the phys-ical victory in battle as a miracle? De-spite the main miracle, the spiritualmiracle, was the physical victory notmiraculous as well? It was the physi-cal victory that allowed the spiritualvictory to occur – the Maccabeeswould not have had any access to theBeis HaMikdash if the Greeks hadbeen victorious.

The battle of the Greeks versus theJews was not against the practice ofJudaism, rather the Greeks wereagainst the presence of Hashem inTorah and mitzvos. As it says in Ve’AlHaNissim: “to make them forget YourTorah and make them violate the de-crees of Your will.” The Greekswanted to erase the Divinity of Torahand mitzvos.

The war waged by the Greeks wasagainst the Jewish belief that Hashemis above everything, that Hashem tran-scends nature, that Hashem cannot bequantified by human intellect.

This is why the Talmud speaks ofthe miracle of the oil as the miraclethat brought about the celebration ofChanukah. The Chanukah lights sym-bolize the spiritual victory, the illumi-nation of Hashem’s light in thedarkness. This spiritual miracle is sogreat, so awesome, that it completelyeclipses the physical victory of theMaccabees over the Greeks.

It is the entirely spiritual nature ofChanukah that helps us to achievesuch a high spiritual level, where thesoul is so superior to the body thatthe body becomes almost an after-thought. Even though the soul isclothed in a body, and our souls needa body in order to serve Hashem, thebody is dominated by the soul and itsDivine nature. A person’s entire phys-ical self is devoted to helping the soulfulfill its spiritual service.

This Chanukah as we kindle themiraculous lights and recite the Ve’AlHaNissim prayer, let us also askHashem to help us use our bodies toaid our souls in their Divine purpose,to bring the end of Golus and usher inthe Geulah Shleimah.

1. Bereishis Rabbah 2:4

ChANuKAh:Victory of the SoulCompiled by Dina Fraenkel

www.OK.org • 23

SouL NuTriTioN

The light that Hashem createdon the 1st day of creation was

very special and different fromthe light that you and I utilizeevery day. The light that weknow was created on the 4th daywhen Hashem created the sun,moon and stars. The light fromthe first day was created and thenhidden away. It is called the OrHaGanuz (Hidden Light). Hashemsaw that the wicked were un-worthy of using that light, so Hehid it for special occasions. It waswith that light that Adam HaRis-hon could see from one side of theworld to the other (Chagigah12a).

The Or haGanuz is con-

nected to the number 36:

When Adam HaRishon wascreated, there were 36 hours oflight from the Or HaGanuz (12hours on Friday and the entire 24hours of Shabbos). It became darkfor the first time Motzei Shabbosand that is why we make a brochaon fire Motzei Shabbos, in appre-ciation of Hashem giving fire tobring light to Adam.

The B’ney Yissachar writes thatthe Or HaGanuz was also hiddenin the Chanukah candles. It is nosurprise then that we light 36candles on Chanukah (in totalwithout the shamash)!

The Or HaGanuz is also hid-den in the Torah and it has beensaid that there are 36 referencesto light in the Torah.

It took Moshe Rabbeinu 36days to explain the Torah to theJewish people (Seder HaOlamRabbah 10).

Moshe Rabbeinu had thepower to use the Or HaGanuz aswell. He was born 36 years afterthe oppression in Egypt began.

When Moshe Rabbeinu wasborn, the Torah says the housefilled with light (the Or Ha-Ganuz). There is a tradition (notoften practiced) that the Tes in“Va’yar ki tov” has 4 crowns (theletter Tes usually only has 3crowns), because the numericalvalue of Tes is 9, and 4x9=36.

The phrase Lamed Vov Tzad-dikim (the numerical value ofLamed Vov is 36) can mean,“These are the tzaddikim thathave use of the Or HaGanuz.”

Light is also connected with

the number 25:.

25 is connected to the light cre-ated on the 4th day, the light thatwe know and use.

Chanukah is on the 25th day ofthe month of Kislev.

The 25th word in Torah is Or. The Torah says, “Yehi Or. There

was light.” Yehi = 25.

We now have a deeper insightinto the question that G-d askedAdam: “Ayeka? Where are you?”Aleph Yud Kof Hey = 36, but it canalso be split into two words:“Ayeh Kof-Hey? Where is the 25?”meaning, “What did you do withthe light that you used?”

Total amount of food distributed

to the Jewish poor, up 9.2% over

last year.

Nearly 45% of

all kosher con-

sumers in 2009

are below the age of 45, an increase

from about 35% just five years ago.

Total of items certified kosher in

the United States.

Supermarkets that carried about

17,000 certified kosher items only

5 years ago are now featuring

nearly products.

Estimated percentage of

a supermarket’s

food products

are kosher:

10,000

20,000

120,000

356,226 lbs.

40%

Let ThereBe Light~

Kosher by theNumbers

Nearly 10,000 food plants in

the US produce kosher items.

number of scheduled and surprise

visits the ~ made in Sept. 2009.

45%

1,236

Kosher Without Compromise.

KOSHERCERTIFICATION

~

Kosher Spirit, 391 Troy ave., Brooklyn, NY 11213

718-756-7500 • info@ok.org • www.ok.org