Thursday, December 31, 2015

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Shemos

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand. 

R Frand quoted the Apter Rav who is famous for linking every parsha in the Torah to the concept of Jews loving fellow Jews (Ahavas Yisrael). R' Frand said that he never tried to make a link, but he did say that there is a concept of HaKaras Hatov in every parsha.

In connection with Parshas Shemos, R' Frand connected this concept to the pasuk where Tzipporah tells her father "Ish Mitzri Hitzilanu" - an Egyptian man saved us (Shemos 2:19). The conventional pshat on this pasuk is that she is telling Yisro, a man who appeared to be Egyptian saved us. However, R' Frand gave an interesting drush on the pasuk.

R' Frand said that Tzipporah was telling her father - the Ish Mitzri who Moshe saw striking a Jew in Shemos (1:11) and who Moshe killed, saved them. How? Because if not for the Ish Mitzri striking the Jew, Moshe does not kill him and does not then run away the following day to Midyan.

R' Frand then tied this into a Medrash which tells a story about how a child was drowning in a river at the same time that a man was bitten by an Arod. The man ran down to the river and washed his wound. When he reached the river he saw the drowning child and saved him. The child then thanked the man for saving him, but the man said to him - I did not save you, the Arod did. Had the Arod not bitten him, he would not have been there to save the child.

R' Frand said that the lesson is that if a person does something which benefits you, even if it is clear that it was not his intention, you should still show your HaKaras Hatov. The Mitzri who struck the Jew probably never heard of Tzipporah, but he was the reason that Moshe ran away and eventually saved her.

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Sunday, December 27, 2015

Sunday Night Suds - Shiner Wicked Ram IPA


This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Shiner Wicked Ram IPA.

I picked this up a few weeks ago at the Beverage Barn on Jericho Turnpike in Garden City Park where they always let you buy singles. Its a great store if you are looking to browse as they have a fantastic selection of reasonably priced beer and they never push you to buy. But what makes this a superior beer store is the fantastic selection at more than competitive prices.

But enough about the beer store - lets talk about the beer. According to their website, this is Shiner's first IPA in their 106 year history. I have no explanation for why they waited this long to make an IPA, but I can't argue the point.

The beer poured a golden yellow with nice foam which coated the glass. There was some hops in each sip, but this beer has more session IPA in it than biting hoppy IPA. I tasted some pine and a bit of citrus, however the bitter was somewhat subdued. The beer was mildly carbonated and within half an hour of the pour, the carbonation in the glass was negligible. Still, it was a good first try to Shiner and I look forward to trying what I expect to be many other variations on the IPA.

The Shiner Wicked Ram IPA is under the Kosher Supervision of the Va'ad of Detroit although there is no symbol on the the bottle. To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about the Shiner Wicked Ram IPA, please follow this link beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/143/186942.

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver. If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vayechi

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand. 

In Bereishis 47:29, the Torah writes that Ya'akov knew that he was nearing death and that he called his children to him and asked that he not be buried in Egypt.

Rashi explains that we learn from this pasuk the concept of Chessed Shel Emes - that in burying the dead, a person performs an act of kindness which is true chessed in that it is one way and cannot be repaid.

Rabbi Frand then asked a question based on a pasuk later in the parsha (Bereishis 48:22) where it states Ya'akov told Yosef that he was giving him Shechem Achad Al Achecha. Rashi explains that Ya'akov told Yosef that he was giving him the City of Shechem because Yosef took on the role of being involved with the burial Ya'akov.

But then how is this Chessed Shel Emes, if he received a reward?

R' Frand added to the question by quoting a Gemara in Kesuvos which states that if a man takes on the role of burying others, he will be zocheh that others will bury him.

So again, how is the burial of the dead a Chessed Shel Emes?

R' Frand answered that in general if a person does a favor for another person, the recipient feels a need to reciprocate. Additionally, the person doing the chessed may feel that the person who received the good deed, "owes him one", even if he does not express it. 

However, when a person buries the dead there is no such feeling. The living person does not think that the deceased "owes him one" or that there ever will be a possibly that the deceased will repay him. Thus it is a true chessed.

R' Frand's second vort related to the pasuk in Bereishis 48:1, where Yosef is told that his father was sick. The reason for the notification was that this was not just an illness as Ya'akov was dying and Yosef was being given an opportunity to pay one last visit with his children.

The Da'as Zikeinim M'Baalei Tosfos (DZMT) states that Yosef had not visited Ya'akov during the entire seventeen year period that Ya'akov was living in Egypt. 

But why would Yosef stay away from his father, after they had been involuntarily separated for so many years? The DZMT explains that Yosef was afraid that his father would ask him - what happened? How did you wind up in Egypt? And Yosef did not want to tell his father about his brothers' misdeeds. 

R' Frand asked - but why couldn't Yosef lie to Ya'akov for the sake of Shalom Bayis? Couldn't he have told him that he was kidnapped or some other half truth which would not have revealed his brothers' involvement?

R' Frand posed an answer and then invited the audience to discuss it at their Shabbos tables and see if they came up with a better answer. He explained that since Ya'akov was known for the middah of emes - truthfulness - Yosef could not bring himself to lie to him.

R' Frand also had a third vort on the parsha which if I have time tomorrow I may attempt to summarize it iyh.

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Sunday Night Suds - Saranac West End Winter IPA



This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Saranac West End Winter IPA.

I picked this up at the Beverage Barn on Jericho Turnpike where they encourage patrons to mix their own six packs or just buy singles. I had been in search of a variety which I was hoping they would carry and even though it was not on their shelves, I found quite a few beers which I had never seen or tried before, including the West End Winter IPA.

Once I got home I checked the Saranac website and learned that this is a brand new winter variety for winter 2015-2016. After giving it a sufficient chill, I cracked it open tonight and enjoyed it with my daf yomi.

The beer poured a rich copper with Saranac's trademark perfect carbonation. There was fantastic lacing on the side of the glass which stayed for some time. The first sip was hop forward with some nice pine and a little citrus. Additional sips gave some hints of malt, but this beer is all about the hops and was quite enjoyable. I could see drinking this with char grilled chicken or other smoky poultry dishes.

Saranac West End Winter IPA is under the Kosher Supervision of the Va'ad of Detroit as is every other beer produced at the Matt Brewery plant in Utica, NY. Keep in mind, Saranac has begun to brew some of its High Peaks series off site and these bottles do not have kosher certification from the Va'ad of Detroit.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about the brew, please follow this link www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/99/195378.

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.

If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vayigash

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand. 

In Bereishis 45:1 the Torah describes Yosef's revelation to his brothers. In so doing the Torah writes that Yosef commanded that everyone should be removed from the room and that therefore "V'Lo Amad Ish Ito" no man stood with Yosef when he made himself known to his brothers.

Rabbi Frand asked why is there the seeming redundancy about not having anyone in the room? Once Yosef commanded that everyone be taken out, did the Torah really need to tell us that therefore no man stood there?

R' Frand answered by making reference to a personal story. About a year and a half ago, R' Frand had been in his office in the Yeshiva and was planning on leaving, but wound up staying a few minutes longer than he intended. When he left, R' Frand drove down to Reisterstown Road and was making a right on a green light when his car was struck by another vehicle. The damage was immense and R' Frand's car was totaled. He said that he, b'h was fine, but his car and some election signs in parking lot were severely damaged.

R' Frand later learned that the car which struck his car was being driven by a fugitive who was running from the US Marshals. The driver hit three other cars before striking R' Frand's car and then ultimately being stopped when it ran into a truck.

R' Frand said that he thought about suing the US Government, but he realized that there would be no claim if they were in hot pursuit of this dangerous person. Instead he made a claim on his policy and got a nice settlement.

R' Frand said that if he were to wonder "if I did not leave a few minutes late this would not have happened" --it would be a sign of kefirah - rejecting Hashem's control of the world. Hashem had decided that this would happen, where it happened and when it happened.

R' Frand quoted R' Shmuel Brazil who explained the pasuk in Parshas Vayigash much in the same way. Yosef could have been upset about what had happened in his life. Indeed, it all traces back to Yosef meeting the Ish in Parshas Vayeshev (Bereishis 37:15). The Torah states that a man (Ish) found Yosef wandering in the field and the man then directed Yosef to where his brothers were in Dosan. Rashi explains that this man was no less than the angel Gavriel.

R' Frand explained that Yosef could have been upset, because had the man not told Yosef where the brothers were, Yosef would not have been sold down to Egypt. However, Yosef was not upset at the chain of events which were caused by the man directing him to his brothers. The man was a manifestation of Hashem which directed Yosef to where he needed to go. Yosef recognized this and this is hinted to by the seeming redundant language of "no man stood". In so doing, Yosef is telling his brothers - "no man stood" in my mind -- this was not a negative event which caused these things in my life.

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Sunday Night Suds - Boulevard The Calling IPA


This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Boulevard's The Calling IPA.

Every once in a while, I will pick up a single beer (no, that happens pretty often) and bring it home and stick it with my stash. Weeks or even months later I will decide that I want to try it, but I won't be able to remember where I bought it. While this may not seem like much of a problem, it is to me when I sample the beer and find myself wanting to buy a few more of the style.

This problem came up this week when I took out the Calling IPA and poured it. After a few sips of the beer, I commented to Mrs KB that this was the best new IPA I have had in a very long time. The beer poured a deep maize with noticeable lacing. The first few sips revealed some pine and citrus and a few bitter notes. Successive sips gave me some deeper malt and a little stronger alcohol flavor, although not too heavy.

I would recommend pairing this brew with grilled meat or chicken as the backbone of this double will meld well with barbecue/charred meat.

The Calling IPA is an American Double which comes in four packs, usually retailing at between $11-12 for a four pack. 

Boulevard The Calling IPA is under the Kosher Supervision of the Va'ad of Kansas City, but the bottle I purchased did not have the certification mark on the label. If you would like the LOC from the Va'ad, please let me know and I will email it to you.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about this brew, please follow this link -http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/423/150877.

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver. 

If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable). 

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Mikeitz

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand. 

In Bereishis (41:37) the Torah writes that Yosef's interpretation and plan for dealing with Pharaoh's dreams was accepted by Pharaoh and all of his servants. R' Frand's asked - why was this even accepted by Pharaoh? He gave two analogies - to a law firm or a medical practice. If the senior partners of a law firm were conferencing to plan strategy for a complicated legal issue and then the mail room clerk came in and offered his suggestion, would they possibly pay attention to him? Similarly, if the doctors in a practice were meeting to discuss how to treat a patient and an orderly comes in and gives his thoughts, would the doctors pay attention to him?

The answer to each question/analogy is a resounding no. People who have achieved this stature in life would never follow the suggestion of an underling. So how did Yosef manage to get everyone to agree?

R' Frand answered that Yosef hooked all of Pharaoh's servants by doing more than just interpreting the dream -- he suggested that someone be appointed to minister to the food which would be harvested during the boom years. Each one of Pharaoh's servants who heard this said to himself -- that job will be mine, so I will agree to what Yosef said. R' Frand linked this to the Purim story as Haman heard the King's plans and thought to himself - who else besides me could be deserving of this honor?

R' Frand also said a second vort which linked to the first pasuk of the parsha. He quoted the Medrash which writes that the word Mikeitz is connected to Keitz (end) - it was the end of the term in prison which Hashem had decreed for Yosef. Once this end was reached, Pharaoh dreamed.

To an outsider, it might appear that Yosef was released because of the the dream, but really it was the other way around. The dream was not the cause of Yosef being released from prison. Instead, it was the end of Yosef's prison term which caused Pharaoh to dream.

[I heard a similar vort from R' Mansour who explained the term Choleim as a command by Hashem to Pharaoh to dream].

R' Frand connected this to a story told by R' Yosef Galinski (sp?) about his mother. When his mother was living in Poland there were many women in the town who could not read Polish. Since his mother was literate and she worked for a newspaper, the women would come to his house in the evening so that she could read the news to them.

One night a woman came to the home slightly early and at the time, Mrs. Galinski was chopping potatoes in the kitchen. The woman looked at the newspaper and let out a gasp. She ran to Mrs Galinski and said - how can you be chopping potatoes when this ship is sinking in the ocean! Mrs. Galinksi looked at the newspaper and explained to the woman that she was reading the paper upside down. The ship was not sinking, it was sailing. But because the woman had the paper upside down she thought the ship was upside down as well.

R' Frand closed the vort by observing that often we may get the cause and effect backwards because we are looking at the newspaper upside down.

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Sunday Night Suds - Blue Moon Cappuccino Oatmeal Stout


This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Blue Moon's Cappuccino Oatmeal Stout.

This limited release beer was introduced in this Winter's Brewmaster sample box. The beer is unique for a few reasons. Although I have seen stouts which are brewed with coffee additives and I have tried (and enjoyed oatmeal stouts), I have never seen a beer which combined the two. Additionally, this beer is a first for Blue Moon as I cannot remember them ever producing a stout.

The website and bottle label indicate that the beer is brewed with cocoa and finished with decaffeinated coffee. The beer pours a dark brown with an instant burst of carbonation but that was short lived. The beer is sweet, not cloying, but definitely sweet. There is a strong chocolate coffee flavor and it paired well with Mrs KB's chewy brownie cookies. 

The beer is 5.9% abv but I could not taste nor feel the alcohol. I could see using this as an after dinner drink on a Shabbos Chanukah meal, but it only comes in the mix box so you only get three bottles to work with.

Blue Moon Cappuccino Oatmeal Stout is certified kosher by the Orthodox Union, as is every other current variety of beer produced by Blue Moon. For the experts take on this beer, please click here beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/306/182505.

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.

If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vayeshev

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand. 

R' Frand quoted the Rambam in Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah (5:10) where it is written that if a person commits a sin, not because of desire, but because he does not care what Hashem thinks, he has committed a chillul Hashem. The Rambam further explains that if a person does a mitzvah or stops from doing an aveirah - not because of fear, or for the sake of honor, but because Hashem told him to do so - this is a Kiddush Hashem like Yosef HaTzaddik. Yosef refrained from going with the wife of Potiphar not because of fear or honor, but because Hashem forbade it.

R' Frand next quoted a Gemara in Yoma where a poor person goes to be judged after death and when asked why he did not learn and he responded that he was poor, the Heavenly Court asks - were you more poor than Hillel? A rich person is also judged and when he his asked why he did not learn and he says that he was too rich they ask - were you more wealthy than R' Elazar Ben Charsom? A rasha then comes to be judged and he responds - I could not because I was so attractive. They then ask - were you more handsome than Yosef. The Gemara learns that Hillel is M'Chayev the poor, R' Elazar is M'Chayev the rich and Yosef is M'Chayev the wicked.

R' Frand observed that there is a problem with the Rambam and the Gemara in Yoma. R' Frand quoted the Gemara in Sotah (36b) [which we learned in Daf Yomi this past Tuesday] wherein the Gemara writes that Yosef was about to go along with the wife of Potiphar, but he stopped when he saw the image of his father. So how is Yosef the paradigm of control and the one who reproaches the rishaim if what stopped him was seeing the image of his father?

R' Frand answered that Yosef constantly asked himself - what would my father do? Everywhere that he went, Yosef "saw" his father and used that as a barometer to measure whether he should do an act. When a person lives that way, then seeing the image of his father is not a supernatural event.

R' Frand then asked - but why is Yosef the one chosen by the Gemara and then Rambam to illustrate the point? If the person is being judged, they could respond - "they don't call me ___ HaTzdaddik"! I am not Yosef!

R' Frand answered by quoting the Chidushei Harim who explains that Yosef changed the Jewish people and gave us the ability to fight this yetzer hara. Our DNA was changed and we were given the ability to say no to being with a woman who is not Jewish.

R' Frand also quoted the Brisker Rav who notes that when the wife of Potiphar attempts to seduce Yosef and he comes up with many reasons, before finally saying - and I will sin to Hashem if I do this. The message is that you can come up with many excuses or reasons, but the bottom line for refraining from doing the wrong thing is that it will be a sin to Hashem.

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Sunday Night Suds - New Belgium Long Table Farmhouse Ale


This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at New Belgium's Long Table Farmhouse Ale.

When I brought this beer to the table tonight Mrs KB looked at me questioningly as to what is a farmhouse ale. I told her that it was beer brewed with chicken fat but she knew better than that. In reality, a Farmhouse Ale is a synonym for a Saison.

The Long Table is not long on hops, but then again the saison style is not known for pine, citrus or bite. These beers are fruity with some malt and earthy/yeast tones. 

This brew had a complex flavor profile with some fruit from the yeast and a bit of spice. The beer poured a mild but pale yellow and had about an inch of foam which dissolved into nice lacing on the glass. This is not a one note beer and I found myself enjoying each successive sip. I could see pairing this with spicy fish dishes like the AKF Chicago Spice Tilapia.

New Belgium Long Table Farmhouse Ale is under the Kosher Supervision of the Scroll-K of Colorado. Although the beer does not bear the kosher symbol on the label, the Scroll-K kosher symbol can usually be found on the bottom of the six pack holder (as I bought this is as part of a mix your own six pack, I did not see the holder, but I have found that to be the case with all the NB beers under the Scroll-K).

Please note that not every brew produced by New Belgium is under kosher supervision. For a list of the New Belgium brews currently under supervision, please click on the link on the left side of my home page for my latest Kosher Beer List.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about New Belgium Long Table Farmhouse Ale, please follow this link beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/192/172124. As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.

If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vayishlach

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand. 

In Bereishis (32:5) the Torah recounts Ya'akov's statement to Esav "Im Lavan Garti." Rashi famously explains that Ya'akov was telling Esav that although he lived with Esav, he still kept the 613 commandments ("V'Taryag Mitzvos Shamarti") - using the gematria of Garti and Taryag both being 613- and that he did not learn from Esav's actions.

Many meforshim ask why does it matter to Esav that Ya'akov kept the mitzvos? Why does he care that Ya'akov did things that Esav did not even believe in.

R' Frand answered by quoting the Sefer Ateres Dudaim from R' Zucker who makes reference to the Klei Yakar on the pasuk in Bereishis (27:41)  where Esav plots to attack Ya'akov. The Klei Yakar explains that Esav's statement of waiting until Yitzchak would die was a plot to attack Ya'akov when he was vulnerable. Esav knew that as long as Ya'akov was learning Torah, Esav could not defeat him. But when Ya'akov would be in aveilus for Yitzchak he would not be able to learn Torah and Esav could defeat him.

R' Zucker explains that Ya'akov's message to Esav - I was with Lavan but I kept the mitzvos. This started when I was with my father and I learned Torah day and night. Then when I was in the Yeshiva of Shem & Ever I learned day and night. And Esav - you might think that I did not learn Torah while I was working with the sheep for 22 years, but I did. 

R' Frand then linked the use of the word Shamarti in the Rashi to the pasuk later in Bereishis involving the brothers' hatred of Yosef where the Torah stated in Bereishis (37:11) that Ya'akov "Shamar Es HaDavar." R' Frand explained that the word Shamar means prepared. Here Ya'akov is telling Esav, I was and am prepared because all the time that I was in Lavan's house and I was working with the sheep, I was waiting to go back to learn.

R' Frand tied this into the introduction to the Chachmas Adam. In the introduction he writes that people will say that - you have been working for the last 15 years, how can you write a sefer? But those people should know that I did not work to become rich, I worked to support my family. A person reaches a stage where they need to get a job and leave the Beis Medrash, but if the person longs to go back to learning then he has not left the beis medrash. The person's Torah will stay with them if the person sees the job as necessary, but desires to go back to learn, much in the way that an almanah seeks to remarry.

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Sunday Night Suds - Samuel Adams Pumpkin Batch


This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Samuel Adams Pumpkin Batch - an ale brewed with pumpkin and spices.

After a number of years of marketing a Harvest Pumpkin Ale (reviewed here kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2014/03/sunday-night-suds-samuel-adams-harvest.html), this year the Boston Beer Company has made a change and introduced its Pumpkin Batch Ale.

What makes this beer different than Samuel Adams' previous iteration of pumpkin brews? The label of this beer indicates that Samuel Adams was attempting to achieve a more mellow brew as it identifies the base of the beer as a hazy saison to which they added pumpkin and fall spices. These brews are typical yeasty and fruity and can have a complex flavor profile.

The Pumpkin Batch poured a clear bright orange with some foam to start but the lacing quickly disappeared. The pumpkin flavor was not very strong and the cinnamon and fall spices took over, but even they were not very prominent.

I cannot recommend this beer with Thanksgiving Turkey as the bird would overcome this brew. Perhaps you could pair this with dessert such as pumpkin or pecan pie, but this is not a beer that can stand up to a rich main course.

The Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale is under the Kosher Supervision of the Star-K and has a Star-K certification mark on the label. To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about this brew, please follow this link - beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/35/185705

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver. If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable). 

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vayeitzei

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand. 

In Bereishis 29:25, the Torah discusses Leah's expression of gratitude after Yehuda is born as it states that Leah conceived again and had a son and said this time let me praise Hashem, so she called him Yehuda and then she stopped giving birth/

R' Frand quoted a seemingly odd Perush HaTur who explains the confluence of events in the pasuk as Hashem telling Leah - since you have expressed gratitude for having four sons and did not ask for more children, you will cease having children.

This observation is counter intuitive. Leah is not being greedy, she is expressing thanks that she has been given four children. So why is she being punished?

R' Frand answered by quoting a Rambam which states "Klalo Shel Davar" - a person should cry out for the future while giving thanks for what he has. Thus, the person asks for more beracha while not seeming an ingrate as he thanks Hashem for what he has been given.

R' Frand brought a number of proofs to this concept. First he mentioned that in Modim D'Rabanan we thank Hashem but as the same time we ask for more later in the prayer.

Similarly, in Hallel which is a tefillah of praise, we close the tefillah with the expressions of Ana Hashem Hoshiah Na and Ana Hashem Hatzlicha Na.

Additionally, when a person makes a siyum on learning a mesechta or seder of mishnayos, the person recites the hadran which includes the prayer that Hashem should assist him in learning other tractates.

But why do we need to combine these concepts?

R' Frand answered by quoting a sefer whose name I did not catch, which explains by way of analogy to a lottery winner. A person can win the lottery and say - I have it all. I have my $25 million and I don't need anything else. But that money can disappear in an instant and the person could be left with nothing (as we often read about lottery winners).

A Jew however should not have such a reaction. The Jew recognizes that it all comes from Hashem, but it can also be fleeting. Therefore he recognizes what came from Hashem while still asking for more.

R' Frand closed by observing that the word Modeh has two possible meanings - one meaning is to show thanks but the other is to admit - I recognize that it is all from You, Hashem.

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Sunday Night Suds - Leffe Blonde


This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Leffe Blonde.

I first became aware of Leffe Blonde being kosher when I started to receive KF letters of certification as part of building the semi annual kosher beers list. I was not familiar with the brewery as I tended not to pay attention to the Belgian aisle. This was not being a xenophobe or ignorance, but simply because I could never get good information on which Belgian beers were unflavored.

Recently I had an opportunity to pick up some of the Leffe products including the Leffe Blond.  I put this in the fridge for a little over a week so that I could share it with friends who were visiting us for Shabbos lunch. I opened it after the fish course and poured it into some stemless wine glasses and passed them around. 

The first sniff of the beer gave everyone some pause. I had tried only one other Abbey Ale and that beer was spiced with brown sugar (Blue Moon Winter Moon). But once the beer had a chance to breath and I tried a few sips, I began to enjoy the phenols and clove flavors which to me would be more apt for a hefeweizen. While I would not go out and buy a six pack of this brew, I would want to experiment with pairings (no this was not a good mix with the cholent which followed the fish course).

Leffe Blonde is under the Kosher Supervision of the Kosher Federation (KF), but the bottle I purchased did not have the certification mark on the label. If you would like the LOC from the Va'ad, please let me know and I will email it to you.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about this brew, please follow this link -http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/470/2137.

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver. 

If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable). 

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Toldos

Due to a conflict, I was unable to catch this week's Rabbi Frand parsha vort live. As the recorded version is not yet available as of the time of this writing, I have reposted a prior year's shiur. (Should I receive the vort (and have the time) to write tomorrow, I will attempt to post this year's shiur before Shabbos). Same rules as usual apply,  I have attempted to reproduce this vort to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

The first pasuk of Parshas Toldos contains an apparent redundancy as the parsha begins "V'aleh Toldos Yitzchak ben Avraham, Avraham Holid es Yitzchak" -these are the generations of Yitzchak son of Avraham, Avraham fathered Yitzchak. Many commentators have asked the question why the language is repeated. During tonight's shiur Rabbi Frand explored two answers to the question.

The Ibn Ezra writes that the reason for the second mention is the use of the language of Holid whichnteaches that Avraham raised and taught Yitzchak. He brings a proof from the pasuk by Yosef and his grandchildren of "Vayuldu al Birkei Yosef." This does not mean that they were fathered by or born on Yosef's lap. Rather it is translated that they were taught by Yosef.

Rabbi Frand then mentioned the Sforno who notes that in Lech Lecha, Avraham says to Hashem that he has no children and the "ben mesek" of his house is Eliezer. The Sforno explains that Avraham was saying that he has no son at present to take over his mantle and while he may have a son in the future, it may be too late.

In a similar vein, the Sfas Emes explains that Avraham was concerned that he would be so advanced in age when his son would be born that he would not have the ability to teach his son about who Avraham was. A person wants to teach his child his family customs and lineage and this was Avraham's concern. The Sfas Emes brings a proof from the Gemara in Yoma which explains that Eliezer was called "damesek" because he was mashke Avraham's Torah to the masses. However, Avraham wanted his son to be able to perform this task.

According to the Ibn Ezra, it is for this reason that the Torah writes that Avraham holid es Yitzchak - Avraham got his wish and was able to raise Yitzchak in his customs and tradition.

The second explanation mentioned by R' Frand was Rashi's reference to the "letzanei hador" - the jokers of the generation who wondered aloud whether Avraham was really Yitzchak's father or whether the true father was Avimelech. It was for this reason that the pasuk contains the double language as Hashem made a miracle and Yitzchak was the carbon copy image of Avraham.

Rabbi Frand then asked - why are they called jokers? If a person impugns the lineage of another he is wicked, not merely a joker!

Rabbi Frand answered in the name of R' Pam that this position could not have been seriously believed in Avraham's generation. Previously, Avraham and Sarah had lived together for many years without having children. Then, Avraham has a child with Hagar - obviously he is not the reason they were childless. Therefore those who insinuate that he could not have impregnated Sarah are obviously just jokers.

This presents the question - if they were just jokers who were posing an illogical question, why did they even need to be dignified with a response?

Rabbi Frand answered that it was because in future generations these jokers' positions might be taken seriously and people might seek to revise history and opine that the lineage of the Jews did not continue down through Yitzchak.

Rabbi Frand then mentioned how when Eisenhower was commanding the American troops at the close of WWII he instructed them to take film footage of the concentration camps so that the atrocities of the Holocaust could not later be forgotten. Who could have surmised that sixty years later, people would begin to doubt whether there was a holocaust or whether it was on such a large scale. Even though there are still survivors who tell first hand accounts of the atrocities, there are people who seek to deny the holocaust ever occurred for their own political gain. It is for this prescient reason that Eisenhower ordered that film footage be taken of the camps and why the Spielberg films and the various holocaust memorials are so important to preserving the memory of the six million against the onslaught of the jokers who seek to deny the holocaust even existed.

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Sunday Night Suds - Boulevard Brewery Long Strange Tripel


This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Boulevard Brewery's Long Strange Tripel.

I served this on Friday Night to some friends who had come to learn after dinner. Neither of them were familiar with the Tripel style of beer so I had to explain the principle behind it. Since it has been a while since I reviewed a Tripel (there aren't very many currently under kosher supervision) I have reproduced below the definition by the experts at BA:

The name "Tripel" actually stems from part of the brewing process, in which brewers use up to three times the amount of malt than a standard Trappist "Simple." Traditionally, Tripels are bright yellow to gold in color, which is a shade or two darker than the average Pilsener. Head should be big, dense and creamy. Aroma and flavor runs along complex, spicy phenolic, powdery yeast, fruity/estery with a sweet finish. Sweetness comes from both the pale malts and the higher alcohol. Bitterness is up there for a beer with such a light body for its strength, but at times is barely perceived amongst the even balance of malts and hops. The lighter body comes from the use of Belgian candy sugar (up to 25% sucrose), which not only lightens the body, but also adds complex alcoholic aromas and flavors. Small amounts of spices are sometimes added as well. 
Tripels are actually notoriously alcoholic, yet the best crafted ones hide this character quite evil-like and deceivingly, making them sipping beers.

The Long Strange Tripel had the enhanced alcohol content (9.2% abv). Our friend Shlomo P thought that the brew was excessively bitter and he lamented the lack of citrus, but I did not completely agree. The beer did not have pronounced hops, but it was hardly bitter. I found the beer to be quite fruity with strong flavors emanating from the yeast and malt.

I would not recommend this beer as an accompaniment to a meal as this brew is more of a sipping beer to be enjoyed after a meal.

Boulevard Long Strange Tripel is under the Kosher Supervision of the Va'ad of Kansas City, but the bottle I purchased did not have the certification mark on the label. If you would like the LOC from the Va'ad, please let me know and I will email it to you.

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about this brew, please follow this link -http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/423/39754.

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.

If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Chaye Sarah

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand. 

In Bereishis 24:1 the Torah writes that Hashem had blessed Avraham - Bakol. The simple translation of this word is "with everything", however Rashi does not give a simple translation. Instead Rashi writes that Bakol in gematria is the word ben as each word is 52. 

R' Frand noted that Rashi typically gives the simple explanation and that in this case, the simple explanation would be the one given by the Radak, who states that Avraham had everything that he needed and the only thing he needed to do was find a wife for Yitzchak. So why did Rashi take this other route?

R' Frand answered in the name of the Tolner Rebbi who explained that Rashi was actually coming to answer an entirely different question. Rashi was addressing the question - how can it be that Avraham was blessed with everything?

After learning the last few parshios it is clear that Avraham had a hard life. He was thrown in the furnace in Ur Kasdim, he traveled to Canaan and then his wife Sarah was kidnapped twice. He stayed with Sarah for many years when they could not have children and it must have been a real stress on the marriage. He is given Hagar, who soon thereafter begins to treat Sarah poorly. He has Yishmael and then sends him away. He finally has Yitzchak and has the test of the Akeidah, followed immediately thereafter by coming home to find Sarah dead. And then he has to negotiate with Ephron to buy land that Hashem promised to him in the first place.

So with all of these troubles, how can Avraham have everything? This is the question that Rashi is answering - he had everything because he had a son and he was grateful for having that. 

R' Frand noted that even before Yitzchak came into the picture, Avraham was thanking Hashem for having Yishmael as he said in Bereishis 17:18 - Lu Yishmael Yichyeh Lifanecha. Avraham was genuinely happy with just having Yishmael.

R' Frand next quoted a Medrash to emphasize Avraham's level of Hakaras Hatov as the Medrash takes the pasuk from Tehillim - Kol HaNishamah T'Hallel Kah and learns it as meaning - on each and every breath (Nisheema) a person should thank Hashem.

R' Frand asked - other than someone with asthma, does anyone thank Hashem for breathing? We say various berachos in the morning for being able to see or stand up, but do people really recognize that Hashem gave us the ability to do these tasks?

R' Frand closed the vort by quoting to the pasuk about Avraham's death where the Torah writes in Bereishis 25:8 that Avraham died Saveah - content. The pasuk does not write that he died as a ba'al chessed - rather that he was content. Because this was Avraham - he did not expect anything nor did he feel entitled. He was simply happy with what he had.

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Monday, November 2, 2015

Monday's Musings on Sports - The Epilogue to a Season and an Inspirational Story

Just like the rest of the world, I did not see this coming. I would guess that even the most optimistic Mets fan would not have predicted that they would have gone to the World Series this year. The playoffs - a possibility. Maybe they would make the wildcard play-in game. But the World Series was never a thought.

The season started like many Mets seasons, a mixture of promise and frustrating defeats. The team's outfield in June was comprised of power hitters who could not find their stroke and minor leaguers who may never find one. The pitching staff still included Dillon Gee, who I watched give up eight runs in less than three innings, but still not take the loss because the Mets would improbably score ten runs of their own. Maybe that should have been a hint that the season would have some promise, but I missed it at the time.

Then came the end of July and the infamous non-trade of Wilmer Flores for my post on the saga, click here http://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2015/08/mondays-musings-on-sports-sense.html). This was followed with the acquisition of Yoenis Cespedes and shortly thereafter, Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson. And for some reason the Mets power hitters who had not been hitting came alive when these players showed up. Meanwhile the Nationals got cold and could not buy a win. By mid-September the Mets were being lauded as the class of the National League. But still, the World Series seemed to be at least a year away.

I am not going to recount the playoffs so as not to torture Mrs KB and her family (its just not fair to point out that the Cubbies haven't won since before her grandfather was born), but suddenly the Mets WERE IN THE WORLD SERIES. It was a strange reality for a team unlike my beloved Rangers who I always see as possible Stanley Cup finalists and my Jets who may never win a Super Bowl in my lifetime.

Much has been made of the fielding errors and the lack of timely hitting, or more appropriately the Royals timely hitting. But since the last cut is the cruelest (sounds like a lyric from a 1980s song), I would like to spend a moment on the managing error which doomed the Mets in Game 5. Matt Harvey (aka the Dark Knight), one year removed from Tommy John surgery and one month removed from the controversy surrounding his innings limit, was on the mound. At times he was dominant and at times he appeared shaky. He carried the team on his back for eight innings, while the bats were mostly dormant. So when the manager told him that the closer was coming in to pitch the 9th, he did not want to give up the ball. Manager Terry Collins could not argue with him and let him start the 9th. The rest is history as he allowed a walk and a double and then once Familia entered the game he was undone by poor fielding which allowed the tying run to score.

Can one be too loyal to his players? Of course. But there is also an expression in sports - you dance with the one who brung you. And so Terry Collins stayed with Harvey for a few too many batters. But that was hardly the sole cause for the Royals win. And who is to say that a series of fielding errors would not have doomed Familia to another blown save anyway? It was really just a question of how and not when.

I heard a great story in Rabbi Frand's Thursday Night shiur which I would like to tie to the end of the post. I can't say that it is directly connected, but maybe it will give some comfort to those who have seen their recent World Series dreams crushed.

R' Frand related that a charity collector came from Israel to a Toronto synagogue. He was greeted by a man who asked if he could host him for breakfast.  After he agreed and came for breakfast, the host said to him - please stay over this evening. The collector declined, saying that he needed to be in a different city the following day. The host pressed him - stay and I will write you a check for more than you will collect there. The collector agreed and true to his word, the host wrote him a nice check.

A number of months later the host called the collector and told him - I get a Mazal Tov! The host and his wife had just had a baby boy and he wanted the collector to come for the bris. But there was more, they wanted him to be the sandak. The collector resisted, but they offered to fly him in from Israel and he finally agreed.

After the bris the collector was approached by the host who explained the reason for the events. The host and his wife had been trying unsuccessfully for years to have a child. They finally went to R' Paam ztl for advice and he said that there is a segulah to have a child if the family performed true hachnasas orchim (welcoming in guests) on the night that the wife was going to mikvah. The day that the collector was in shul was the morning before the wife was scheduled to go and the host was desperate for a guest. When he saw the collector he knew that the opportunity was there and he took it. Where did R' Paam learn this? From Avraham who despite being weak from the bris took it upon himself to properly host the angels who did not even need to be hosted. And one year later, in the zechus of giving them water (recorded in the annual prayer for rain on Shemini Atzeres) he had Yitzchak. All in the right time and all based on His plan.

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Sunday Night Suds - Lakefront Extended Play Session IPA


This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at Lakefront Brewery's Extended Play Session IPA.

On the night that my Mets extend their season for possibly the last time, it was only fitting that I review a beer which calls itself "Extended Play." Why did they call the beer "Extended Play"? Because they made this beer as a session style which means slightly reduced alcohol content so that the drinker can have a few without causing excessive inebriation.

But is that necessarily a good thing? I don't use the Sunday Night Suds post to preach, but you do have to wonder about a beer that is intended to be consumed in mass quantities. I can recall a beer advertisement on the radio when I was growing up for Schaeffer Beer. When I was younger the ad copy was "Schaeffer is the one beer to have when you're having more than one." But a number of years later the ad copy was changed to "when you're out to have some fun." Yes, adults can consume alcohol responsibly and many use a designated driver, but it still leads me to question why you need to create a beer for the expressed purpose of consuming large quantities, but I digress.

The beer poured a rich orange and had significant carbonation which is a hallmark of Lakefront. The first sip was biting citrus, but somewhat smoother than a true IPA (or even an American Pale Ale). Successive sips yielded more citrus, but not as much pine as I would have expected. 

This would be a nice beer to have with spicy chicken dishes or Chinese food. There is enough body and character to stand up to the food and the bite from the hops would meld well with the spice in the dishes.

Lakefront Extended Play Session IPA is under the kosher supervision of the Star-K (there is even a Star-K on the label). For the experts' take on the brew, please click here http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/741/119188.

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver. If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vayeira

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand. 

In this week's parsha we read about Avraham Avinu's act of Hachnasas Orchim in bringing the angels in and providing for them. Although this is the character trait that Avraham was known for, this story is the only time in the Torah that we see Avraham do chesed. R' Frand remarked that it is ironic that this is the chesed story, since it was wholly unnecessary, given that the angels did not need the chesed.

R' Frand next mentioned the Gemara in Bava Metzia which recounts how that day Hashem made the sun very strong so that no one would be wandering in and bothering Avraham. Of course, this was upsetting to Avraham and he sent Eliezer put to look for guests. Eliezer returns and tells Avraham - there is no one around. Avraham then responds - I don't believe you. Again, R' Frand observed that it was very odd that Avraham said that he did not believe Eliezer, since Avraham trusted Eliezer to be the steward of his house and he even sent Eliezer out to find a bride for Yitzchak.

R' Frand answered in the name of the Rosh Yeshiva of the Mesivta of Long Beach that there are two kinds of chesed. One kind of chesed is taking care of people who need help, where in so doing you fulfill someone's obvious needs. But there is a second kind of chesed - which is done because the person doing the chesed needs to do chesed. Hashem created the world because He needed to do chesed.

R' Frand connected this with the line in Shemoneh Esreh which states that Hashem gave us Ahavas Chesed - He gave us the trait of loving and needing to do chesed, even if no one needs it.

This trait of needing to do chesed is unique to Jews and it was for this reason that Avraham did not trust Eliezer. Avraham figured that Eliezer went out to look for guests and came back with none, but that he did not look very hard because he did not have a real need to do chesed. Avraham trusted him about everything else, but he needed to do chesed and could not just rely on Eliezer.

This is also why this story serves as an illustration of Avraham's act of chesed. The angels did not need the chesed, Avraham needed to do the chesed.

[Earlier in the shiur, R' Frand also told an incredible story about Hachnasas Orchim which I will iyh blog in the next few days].

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Sunday's Substitute for Suds

Yes, one of the main functions of this blog is to report on beer under kosher supervision, since it is the perfect pairing for so many things...but not when you have a stomach flu as I unfortunately am experiencing. So while this week's Sunday Night Suds will be deferred to Monday (iyh), I would like to spend a few moments on some thoughts which occurred to me about Parshas Lech Lecha.

In Bereishis chapter 16, the Torah discusses the interplay between Sarah and Hagar, wherein Sarah gives Hagar to Avraham so that he could have children. The Torah writes that after Sarah gave Hagar to Avraham, Hagar immediately became pregnant and at the same time changed her attitude towards Sarah as Sarah was lowered in Hagar's eyes (16:4).

Rashi fills in some color to the story and explains that Hagar had said that Sarah is not righteous and must not be the same on the inside as she appears to be on the outside. She based this opinion on the fact that Sarah was never able to become pregnant and she (Hagar) had become pregnant soon after she was given to Avraham.

Reading this Rashi made me think about the current situation in Israel. During the period of 1948 to 1967, the Old City of Jerusalem was controlled by Jordan, which destroyed all the synagogues in the Old City and barred all Jews from even entering East Jerusalem. I can recall my parents telling me about visiting the Western part of Jerusalem in the early 1960s and being told not to point to the Old City, as the Jordanian snipers might think that the hand was a rifle and they would then open fire.

After Israel conquered the Old City from Jordan, the Israelis did not do unto the Arabs what had been done unto the Jews. Rather than close the mosque complex, Israel allowed Jordan and the Waqf to control the Temple Mount area. Jews were limited to certain points of entry if they wanted to visit the Temple Mount and they were even restricted as to times of visit. Most important to the Arabs, the Jews were also prohibited from praying on Har Habayis - even though there is no holier site for a Jew (and the word Jerusalem does not even appear in the Quran).

But notwithstanding Israel's ceding of control to Jordan and allowing the Arabs access despite Jordan's prior restrictions on Jews, the Arabs have repaid this kindness with venom, hatred and bold faced lies as to the "status quo" of the area. 

For the last few weeks, the news has been filled with stories of "lone wolf" attacks wherein people who were not known to have prior terror ties would use cars to run down pedestrians or knives to attack random Jews. Why? Because the Arab leaders had lied to them and told them that Israel was looking to close the Temple Mount to Arabs and/or was going to allow Jews to pray there.

Thus what was old is now new once again. Much like Sarah took the audacious step of giving her heart away by endorsing the union of her maidservant Hagar with Avraham, the Jews had allowed the Jordanian Waqf to control the Jews' most important and holiest place on Earth. And much like Sarah, what have the Jews received in response from Hagar's descendants? Pain, ridicule and scorn in which the current occupants of the Temple Mount make the Jews appear evil when this could not be further from the truth.

But there is brightness emanating from the story of Avraham and Sarah which can serve to give us hope, even in the current dark times. The Targum Yerushalmi  relates a conversation between Avraham and Sarah which is also not mentioned explicitly in the pesukim. The Yerushalmi explains that Sarah says to Avraham - I have endured so much - I too left my parents and traveled to here, I was taken captive by Pharaoh and Avimelech and each time pretended to be your sister. Now, Hagar has insulted me and made me appear to be a fraud because I could not have children. But this is the reason why I will have children. Hashem will have to judge us now and because I have silently suffered these indignities and embarrassment, Hashem will have to grant me a child.

We can only hope that our dream of a rebuilt Beis Hamikdash will come more quickly, based on the humiliation being visited upon Israel by those who are currently occupying the Temple Mount.

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Lech Lecha

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand. 

In Bereishis 15, Hashem and Avraham have a dialogue wherein Avraham seeks reassurance that he will have children who will inherit the land. In Bereishis 15:5, the Torah recites that Hashem took Avraham outside and told him to attempt to count the stars. Towards the end of the pasuk, the Torah writes "Vayomer Lo, Koh Yihiyeh Zarecha."

R' Frand quoted R' Meir Shapiro who asked why did the Torah need to say "Vayomer Lo" (and He said to him)? It was obvious that Avraham and Hashem were in the middle of a conversation, so why did the Torah need to announce that Hashem spoke to Avraham?

R' Shapiro answered that there was more to the story, as there was actually a gap of time. When Hashem told Avraham to go out and count the stars, Avraham actually went out and started counting, even thought the task would have been impossible to properly complete. When the Torah writes that Hashem said to Avraham like this will be your children, Hashem was telling Avraham - you will have children like this - children who will see tasks and recognize that they are incredibly difficult, but they will not shy away from them.

R' Frand illustrated this point by identifying Rabbanim who came to America post WWII and started yeshivos such as R' Mottel Katz who started Telshe where the initial set of boys came out of public school. Or R' Aharon Kotler who came to Lakewood where the boys did not have much background. He included a story about the beginning of Ner Israel where the Rosh Yeshiva ztl envisioned building a dormitory when there were only eight boys in the school. Similarly the Ponovicher Rav saw where he wanted to build a Yeshiva in Israel and was told that he was dreaming and he responded - I may be dreaming, but I am not sleeping.

This was the power of Avraham - to take on what seemed like daunting tasks and not consider that they were too tough to tackle. Seeing this, Hashem explicitly says to Avraham - your children will have this trait as well.

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Sunday, October 18, 2015

Sunday Night Suds - Lakefront Brewery Tom Citra Hopped IPA


This week's Sunday Night Suds looks at one of the Lakefront Brewery's My Turn Series - Tom Citra-Hopped IPA.

Picked up this beer while I was in Chicago for the first days of the Sukkos holiday. I could not possibly have reviewed this beer next week when my Jets will play their arch nemesis Patriots, so I picked this beer to review in the week of Erev Brady.

The Citra Hopped IPA is bursting with hops and easily one of the best new IPA's I have tried this year. The beer pours a burnished copper color and is significantly darker than most IPAs. The beer is also a bit cloudy, which is atypical of this style.

At 6%  abv, the beer is about average for an American IPA, but the taste is anything but average. The first sip is grapefruit and the citrus piles on from there. It is not a one note brew and the grapefruit leads to pine and even a little bit vanilla.

I would pair this beer with charred chicken, maybe even with a little bit of grilled fruit (peaches or mangoes). 

Lakefront Tom Citra-Hopped IPA is under the kosher supervision of the Star-K (there is even a Star-K on the label). For the experts' take on the brew, please click here http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/741/167139.

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver. If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Noach

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand. 

In Bereishis 7:4, Hashem tells Noach that in seven more days He will send the rains and flood the Earth. In the following pasuk, the Torah writes that Noach did according to what Hashem asked him to do.

R' Frand observed that the obvious interpretation of the pasuk would be that Noach built the ark. However, Rashi explains that it means that Noach came to the ark. This interpretation is troubling and the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh asks - why would we need a pasuk to hint that Noach came to the ark? It is explicitly stated in 7:7 that Noach came to the ark with his family (wife, sons, their wives). The Maharal and Ibn Ezra explain that Rashi means that Noach came up to, but did not enter the ark.

R' Frand then digressed to discuss a point made by the Tollner Rebbi who was quoting the Radumsker Rebbi in the sefer R' Tiferes Shlomo. He noted that the Medrash has two recitations of people asking Shem why he and his family were saved from the flood. In one instance, Shem tells Avraham that he does not know why, but that the entire year they were on the ark they worked night and day to feed the animals. A second recounting involves a conversation between Eliezer and Shem where Shem tells Eliezer that the work was excessively difficult because some animals ate only by day while others were nocturnal.

The lesson taught by Shem is that they were saved because they were merachem - showed mercy to the animals. When a person acts in a merciful way, he influences Hashem to be merciful to him. By spending (literally) day and night caring for the animals, the occupants of the ark gave Hashem a reason to be merciful to them.

R' Frand next quoted a famous ma'amar chazal that when Hashem releases the mashchis - the angel of death - the angel does not differentiate between the tzaddik and the rasha. He connected this with a quotation [which I unfortunately did not get the source of] which asked why did the people die in the flood and was answered - because they stole from one and other. But this is contrary to the plain meaning of the pesukim that they were killed because they engaged in immoral relations and even influenced the animals to do the same. So why does it say that the flood came because of the thefts?

R' Frand answered that if the people had only engaged in immoral relations, Hashem might have not destroyed the world in one shot, or even might have punished in a less severe manner. However, because the people did not show respect towards each other and their belongings, Hashem did not need to alter or delay His plan. Since no one was merciful to his neighbor, Hashem had no reason to be merciful either.

R' Frand then tied this back to the Rashi which stated that Noach went up to the ark.. In so doing, Noach indicated that he was separating himself from the people of his generation who were not merciful or considerate of others. Once he began to show mercy towards the animals, he gave a reason to be saved from the mashchis.

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Sunday Night Suds - Blue Moon Chai Spiced Ale



This week's Sunday Night Suds returns from an extended Yom Tov break with a review of the Blue Moon Chai Spiced Ale.

This brew was introduced in the Fall 2015 Brewmasters Sampler Box so it was only fitting that we sampled this beer over Shemini Atzeres/Simchas Torah which fall as the last days of Sukkos.

More than one person who smelled this beer at our YT table commented that the beer "smells like the entrance to a Michael's (arts & crafts store). The website explains that the beer is flavored with "a blend of chai spices like cardamom, cloves, ginger, and cinnamon" so I guess there is something to the comment.

The beer did not taste like a flavored pine cone, but to quote Mrs KB - chai belongs in tea or latte, not beer. Any hops in this ale were swallowed whole by the cinnamon and spice. There was decent carbonation to the beer, but looking past the spices, the beer was watery and lacked body.

Blue Moon Chai Spiced Ale is certified kosher by the Orthodox Union, as is every other current variety of beer produced by Blue Moon. For the experts take on the Blue Moon Chai Spiced Ale, please click here beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/306/183587.

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.

If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com/ to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Bereishis

Although I would normally blog on the R' Frand shiur from this evening, there was a problem with the broadcast of the R' Frand shiur this evening on TCN. Rather than leaving the blog without a vort for shabbos, I am attempting to repeat a vort heard from R' Eli Mansour as recorded on www.learntorah.com. Same rules as usual apply - I have attempted to reproduce the vort to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to the maggid shiur.

R' Mansour quoted Rashi who explains that Bereishis actually joins together two concepts - because of the reishis (first) the world was created - because of the Jews and the Torah, each of which was called reishis - the world was created.

R' Mansour then explained that based on this concept, the creation does not end until 2448 years later when the Torah was given. R' Mansour tied this to the use of the heh hayidiah - the heh which marks the definitive article in the sixth day of creation. Each of the days of creation are referred to as Yom __ with a referral to the day of creation. However by the sixth day it states HaShishi. Rashi explains that this refers to the day the Torah was given - the sixth day of Sivan. Furthermore the use of the letter heh symbolizes 5 - the five books of the Torah.

R' Mansour expanded on this vort and explained that the world can only exist because someone is learning Torah. He quoted the Zohar which states that the reason that there are time zones is to ensure that somewhere at all times a person can learn Torah.

R' Mansour linked this to the Medrash which states that when the Jews accepted the Torah, Hashem had held Mt Sinai over their heads and told them that if they did not accept the Torah, Hashem would drop the mountain on them. He explained based on the Zohar that Hashem was not just threatening the end of them, He was stating that the whole world would be destroyed.

R' Mansour analogizes this to a patient. If the doctor comes to the patient and says that the patient needs oxygen the patient should not really be given the choice of whether or not to take the oxygen. The doctor knows that the patient needs oxygen and its not the patient's choice to accept or refuse it.

But the question needs to be asked - if the world cannot exist without the Torah, how could 2448 years elapsed without the learning of the Torah? R' Mansour answered that the world was running on back up power - Hashem was temporarily powering the world until the Torah was accepted.

However this gives rise to another question - since Torah is so important to the world, why did Hashem wait 2448 years instead of just giving it to Adam at creation? R' Mansour answered that before the Torah could be given there was a need for an infrastructure. The Jews needed the traits learned from Avraham of chessed and kindness, from Yitzchak the concept of sacrifice, from Yaakov the ability to study... Once Hashem had built the nation of Israel and prepared it to receive the Torah, only then could the Torah be given.

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!