Search results for: ""Chalak""

Kashrut: Dairy: Chalav Yisrael

Chalav Yisrael is milk or milk products for which the milking was supervised by a religious Jew. Chalav Yisrael applies to milk, cream, and milk solids/dried milk. The only milk derivatives that are not subject to restrictions of chalav Yisrael are whey and cheese. But they must still be kosher.

Note Cooking kosher, non-chalav Yisrael dairy foods does not render the utensil non-kosher, even for someone who only eats chalav Yisrael.


 
Kashrut: Dairy: Common Milk (Chalav Stam)
For milk to be kosher, it must come from a kosher animal. You may use common milk (milk sold in conventional food stores without any kosher supervision) in the US.
Reason The US government enforces laws that permit only cow's milk to be sold as common milk.
Note If a country does not have such laws or does not strictly enforce them, you may not rely on that leniency and may only use milk supervised by Jews (chalav Yisrael).
Note Some people drink only chalav Yisrael milk even in the US.
Erasing God's Name: Physical Media
You may not erase a name of God that is written in chalk or other concrete but non-permanent substance (and certainly not if written in a permanent substance).
However, you can ask a non-Jew to erase it using a non-conventional method (shinu'i); for example, he may pour water above the name so that when the water runs across the letters, they will be dissolved.
 
Kashrut: Cheese: Jew at Time of Rennet
Cheese/Gvinas Akum
 
Gvinas akum is cheese which has been made by non-Jews and by rabbinical prohibition is only kosher if a Jew was present during the cheese making OR if a Jew put the rennet into the milk.
Note If a Jew owns the milk before processing, a non-Jew can add kosher rennet as long as it can be confirmed that the rennet is kosher, even if no Jew is present during the cheese making.
 
Origin of the Problem: Chazal were concerned that the rennet used to make cheese might be from a non-kosher animal or even from a kosher animal that had not been slaughtered properly. Shulchan aruch says that even cheese curdled by kosher plant enzymes (such as fig branch sap or substances from certain thistle plants) are subject to the takana.
Note Gvinas Akum is not related to chalav yisrael; they are separate halachot.

Note Even rennet-less cheeses need hashgacha (religious supervision), but some non-hard cheeses may be an exception. Ask a rabbi.
Hidur Mitzva/Mehadrin
Almost all mitzvot may be enhanced by:
  • Making them beautiful (hidur mitzva), or
  • Observing non-required stringencies (mehadrin).
Hidur Mitzva
Examples
  • Women baking challa for Shabbat and Jewish festivals (and separating challa as a remembrance of the challa that was given to the priests/cohanim in the Temple).
  • Wearing especially nice clothes and eating special foods on Shabbat and Jewish festivals.
  • Using beautiful fragrances, tastes, textures, colors, and artistry in serving God.
Beautiful
Examples
  • Shabbat/Jewish festival table (set with beautiful challa cover, silver, kiddush cups).
  • Havdala set and pleasant-smelling spices for havdala.
  • Sukka and putting your finest things in it.
  • Etrog/etrog case.
  • Shofar.
  • Seder plate, matza holder, and matza cover.
  • Illuminated hagadas (hagadot) and megilas (megilot).
  • Chanuka candle-holder (menora, chanukiya).
  • Torah scroll written with a fine pen and beautiful script and wrapped in beautiful silks.
  • Mezuza covers.
  • Ketuba.
  • Wimple (to wrap baby in prior to brit mila; then donated to hold the two parts of the Torah together).
  • Elijah's Chair/Kisei Eliyahu.
  • Synagogues.
  • Chuppa.
Mehadrin
Examples
  • Chalav Yisrael--When consuming milk and milk products, eating or drinking only those items whose production was supervised by religious Jews;
  • Pat Yisrael—When eating bread, only eating bread baked by Jews (not necessarily by religious Jews);
  • Glatt meat—When eating meat, eating only meat that had no lesions on the animal's lungs;
  • Lighting more than one Chanuka candle each night (beginning on the 2nd night) and having more than one person in each house light their own candles.