Search Results for “giddin”

Tefillin & Torah Giddin: The Hidden Kashrut Scandal

August 14, 2009 1:00 am 3 Comments

In recent years massive amounts of non-kosher and bidievad-kosher giddin, the special thread used to sew tefillin, sifrei Torah, Nach and megillot have appeared in the STa”M marketplace. This giddin is sold to unsuspecting sofrim and then passed on to the kosher consumer. The problematic giddin is of 2 types. Giddin made from gid, sinews, taken from pigs, horses, camels and other tamei animals or made by non-Jews is pasul and pasuls the STa”M items in which it is used. Giddin processed by machine and thus not made lishmah lowers the kashrut level of divrei STa”M to being only kosher bidieved. Information about this scandal has been very slow in becoming public knowledge. This is despite the fact that the Jerusalem Badatz, the Vaad HaRabonim L’inyanei STa”M, Rav Mordechai Friedlander, Rav of Mishmeres STa”M of Jerusalem and Rav Shamai K’hat HaCohen Gross, Rav of Mishmeret Hakodesh have all issued strong warnings in the past to the public about it. Tefillin having only a general kashrut certificate are suspect as to the giddin used in them. They should be checked by a certified STa”M examiner and re-sewn with giddin having a hechsher. How has this scam come about? Because few people are familiar with the complex laws of giddin, retzuot and tefillin batim. Most sellers of STa”M are not sofrim. Also, most sofrim only learn how to write STa”M without studying these additional halachot. Even many rabbis are unfamiliar with these halachot unless they have undertaken special study. Due to the growth in size of the world-wide Jewish community and the attendant growth in the amount of divrei STa”M being produced, the making of giddin has become an industry on the order of magnitude of hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. Giddin without a hechsher is sold at a very low price at great profit to the illicit manufacturers. Those involved either are ignorant of the halachic requirements for kosher giddin or are knowingly ignoring these requirements for financial gain. The amount of giddin used in a single pair of tefillin or even in a complete Torah scroll is very small. Thus, demanding kosher, mehudar giddin adds only minimally to the price. Just as with what we eat, tefillin, sifrei Torah, Nach and megillot need to have kashrut certification that includes supervision of the giddin used. The buyer must know who gives the kashrut certification and what is covered by the certificate. If it is not clear what the certification covers a Rabbi should be consulted before making the purchase. For further halachic references and a list of the hiddurim present in mehudar giddin, see this letter from Rav Shamai K’hat HaCohen Gross , Rav of Mishmeret Hakodesh for Sta”M, and this letter from the Jerusalem Badatz . Additional Background Information: How Giddin is Made Giddin is thread made from the gid, sinew, of a kosher animal. The Shulchan Aruch, basing itself on halacha l’Moshe miSinai, specifies that giddin is the only thread that is kosher for sewing tefillin, Torah scrolls and megillot. The halachot of giddin detail which animals can be used as source material and how the giddin is to be made. Production of kosher giddin is both physically demanding and time consuming. It is almost an art form. Until very recently the skills involved, which can take years

Vacation Spot Restaurants and Unsung Heroes

January 24, 2023 4:00 am 9 Comments

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com As of this writing, there are thousands of frum yidden in Miami, in Orlando, and in Boca Raton. Many of them are eating out in fleishig restaurants. There are over thirty kosher restaurants in Panama where frum people are eating and there is even the Ember restaurant in Cancun. The Shochtimm however, are the unsung heroes of Klal Yisroel that make it happen. They work hard, all day, to ensure that the Jewish nation will not stumble. They ensure that the Jewish nation has sustenance. They ensure that we grow – and continue to strictly follow our yerushah – our heritage – our birthright of Sinai. And perhaps we do not appreciate what it is that they do. They are the shochtim that ensure the top-quality kashrus of our meats, and of our chickens. They work hard and they leave their families – for us. Let’s take a look. But before we do so, we should consider the following thoughts: Let’s recall the gas lines of Hurricane Sandy – when the supply did not meet the demand of gasoline. Let’s recall the fate of ancestors and relatives in Poland. One of my Rebbeim, Rav Dovid Kviat zt”l, told me that in his home town in Poland, Bar Mitzvah celebrations were devoid of food. Only the gvirim, the wealthy, could afford to give out kichel at their son’s Bar Mitzvah. THEY ENSURE THE MEAT SUPPLY The Shochtim of Klal Yisroel ensure, on a regular basis, that there is enough of a meat supply – so that we can properly honor the Shabbos – so that we can properly honor the Yomim Tovim, and so that we can have a hot cholent at a kiddush. They make sure that people enjoy the food at our chasunos, at our bar Mitzvah celebrations, and at our Yeshiva dinners. Many of them start their shift at 4:00 AM. That is correct – 4:00 AM. EMULATING HASHEM The Gemorah in Shabbos (133b) tells us that we must emulate Hashem. Mah Hu Rachum, af attah Rachum. Just as He is merciful and kind, so too must you be merciful and kind. Rav Yitzchok Blahzer zt”l explained that Rav Yisroel Salanter zt”l would apply this admonition across the board. Hashem brought the Slav, the quail, to Klal Yisroel in the Midbar to feed a hungry nation. The Shochtim do the same. PERSONAL SACRIFICE They do so at great personal sacrifice. They leave their wives, their children, their entire families – and travel hundreds of miles to the shlochthaus. Some live in a dormitory. Some live in off-factory housing. There they stay all week long – performing the same tedious and repetitious work. Others commute daily – travelling hundreds of miles each day. They must all be very alert and careful. Every thirty days they re-study the Sefer entitled, “Simla Chadasha” written by Rav Alechsander Sender Schorr zt”l (1673-1737). It is one of the only Seforim that has replaced the Shulchan Aruch as the most authoritative work on its subject matter – in both Ashkenazic and Chassidishe circles. It must be carefully reviewed because the Shulchan Aruch states (YD 23:1): “Any shochet who does not know the laws of shechita – one may not eat of his slaughter.” They are also subjected to

Years Of Research Laid Groundwork For Speedy COVID-19 Shots

December 7, 2020 8:00 pm 4 Comments

How could scientists race out COVID-19 vaccines so fast without cutting corners? A head start helped — over a decade of behind-the-scenes research that had new vaccine technology poised for a challenge just as the coronavirus erupted. “The speed is a reflection of years of work that went before,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, told The Associated Press. “That’s what the public has to understand.” Creating vaccines and having results from rigorous studies less than a year after the world discovered a never-before-seen disease is incredible, cutting years off normal development. But the two U.S. frontrunners are made in a way that promises speedier development may become the norm — especially if they prove to work long-term as well as early testing suggests. “Abject giddiness,” is how Dr. C. Buddy Creech, a Vanderbilt University vaccine expert, described scientists’ reactions when separate studies showed the two candidates were about 95% effective. “I think we enter into a golden age of vaccinology by having these types of new technologies,” Creech said at a briefing of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Both shots — one made by Pfizer and BioNTech, the other by Moderna and the National Institutes of Health — are so-called messenger RNA, or mRNA, vaccines, a brand-new technology. U.S. regulators are set to decide this month whether to allow emergency use, paving the way for rationed shots that will start with health workers and nursing home residents. Billions in company and government funding certainly sped up vaccine development — and the unfortunately huge number of infections meant scientists didn’t have to wait long to learn the shots appeared to be working. But long before COVID-19 was on the radar, the groundwork was laid in large part by two different streams of research, one at the NIH and the other at the University of Pennsylvania — and because scientists had learned a bit about other coronaviruses from prior SARS and MERS outbreaks. “When the pandemic started, we were on a strong footing both in terms of the science” and experience handling mRNA, said Dr. Tal Zaks, chief medical officer of Massachusetts-based Moderna. Traditionally, making vaccines required growing viruses or pieces of viruses — often in giant vats of cells or, like most flu shots, in chicken eggs — and then purifying them before next steps in brewing shots. The mRNA approach is radically different. It starts with a snippet of genetic code that carries instructions for making proteins. Pick the right virus protein to target, and the body turns into a mini vaccine factory. “Instead of growing up a virus in a 50,000-liter drum and inactivating it, we could deliver RNA and our bodies make the protein, which starts the immune response,” said Penn’s Dr. Drew Weissman. Fifteen years ago, Weissman’s lab was trying to harness mRNA to make a variety of drugs and vaccines. But researchers found simply injecting the genetic code into animals caused harmful inflammation. Weissman and a Penn colleague now at BioNTech, Katalin Kariko, figured out a tiny modification to a building block of lab-grown RNA that let it slip undetected past inflammation-triggering sentinels. “They could essentially make a stealth RNA,” said Pfizer chief scientific officer Dr. Philip Dormitzer. Other researchers added a fat coating, called lipid nanoparticles, that helped stealth RNA

Meat At Last – And the Unsung Heroes Behind It

July 31, 2020 6:54 am 2 Comments

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com They are the unsung heroes of Klal Yisroel. They work hard, all day, to ensure that the Jewish nation will not stumble. They ensure that the Jewish nation has sustenance. They ensure that we grow – and continue to strictly follow our yerushah – our heritage – our birthright of Sinai. And perhaps we do not appreciate what it is that they do. They are the shochtim that ensure the top-quality kashrus of our meats, and of our chickens. The Nine Days are over, and we are now about to partake in meat. But before we do so, we should consider the following thoughts: Let’s recall the gas lines of Hurricane Sandy – when the supply did not meet the demand of gasoline. Let’s recall the fate of ancestors and relatives in Poland. One of my Rebbeim, Rav Dovid Kviat zt”l, told me that in his home town in Poland, only the gvirim, the wealthy, could afford to give out kichel at their son’s Bar Mitzvah. THEY ENSURE THE MEAT SUPPLY The Shochtim of Klal Yisroel ensure, on a regular basis, that there is enough of a meat supply – so that we can properly honor the Shabbos – so that we can properly honor the Yomim Tovim, and so that we can have a hot cholent at a kiddush. They make sure that people enjoy the food at our chasunos, at our bar Mitzvah celebrations, and at our Yeshiva dinners. Many of them start their shift at 4:00 AM. That is correct – 4:00 AM. EMULATING HASHEM The Gemorah in Shabbos (133b) tells us that we must emulate Hashem. Mah Hu Rachum, af attah Rachum. Just as He is merciful and kind, so too must you be merciful and kind. Rav Yitzchok Blahzer zt”l explained that Rav Yisroel Salanter zt”l would apply this admonition across the board. Hashem brought the Slav, the quail, to Klal Yisroel in the Midbar to feed a hungry nation. The Shochtim do the same. PERSONAL SACRIFICE They do so at great personal sacrifice. They leave their wives, their children, their entire families – and travel hundreds of miles to the shlochthaus. Some live in a dormitory. Some live in off-factory housing. There they stay all week long – performing the same tedious repetition work. Others commute daily – travelling hundreds of miles each day. They must all be very alert and careful. Every thirty days they re-study the Sefer entitled the Simla Chadasha written by Rav Alechsander Sender Schorr zt”l (1673-1737). It is one of the only Seforim that has replaced the Shulchan Aruch as the most authoritative work on its subject matter – in Ashkenzaic and Chassidishe circles. It must be carefully reviewed because the Shulchan Aruch states (YD 23:1): “Any shochet who does not know the laws of shechita – one may not eat of his slaughter.” They are also subjected to regular testing. The Simla Chadasha even goes so far as to write (1:17): “If he knows all the laws of proper slaughter – just in one law he errs and says that something is permitted when it is actually prohibited, it appears to me that, whether he received written authorization or not, we should prohibit his slaughter for a few days previously, in order

UK’s Boris Johnson Talks With Trump, Welcomes New Lawmakers

December 16, 2019 6:00 pm 1 Comment

Britain’s new political landscape began to take shape Monday as triumphant Prime Minister Boris Johnson talked trade with President Donald Trump and gave a pep talk to his new Conservative Party lawmakers. The incoming class of new Conservative legislators was so big — 109 lawmakers — that organizers had to procure an extra 50 bottles of wine for the evening event, British tabloids said. Lawmakers from all parties will be sworn in on Tuesday, the first day of the new session in Parliament. Johnson’s Conservatives received a larger-than-expected majority in last week’s national election, galvanizing his efforts to secure parliamentary approval for his Brexit divorce deal with the European Union. Many of them are coming from parts of the country that for decades were strongholds of the opposition Labour Party. Overall, the Conservatives now have 365 of the House of Commons’ 650 seats. Buoyed by the decisive win, Johnson plans to move fast on his campaign mantra to “get Brexit done.” That means ensuring a Brexit withdrawal agreement bill is passed in time for the U.K. to complete its historic departure from the European Union by the Jan. 31 deadline. Johnson spokesman James Slack said the government will introduce the EU withdrawal bill on Friday. It will be up to the speaker of the House of Commons to determine if Parliament holds its first major vote on the bill that same day or waits until early January after the Christmas recess. The Brexit divorce bill is expected to receive strong support in Parliament due to the Conservatives’ new strong majority. Johnson’s Downing Street office said Trump, a Brexit supporter who has praised Johnson in the past, congratulated Johnson again when they spoke Monday. It said the two leaders look forward to “continued cooperation on issues such as security and trade, including the negotiation of an ambitious free trade agreement.” If the Brexit bill passes and Britain leaves the EU on time, the country will enter a transition period when EU rules and regulations would still apply in the country and people and goods would still be able to pass freely between the U.K. and the 27 remaining EU members. Negotiators for the British government and the EU would then start trade talks with an eye toward reaching a comprehensive post-Brexit agreement. Queen Elizabeth II will formally open Parliament on Thursday with a speech outlining the government’s legislative program. The pomp and ceremony surrounding the queen’s speech will be less lavish than usual because she last opened Parliament just two months ago for a session cut short by an early election. Downing Street made two personnel announcements Monday evening: Simon Hart was named Wales Secretary and Nicky Morgan was given a place in the House of Lords so that she could remain as Culture Secretary despite having left the House of Commons. Other tweaks were expected but key figures are remaining in their posts. There was a first-day-of-school feeling Monday as scores of new lawmakers arrived at Parliament in London. Commons staff offered tea, coffee and cookies — and tours of the labyrinthine building — to the new arrivals. One room was set aside for “valuing everyone” sessions. A report released earlier this year found that bullying and harassment were rife in Parliament and urged reforms. Incoming lawmakers took to Twitter

Israel: Channel 2 Reveals Horrific Story Of Two Children In Yerushalayim

November 18, 2011 6:00 am 6 Comments

Channel 2 News correspondent Chaim Rivlin reported an “unbelievable story” of two children that have been cut off from society for their entire lives, now both adults. The report states “this takes place under the radar of everyone, school officials, social workers, friends and neighbors alike”. According to professionals, this is not a one-of-a-kind story, explaining there are others in Israel, but an exact number is unknown. Interviewed on camera but blacked out so he cannot be identified, a male, now 18, explains he was born on October 11th two houses away from where he lives now. He adds he could not have been born in a hospital, since then he would have been registered in the system. We will refer to the young man as “A”, the first letter of the new name that he has chosen. Channel 2 points out that even if a small portion of the events uncovered in the report are true, there is cause for grave concern. This young man was born, but there is no record that he exists. He never was registered, never went to kindergarten, never entered a school, does not appear in Bituach Leumi records, no ID number, and no health insurance. He never went to a doctor or dentist, and there are no records in the home, no photos, no albums, nothing to record that life existed yesterday. ‘A’ lives in Yerushalayim together with his sister and their mother. He sleeps on a bed near his mom, and the sister in another room. Both sleep on beds that open, containing storage underneath, both stocked with canned goods, bottled water and other food items in preparation for whatever may occur. A’s mom fled the United States over 20 years ago with her infant daughter after she could no longer tolerate the abuse of her husband, who lashed out against her and their daughter. She was assisted by the chareidi community, which provided her with a forged identity, permitting her to flee to Israel without being tracked down. She arrived in Tzfat, her first home, and still has the forged ID that assisted in creating her new life. She met a man who is the father of A. they were not married and after she became pregnant, the man fled, leaving the mom with her two children. A was never permitted outside alone, and since he never attended school, he remained at home. He learned to read and write from his mother and sister. He speaks both Hebrew and English. Channel 2: When you see children outside playing, did you envy them? A: No because I was taught it was bad. I was told that one goes to school and gets abused, contracts illnesses, and returns home and gets abused again, and turns to follow to’eva. Then it leads to drugs, the IDF service where they do experiments on you, to India and more drugs return home to Israel and live life as a non religious person. Eventually one dies and then goes to gehenom. Why would I want to live like this? Channel 2: He spent most of his day reading books, and eventually they got a television, but no computer. A: I remember once I was punished and I was not permitted to watch television. I put on headphones

Chief Rabbinate Warns – Non-Kosher Shofaros in the Marketplace

September 16, 2009 11:45 am No Comments

For years it has been known that many of the shofarot (shofars) sold in stores in Eretz Yisrael are posul, not suitable for the fulfillment of the special mitzvah of Rosh Hashanah. This year, Chief Rabbinate officials repeat the warning, urging shoppers to ensure the store selling shofarot is reliable and is selling items that comply with halacha. There are shofars for sale that were cracked or have other defects, and unscrupulous individuals are using an epoxy that is virtually undetectable to make repairs. In other cases, especially with the large Yemenite shofarot, many are not from animals kosher for a shofar. There is at least one Arab village in Shomron manufacturing shofarot. Rabbi Ariel Levine told Israel Radio that it is truly sad, and shoppers should seek only shofarot with a kosher label. It is sadly true in connection with other Judaica, including tzizis and tefillin as YWN reported and shoppers must seek only items with a hechsher to ensure they are indeed able to fulfill a mitzvah as they intend. (Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)

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