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Has anyone read the Hilchos Pesach Digest by R’ Blumenkrantz? He seems VERY machmir about EVERYTHING. Does everyone hold by him?
He is the most widely held by for Pesach issues. Does everyone hold everything he paskens? There are probably some who disagree with some things.
And in general, Jews are more machmir on Pesach than they might be year-round.
Others complain that he’s very Meikil about other things.
Rav Dovid Feinstein writes a foreword in the book that he uses it.
This guide has been the subject of much controversy, scorn, contention, and mockery over the years, for better or worse.
But, Rabbi Blumenkrantz, zt”l, was a very learned and holy talmid chacham, and his views merit at least our understanding and attention.
I am not learned enough to offer an opinion as to whether Rav Blumenkrantz was a machmir or a meikil. What I would like to say is that I feel great hakaras hatov to Rav Blumenkrantz. I grew up in a frum home and watched my mother make Pesach for years; but when I had to finally prepare for Pesach and for the Seder in my own home I felt a little anxious, a little lost. I bought the book that first year to check the permissibility of some products, and I felt as if Rav Blumenkrantz took me by the hand and helped me through all my Pesach preparations every step of the way. I still buy the book every year, although I must admit I refer to it less and less. The book contains a wealth of information about many topics. Of course specific shailos are better left for one’s own Rav.
Nowadays you can find an entire Pesach “book” in 3-4 pages. Contact the OU, Star-K, CRC, etc.
That book has been responsible for many, many shalom bayis issues.
_____________ has been responsible for many Shalom Bayis issues. (fill anything in, and you’ll be right.)
I agree. Often when husband and wife couldn’t agree whether something is kosher, they would consult Harav Blumenkrantz’s Sefer and resolve their shalom bayis issue as such.
The Rabbi Blumenkrantz Pesach book – year after year – has been looked forward to by my family every time it comes out. The wealth of detailed information leaves nothing about Pesach to the imagination.
A Judaica store owner in New York told me that (even taking into account chumashim and sidurim)it is the most widely sold Jewish book in the world because so many people buy new ones every Pesach.
I don’t know if this is a fact, but it certainly deserves to have that title.
i try to buy this book every year. it is constantly updated too
ah talmid- good one.
I heard Rav Belsky criticize the method of calling up a company or writing to them asking if their product contains xyz, saying that any info a company would give would generally be in a way that won’t cause them any liability and that companies are careful about that, and many times the one responding to the inquiry doesn’t even have full access to the info necessary.
I think he was referring to Rabbi Blumenkrantz’s method, though i’m not 100% sure. I’d apreciate if anyone has more info.
In the star k book it says
“Rabbi Bess contacts the company and asks numerous questions. Information is
updated every year and is accepted only when submitted in writing. Rav Moshe
a company (Igros Moshe YD I:55). A medicine can also be added to the list if it only
contains ingredients that are de? nitively chometz free.”
I love Rabbi Blumenkrantz zatzal’s digest. I read it from cover to cover.
It has so much hashkafa, personality, and fascinating information – and such a practical presentation of halachos!
Can’t make Pesach without it. Seriously. I buy it every single year.
Can you give some examples of what you felt is being machmir in this sefer?
Can you give some examples of what you felt is being machmir in this sefer?
Paper Towels… He claims the glue that holds the towels to the cardboard is Kitniyot and should not be used
To answer the OP, it depends what you mean by “everyone.” If you mean those in the yeshiva world, then you probably have a higher percentage than in the dati leumi world.
Zahavasd, do you or your wife fry foods? Latkas? Schnitzel? Fo the most part these have been replaced by fresh salads, grilled chicken, but for those who still fry- do you then try to drain off that extra oil on a paper towel? The hot greasy food will absorb whatever is in the paper towel. That’s where the Pesach paper towels come from. Not from wiping off the slush you tracked in (if this weather doesn’t improve).
The glue that holds the towels to the cardboard is Kitniyot. Therefore, the Vaad HaKashrus of Baltimore recommends not using the first three (3) sheets or the last three (3) sheets.
Can you give some examples of what you felt is being machmir in this sefer?
That bottled water requires a hashgacha, even stam during the year.
Should not be used with hot food.
He hold not to buy the Bounty , Brawn or other regular brands and buy the Hemish brand instead
You can easily just not use the first 2 or 3 and forget about it
Rav Blumenkrantz was a talmid of Rav Moshe, zt’l. Rav Blumentkrantz was a talmid chochom and a very sweet person who was always available for people. I had several encounters with him. He helped me and my wife through a difficult time and was sandek for my son. His book on Pesach is what we use and it is something we could not do without.
“He hold not to buy the Bounty , Brawn or other regular brands and buy the Hemish brand instead”
With writing like this you are not going to do a very good job convincing anyone that you are capable of even guessing what is a chumra or not.
R’ Blumenkrantz ZT”L did the research and learned halacha, he reeived semicha from R’ Moshe Feinstein. You have not done any of these.
VDAL
Ask your Rav if using a Hemish brand instead of Bounty is a Chumra or Halacha (Assuming you dont use the first 3 sheets)
zahavasdad- you know not to use the first three sheets or the last three, but does your kid? Your kid sees you using Bounty, and probably won’t even realize that. When he/she uses the roll, he/she will finish it to the last drop not to waste anything, and will start a new roll right away…
Its not a problem if you wash with it, If someone in your house eats Kitniyot (Like a Baby) it doesnt traif anything. You can clean the babies stuff in the sink
It might only be a problem if you soak the oil or something, but dont listen to me, Ask your Rov if its a Chumra or Halacha
The Paper towels was actually discussed here before.
http://theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/can-i-use-bounty-paper-towels
what if your fifteen year old is frying the noodles for the soup? They have to be drained right away, and she’s using one after the other? Old enough to cook, not old enough to realize that there could be a problem
what if your fifteen year old is frying the noodles for the soup? They have to be drained right away, and she’s using one after the other? Old enough to cook, not old enough to realize that there could be a problem
We dont fry food in my house at all super unhealthy and usually makes me sick. I certainly never heard of anyone frying noodles before (Doesnt mean its not done, just never heard of it)
I’m talking about the homeade ones special for pesach… yum… there’s almost no oil in the pot, just enough to keep it from sticking but still you try to make sure none of it should stay.
I would like to stand up for the kavod hatorah of Rabbi Blumenkrantz, zatzal. Rabbi Blumenkrantz was respected as a Talmid Chacham and a posek. While he is often perceived as a ‘machmir’, he explained that his thinking was that if you can get the product available without any problems or any chashash chometz, then why bother with the ones that have problems and may contain chometz. I would conjecture that the amount of time he spent researching all the items in the book are not compensated by the income from the sales of the book. But that is not the point.
I use the book only after consulting with my rav regarding which items i need to find kosher for pesach versions of. My rav holds that Bounty is fine if you discard the first three sheets, and that is what I do. The same goes for the shampoo, detergent, and deodorant lists. My suggestion is that you do the same, and depending on the rav, you may find that you are not running around KRM or The Pom with the book for only 1 or 2 products.
If you notice Rabbi David Feinstein writes in his approbation that he too uses the book for “any products that he needs” to look up. He does not say that he only uses products mentioned as KLP in the book. I am sure he uses many other products, which are, in his opinion, okay for pesach without any problems.
I think this puts to rest any sholom bayis issues. People should consult their rabbanim about general pesach questions just as they do all year long for their other shaylos.
CKV to all.
Jacob: Rav Schachter explains quite clearly why, Al Pi Din, there are several reasons that bottled water needs a Hechsher. The first and most obvious is that the bottle might have Tarfus in it (Kavush Kim’vushal).
I want to make something very clear in this thread. There is a difference between the type of Machmir that Rav Blumenkrantz was and types of Chumros in certain other Seforim (I’m not judging any individual other Sefer here; just commenting about R; Blumenkrantz). Rav Blumentkrantz was a major Posek that explained the Halachah Ad Buryo and was just often Noteh L’hachmir. That is fine. We have Poskim that are more Noteh some ways than others. It happens. It might mean that we don’t hold like Rav Blumenkrantz all the time (as he is Machmir more often than the average Posek and therefore it makes sense that there are cases where we accept his P’sak and cases where we don’t). He does not misrepresent Chumros as Halachos. He does not take personal Chumros or safeguards and impose them upon the Tzibbor. Calling him a Machmir as a dismissive term is offensive and lacks Kavod HaTorah. Saying he is more Machmir than average and therefore we don’t always hold like him might be okay (if done properly). Dismissing him as a “Machmir” is just wrong.
The Rabbi was on line in the Supermarket, Ahead of him was an eldery Lady who was obviously not well off.
She had only a few items as it was obvious as she could barely afford what was there. The items were mostly food except for the Bounty.
She then looked in her purse and looked at the items and mumbled (loudly enough for the Rabbi to hear) that Rabbi Blumenkratz said not to buy the Bounty and buy the Hemish Brand . She then got the more expensive Hemish brand of Paper Towels and removed FOOD from her order because she could not afford both.
Most people dont go around asking the Rav’s for every single product, they go by what the book says even if it means sacraficing food for some non-food Chumra
I would venture to say a big reason people are aware of a paper towel issue and can even talk about it to begin with (knowing about Kitniyos in paper towels) is because increased awareness was bought about to the masses solely because of the book.
After widespread use of the book began kashrus agencies and local Rabbonim looked into certain matters more deeply and while sometimes they felt Rabbi Blumenkrantz was Machmir or disagreed with his Psak they always maintained respect for him.
Additionally,prior to Rabbi Blumenkrantz many Kashrus agencies would put out only brief lists regarding products, usually would not fully explain reasons why something was or could not be approved, and they would add in only a smattering about dinim for pesach.
Every major Kashrus agency guide over the last 10-15 years has become much more informative and comprehensive.I am sure this was in large part due to them seeing the tremendous benefits the Blumenkrantz guide was providing to the community.
I have tremendous Hakaras Tov to Rabbi Blumenkrantz ZTL for the book.
ZD,
A lovely piece of fiction. What are you trying to show?
Besides, generic brands, including heimish brands, of paper towel are significantly cheaper than Bounty.
And there are many other flaws in your read of the story. Too many to even waste time trying to explain in terms you might understand.
“She then looked in her purse and looked at the items and mumbled that Rabbi Blumenkratz said not to buy the Bounty and buy the Hemish Brand . She then got the more expensive Hemish brand of Paper Towels and removed FOOD from her order because she could not afford both.”
Reminds me of Korach’s story.
Anyways last time I checked Rabbi Blumenkrantz doesn’t say it’s assur, but that it’s worth to be Machmir.
I asked my rav a few years ago about this and he said that in Europe only chassidim and yekkes were makpid on stuff. Everyone else did not check into things, even perfume or lipstick.
They were makpid in Lita.
Jacob: Rav Schachter explains quite clearly why, Al Pi Din, there are several reasons that bottled water needs a Hechsher. The first and most obvious is that the bottle might have Tarfus in it (Kavush Kim’vushal).
Sam2:
Interesting. If he really holds bottled water is such an issue, why would Rav Schachter as the senior Kashrut consultant for the OU allow the following to be published in their 2013 Pesach Guide? (p. 91):
All unflavored bottled water is kosher for Passover, even without
any kosher supervision
If you say that calling R. Blumenkrantz a machmir is an insult, than how is not calling R. Yitzhak Abadi a meikil an insult?
R. Blumenkrantz was close to Reb Moshe; R. Abadi was close to R’ Aharon Kotler and to the Hazon Ish.
R. Abadi doesn’t follow R’ Aharon Kotler or the Chazon Ish’s shittas.
It should be noted that Rav Moshe’s Teshuvah was about relying on a manager of the company, where the information was given meant for a Choleh not Kasharus, and there was liability (it may not be that not all these were criteria for the Heter).
In the new Rav Moshe book it brings that he told Rav Avrohom Blumenkrantz he can/should pasken even “SHVEREH” Shailos,( ???? ???? ??? ??? look up Rabbi Blumenkrantz in the index).
On the other hand Rav Belsky has told a Talmid to do the opposite of whatever it says in the Pesach Book.
I’d apreciate anyone w more info.
Rebdoniel: My statements on Rav Blumenkrantz would apply to Rav Abadi as well (though I cannot claim to know the whole Eisek with him, not do I necessarily want to).
Please do not lower this discussion to one that tries to qualify various rabbanim and determine their abilities.
Bottled water – the bottle contains tarfus? How do you propose that took place? The bottles are all brand new manufactured for the water bottlers. In addition, even if you took a plastic bottle that was used for hot, liquid, pork schmaltz, there would be no problem of kavush kmvushal because it is only kavush after 24 hours, and by then the taam of the pork is nifgam. Yoreh Deah 101.
I don’t like the fact that it became a Pesach ‘Bible’.People consider it required reading. Like you can’t make Pesach without it. Is it helpful? Somewhat. Is it indispensable? Absolutely not. The Jewish nation has been making Pesach for thousands of years before it came around.
And the idea that you must buy a new one every year is ridiculous, the changes year to year are minor. if you have a question on a specific new product look it up in a bookstore or ask a friend who has it.
There was much more to the Rav than this guide. I have had fly-on-the-wall status by a few Rabbonim, as they would calmly give kind and sagacious counsel by phone and in person, sometimes on subjects that put mildly, turn the stomach and raise your hair. Rav Blumenkranz was one of these giants, and I am grateful for the shimush.
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