I tasted some chicken soup — do I have to wait six hours before I have my coffee with milk?

I cut onions with a milky knife and fried them in a meaty pan — what do I do now?

I cooked a potato in my meaty microwave — can I eat it with cheese?

Numerous Kashrus questions are impossible to answer without a thorough knowledge of the laws. Questions involving Kashrus constantly arise, so if a person is not well-versed in its intricacies, then it is inevitable that either transgressions will take place or that he will be overly strict.

The many books of basic laws are wonderful, but to really understand the halachos and to apply them, it is essential to learn and remember hilchos Kashrus with the background discussion.  What is the challenge we face? It takes several years for a full-time advanced Torah learner to cover the laws of Kashrus in depth.

Issur V’Heter for men offered a solution. World famous Rosh Yeshiva and Rosh Kollel, HaRav Hagaon Yitzchak Berkovits shlit”a used his vast knowledge to arrange all the important sources with the commentators on each area of hilchos Kashrus, and presented it in the form of source sheets that cover material from the original sources through practical halacha. This enables one to cover the main opinions in each topic and gain a deep understanding of the halacha without being overwhelmed with a lot of information.

Rabbi Dr. Yakov Pesah, a close talmid of Rav Berkovits who spent many years learning in Rav Berkovits’s famous Jerusalem Kollel, with the Rav’s endorsement, took on the monumental task of adapting the Hebrew sheets into English to make the program available for busy professionals. 

After successfully running the Hilchos Shabbos program for several years, Rabbi Yehonasan Gefen, also a musmach of Rabbi Berkovits, joined forces with Rabbi Pesah, and together they cofounded the “Hilchos Issur V’Heter” program for men and launched it online. It became an instant success worldwide.

During the launches of the Hilchos Kashrus course for men, it became crystal clear that a course especially tailored for Jewish women was necessary.  The program received many emails asking for a women’s cohort of this important and highly relevant series.  Women, perhaps even more than men, require practical knowledge on how to keep the myriad halachos of Kashrus.  Indeed, they may even be faced with more scenarios than men since they are more often busy in the kitchen.  Therefore, Rabbi Gefen, in consultation with Rabbi Berkovits, helped Rabbi Pesah adapt the curriculum to be uniquely tailored to Torah-observant women as an online program in Hilchos Kashrus accessible to motivated women worldwide (www.HilchosIssurvHeterforWomen.com). The program empowers women to know the laws of Kashrus that are so relevant to their lives.

Participants in each online chabura receive source sheets with explanations in English. In addition to his weekly online Zoom shiur, Rabbi Gefen is available for questions by email and phone.  There are tests in each section, and the option of a signed certificate of completion from Rav Berkovits.

While this is the first Hilchos Kashrus course for women, Rabbi Gefen has also launched another online program for women in Hilchos Bein Adam L’Chaveiro. This program is based on a curriculum of Kollel Linas Hatzedek/Center for Jewish Values, a premier international Bein Adam L’Chaveiro resource, whom we thank for their permission. The Bein Adam L’Chaveiro online program for women taught by Rabbi Gefen became very successful and received very positive feedback.

“As women, we are required to learn halacha in order to fulfill it properly,” says Dr. Shoshana Snyder from Los Angeles. “Rabbi Gefen’s course … provides women with a level of knowledge and understanding of the halacha from the primary sources to the halacha l’maaseh. The depth of the learning is gratifying. Participating in this program has raised my awareness of the need to apply the halacha in situations that would have escaped my notice in the past. The shiurim are clear and there is plenty of opportunity for questions. Rabbi Gefen is available for questions via email in between shiurim as well. I am not aware of any other opportunity available for women to learn halacha at this level. I look forward to receiving the sources and hearing the shiur every week!” 

“It’s been a real pleasure to be part of the … program. I look forward to the source sheets and shiur every week. I have an increased appreciation of the halachos and how to apply them in daily life. The material has abundant sources, with varying opinions and a halacha l’maaseh section … I highly recommend the program!” says Basya Gutmann from Clifton, New Jersey. 

“Over two thousand past and present participants in our programs come from six continents and range in skill level from beginner to advanced,” adds Rabbi Dr. Pesah, the director of the program. “Our vision is to enable everyone to learn halacha in a structured way and make it doable for every motivated person.”

Mrs. Batya Eshel from Safed in Israel shares her experience: “The shiur is well focused in general, and of course the more prepared I am the more I get out of it. Questions from the participants are handled well, and we all get a lot out of the shiur. Using Zoom allows us access to a shiur that we wouldn’t be able to access in person.”

The new cycle of women’s Hilchos Kashrus program begins on Monday, December 23rd. 

For more information, tuition, and to apply, visit:

www.HilchosIssurvHeterforWomen.com