Avodah Mailing List

Volume 39: Number 41

Thu, 29 Apr 2021

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Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Message: 1
From: Prof. L. Levine
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2021 13:35:36 +0000
Subject:
[Avodah] Many medications are encased in gelatin capsules.


From today's OU Kosher Halacha Yomis


Q. Many medications are encased in gelatin capsules. May these be used?

A. Rabbi Belsky zt?l would differentiate between two types of gelatin
capsules: hard capsules and soft capsules. Regarding medicines that are
encased in hard gelatin capsules (such as capsules that are commonly used
for antibiotics), Rav Belsky said that the minhag is to permit them for a
choleh (one who is ill). This is based on the concept that a choleh is
permitted to consume non-kosher medicines, provided that one does so shelo
k?derech achilaso ? in an uncommon manner of consumption. Since it is
uncommon to eat dried-out, plastic-like gelatin capsules, one who is ill is
permitted to swallow them. It should be noted that this leniency applies
only if a kosher alternative is not available. Thus, as an example, one
should not swallow Tylenol capsules since Tylenol tablets are readily
available.

However, Rav Belsky felt that soft gelatin capsules, which are often used
for vitamins, fish oils and some over the counter medications, should not
be used. Because the gelatin is soft and pliable, Rav Belsky was concerned
that swallowing gelatin in this form might not be considered an uncommon
manner of consumption. Additionally, these soft capsules are often made
from pigskin gelatin and are kept soft and pliable with large amounts of
glycerin. If one has no other alternative, Rav Belsky recommended wrapping
a soft gelatin capsule in tissue paper, which is an unusual manner of
consumption. However, Rav Schachter said that there is no difference
between soft or hard gelatin. Even regarding soft gelatin capsules, it is
abnormal to swallow gelatin when it is in this form. Accordingly, for
medical reasons, it may be swallowed without wrapping in paper.

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Message: 2
From: Jay F. Shachter
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2021 12:56:20 -0500 (EDT)
Subject:
[Avodah] Gelatin



>
> As another example, the Rav cited Rav Chaim Ozer's heter for gelatin
> from non-kosher animals.  Most poskim disagreed with this psak.
> When Rav Schwab met the Chazon lsh, he asked him about this.
>
> (It was Rav Chaim Ozer who had made the Jewish public aware of the
> Chazon lsh's greatness.  Before the Chazon lsh moved from Lithuania
> to Eretz Yisrael, Rav Chaim Ozer sent letters extolling his virtues,
> paving the way for him to become the leader of his generation.)
>
> When Rav Schwab mentioned to the Chazon lsh that Rav Chaim Ozer
> discusses, in his sefer Achiezer, the rationale for permitting
> gelatin, the Chazon lsh answered tersely, "S'iz fort assur [It is
> still forbidden]."  Unless there is acceptance by other gedolem, the
> greatest gadol's opinion is still only one opinion.
>

And yet, it is davka in Eretz Yisroel where you will find acceptance
of R' Chaim Ozer's psaq, and a rejection of the Chazon Ish's psaq,
whereas, outside of Eretz Yisroel, the Chazon Ish's psaq is generally
followed.

(Of course, this is more due to R' Ovadya Yosef, than to R' Chaim Ozer.)


                        Jay F. ("Yaakov") Shachter
                        6424 North Whipple Street
                        Chicago IL  60645-4111
                                (1-773)7613784   landline
                                (1-410)9964737   GoogleVoice
                                j...@m5.chicago.il.us
                                http://m5.chicago.il.us

                        "Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur"




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Message: 3
From: Micha Berger
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2021 14:30:29 -0400
Subject:
Re: [Avodah] Where on the Mount of Olives would the Para


On Sun, Apr 25, 2021 at 09:57:57AM +0200, Arie Folger via Avodah wrote:
> The Para Aduma was slaughtered and burned to ashes on the Mount of Olives
> (shehakohen hasoref ota 'omed beHar haMishcha - cf. Yoma 16a), and he
> did so perfectly east of the Mikdash, so he could see the door of the
> Heikhal (umekhaven veroeh keneged pitcho shel heikhal).

They found broken plates and kosher animal bones in locations all
along the mountainsides that overlook Shilo from the north. One of the
indications for the currently theorized location of the Mishkan.

> To that end, the Gemara explains that the height difference between
> the floor of the Temple Mount had to be less than 20 amot from the floor
> of the Heikhal, otherwise the wall of the Har haBayit over the eastern
> gates would obstruct the view of the Heikhal. All this analysis follows
> the view of Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov.

That was BEFORE Hadrian had the top of Moriah lobbed off.

So, I don't know if Har haZeisim was as much higher than Har haBayis was
*THEN*.

And if so, we have reason to believe that in an earlier era, at least,
it was common to use the mountsides that saw the maqom hamiqdash across
the valley.

>                       (IIUC uvein keteifav shakhen refers to the two
> nearby mountains that are taller, Mount of Olives and Har haTzofim).

/KTF/ has two meanings: shoulder or gentle slope. You'll find the
latter in Bamidbar 34:1 "kesef Yam-Kineres" and repeated use in Yehoshua
15:8-9. Therefore, I don't think the reference is necessarily to anything
as specific as a pair mountains on either side, like shoulders. I think
it's wordplay -- Hashem rests on Binyamin's shoulder and the Miqdash
rests among his land's gentle slopes.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 Today is the 30th day, which is
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   4 weeks and 2 days in/toward the omer.
Author: Widen Your Tent      Gevurah sheb'Hod: When does capitulation
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF                result in holding back from others?



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Message: 4
From: Harry Maryles
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2021 16:12:34 -0500
Subject:
Re: [Avodah] Many medications are encased in gelatin


I asked R? Gedalia Dov Schwartz, ZTL this Shaila WRT vitamin D that my
doctor said I needed. He told me that prescription medication is never a
problem since it is not considered food. Furthermore if a Dr. prescribed it
for your health, there is nothing to talk about.

Vitamins OTOH are considered food and therefore require a Hechsher. 

I then asked him why vitamins should be a problem in any case because they
were taken Shelo K?Derech Achila. They are basically placed in the mouth
and then quickly swallowed wholeb without tasting it and without any Hanoas
G?rono. He did not disagree with me but he said that if I took the non
kosher vitamins together with a piece of lettuce that it would be
permissible.  Don?t recall why that is the case.

HM

Sent from my iPhone, Shirley.

> On Apr 27, 2021, at 11:31 AM, Prof. L. Levine via Avodah <avo...@lists.aishdas.org> wrote:
> ?
> From today's OU Kosher Halacha Yomis
> 
> Q. Many medications are encased in gelatin capsules. May these be used?
> 
> A. Rabbi Belsky zt?l would differentiate between two types of gelatin
> capsules: hard capsules and soft capsules. Regarding medicines that
> are encased in hard gelatin capsules (such as capsules that are
> commonly used for antibiotics), Rav Belsky said that the minhag is to
> permit them for a choleh (one who is ill). This is based on the
> concept that a choleh is permitted to consume non-kosher medicines,
> provided that one does so shelo k?derech achilaso ? in an uncommon
> manner of consumption. Since it is uncommon to eat dried-out,
> plastic-like gelatin capsules, one who is ill is permitted to swallow
> them. It should be noted that this leniency applies only if a kosher
> alternative is not available. Thus, as an example, one should not
> swallow Tylenol capsules since Tylenol tablets are readily available.
> 
> However, Rav Belsky felt that soft gelatin capsules, which are often
> used for vitamins, fish oils and some over the counter medications,
> should not be used. Because the gelatin is soft and pliable, Rav
> Belsky was concerned that swallowing gelatin in this form might not be
> considered an uncommon manner of consumption. Additionally, these soft
> capsules are often made from pigskin gelatin and are kept soft and
> pliable with large amounts of glycerin. If one has no other
> alternative, Rav Belsky recommended wrapping a soft gelatin capsule in
> tissue paper, which is an unusual manner of consumption. However, Rav
> Schachter said that there is no difference between soft or hard
> gelatin. Even regarding soft gelatin capsules, it is abnormal to
> swallow gelatin when it is in this form. Accordingly, for medical
> reasons, it may be swallowed without wrapping in paper.
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Avodah mailing list
> Avo...@lists.aishdas.org
> http://lists.aishdas.org/listinfo.cgi/avodah-aishdas.org
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Message: 5
From: Zev Sero
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2021 17:57:12 -0400
Subject:
Re: [Avodah] Many medications are encased in gelatin


FYI I heard many years ago from R Boruch Abaranok z"l, a talmid at 
Radin, long-time rabbi of Mizrachi in Melbourne, and posek for what was 
then known as the Mizrachi Kashrut Committee and is now known as Kosher 
Australia, that anything taken as a medicine does not need to be kosher.

-- 
Zev Sero            Wishing everyone a healthy summer
z...@sero.name



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Message: 6
From: Prof. Levine
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2021 17:46:41 -0400
Subject:
Re: [Avodah] Many medications are encased in gelatin


At 05:12 PM 4/27/2021, Harry Maryles wrote:
>I asked R??? Gedalia Dov Schwartz, ZTL this 
>Shaila WRT vitamin D that my doctor said I 
>needed. He told me that prescription medication 
>is never a problem since it is not considered 
>food. Furthermore if a Dr. prescribed it for 
>your health, there is nothing to talk about.
>
>Vitamins OTOH are considered food and therefore require a Hechsher.
>
>I then asked him why vitamins should be a 
>problem in any case because they were taken 
>Shelo K???Derech Achila. They are basically 
>placed in the mouth and then quickly swallowed 
>wholeb without tasting it and without any Hanoas 
>G???rono. He did not disagree with me but he 
>said that if I took the non kosher vitamins 
>together with a piece of lettuce that it would 
>be permissible.  Don???t recall why that is the case.
>
>HM

Today one can buy most vitamins with a 
hashgacha.  Vitamin D is one  of them.  Go to 
Amazon and  do a  search.  Solgar has many 
vitamins under the supervision of the Kof-K.

YL







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Message: 7
From: Zev Sero
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2021 18:00:58 -0400
Subject:
Re: [Avodah] Where on the Mount of Olives would the Para


On 27/4/21 2:30 pm, Micha Berger via Avodah wrote:
> They found broken plates and kosher animal bones in locations all
> along the mountainsides that overlook Shilo from the north. One of the
> indications for the currently theorized location of the Mishkan.

No Para Aduma was made during the Shilo period.  Moshe's para lasted all 
the way to the first churban.

-- 
Zev Sero            Wishing everyone a healthy summer
z...@sero.name



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Message: 8
From: Micha Berger
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2021 18:43:31 -0400
Subject:
Re: [Avodah] Where on the Mount of Olives would the Para


On Tue, Apr 27, 2021 at 06:00:58PM -0400, Zev Sero via Avodah wrote:
>> They found broken plates and kosher animal bones in locations all
>> along the mountainsides that overlook Shilo from the north. One of the
>> indications for the currently theorized location of the Mishkan.

> No Para Aduma was made during the Shilo period.  Moshe's para lasted all the
> way to the first churban.

Yes, the broken keilim are because you couldn't use them after using them
to eat qodshim. My point was that the din of having to do something from
where you can see the miqdash was often the mountainside. Suggesting
this was true in general, suggesting parah adumah may not have been
any different.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 Today is the 30th day, which is
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   4 weeks and 2 days in/toward the omer.
Author: Widen Your Tent      Gevurah sheb'Hod: When does capitulation
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF                result in holding back from others?



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Message: 9
From: Zev Sero
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2021 00:22:36 -0400
Subject:
Re: [Avodah] Where on the Mount of Olives would the Para


On 27/4/21 6:43 pm, Micha Berger wrote:
> Yes, the broken keilim are because you couldn't use them after using them
> to eat qodshim. My point was that the din of having to do something from
> where you can see the miqdash was often the mountainside. Suggesting
> this was true in general, suggesting parah adumah may not have been
> any different.

But there is no din that you must eat kodshim from where you can see the 
mikdash.  Kodoshim kalim can be eaten throughout Machane Yisrael. Both 
in the Midbar and in Yerushalayim you could not see the mikdash from 
most of Machane Yisrael.  And in Yerushalayim most of the places from 
which you *could* see the mikdash, i.e. the surrounding mountains, were 
*outside* the Machane and therefore one could *not* eat kodshim there.

The Para Aduma had to be done davka outside the Machane, and thus in a 
place where kodshim *can't* be eaten, but in a place from which the 
Mikdash *could* be seen.

Therefore I don't think the findings at Shilo can shed any light on the 
Para Aduma site's location.

-- 
Zev Sero            Wishing everyone a healthy summer
z...@sero.name



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Message: 10
From: Saul Mashbaum
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2021 13:14:31 +0300
Subject:
Re: [Avodah] Are We Trying to Grow?


There are two different types of "sermons," given in shul during the
services: one inspirational, one educational.

The 'drasha' may indeed be an exhortation to improve ? to be more
punctilious in observing the mitzvot, to be more diligent in learning
Torah. The discussion so far of the topic here has,  for the most part,
centered on skepticism regarding tt the efficacy of such drashot.

However, I believe in most cases, the 'drasha' presents an insight into
Biblical verses or maamarei chazal which enriches the audience's
understanding of the text expounded (indeed, often with a 'moral' at the
end of the drasha, which is in the first category). This type always
contributes to the spiritual growth of the congregants.

Thus, so long as the drasha is of the second type, its spiritual value is
guaranteed.

Saul Mashbaum

--
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Message: 11
From: Prof. L. Levine
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2021 12:22:31 +0000
Subject:
[Avodah] Is it permissible to make a wedding on Lag B?omer at


The following is from today's OU Kosher Halacha Yomis


Q. Is it permissible to make a wedding on Lag B?omer at night?

A. The Shulchan Aruch (493:1) writes that haircuts are not permitted until
the morning of the 34th day of the Omer and Sefardim follow this position.
The Rema writes that Ashkenazic traditions allows haircuts the morning of
the 33rd day of the Omer. Ashkenazim follow the Rema. The Mishnah Berurah
(493:11) writes that according to Ashkenazic tradition, some are lenient
and allow haircuts the night of Lag B?omer, but the custom is to not permit
weddings at night. Nonetheless, many poskim maintain that we do not follow
this stringency. Igros Moshe (OC 1:159) and Sridei Aish (1:50) both write
that a wedding may be made the night of Lag B?omer. The prevalent custom is
that one may get married on the night of Lag B?Omer. In truth, in a year
such as this, where Lag B?omer falls out on Friday, the Mishnah Berurah
also writes that if there is a pressing need one may get married on
Thursday night.

Rav Ovadya Yosef, zt?l (Yichave Daas 4:32) writes that this year, even
Sefardim can get married on Thursday night. Although Sefardim ordinarily
wait until the morning of the 34th of the Omer before they make weddings or
take haircuts, Sefardim may have a haircut on Friday in honor of Shabbos.
If they will not have time on Friday to get a haircut, they may even take a
haircut Thursday night. Rav Ovadya Yosef reasons that since the aveilus
(mourning) can be pushed off to allow a haircut Thursday night, it can also
be pushed off Thursday night to allow a wedding.

Rav Belsky, zt?l ruled that the chassan and the fathers of the chassan and
kallah may shave even on the 32nd day of the Omer before shekiah. (See ????
????, Volume One, pages 109 ? 110)

YL
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