Dear Reader,
Every year, around Pesach time, I wonder why almost all kosher consumers put in extra effort to ensure that the food they buy and consume has the most reliable kosher supervision. It’s a bit peculiar how, suddenly, most kosher consumers strive for the highest standards in kosher.
In truth, many people have the custom not to eat any processed foods that are not prepared in their own homes. Some even have the custom to be more stringent and refrain from eating foods that are kosher for Passover to the highest standard.
Not that I’m complaining. Here at the OK upholding the highest standard is what we do day in and day out. After all, it is the kosher consumer that drives the food industry to adopt higher standards. But, why is it that every year, as Pesach comes around, kosher consumers once again put their best foot forward and only accept the highest standard of kosher?
Here are my thoughts and something interesting to consider:
It is well known in Chassidic circles that the holiday of Shavuos represents the marriage between Hashem and Am Yisroel. As a matter fact, many of the things that are done at a Jewish wedding, and particularly at the chuppah, are linked to the things that happened at Matan Torah. So, I was thinking, if the marriage took place on Shavuos, then the initial meeting between Hashem and Am Yisroel must have been a few weeks before that, at Pesach time. It make sense then; just as when two people meet for the first time they put their best foot forward to make a good first impression, so too with Am Yisroel. No one will argue that on Pesach Hashem took am Yisroel “out”…so it really does make sense that we go out of our way to seek only the highest standards and make a great first impression.
At the OK we strive to make your Yom Tov as kosher as possible. In this issue, read how to make it as happy as possible as well. Dina Fraenkel offers tips on how get the kids to pitch in with age appropriate chores and Duby Litvin provides some great advice on how to bring some extra joy to the sedarim and Yom Tov meals.
May we continue to make a great impression throughout the whole year and always seek the highest standards in all we do.
A kosher and freilichen Pesach,
Rabbi Chaim Fogelman
Editor in Chief