Chanukah 5782

We are now well into the shmitta year and it’s the perfect time to reflect on the spiritual side of shmitta, a time when we take a break from the daily grind and chaos and strengthen our emunah and bitachon in Hashem.

Granola bars are essentially whole oats which are combined with other ingredients, including syrups or binders, and are cooled or baked to achieve the desired shape.

The rededication of the Beis HaMikdash, made possible by Yehudis’s victory, still has a spiritual relevance today. Our shuls and Batei Medrashos, where we daven and learn Torah, are considered Mikdashei Me’at (small temples).

When drinking hot water, the temperature should be between 120-140°F to avoid burns.

Although this mitzvah is given to those who reside in Eretz Yisroel, everyone can learn from this mitzvah about the importance of faith in Hashem and not to rely on their own power and wealth, which is the way of the nations of the world. The Jewish people view themselves as custodians of wealth in this world, but their true mission is to prepare themselves for eternal life in the World to Come.

The OK has many flavor houses where we have full time mashgichim monitoring the systems there, in addition to the full time employees in our office. We have special systems set up to monitor the receiving of all ingredients (in all certified companies) to ensure that only acceptable ingredients make it into the approved areas in the companies, as well as many checks and balances and individual procedures tailored to the unique realities in each facility. This multi-faceted and custom designed approach makes every product certified by OK Kosher Certification “kosher without compromise”.

Sfinj is an airy Moroccan doughnut that’s served plain, sprinkled with sugar or soaked in honey. The leavened dough is shaped into rings and deep fried until golden and crispy with a fluffy interior.

Lo nitna Torah l’malachei hashareis – The Torah was given to human beings, not to angels. Consequently, when the Torah prohibits eating
insects, it means the insects that we can see with a naked eye. So, how do we apply this practically?

OK Kosher, under the leadership of Rabbi Berel Levy OB”M, was the first agency to set up this system for all kosher supervised oils. Rabbi Don Yoel Levy OB”M, who succeeded his father as the Kashrus Administrator of the OK, gave his body and soul to fortify kashrus around the world, especially for bulk oils.

Any product which is not considered pas is considered a tavshil and subject to the Bishul Yisroel requirements. However, breakfast cereals are not served at official meals, so the final product is not considered oleh al shulchan melachim (fit for a king’s table) and is not subject to the Bishul Yisroel requirements. In addition, cereals are not considered important by
themselves without the milk.

Every individual has his “one cruse of oil,” begging to be discovered. A person may not uncover this internal connection to Gd in the ordinary circumstances of his life. But when challenged, as in the case of the Maccabees, this inner connection will surface. And when this Divine bond comes to the fore, “[Gd will] deliver the mighty into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few,” for nothing can withstand its power.

The Bais Yosef famously asks why we celebrate Chanukah for 8 days when the actual miracle occurred for 7 days. There are many answers to this question but here are “8” interesting ones…