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by M Plaut
Even though many have used quinoa, a South American plant that produces
grain-like fruits, on Pesach, it should not be used on Pesach and should be
considered kitniyos. Full details will be published in the Pesach
edition.
At a press conference held to mark two years at his post,
Minister of Finance Benjamin Netanyahu discussed his
strategic goals. He claimed that if it follows his economic
program, within fifteen years Israel can be one of the top
ten countries in the world in terms of per capita income and
standard of living. Critics, including Rabbi Avrohom Ravitz
and Rabbi Moshe Gafni of Degel Hatorah, said that the poor
cannot wait ten years.
Ramat Shafat, a special nonprofit organization founded by
Degel HaTorah's Housing Committee in Jerusalem to build homes
in the Ramat Sholom (Shuafat) neighborhood, recently returned
2.5 percent of the purchase price to over 700 apartment
owners in Ramat Shlomo, in addition to a refund of 10 percent
of the purchase price seven years ago. Despite desperate attempts by dozens of avreichim to
physically obstruct the destruction of a Jewish grave site
discovered along the route of the Trans-Israel Highway in the
Binyamina Region, archaeologists from the Antiquities
Authority, accompanied by a massive police presence, razed
two burial caves near Kibbutz Regavim.
In a blustery plenum session last week the Knesset discussed
the recent High Court decision to recognize Reform and
Conservative "conversions" performed outside of Israel.
Based on directives from Maran HaRav Eliashiv shlita,
special software has been installed to allow surveillance
cameras in the Jerusalem's Old City and at the Kosel Maarovi
to operate without causing chilul Shabbos.
The recent publication of a table showing the percentage of
orloh in this year's crop of various summer fruits
indicates a sharp rise in the incidence of orloh in
certain fruits that will be supplied to retailers and the
food industry.
Argentina also had a large Siyum Hashas this year sponsored
by Agudas Yisroel. Participants saw film clips from the
worldwide siyums that had been held about a month earlier.
Since the last siyum, there has been a shiur sponsored by
Agudas Yisroel and given by HaRav Yisroel Feder, and after
this siyum four other communities announced that they were
starting Daf Yomi shiurim.
80 Percent of High Court Rulings Inconsistent With Jewish
Values On the very day the High Court issued an anti-religious
ruling regarding conversion, Manof — The Center for
Jewish Information published a comprehensive study on the
High Court's rulings as they relate to Jewish issues. The
central figure emerging from the study: 80 percent of High
Court rulings are against Judaism. The comprehensive study
was conducted over the course of a year by a team of Manof
jurists. The study examined over 8,700 High Court rulings of
which 185 touched on religious issues during the past nine
years.
Following a growing number of acts of chilul Shabbos
in Ashdod where stores and shopping malls have begun to
trample over the sanctity of Shabbos, a moving public prayer
rally led by gedolei Torah, admorim and rabbonim was
held on leil Shabbos Parshas Tazria in the city
streets.
Not so long ago, we received an indignant letter from a
reader. We had written that doing something was prohibited
but he had asked Rav X if he could do it, and Rav X said that
he could. Rosh Chodesh: A Yom Tov — But Why?
Part II
In the first part, HaRav Weisfish noted that a difference
between Klal Yisroel and the nations of the world is that we
use a lunar calendar and they use a solar calendar. "The sun
and the moon can be said to represent these two opposing
viewpoints. The sun is constant and unchanging. . . . Its
fixed path symbolizes the nations' belief that the world has
always existed and that nothing new is ever introduced by a
higher guiding Hand. The moon, on the other hand, is
constantly changing.
Chesed Lady
Loosely Based on a True Story
Brrr—-iiiing! the phone rang. Sarah dried off
her hands from the dish soap and reached for the phone.
"Hello," she answered calmly.
Escaping from Iran A Fateful Mistake
n erev Pesach (Shabbos) one can eat chometz only
until the end of the zman achilas chometz.
Because erev Pesach falls this year on Shabbos, on
Thursday, 12 Nissan (Apr. 22) is the fast of the firstborn -
Ta'anis Bechoros.
On Thursday night, the eve of 13 Nissan (Apr. 21) is the
search for chometz - bedikas chometz, and the
chometz is burnt the next morning, Friday, 13 Nissan
(Apr. 22) until the end of the zman sereifas chometz.
The minhag is for the Mora DeAsra to say a
deroshah on Shabbos HaGodol to inform the
community of the numerous halochos of matzoh
and chometz and many read part of the Haggodoh
after Minchah.
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