An Embarrassing Encounter
An Embarrassing Encounter Throughout the course of a flight abroad, a fellow Jewish passenger watched my every move. When mealtime came, I removed a sandwich from my satchel, washed my hands, and began eating. The man ate the non-kosher meal he was given. But as the food entered his innards, justification for this act came […]
Always Kosher
Always Kosher All too often, when I ask people who come for a blessing if they are strict in kashrut observance, I hear, “In the house, but not outside.” I honestly wonder what they feel is the difference between sullying their soul inside the comforts of their home or doing it in an upscale restaurant. […]
Selling His Soul to Swine
Selling His Soul to Swine Whenever I visited a certain Chassidic Jew in Mexico, my senses would be assailed by the distinct smell of swine. I could never understand how I could connect this G-d-fearing Jew with this repulsive food and decided to ask his forgiveness for doing so. But I did not know how […]
Refreshments of Rescue
Refreshments of Rescue I once took an early-morning flight to visit my son, Refael, then learning in the Gateshead yeshiva in England. My trusted escort, R’ Chanania Soussan, provided me with a sandwich for breakfast. Although it was a meat sandwich, and I am in the habit of eating only milk products in the morning, […]
Nonkosher Foods Block the Way Home
Nonkosher Foods Block the Way Home When I was in Argentina, a woman approached me and related her family issues. She complained that her children did not respect her fittingly. They never asked after her welfare and did not keep up a connection. This caused her untold anguish. She wanted me to bless her that […]
It’s Not Peanuts
It’s Not Peanuts On a flight abroad, a flight attendant offered the passengers packages of nuts, as is common on many flights. When I was offered this snack, I declined. But he probably did not hear my answer, because he repeated his offer. So I repeated my response. “It is kosher,” he tried to assure […]
A Toast to Sanctity
A Toast to Sanctity Many years after my father emigrated from Morocco to Eretz Yisrael, some friends from the old country came to visit. They enjoyed walking down memory lane, as they recalled mutual experiences of Essaouira in Morocco. During the course of their conversation, one of the men suggested they drink a l’chaim from […]
Kashrut
“Do not make yourselves abominable by means of any swarming thing; do not defile yourselves through them lest you become defiled through them” (Vayikra 11:43) Rashi expounds, “Do not make your souls abominable by eating them, lest you make yourselves impure through them. If you make yourselves impure through them on earth, I, too, will […]
Acting Neighborly
Acting Neighborly My dear disciple, Lyron Elbaz, lives in Lyon. His home is near that of a fierce anti Semite. One day, my disciple told me, “Rebbi, I have no doubt that this man is from the seed of Amalek. Whenever my family celebrates a Jewish holiday, he protests vociferously with his virulent vilifications.” “Can […]
Purchasing Peace
Purchasing Peace I know of an individual who lives among gentiles. I once asked him where he buys his kosher food. He told me the name of a certain store. I was surprised to hear this, as it was a place far from his house. There was a kosher establishment much closer to his home. […]
An Honorable Reaction
An Honorable Reaction One Shabbat, in the midst of the tefillah, a man burst into the Beit Hakeneset and began to publicly denounce me. A number of congregants began defending my honor. I immediately squelched any would-be squabble by smiling at the man and treating him pleasantly. I signaled for the others to continue with […]
Sucked into the Cyclone
Sucked into the Cyclone I know of a G-d-fearing Jew, who merited raising his children in the ways of Torah and mitzvot. They were all learning in prestigious kollelim and yeshivot. He himself was a talmid chacham of note. One day, he approached me, and, contrary to what one would expect to hear from such […]
