SLICHOT

The Ashkenazi practice is to begin saying SLICHOT on a Motza'ei Shabbat (Sunday morning). And there must be at least four days of Slichot before Rosh HaShana. When R.H. falls on THUor SHABBAT (as it does this year... and next), then there are enough days in the pre-RH week and the first Slichot is Motza'ei Shabbat Nitzavim-Vayeilech.When RH falls on MON or TUE, then the first Slichot is the previous Motza'ei Shabbat, of Ki Tavo.

We are scheduled for 4 SHABBAT-SUN Rosh HaShanas in the next 5 years.

Purim, Pesach, Yom HaAtzmaut, Lag BaOmer, Yom Yerushalayim, Shavuot, Rosh HaShana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, and almost all the fast days and other special dates on the calendar are linked as to days of the week on which they fall. Only Chanuka, 10 Tevet, TU b'Shvat are not. Elaboration on this some day.

KOSHER KOLUMN

From answers to Kashrut questions asked to the OU's Webbe Rebbe.

L'CHAYIM

Amaretto di Sarrono (do they still have that great bottle?) is OU certified.

Light rum is generally considered kosher, based on its contents. Dark rum gets that way by the addition of color which often is of grape origin.

SPICES

Most spices require rabbinical supervision. This is not due to the spice itself, but rather to common additives, that do not show up on the label. Some of the additives are dairy or treif. There are some spices that are not known to have a non-kosher additive problem, but it is a smart practice to look for a hashgacha whenbuying spices.

CHEESE

Hisorically, milk was curdled, as part of the cheese-making process, by using an enzyme called RENNET, which is derived from the stomach of a suckling calf. Recently, a Microbial Rennet has been developed. Although not truly rennet, they function very similarly.

All cheeses certified by the OU use Microbial Rennet.

Emulsifiers and stablizers are significantly problematic, kashrutwise. They are used in cottage cheese (among many other products), which is why cottage cheese must have a hashgacha.

DAIRY EQUIPMENT

Back to this topic. The OU's policy is to label and consider parve foods made on dairy equipment as DAIRY. Among other reasons for this policy is the fact that some companies that have a full line of dairy products DO NOT sufficiently clean the equipment between products to allow us to assume that there is no actual dairysubstance on the equipment. This is a good reason to consider the foods as DAIRY, not just "make with dairy vessels".

STEARIC ACID

This ingredient, and magnesium stearate which is made from stearic acid, can be derived from animal or plant sources. This alone tells us that a hashgacha would be required for any product containing these ingredients. Furthermore, a majority of stearates come from animal fat; minority from plants. On the other hand, ifyou see a product with a hashgacha and stearic acid on the label, remember that there is a plant-derived stearic acid.

IPA Institute for Public Affairs

The OU is not just involved in Kashrut, youth groups, synagogue services, and the like. It keeps a sharp watch of current events, usually that impact upon us. The following are excepts from IPA's International Briefs.

The OU continues to express grave concern for the 13 Iranian Jews who face charges of spying for the US and for Israel. The OU urges individuals and shuls to say special prayers on behalf of our brethren who are in dire straits. The OU feels that direct correspondence of demonstrations against the Iranian authorities isnot appropriate at this time.

T'hilim 120, 121, and 142 followed by the "mini-prayer" ACHEINU KOL BEIT YISRAEL is being recited by some shuls each day after one of the davenings.

We will include some OU IPA items in Torah Tidbits from time to time.

AGUNA GET DAY

sponsored by L'maan B'nos Yisrael, Int'l

In a worldwide effort to help AGUNOT (victims of recalcitrant husbands who refuse to give their wives a religious GET) and their children, Tuesday, September 14th has been designated as Aguna Get Day. Jews all over the world are challenged to encourage these recalcitrants to do T'shuva before Yom Kippur and release their wives. There are many aspects of this campaign, including special prayers on behalf of these "persecuted" women. Anyone who would like more information, please contact Emunah Women, (02) 563-9963

THE JERUSALEM INSTITUTE OF JEWISH LAW R. Emanuel Quint, Dean

Lesson #5. Getting to Know the Great Sanhedrin (part 3)

Many of the students in our kolel ask “when are we starting with the everyday laws? I take that to mean that they want to begin with the actual laws as they appear in Shulhan Aruch Hoshen haMishpat. I have decided to just list the remaining jurisdictional functions of the Great Sanhedrin, and if someone wants more specifics,I refer them to Jewish Jurisprudence, vol.1, ch.1. A chapter can be written about each of these matters. Most importantly the reader will get a glimpse at the scope of the matters which came before the Torah Supreme Court. For many readers this will probably be one of the few times to read about these matters. There isalso the hope that by the time this gets to press that Moshiach will be here and these will again be practical matters. And we thank Phil Chernofsky for giving us the opportunity to prepare to meet Moshiach.

In addition to the judicial functions described in the previous lessons, the Great Sanhedrin has the responsibility of performing numerous nonjudicial functions, some legislative and some executive.

Important decisions regarding the nation

[1] Declaration of war. This power is limited to voluntary wars. There is a difference of opinion on how to define the term “voluntary war”. According to Rashi, voluntary wars are all wars except the wars when the Jews entered to conquer the Land of Israel. According to Rambam the war of conquest and the wars against Amalekand defensive wars are all non-voluntary wars; all other wars are voluntary wars. The Great Sanhedrin must have the king’s acquiescence in voluntary wars; the king may declare a non-voluntary war by himself.

[2] Enlarging the area of Jerusalem or of the courtyards of the Holy Temple. Jerusalem has a greater degree of sanctity than the rest of the Land of Israel; the Holy Temple courtyards have a greater degree of sanctity that the rest of Jerusalem. There is a beautiful ceremony that takes place to enlarge these areas. Thedecision to do the enlarging is made by the Great Sanhedrin, the king, a prophet and the Urim and Tumim.

Appointment of high officials

The great Sanhedrin has a legislative or executive type function in appointing the two highest officials in the nation, the king and the high priest.

[1] The king. The Great Sanhedrin and a prophet jointly determine who shall ascend the throne in the event of a dispute or if the king dies leaving no son to ascend the throne.

[2] The high priest is appointed by the Great Sanhedrin.

Supervision and participation in certain sacrificial rites

[1] Certain sin-offerings. Three members of the Great Sanhedrin are required for the laying of the hands on the sin-offering that is brought when the Jewish people sin through an erroneous ruling of the Great Sanhedrin. Three members of the Great Sanhedrin are also required for the laying of the hands on the scapegoat onthe Day of Atonement.

[2] Burning of the Red Heifer (can be older than a heifer - PC). In one of the most mysterious rites in Judaism, a person who has become ritually contaminated by being in contact with the dead, can become uncontaminated by the ceremony of the water of purification containing ashes from the Red Heifer sprinkled upon him.The Great Sanhedrin has jurisdiction to supervise the entire procedure of the slaughtering of the Red Heifer and the burning of the Red Heifer.

[3] Examination of the priests and Levites. Another important function of the Great Sanhedrin is to examine the priests as to status and as to blemishes. Rambam enumerates 50 types of blemishes that disqualify a priest from officiating in the Holy Temple. If they were bona fide priests they could do the service in the HolyTemple, and if they had certain physical blemishes they were disqualified from doing the main services. The levites were examined to determine if they could fulfill their function of singing the psalms in the courtyard of the Holy Temple.

Overseeing matters concerning the law

The jurisdiction under this category as the others is that the cases must have some general effect upon the entire country.

[1] Establishing a Lesser Sanhedrin and appointing judges. As will be seen IY"H in the next lesson, there is a Lesser Sanhedrin appointed for each city, a supreme Lesser Sanhedrin appointed for each tribe, and two Lesser Sanhedrins appointed for Jerusalem. The Great Sanhedrin has the jurisdiction over the establishmentand appointment of the judges for all the Lesser Sanhedrins.

[2] Correcting the king’s scroll. In addition to a Torah scroll that each Jew must have, the king is required to write for himself an additional Scroll of the Law. The extra scroll is written very small like an amulet and is fastened to the king’s arm so that it may accompany him at all times. The Great Sanhedrin correctsthis Torah scroll from the corrected copy written at the time of Ezra.

[3] The jubilee year. Just as we count the Omer, the Great Sanhedrin counted the years toward the jubilee year. They counted the years and sanctified the fiftieth year as the jubilee year.

The final arbiter of the law

The Great Sanhedrin in the Chamber of Hewn Stone, on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is the source of the Oral Law. The members of the Great Sanhedrin are the pillars of instruction. From them go forth the statutes and laws to all Israel. The Torah commands us to repose confidence in them as it is said according to the lawthat they shall teach you. (Deuteronomy 17:14) This is a positive command. Whoever believes in our teacher Moses and his law is bound to follow their guidance in the practice of religion and to depend upon them. If they were not certain as to a law when asked of them they considered the question, discussed the matter untilthey reached a unanimous decision or put it to a vote and decided in accordance with the majority opinion.

IN EACH GENERATION THEY STATE THE WILL OF GOD!

The laws regarding the Great Sanhedrin were transmitted from G-d to Moshe 3,311 years ago. The tremendous breadth and scope of the jurisdiction of the Great Sanhedrin as well as the Divine origin of the substantive law administered by it, clearly establish it as the greatest governing institution of all time.

Feedback concerning this column continues to be very positive. TT is proud to present Rabbi Quint's lessons on Choshen Mishpat, and looks forward to a long run.