Which Paschal Sacrifice Ceremony You Attending?

Are you upset about the Paschal Sacrifice exercise today near the Temple Mount?

Let's get things straight.

It already was advertised provocatively, last year:

In First, Far-right Jews Sacrifice Lamb Near Temple MountFor the first time the group was allowed to hold the ceremony just a few hundred meters from the Mount which is administered by a Muslim religious trust

And if you are upset with all the blood, and fire and barbecuing as expressions of primitive religious fanaticism (as if Israel's Independence Day "mangal" festival upsets you), relax.

You can attend a similar event without the tension on April 29th.

Same lamb (multiple actually). Same blood and fire. And even Haaretz deals sympathetically with the issue.

The Samaritan Paschal Sacrifice on Mount Gerizim.

UPDATE
I was reminded by Arnon Segal that this August 21 begins the Id Al-Adha Muslim holiday of the sacrifice

Muslims around the globe will be celebrating “Eid al-Adha” by offering an animal (a sheep, goat or cow) for slaughtering, to commemorate “Abraham’s ultimate willingness to sacrifice.” Muslims are reminded to understand the virtue of true sacrifice beyond the ceremonial slaughtering of the animal. 

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We All Cleaned For Pesach?

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My Pesach Shopping List

I know it is already mid-holiday but I figured I'd give my list that I drew up the practical test: now that a few days have gone by, I am assured that my pre-holiday list withstood the test and you can now use it for next year:

MEAT & FISH
• chicken wings
• ground meat
• beef
• chicken bottoms
• for gefilte: carp / white
• tuna – oil/water

DAIRY
• hard yellow cheese
• yoghurts
• cottage cheese
• cream cheese
• eggs
• milk

VEGETABLES
• potatoes
• sweet potato
• onions
• scallions
• leek
• carrots
• romaine lettuce
• grapefruit
• oranges
• apples – golden delicious, granny, jonathan, red delicious
• cabbage
• celery
• cauliflower
• squash
• parsley root
• soup greens
• zucchini
• avocados
• portabella mushrooms
• champignon mushrooms
• horseradish root
• garlic
• tomatoes (regular/cherry)
• cucumbers
• peppers
• extra virgin olive oil
• mayonnaise
• honey
• white sugar
• vinegar
•

SPICES
• Pepper (black/white)
• Paprika
• Cinnamon
• Table Salt
• Kosher Salt
•

MATZOT
• shmura matza
• regular matza
• potato starch
• matza meal

NUTS
• walnuts
• almonds
• pecan

MISCELLANEOUS
• Oil
• Chocolate
• Coffee
• Teas
• Cleaning aids (dishwashing liquids, scrubbing pads, etc.)
• Paper goods, utensils, disposables, etc.

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The Robotic Four Questions at a Seder

The future is robots?

It's here:-



(k/t = BO)

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Pesach Is Coming and That Means Food

My later mother left us with a family heirloom, Savta Brei.

Here's a new recipe from that great New York Jewish newspaper, the Times:-

Matzo, Lox, Eggs and Onions

Time: 10 minutes

4 matzos
1 large red onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus a pinch
8 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 ounces smoked salmon, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
2 tablespoons freshly chopped dill, more for garnish
Honey, for serving
Sour cream, for serving.

1. Put the matzos under a running faucet for about 15 seconds or until really wet. They should start to soften but not fall apart. Break them into rough 1 1/2-inch pieces.
2. Scatter the onion in a large dry skillet over high heat. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until it turns dark golden brown on one side, then stir in the butter and a pinch of salt and cook until golden all over and dark brown in spots, about 3 to 5 minutes. If the butter starts to become too brown, lower the heat.
3. While the onion is frying, whisk the eggs in a medium bowl with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Stir in the matzo pieces and let them soak.
4. Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium-low and add matzo-egg mixture to the onion. Cook, stirring, as you would with scrambled eggs. When the eggs are two-thirds of the way cooked, stir in the smoked salmon and dill. Serve immediately with a pool of honey and dollop of sour cream on the side.
Yield: 4 servings.

Let me know how your's came out.

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The Eldad Haggada at a Meah Shearim Bookstore

Background: Here; and Here.
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Online Selling

A Jew is required to remove all chametz from his possession during the Pesach holiday. Not only to put it away but to legally disassociate huimself from being its owner.

Now, thanks to the Tzohar Rabbis Organization, you can sell your chametz on-line:-

Now, that's even better the E-Bay.

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Is 12 NIS Too Much for a Sacrifice?

Whether you follow the guidance of Rabbis who promote ascent into the Temple Mount compound in accordance with Jewish law:

Or you follow those Rabbis opposed to any entrance into the Temple Mount compound

You surely can afford 12 NIS and place yourself on the list of those subscribed to the Paschal Offering that we hope will be sacrificed in accordance with the Torah imperative:

Three years ago, it was deemed legal by a judge.

So, call 02-9410100 and make your pledge of participation as numbered for the sacrifice.

For Hebrew readers and listerners:

הרב שמואל אליהו: אין מניעה לקרבן פסח בזמן הזה מלבד הפחד והחלטת הממשלה:


הרבנים החרדיים - הרב חיים קנייבסקי והרב שמואל אויערבך קוראים להירשם כמנויים לקרבן פסח :


מוקד הרשמה למנוי לקרבן פסח מידי יום 8 בבוקר - חצות הלילה
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What To Do With Your Chametz

If you are in the north-east Queens area:

All chametz must be disposed of before this time [11:36AM]. Your remaining chametz need not all be burnt, but the final kezayit (olive’s worth) should be burnt. Most of your chametz can be disposed of by flushing it down the toilet, or placing it in a public garbage dumpster. A special dumpster for this purpose will be left in front of the Young Israel of Jamaica Estates on Monday morning from 6-11am.

Dumpster Judaism.

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What To Do During The Pesach Holiday

Come to Shiloh

and visit also Binyamin Region sites:

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Something You Don't See in New York

I was waiting for a bus to take me to Bet Shemesh to visit family (see this post) and lo and behold!, along comes a bus and I noticed something so I whipped out my camera and snapped a shot:



and here is the close-up.


It reads:

Notice to Passengers!
The bus has undergone Pesach cleaning
and it is FORBIDDEN to Bring In Chametz
and most certainly not to eat in the bus
Happy and Kosher Pesach

Egged

Even Yonah's Chickens Eat Kosher for Pesach

My friend and neighbor, Yonah Tzoref, maintains several chicken runs here in Shiloh, all free range chickens and come Pesach they eat chametz-free:-



That's the official Gan Raveh Regional Council's Rabbinate approbation for chicken feed.

Obama Fingerdipping at Seder

Source

Look Who Came to the Seder

...last night, the two [adopted children David and Mercy] were at the centre of their adopted family as they celebrated the Jewish festival of Passover. Along with older siblings Lourdes and Rocco, their mother Madonna and her boyfriend Jesus Luz, the family arrived at the Kabbalah Centre in London.

Pesach Scenes

Major operation, preparing the maror.
First, take one horseradish root, peel and


then place in blender and after 100 turns of the blade:


you remove and place in serving bowl and the result - hot horseradish maror in vinegar

Burning the chametz

The new extension of the Ramat Shmuel Synagogue

Pesach Cleaning and the Computer

I asked Hashem to tell me
Why my house is such a mess.
He asked if I'd been computering
And I had to answer "yes".
He told me to get off my seat
And tidy up the house
And so I started by cleaning off
The smudges on my mouse

I wiped and shined the topside
That really did the trick !
I was just admiring my handiwork
I didn't mean to click
But click I did, and oops !, I found
Such an interesting Pesach site
That I got so very absorbed
I was into it ALL NIGHT !

Morning came and nothing changed
My house is still a threat
My mouse is strictly kosher
We'll just make Pesach on the net !

Chag Kasher Vesameach!

(Kippah tip: RH)

Next Year in Which Jerusalem?

Lifting an idea from David Wilder of Hebron, come this Pesach, on the night of March 29, the eve of the 15th of Nissan, when all the Obama Jews - David Axelrod, Rahm Emanuel, et al., - are sitting at the Seder table, and conclude the festive ceremonial tradition which the Haggada text reads as:

"Next year in the rebuilt Jerusalem”

what will they recite?

Will it be

Next year in occupied Jerusalem?
Next year in east Jerusalem?
Next year in Arab Jerusalem?
Next year in the Palestinian capital of Jerusalem?
Next year in El-Quds?

Nu?

What will you be saying?

Is Marijuana Kosher for Pessach?

You never know what is out there in the blogosphere:-

Marijuana

...R. Yitzhak Ya'akov Weiss (1902-1989), in Shu't Minhat Yitzhak (vol. 3 no. 138(b)), discusses cannabis on Passover. Specifically, he is dealing with two foods, cannabis and cotton-seed oil, but we will focus on cannabis. Prior to engaging in this discussion we should note that the cannabis plant produces three things: (1) hemp which is fibrous and can be used to make clothing, and was commonly used to make strong rope; (2) hemp seed, which is used in food and in some homeopathic remedies; and (3) as a narcotic referred to as marijuana. [See also Y. Felix, Marot ha-Mishna, Jerusalem: 1977, p. 131; and Z. Amar, "Hashish and the Hashishim in Eretz Yisrael and Syria During the Medieval Period," in Ariel 120 (1997), pp. 277-282.]

R. Weiss first notes that cannabis shouldn't be questionable at all for Passover as Rambam, in the laws of prohibited mixing of seeds, labels cannabis as a vegetable and not kitniyot. However, R. Weiss points out that there is an internal problem with the Rambam, one that many of commentaries on Rambam have dealt with, but not to R. Weiss's satisfaction.

It should be noted that one commentary, Radbaz (1479-1589 or 1463-1573), in his discussion of this issue makes it apparent that he is aware of cannabis's narcotic use. He explains that "in Egypt they eat [smoke?] cannabis and become high and those who do report that it makes them very happy . . . in other places they use cannabis to make clothing like linen."


Read more.

Some People Eat Matzot in The Most Awesome Places

Question:

Where are these young women eating their matzot?


Answer:

Ibiza.

That White House - Roundup

From the White House Briefing:-

Q And one other thing, on the Seder tonight, will the President stay the whole time and how many people are expected to attend?

MR. GIBBS: You know, the truth is I think there's about 17 to 20 people. He'll certainly stay the whole time. This is largely an offshoot of an event -- I use the word "event" somewhat loosely -- last year. I think we were in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Eric Lesser organized for some folks this event and we got back to the hotel, it was the basement of a -- of this hotel and asked the President if he'd like to come and the President accepted the invitation. And I think -- I did not go, but somebody told me that at the event that they said, next year let's do this at the White House, and -- (laughter) -- here we are.

So, unclear what predication will be made tonight about where next year's will be, but we'll --

Q Who's leading the Seder? Who's leading it? Who's doing the service?

MR. BURTON: Shared.

MR. GIBBS: I don't know -- what was it?

MR. BURTON: It's a shared leader. Everybody will.

Q Rahm?

MR. GIBBS: The truth is Eric Lesser is the person that has organized most of this both last year and this year.

Well, here it is:



And who was there?

This source reports:

From the President's left is Samantha Tubman (she came to the original one in Harrisburg and now works for Social Secretary Desiree Rogers).... Next to Tubman is Melissa Winter (deputy chief of staff for First Lady Michelle Obama) then First daughters Sasha, and Malia, then the First Lady.

Next to the First Lady is deputy White House counsel Susan Sher, and next to Susan Sher (out of view) are her sons Evan Moore and Michael Cohen, top White House advisor Valerie Jarrett and Obama pal and University of Chicago Medical Center honcho Eric Whitaker (who you can't see).

On the other side of the table, to the President's immediate right, is Susan Sher's husband Neil Cohen. Next to him is Laura Moser (Arun Chaudhary wife), then White House videographer Arun Chaudhary, Vice President Biden aide Herbie Ziskend (Chaudhary and Ziskend were at Harrisburg) Eric Lesser, Lesser's father, Martin Lesser, Deputy Director of Advance Lisa Kohnke, Mrs. Obama's personal aide, Dana Lewis, and Obama personal assistant Reggie Love.