GUEST POST: NINE DAYS

NINE DAYS
(a guest post by Mr. Cohen)

The Three Weeks are not mentioned in the Talmud. 

They were created in response to the massacres of
the Crusaders, which occurred seven centuries
[700 years] after the Talmud was sealed.

According to Sephardic Halachah, there are no

Three Weeks and no Nine Days; there is only
the week of Tisha BeAv; and when Tisha BeAv
is the day-after-Shabbat [Sunday], there is no
week of Tisha BeAv, there is only Tisha BeAv itself.

In our times many Sephardim abandon their own

Sephardic Halachah and also abandon their own
Sephardic pronunciation, because it is easier to
follow the majority. Many Sephardim, especially
those who attended Ashkenazic Yeshivot, do not
know that the Three Weeks and the Nine Days
are NOT Sephardic Halachah.

Other Sephardim assume [incorrectly] that when

it comes Halachah, stricter is always better, so
they abandon the lenient Sephardic Halachah
in favor of the often-stricter Ashkenazic Halachah.

Contrary to what many Jews believe, stricter

Halachah is NOT always better Halachah!
====================================
Sephardic Jews REJECT Reform Judaism:
https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2017/07/sephardim-reject-reform.html
====================================
The part of a fish locked inside that bony
triangle tucked between the gills is called
The Collar.  It is the most flavorful part
of the fish, but most fish stores do not sell
them because they are ugly.  Ask a fish store
for The Collar, you can probably buy it cheap.
Grilling and intense marinade are recommended.

SOURCE: Men’s Journal magazine, July 2018,

volume 27, number 7, page 24, article:
Hot Around the Collar by Adam Ence
====================================
Sephardic Jews REJECT Reform Judaism:
https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2017/07/sephardim-reject-reform.html
====================================
PLEASE help by making a PayPal donation to:
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THANK YOU!!
====================================

Lots of Legitimate Kosher for Passover Customs/Psak/Laws Part 1

Note that I didn't use the word "choice" in my title here. As many people know, I'm in the midst of planning a new kitchen. We never made a change or even major repair in the kitchen we built as part of our house almost thirty-five years ago. We've changed the major appliances, but that's it. We probably should have done work, like major repairs, on the plumbing, but we didn't.

Some of you may be wondering why I'm writing about something as mundane as a kitchen on Shiloh Musings. Isn't that more a topic for A Jewish Grandmother? Yes and No. When it comes to the logistics, aesthetics, planning, appliances and things like that, yes, I'll be blogging a lot on A Jewish Grandmother. But a Jewish kitchen isn't just about style and even convenience. There is a lot of halacha, Jewish Law involved when planning a kitchen and choosing materials and even appliances.

Once my friends, in real time and the internet, facebook and blogging, heard that I was going to totally redo/renovate my kitchen the advice began flooding in. In almost all cases, I was told to get "X," because it would make Passover cleaning easier. And, inevitably, the recommended type of appliance or sink or countertop that can be kashered more easily for Passover is more expensive.

In Torah aka Orthodox Judaism we follow our rabbinic instructions/decisions/customs etc. Not all Orthodox rabbinic instructions/decisions/customs are the same, especially when it comes to Passover. There's a major difference between the instructions/decisions/customs of Ashkenaz (European) Jewry and the Sefardi (North African) Jews. And even within Sefardi Jews there's a big difference between, Yemenite, Moroccan and Tunisian etc including which cities the family had lived in.

It's not just a matter of who eats rice and/or lentils.

In general, Ashkenaz psak, decisions and procedures are strictest and most difficult. We are Ashkenazim, so we change and cover pretty much everything. We always had Passover sets of silverware, dishes, pots etc, so I never found myself learning how to kasher anything for Passover. Just take it out of storage.

Now I keep hearing that I must get a stainless steel sink, because it can be kashered for Passover. I may get one, but since I may have the chance to get a good regular one much more cheaply, then since I already have Passover sink bowls, I may decide to save the money. Renovations always entail extra expenses. We also need to buy new lighting fixtures, and now my husband is talking of changing the livingroom windows...

Countertops are another major issue. We have always completely covered our countertops. It's no big deal for me. Certainly in this stage of life I don't see the point in spending extra money and then have to pour boiling water over everything, which has safety and other risks.

When I say "this stage of life," I'm reminding you that the one week Passover Holiday is no longer a time of major cooking and entertaining for us. Our daughter, may she and her family live and be well, has taken over the big family Passover Seder and most other family entertaining/hosting. Our new kitchen must be suitable for two senior citizens, which is a topic for  A Jewish Grandmother.

What do you think?