HALACHICALLY SPEAKING - Foodmans Originalfoodmannosh.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/KofK... ·...

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"All these bags are from your Pesach grocery shopping?" asked Bubby, wide- eyed. "That's not all. I have another few bags in the trunk," panted her daughter Dinah. "And these are just the dry groceries. The meat and dairy orders are separate." "My, my. I remember when all you could buy for Pesach were. the absolute basics - sugar, oil, potato starch, and maybe some macaroons," reminisced Bubby. "Everything else - we made ourselves, or did without." "It's a new world," said Dinah. Now, you can buy virtually everything Kosher for Pesach." "Everything but pizza and granola," laughed Bubby. "You'd be surprised," countered Dinah, pulling a box out of one of the bags. "Look, a new product I found on the shelf - Pesach-style Granola!" "Now I've seen everything," sighed Bubby. products to feed the hungry hordes. After all, can we expect our pampered generation to manage a full week without the delicacies to which they are accustomed ...? New Products, New Berachah Dilemmas The kosher food industry in general, and the Kosher for Pesach market in particular, does not rest on its laurels for long. Every new season brings with it new, innovative A newcomer to the Pesach market this year is a Kof-Kcertified product HALACHICALLY SPEAKING Written by Rabbi Moishe Dovid Lebovits Recorder ofKOP-K Policy Rabbinic Admini;trator called "Matzolah" This product is made with matzoh, sugar, and nuts, baked to a tasty crispiness. For all those who are hooked on their daily breakfast of crunchy granola, this will fill an important void. The question is: What berachah do we make on this creative concoction? Hamotzi? Mezonost Or do we just give up and settle for eating it in the course of a meal? Crispy Dough Products Before addressing the question of what berachah to make on Matzolah, we first need to clarifythe berachah for matzoh. "The berachah for matzoh?!" you may ask in wonderment. "Everyone knows that on matzoh we say 'hamotzi; It even says so in the Hagaddah!"Not so simple! The first term we must define FOOD FOR THO UGH T Z K0F-K I 27 ~l

Transcript of HALACHICALLY SPEAKING - Foodmans Originalfoodmannosh.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/KofK... ·...

  • "All these bags are from your Pesach grocery shopping?" asked Bubby, wide-eyed.

    "That's not all. I have another few bags in the trunk," panted her daughter Dinah."And these are just the dry groceries. The meat and dairy orders are separate."

    "My, my. I remember when all you could buy for Pesach were. the absolutebasics - sugar, oil, potato starch, and maybe some macaroons," reminisced Bubby."Everything else - we made ourselves, or did without."

    "It's a new world," said Dinah. Now, you can buy virtually everything Kosherfor Pesach."

    "Everything but pizza and granola," laughed Bubby.

    "You'd be surprised," countered Dinah, pulling a box out of one of the bags."Look, a new product I found on the shelf - Pesach-style Granola!"

    "Now I've seen everything," sighed Bubby.

    products to feed the hungry hordes.After all, can we expect our pamperedgeneration to manage a full weekwithout the delicacies to which theyare accustomed ...?

    New Products, New BerachahDilemmas

    The kosher food industry ingeneral, and the Kosher for Pesachmarket in particular, does not reston its laurels for long. Every newseason brings with it new, innovative

    A newcomer to the Pesach marketthis year is a Kof-Kcertified product

    HALACHICALLY SPEAKINGWritten by

    Rabbi Moishe Dovid LebovitsRecorder ofKOP-K PolicyRabbinic Admini;trator

    called "Matzolah" This product ismade with matzoh, sugar, and nuts,baked to a tasty crispiness. For allthose who are hooked on their dailybreakfast of crunchy granola, this willfill an important void. The questionis: What berachah do we make onthis creative concoction? Hamotzi?Mezonost Or do we just give up andsettle for eating it in the course of ameal?

    Crispy Dough Products

    Before addressing the question ofwhat berachah to make on Matzolah,we first need to clarifythe berachah formatzoh. "The berachah for matzoh?!"you may ask in wonderment."Everyone knows that on matzoh wesay 'hamotzi; It even says so in theHagaddah!"Not so simple!

    The first term we must define

    FOOD FOR THO UGH T Z K 0 F - K I 27

    ~l

  • before we examine this issue is "pashaba b'kisninl' food which is notbread but is in the bread family. Thereare three halachic definitions for thisterm, but we will focus on the third,which is most relevant to our topic:

    Rav Hai Gaon, in the name ofthe Aruch, says that pashaba b'kisnin is a doughthat has been baked ina manner that causes itto become very hard.'Crackers and breadsticks"fall into this category,"Although these items aremade from precisely thesame ingredients as bread,due to their appearanceand texture, they are noteaten as bread during ameal," and therefore, theberachah is mezonosr

    How About Matzoh?

    minhag of most Sephardim is to saymezonos on matzoh all year round,when they regard matzoh as no morethan a "big cracker;' and hamotzi onlyon Pesach."

    The Ashkenazic custom, on theother hand, is to recite hamotzi on

    say hamotzi on matzoh is becausethey do not consider matzoh to be inthe category Rav Hai Gaon defined aspas haba b'kisnin+

    An interesting question arises forSephardim regarding leftover matzohafter Pesach. All week long, they

    recited hamotzi on thesematzos. What berachahdo they say "the morningafter"? Many poskimmaintain that the berachahfor Sephardim indeedreverts to mezonos/' whileothers say that the din of ~hamotzi remains as longas the Pesach matzohslast." On motza'ei Pesach,however, everyone agreesthat even ~ Sephardi wouldsay hamotzi on matzoh ifhe is kove'a seudah:"

    Matzo granolabreakfastand nosh

    According to theopinion of Rav Hai Gaon,matzoh falls into thecategory of pas habab'kisnin since it is crispy,and therefore the berachahfor matzoh would bemezonos. The reasonthe berachah recitedon matzoh on Pesach is hamotzi,according to Rav Hai Gaon, is becauseon Pesach, it is universally consideredthe substitute for bread.' In fact the

    AvailablePassoverandyear-round!

    Matzolah is healthy, delicious and wholesome.Kosher for Passover and year-round!

    1. Refer to Shulchan Aruch 168:7.

    2 .. See V'zos Haberachah, birurim 39.

    3. Vsein Berachah p. 468; The Laws of Berachosp.238.

    4. Refer to Kashrus Kurrents from the Star-K.

    5. Magen Avraham 17; Machtzis Hashekel 27.Be'er Heiteiv 13; Pri Megadim MZ. 8; EishelAvraham 17; Elya Rabbah 15; Mishnah Berurah36; KafHachayim 62.

    6. Beis Yosefl68; Darchei Moshe 2; Shulchan AruchI68:7; Levush 6; Aruch Hashulchan 25.

    7. Ginas Veradirn (Gan Hamelech) 64;Maharsham 2:12; Binyan Shalom pp. 230-232;

    28 I Zl KOF-K PESACH 5773

    • Sodium free. Good sourceof fiber. Cholesterol free

    matzoh throughout the year," becausematzoh is used year-round for a mealand is not considered a snack item."Some say the reason the Ashkenazim

    Shevet Halevi 1:205, p. 270.

    8. Divrei Chachamim p. 70:174; Ohr L'zion2:12:3; Yalkut Yosef 3, pp. 126-127:3; TeshuvosV'hanhagos 3:73.

    9. Chelek Levi 152; Da'as Torah 168:10; PischeiHalachah 8:12; Birchos Hanehenin pp. 100-101;V'ha'ish. Mordechai pp. 235-236; Yechaven Da'as3:12; Teshuvos V'hanhagos 3:73; Avnei Yushfelt1:39:5; Binyan Shalom pp. 230-231; Shevet Halevi7:27; Birchos Hashem O.c. 1:61; Rivevos Ephraim6:234; Shalmei Mo'ed p. 344; Chazon Ovadiah(Berachos) p. 61.

    10. Beis David 70; Az Nidberu 14:29:2; TeshuvosV'hanhagos 3:73; Vsein Berachah p. 466.

    Interestingly, theVilna Gaon would not eatmatzoh all year, exceptfor Pesach, because hewas unsure of the correctberachah to recite on it. IS

    Bread in Disguise

    Now that we havesummarized the berachahstatus of matzoh, the next

    issue we need to become familiarwith is the appropriate berachah formatzoh which has changed its form.We will start with the more familiarhalachah of bread which has beenaltered in status.

    11. Eishel Avraham Butchatch 168; Tzitz Eliezer11:19;Minchas Yitzchak 1:71; Binyan Shalom pp.230-232.

    12. Machzik Berachah 158:5; Yechaveh Da'as3:12; Ohr L'ziori ibid, fn 3; Halichos ShlomoMo'adim 2:10:20; Da'as Torah 168:7; ChazonYeshayah (Berachos) p. 61.

    13. Beis David 70, 83; Kaf Hachayim 158:43.

    14. Ohr L'zion ibid; see also Shaarei Haberachahp.605.

    15. Beis Avi 5:12.

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  • Halachah takes a number of factorsinto consideration in determiningwhen bread loses its status as breadfor purposes ofthe berachah:

    -Size - Is the new product composedof pieces larger or smaller than ak'zayis?

    -Appearance - Does the new productretain the appearance of bread or is itunrecognizable?

    -Mode of preparation - Were thebread pieces cooked, fried, or baked?Were they soaked in eggs or hotwater or combined with honey orsugar?

    -Intent - Was the bread originallyprepared with the intention of usingit to create a snack product, such ascroutons?

    Weighing in the Factors

    A slice of bread which is toastedwhole, though it may acquire adifferent taste and a new color, retainsthe status of bread and the berachahof hamotzi'" That is a rather open-shut case, since it fails the "change-of-status test" on all four counts: Thesize is greater than a k'zayis, the toastretains the appearance of bread, theslice has been baked (toasted) only,without any further manipulation,and the item was originally bakedwith no other intention than to serveas bread.

    The halachic plot thickenswhen the bread is dealt' with moreaggressively. Cooking bread productsor soaking them in a kli rishon untilthey lose their original appearance,known . in halachah as chavitzah,effectively changes the status ofthe item to a mezonos, but this iscontingent on the pieces being smaller

    16. Kaf Hachayim 168:66; Binyan Shalom p.229; Vsein Berachah p. 467:fn 17, quoting theopinion of Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt"];see V'ha'ish. Mordechai, p 265.

    than a k'zayis and the new productlosing the appearance of bread.

    The same applies if pieces ofbread are not cooked, but are ratherstuck together with honey or soup.If the conglomerate is a k'zayis, theberachah remains hamotzi, even ifit no longer has the appearance ofbread." If the conglomerate does notamount to a k'zayis, then the berachahis hamotzi only if the product retainsthe appearance of bread. Otherwise,the product is mezonos." and even ifone was kove'a seudah on these items,as long as there is less than a k'zayis,there would be no obligation to washor bentch:"

    Cook, Fry, or Bake

    As we mentioned, if a bread item issmaller than a k'zayis and is cooked,even if the bread appearance remains,the berachah is mezonos, because it isconsidered a cooked dish, not a breadproduct. 20 The question is: What is .considered "cooked" for this purpose?

    In order for a bread item to beconsidered cooked, it must be placedin a utensil on the fire" or which hasjust been removed from the fire."Placing it in a kli sheini or pouringwater onto it from a kli rishon is notsufficient to deem it cooked." Forexample, knaidlach comprised ofmatzoh meal and a small amount ofwater, cooked in liquid in a pot on thefire would be mezonos (and that wouldcertainly be the case nowadays, when

    17. Refer to Prishah 168:4.

    18. See Berachos 37b; Rosh 6:10; Tur 168;Beis Yosef, Bach, SA 168:10; Levush 10; MagenAvraham 168:27; Mishnah Berurah 56.

    19. Mishnah Berurah 168:57.

    20. Ibid 168:49.

    21. Magen Avraham 168:25; Mishnah Berurah52.

    22. Ketzos Hashulchan 48:28.

    23. Magen Avraham 168:25; Be'er Heiteiv22; Mishnah Berurah 51; Pre Megadim EishelAvraham 25; Birchas Habayis 8:4.

    the knaidlach recipe generally calls foroil and eggs as well)."

    The poskim debate whether fryingis considered cooking." Deep fryingdefinitely is equivalent to cookingand would render the bread item amezonos, if the piece is less than ak'zayis." Lightly fried items remainhamotzi/' In the case of Frenchtoast for example, if the pieces arelarger than a k'zayis, the berachahwould be hamotzi, even though thebread has been mixed with eggs andmilk. If the pieces are smaller, andthere is a significant amount of oilused for frying, the berachah wouldbe mezonos." Similarly, matzoh brei,made of small pieces of matzohsoaked in egg and then fried, shouldostensibly be a mezonos. However,since the amount of oil used forthis purpose is often just enough toprevent burning, it is preferable to eatthis item after washing on somethingthat is definitely hamotzi/"

    When the bread product ismixed with other ingredients andthen baked, rather than cooked,the resultant berachah situation ismore complex. Even if the bread wasbroken into pieces smaller than ak'zayis before being combined with

    24. Taz 168:8; Shulchan Aruch Harav 12;Birchos Hanehenin 2:15; Chayei Adam 54:12;Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 48:9; Mishnah Berurah94; Aruch Hashulchan 24: Ketzos Hashulchan48:1O;Badei 30; Birchos Habayis 8:13; V'zosHaberachali p. 26; V'haislt Mordechai pp. 258-259; Magen Avraham 28; Shaarei Haberachah16; fn 90.

    25. See Mishnah Berurah 168:56; Shaar Hatziyun168:52; Shoneh Halachos 168:32.

    26. Birchos Hanehenin; Shulchan Aruch Harav2:12; V'zos Haberachah p. 25.

    27. Rema 168:14; Mishnah Berurah 69.

    28. Vsein Berachah p. 471; V'zos Haberachahp.25.

    29. Harav Yisrael Belsky shlita; see Chazon Ish26:9; Shevet Halevi 7:27; Minchas Asher pp. 44-46; V'zos Haberachah p. 25, V'ha'isn Mordechaipp. 259-261; Shalmei Moed p. 344; Avnei Yushfeb1:39:2.

    FOOD FOR THOUGHT ~ K 0 F - K I 29

  • the other ingredients, baking it mayturn it back into a bread item." Inthe case of challah kugel, it may besufficient to make it taste very sweet,with an abundance of raisins, sugar,etc." Some say that if the challah isnot cooked, it should be soaked fora half hour before combining withother ingredients in order for it todefinitely lose the appearance ofbread, and render the final product anunquestionable mezonos/"

    State Your Intentions

    A popular bread item that toucheson almost all the factors we have beendiscussing is croutons. These crispsquares are a common enhancementfor soups and salads. But whatberachah do they require?

    . There are actually many types ofcroutons on the market. The smallyellow croutons, for example, arenot made of pieces of bread, andin addition, are deep fried. Hence,they definitely require a berachah ofmezonos and are not relevant to ourdiscussion."

    Other croutons, however, are madefrom actual bread. We have said thatwhen a piece of bread smaller thana k'zayis is deep fried, its berachahis mezonos even if it retains theappearance of bread. Conversely, if itis baked or lightly fried (not immersedin oil) it remains hamotzi.

    There are two types of croutonson the market which are made fromsmall, square pieces of bread. Theflavored types of croutons, white ordark, are generally deep fried, and

    30. SeeMinchas Asher pp. 48-51in depth.31. Harav Yisrael Belsky shlita; opinion ofHarav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt"! (VseinBerachah p. 475:fn. 44, Teshuvos p. 10:10);seePnei Hashulchan p. 53.32. Harav Yisrael Belskyshlita.33. See Pnei Hashulchan p. 50; HaberachaliV'hilchosav p. 152:fn 13.

    30 I ~ K 0 F - K PESACH 5773

    therefore require a mezonos/" Theones that are larger (though stillsmaller than a k'zayis) are baked,and accordingly, their berachah ishamotzi." If croutons were fried inoil, but not enough to deem themdeep fried, one should eat them onlyin a meal where he has washed forbread, to avoid berachah problems."Many people mistakenly pronounce amezonos on the larger type of croutonswhen found in a salad, even thoughthey are definitely not deep fried, andthis is incorrect; the berachah remainshamotzi.

    . Someposkim maintain that ifwhenmaking the dough and baking thebread, one has intention for the finalproduct to be pas haba b'kisnin; i.e., acrouton or snack item, the berachah ismezonos. Based on this view, there arethose who suggest that if croutons arenot made from standard bread, butrather from dough specifically baked

    . for this purpose, the berachah wouldbe mezonos," Others maintain that ifthe product looks like bread, intention.makes no difference in determiningthe berachah and it is unquestionablyhamotzi.

    Back to Matzolah

    Now that we have a panoramicview of the complex mezonos/ hamotziissue in regard to bread and matzohproducts, we can apply each of ourinsights to the new kosher for Pesachgranola look-alike called "Matzolah,"As we said, in manufacturing

    34. Based on a discussion with a rabbinicalcoordinator at the OU who explained themetzi'us: see Sha'areiHaberachah p. 684, fn 669.35. Laws ofBerachosp. 366;Sha'areiHaberachahp. 355:44; V'zos Haberachah p. 122.Based on adiscussion with a rabbinical coordinator at theOU,Old London and Savion are Hamotzi.36. V'zos Haberachah p. 122; Sha'areiHaberachah p. 684, fn 669.37. Refer to Sha'arei Haberachah p. 364; seeMekor Berachah 9.

    Matzolah, whole matzoh is groundinto smaller pieces which are smallerthan a k'zayis. This satisfies the first ofour four determinant factors - size.

    The ground matzoh is thenmixed with hot sugar and nuts andthe combination baked in the oven.Here, the status is not so clear. Doesthis process qualify as chavitzah andrender the product a mezonos? Sincethe pieces are not cooked on the fireor even soaked in a kli rishon, andthe product is still recognizable asmatzoh, one may well argue that theberachah remains hamotzi. On theother hand, others maintain that bygrinding the matzoh and adding thehot sugar, the product loses its breadappearance, and since the pieces aresmaller than a k'zayis, the berachahshould be mezonos .

    Yet another halachic voicepoints out that the matzoh whichis ground up to make Matzolah isoriginally baked for the purposeof manufacturing this snack food.According to the lenient opinioncited above, this would change theberachah to mezonos.

    Count Your Blessings!

    The shelves may be transformed bya dazzling array of new Pesach items,but the classic halachic issues remainunchanged. Though our lifestylemay differ widely from Bubby's time,halachah applies equally to everygeneration and every menu, fromborscht to matzoh bagels and all ~heway down to the newest addition -Matzolah,

    Hamotzi or mezonos? A lightsnack or a "wash and bentch" meal?Whatever halachah requires of us,we will do, and with each carefullyrecited berachah, we will count ourblessings that we have the Torah andthe Shulchan Aruch to guide our steps.A happy and kosher Pesach to all!8 .

    (