The Kitniyot Liberation Front

Everyone incorrectly "trumpets" the excuse that the shofar is not sounded on Shabbat since you can't carry a shofar more than 4 amot in the public domain on Shabbat. But how many people carry their talit and prayer books all the way to synagogue?? Nearly everyone... so what's the big deal about a shofar?? Most of us should be stunned to read the the Shofar was sounded in the Temple on Shabbat: When the Festival of Rosh Hashana falls on Shabbath, the Shofar was blown in the Beth HaMiqdash [the Temple] , but not in the rest of the country. (Mishnah Rosh Hashana4:1; Talmudh Bavli 29b) The Jerusalem Talmud, also known as the Talmud Yerushalmi asks the following question: "If blowing the Shofar is Torah-mandated, why should it not override Shabbath everywhere? And if it is not Torah-mandated, why does it override Shabbath in the Temple?" Read the new article by the Kitniyot Rabbi to find out why!

I ran into a friend and he told me that his child no longer suffered from a potentially life-threatening food allergy. As an infant, they had two close calls when their child went into anaphylactic shock, and they've been obsessively vigilant ever since. "So what's the secret of your success? Did you take a vaccine or allergy shots?" I asked him. "No," he answered non-chalantly. "I just go to Har HaBayit each month and pour out my heart to HaKodesh Baruch Hu. There's no place like it for prayer, not even Monsey."

It's been four years since the destruction of Gush Katif and the wound has not healed. Most of the criminals have not paid for their crime, but "How the Rose of Sharon Sits" [in a hospital bed]. With the destruction of Gush Katif coming right after Tisha B'Av, the anniversary of the destruction of the Bet HaMikdash, we can only conclude that they are connected. I have felt--and have heard others say--that HaShem sent us a not-so-subtle message about His displeasure about the state of His House. For now, the only message I can see in this horrendous act of shtuth is that it was a wake-up call for Am Yisrael, that we have been negligent in rebuilding the Bet HaMikdash. How indeed can we merit such beautiful houses in the Land of Israel when his house lies in ruins? Kal v'chomer with those who live in comfort in voluntary Exile in Galuth. In a related note, two friends went up to Har HaBayit on Tisha B'Av and gave me a great dvar Torah: That Har HaBayit lies in ...

There is so much shtuth that I've been at a loss for words. Where does one start? How can one even finish? Until now, I've been quiet because I informally promised myself to try and stick to shtuth in Torah Judaism. It's so obvious that politics is full of shtuth. But I just can't keep my fingers idle any longer. This whole Barak business, not Ehud Barak (or "Barach"), but the Barak Osama, the current President of the USA. What were they thinking when they actually voted for him? I guess Austrian Jews also voted "for" the Anschluss. It's not much different. I think that his presidency will mark the setting of the sun on US Jewry. While Osama incorrectly referred to the USA as "one of the world's largest countries", I do think that Muslim power is on the rise, aided and abbetted by the current president. Within our lifetime, the history of US Jews will be no different than any other Jewish community in the galuth. No different than t...

The seasonal battle over kitniyot has already commenced. According to Ynet ( http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3686451,00.html ), Rav Ovadia Yosef takes a machmir--though not entirely accurate approach--that the Ashkenazi custom of refraining from kitniyot has been around for 600 years. As Rav Bar-Hayim pointed out, we are in Eretz Yisrael, not Europe, and we should all be adhering to the local custom. The error of importing this foolish custom only occured 100-150 years ago and has become increasingly popular as it became more profitable for askanim (wheeler-dealers). And speaking of Europe, a number of years ago, Rav Shaul Yisraeli of the Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva recounted to Rav Bar-Hayim how peanuts were served during Chol HaMoed in Lithuania since they were considered a luxury. Maybe we could argue whether peanuts are really kitniyot... or whether they shouldn't be included on the Ever-Growing List of Kitniyot and Things That Make Askanim Rich. It is interesting why Rav Ovad...

Ben Horin is an erudite fellow with a blog worth following. My only complaint is that he doesn't posted enough. As he recently wrote: And yet. As Palin spoke, I realized that I now identify with those Americans who live in small towns, who love their country and feel deeply rooted in it, who carry guns for defense, who have large families, whose children fight its wars. That's my life now. Well put... even if my family ain't as large as it could be. Though still a registered Dem, I can't believe how the Democratic party has been taken over by the radical left. (And unfortunately this is a familiar story in Eretz HaKodesh. I remember when even the Labor party believed in settling the land of Israel). I've always been a southern conservative who couldn't stand Carter yet helped the Young Dems send Mondale to victory over President Reagan in a 1984 mock election at a major southern university. Now seeking the quiet life in the land of my forefathers, I really admi...

The Kvetcher blog took notice of Rav Bar-Hayim's latest article for the Pesah holiday on the Jewish Press blog. Yes, it came after Pesach, but Elliot Resnick at the Jewish Press appears to be sympathetic to the Kitniyot Liberation Front , and posted an essay (and link) to Rabbi David Bar-Hayim and Machon Shilo. We couldn't agree more, but this certainly gave some of their readers something to kvetch about. The most entertaining (and sad) comment talked about the dwindling intelligence of the charedi gene pool. I think that it's sad when anyone is driven out of Torah Judaism due to shtuth, especially when there are so many choices/options that let you stay within the fold.

Rav Bar-Hayim's latest article on the kitniyot saga got some eyeballs at the blog of the Jewish Press. More importantly, they have the wisdom to realize that neither the Kitniyot Liberation Front nor Machon Shilo are really about eating kitniyot: The following is an interesting article written by an interesting person who heads an interesting oganization. Read the blog here .

The court's most recent attempt to promote chametz occurred when it overturned the Knesset law forbidding the sale of chametz in public places. The court claimed that a shop was not a public place and could sell chametz if it was not visible from the street. In reaction, a supposedly haredi Jew stripped naked at the bread counter of a store selling chametz during Pesah. He claimed that he was not violating the law against public indecency since the store was not a public place and that he was not visible from the street. Read more at the Jerusalem Post. Unfortunately Ynet seems to have buried their article which provided a fuller account. It is refreshing to see that even haredim can uncover shtuth as well! Chag Sameach.

Not only is Am Yisrael plagued by political leaders without vision, but as Rav Bar-Hayim points out, our relgious leaders are equally lacking. Hence the obsession with kitniyot and other shtuth: Unfortunately the Orthodox Establishment is similar to the Zionist Establishment: it does not know who and where we are or where we are supposed to be headed. It is hesitant and uncertain and prefers the familiar comfort of the downtrodden, Exilic version of the Torah rather than the majestic, vibrant and uplifting Torah of the Land of Israel, of Abraham, Moses, David and the Maccabees. Read more at http://machonshilo.org/content/view/93/1/ Have a Happy Passover and make your kitniyot be tasty. And more importantly--may we soon enjoy the taste of a delicious Korban Pesah on soft matzoth. Peanut butter topping is optional.

For anyone who lives in Israel, the mere continued existence of the Third Jewish Commonwealth is a hidden miracle. As the ineptitude of our leadership increases, so does the size of the miracle. IMHO, we should certainly have this miracle in mind when we say the "Modim" or Thanksgiving blessing of the Shmona Esray. [That's prayer #17 out of 18 for those of you who use the authentic, Erets Yisrael nusah of HaRav HaGaon Davidh Bar-Hayim of Machon Shilo.] Indeed at the Jerusalem Conference, Ken Abramowitz, Managing Partner and co-founder of NGN Capital noted that Israel has many advantages for foreign investors, including excellent universities, professional talent but, ...I have never seen a lower caliber of government than you have in this country. Your foreign ministry is staffed with low quality people and a low quality leader (Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni). The Supreme Court is a collection of far-left activists who then appoint more far-left activists to join them on t...

Ramath Beth Shemesh, home to one of Rav Bar-Hayim's weekly shiurim has unfortunately gained notoriety for the zealousness of certain dark-clad sectors of its population (a.k.a. the "charediban"). In recent weeks, these zealots have turned on other dark-clad locals who were not equally zealous in their sinat chinam. Fortunately the boys in dark blue (as opposed to teheleth), arrested the culprits and one of them, Chaim Heimlich, is known for his involvement in raising issues of tzniuth to that of idolatry. It is also known that the head of the Kupat Shel Tzedakah, Rav Eidensohn , attended the dinner of Heimlich's kupa to give them a show of support. The KLF has also noticed that these zealots: 1. Do not wear teheleth 2. Do not eat kitniyoth during Pesah. It is the opinion of the KLF that the ultimate Purim shtuth is to directly or indirectly support any kupot tzedakah affiliated with the charediban. If you do so, you are aiding and abetting them. As Tom Petty put it ...

With the thugs and robber barons running--and ruining--the holy land, Hannukah is a welcome respite that reminds us that Hellenists have been defeated before--and that we, the believing public can do it again. Beyond the common questions of which donuts to eat, whether or not to use olive oil, or where to place the Hannukiah, we need to see the inner meaning of the holiday. For more info, check out Hannukah -- Getting the Point . May the cleansing of the Temple Mount be preceded by the cleansing of the Knesset and the Israel Supreme Court.

Once again Machon Shilo is trailblazing in the pursuit of truth and abandoning shtuth. After last year's heter on kitniyot and reminding us that Jews are halachically bound to take the lulav and etrog in Eretz Yisrael when the first day of Sukkot falls on Shabbat, they've now turned their sights on Rosh HaShanna: How many days did our forefathers observe Rosh HaShanna ? While many believe that we have always observed two days of Rosh HaShanna , this is not the case. According to Rashi, Jews even outside Erets Yisrael kept only one day but Tosafoth disagrees. I downloaded the shiurim and my eyes were truly opened. Yasher koach to Rav Bar-Hayim and gang at Machon Shilo. Go to Machon Shilo or click here to download the series. Neturei Kitniyos, you've got some new truth to squelch. Shanna Tova to you and all Am Yisrael.

Just yesterday I was talking to a cab driver about Sderot and how traumatic it must have been for parents and children when the siren went off indicating a kassam attack. We agreed that the people of Sdereot are true tzaddikim and then he added: It's incredible what they've endured for the last seven years. "Kassams haven't rained on Sderot for seven years", I replied. "That's the big lie of the media and Ehud Olmert. Kassamim have raining down on Sderot for two years since the Destruction of Gush Katif. When the tzaddikim of Gush Katif were still living in their homes, the terrorists were shooting at them daily--not at Sderot. Once the Jews were expelled from Gush Katif, then the terrorists started shooting at Sderot." It's not just a big lie. It's sthuth. As is our government's negligence in defending these citizens. And the media and Left "yefeh b'nefesh" who tell us that we can't attack the Arabs; that it's not ...

The Kitniyot Liberation Front (KLF) would like to announce that honorary membership in the Kitniyot Liberation Front has been awarded to the 30 soldiers of the Duchifat and Netzach Yehuda battalions who refused to expel their Jewish brothers from their homes in the holy city of Hevron. Whether or not these soldiers eat kitniyot during Pesach, their heroic stance has demonstrated that they are firmly committed to "fighting for truth and abandoning shtuth" . Speaking of shtuth, the Likud court has decided that Moshe Feiglin can run in the elections for the head of the party--but they haven't decided whether to expel him from membership. Bibi should stop worry about Feiglin and tell the electorate exactly why he's a better choice than loser # 1 (Smolmert) or loser #2 (Ehud Barach). If he's not--or he's the same--then he should simply stand aside for Feiglin who can at least offer a different vision to the electorate, one that synchs with the Likud's tradition...

Mazel tov to my good friend who has been in Erets Yisrael for 17 years today (July 19, 1990). According to the Hebrew calendar ( www.kaluach.net ) he made aliyah on the 26th of Tammuz. Back in the good old days (in 1990), there was no Nefesh B'Nefesh and you had to rough it by actually going to all of the government offices to get your paperwork done. The offices didn't have air-conditioning or even enough seats. Paper tickets with numbers were distributed by hand at 7:00 am and were usually unavailable by 7:30 am. Numbers were called out by an available clerk and there was no digital number board. He also relates that one time a line for the Ministry of Immigrant Absortion went half-way around the block. In 1990, there were so many immigrants ( est. 70-80,000 ) and the system was so overloaded that his aliyah shaliach actually told him to postphone his plans by 6-12 months. OTOH, Shamir was the Prime Minister, the Palestinian Terrorist Authority was just a pipe dream of Peace ...

Machon Shilo has published a (“kinna”) about the destroyed communities of Gush Katif and northern Samaria. Only until I read the press release on their site did the asimon drop and it dawned on me that this modern-day churban occurred on the very same day that the greater part of the Temple was destroyed. The press release politely notes that the motivation of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for destroying these communities has been the subject of considerable speculation. IMHO it was 100% shtuth caused by an early neural event that was hidden from the public-with two dashes of evil from Haim Ramon and Shimon Heres. In any case, the computer program that generated the name for the army "mission" to kick the Jews out of their homes came up with "El Malei Rahamim", the prayer for the departed. Little did anyone realize that the silicon was warning everyone about Sharon's fate. On a directly related note, the kinna is aptly called “How the Rose of Sharon S...

Menachem-Av is upon us and the current government of Israel is helping us to feel the dread associated with the loss/absence of the Beth HaMiqdash (may it soon be rebuilt). Today it was announced that there is an amnesty for 180 shedders of Jewish blood in an effort to prop up the current leader of the Amelikite kingdom of Arafatistan. As I told a friend at lunch, I feel better when we're fighting a war and doing the "right thing" rather than "making peace" and doing the wrong thing. These terrorists have not done tshuva, nor have the orchestrators of Oslo and the Destruction of Gush Katif. Tshuva requires a confession and a regret of one's sins. Neither group has done this. And we can only hope that rumors of a "piece deal" on the Golan are only smoke and mirrors designed to keep a crooked Prime Minister out of the slammer. My friend thought that losing part of the Golan in a war would be an easy way for the government to "buy off" Syri...

Just in time for the Three Weeks, Machon Shilo is proud to offer a four-part series on Erets Yisrael that delves into the fallacies of "Land for Peace" and the faulty Torah cited by frum Jews supporting this hillul haShem (desecration of G-d's name). The topics covered include: Why Land for Peace is wrong The Misswah of Living in Erets Yisrael and how to observe it And more. There are also shiurim on shmitta that will help you find out how to make your shmitta really kosher--without helping those who spill Jewish blood. To directly access the shiurim, go to http://machonshilo.org/componen t/option,com_docman/task,cat _view/gid,63/Itemid,64/