Riding on Camels through the desert in Israel..or perhaps sleeping on camels in the desert in Israel

It is very common for us to set out on a road trip and after driving for a bit, someone will recite Tefilat Haderech (the traveler’s prayer) and everyone else will respond ‘amen.’

When Rachel and I did a week-long camel riding trip in the desert in Rajasthan, we left the city on camel back and I guess that at some point the same thing would happen as if we were in a car; we would say Tefilat Haderech – only this time while on the back of a camel. I had the same situation when going for a four-day camel trek in Israel, though with the group I was part of, we mostly walked and did not ride the camels.

So can one say Tefilat Haderech while riding on a camel… or what about a horse or any other animal for that matter?

This is obviously an issue because people were traveling on animals before cars. According to halacha/Jewish law one should stop their animal if possible. This would apply to stopping a car as well. Stopping a ship or a plane may not be possible.

Some other issue to take into acount is that one should not say a bracha if there is an unpleasant smell. The question would be: if there is a bad smell coming from the camel (a combination of camel breath, camel farts, and wet camel hair generally constitutes a very bad smell!) one should probably get off the camel and walk a few feet away.

The first time I experienced this was in Los Angeles, California. I was spending Shabbat there and my friend took me to one of the Chabad houses. We got there fifteen minutes before Mincha and the Friday night service were to begin, and a good thing that was! Set up was a small Kiddush and there were some dozen men eating and drinking. This initially struck me as strange because my entire life I have been accustomed to there being a Kiddush after the services, not before.

The Shaliach/Rabbi explained it to me. “We’re not having a big meal because this would not be permitted. One should not eat late on a Friday afternoon, so not to spoil the appetite for the Friday night Shabbat meal. What we have is a small snack; some crackers, a few dips, a bit of cold cuts, and of course a few l’chaims on whisky and vodka. This way everyone can have a bit of a schmooze and catch up on the week’s happenings before the service begins and there is no pressure to talk during the service. Further, many people have had a long day at work and are tired and hungry and want to rush through the service and go home. But if we have a couple of l’chaims and a light snack, people then have the energy to sing and dance through the service.”

I really like this idea. At the moment I don’t have a synagogue of my own but if I did, maybe I’d implement it. I can’t see any halachic issue with it, provided one does not eat too much and ruin their appetite for the Friday night meal. But I think it’s nice to sit down with some friends and catch up on the week before the davening starts.

What are your thoughts on this? Do they do this in your shul? Do you like this idea? Yes or no? Please share a comment. Thanks.

When Traveling I find it quiet common to kasher a microwave to use for cooking. Many apartment type hotels will have a microwave and often families I may be staying at who don’t keep kosher will also have a microwave.

Here is some information from Halachfortoday.com about koshering a microwave. It is a site that sends a halacha to your email every day which I highly recommend)

Reader’s Question:

Someone warmed up meat in a milchig (dairy) microwave can I Kasher it?

What about the trays?

Answer:

Yes, a microwave can be Kashered, as follows:

It should be totally cleaned. A cup or bowl of water should be placed inside and the microwave turend on for approximately 10 minutes. The bowl with water should then be placed in a different place in the microwave, and the microwave should be turned on for an additional 5-10 minutes.

If the microwave is being Kashered from a non Kosher usage (as opposed to just from milk and meat) 24 hours should be waited before doing the above procedure.

If there is a glass plate in the microwave, a Rav should be consulted regarding if it is able to be Kasherd, and if so, how. (See Piskei Teshuva Orach Chaim Simon 451 for more on this toipic)

In general, it’s important to remember that anytime something dairy is warmed up/cooked in a fleishig microwave (or vice versa), it should be covered well with a double wrapping.

If a Chometz microwave is being Kashered for Pesach, the food warmed up in it should be double wrapped, even after Kashering.

If there are any plastic components on the inside surface of the microwave, a Rav should be consulted to determine if it is possible to Kasher.

If the microwave has a browning element or is a convection oven, it needs to be cleaned, and then turned on to its highest setting for 45 minutes, in order to reach its highest heat and thus render the oven Kashered.
There are certain models that do not reach the required temparature to effect a proper Kashering, so it’s importantto check with a Rav regarding your particular model.

Some cute stuff to buy and give in the Philippines on Valentines day

For starters, no one seems to agree to much about anything to do with Valentine’s Day other than it’s a nice time to send flowers, chocolates, and a card to someone you love. Historians, theologians, academics, believers, and heretics all have their own say about who was the Christian St. Valentines, what he did, and whether Valentine’s day even has anything to do with this St. Valentine.

Some want to say the holiday is based on an earlier pagan festival called Lupercali that had something to do with a fertility holiday. It is also possible that the entire idea of Valentine’s Day was made up by bored person who wanted to create a holiday.

This being said, there is documented evidence in the United States going back to the 1500s that people were sending Valentine’s cards. The U.S Greetings Card Association estimates that today roughly 1 billion card are sent worldwide. Now this is one market I would like to have a share of!

So what does a Jew do on Valentine’s Day?

From Jewish perspective, Valentine’s Day, like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day is nonsense. Because we don’t need a special day for any of this. If on February first you decide you should send a friend a card to say I love you, or you want to buy your mother flowers, a Jewish person does not need to wait until a specific day.

But what if you absolutely want to send someone flowers, chocolates or a card on Valentines day specifically?

There are a few issues with this that are raised by the Rama in the Shulchan Oruch (Code of Jewish Law) based on the Rama’s criteria as to what constitutes a secular holiday which a Jew may not follow.  It would seem because of the vagueness of Valentine’s day and the way in which it is observed it does not constitute a violation of the law according to some Rabbis. However, it is not in the spirit of the law to practice such a thing.

I took this photo in a shop in the Philippines that sold all kinds of stuff you'd give on Valentine's Day

My advice has always been: send chocolates, flowers, and/or a card the day before Valentine’s Day saying; “I wanted you to know I love you so much that I could not wait an extra day.”

Took this picture a few years ago in Jerusalem outside a clothing chop. I believe it was once a Santa Claus statue figure that has been trasformed, and thus I will call it the Jewish Santa Claus. Though in truth we should try not to use the word 'Santa' as it is the same as 'Saint' which when saying the name gives energy to its source..

Do Jewish People Celebrate Christmas and What do Jews do on Christmas

Christmas eve, known as ‘nittel-nacht’ amongst Yiddish-speaking Jews, was never a time for celebration. Jesus, Christianity, and everything it stood fore brought heaps of problems and suffering for the Jewish people.  It was not uncommon for a bunch of drunken gentiles on Christmas Eve to go out on a rampage attacking Jews. For this matter, Jewish people throughout history stayed at home on Christmas eve and kept a low profile.

Today we may not fear a pogrom erupting while the goyim are at home hanging stockings over the fireplace and waiting for a Coca-Cola invented Santa Claus to come down the chimney.  Most gentiles have disassociated Christmas from anything religious, though there are still many who make their annual visit to church for a midnight mass.

I guess if I owned one of the companies that sold millions of dollars’ worth of Chinese-made Christmas decorations I’d see how much money I made for the season and throw a big party for all my Jewish friends. But this is not the case.

So what does a Jew do on Christmas Eve? When I was in Yeshivah we did not study any Torah. This has been the custom amongst many Jews for centuries. Because when Torah is studied positive energy comes to the world and feeds everything. But we don’t want even one drop of energy to go to the spiritual make-up of Christmas and thus no Torah is studied.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe and his father in-law Rabbi Yossef Yitzchok Scnersonn would have a game of chess, and this is the custom I grew up with. On ‘nittel-nacht’ my father and I, along with my brothers, would play chess.

Not studying Torah is not an excuse to waste time. If you are someone who normally studies lots of Torah, perhaps use Christmas Eve to clean out the garage, do some pushups, or visit someone who you’d make happy.

Do Jewish People Celebrate Thanksgiving and Can Jews Celebrate Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is largely an American and Canadian holiday, though today more people in various countries around the world are celebrating it. Thanksgiving in the United States is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November and in Canada it is celebrated on the second Monday of October. On Thanksgiving many families get together for a dinner which is often comprised of Turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce.

If you are Jewish and invited to a Thanksgiving dinner or want to host one is there any halachic issue (issue in Jewish law)?
The concept of a thanksgiving holiday/festival appears in almost every culture. A celebration is held at the beginning or the end of the harvest season to give thanks. As Jews we celebrate this with the festival of Shavuot, which is also known as ‘Chag Habikurm’ because the first fruits harvested were brought to the temple as a gift. Chag Hakatzir is another name for Shavout which alludes to celebrating the first harvest of grain.

In some indigenous cultures they will celebrate at the end of the harvest season and give thanks to their idols and pagan deities. Such a thanksgiving celebration a Jew should not attend. However the thanksgiving instituted in North America is about giving thanks to G-d for a good harvest and thus there would be nothing wrong for a Jew to take part off course provided the meal was kosher.

Is turkey kosher? Read more HERE!