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- The Laws of Kashrut
"Hey, this doesn’t look right!" Yossi’s attention was drawn from his contemplations to his coworker, Dov, as Dov called out again "look at the color!"
Yossi took a closer look at the honey pooling in the collection vats. Dov was right. The color was unusually light! The other workers came over to examine the honey. The murmuring in the room was loud enough to drown out the centrifuges. Was there something wrong with an entire batch of honey!?
One intrepid worker couldn’t take the suspense. He carefully removed some honey, and gingerly brought it to his lips. The assembled waited with baited breath. When the taste tester cleared his throat and pronounced "it’s sweet!" all of the workers collectively exhaled.
The question remained, though. Why was the honey such a light color? Some investigation on the part of the manager unearthed some interesting findings. The apiary wasn’t the only sweet business in the area. Not far from there was an ice cream factory. While the two of them generally had little to do with each other this year had proven the exception. Due to an extended blackout during production, the factory had been compelled to discard a large quantity of ice cream. Leaving it to melt in a nearby field seemed to be the most economical disposal option. The neighboring bees had apparently taken a liking to the new variety of nectar.
As the manager mulled over the unusual story, he was struck by a concerning thought. If the bee nectar was none other than ice cream, was the resulting honey dairy?!
Answer of former Rishon Letzion, Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, zt"l:
Before we answer the question, it is first necessary to examine the nature of honey production. Generally speaking, the product of a non-kosher creature is, itself, non-kosher. Given that it is forbidden to eat bees, it should follow that bee honey is forbidden, as well. However, the Gemara (Bechorot 7b) explains why honey consumption is, in fact, permitted. The honey is not actually manufactured by the body of the body. Rather, the bee gathers nectar from flowers, the nectar accumulates within a specialized extra stomach, and then the bee regurgitates the nectar into a honeycomb.
Therefore, in our situation, the honey retains the original dairy status of the ice cream from which it was produced. In addition, because of the dairy status, it is forbidden to sell such honey. This is because people will assume that the honey is pareve, even if it is labeled "dairy." (This is similar to the prohibition against making dairy bread.) (See Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De’ah, 97, 1)
In summary:
The honey is dairy, and is forbidden to be sold, because consumers will assume that it is pareve, like regular honey.
. (ע"פ הספר 'באור פניך' עמ' 152)
In honor of Rosh Hashana, we’d like to share more sweet words of Torah, from Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, zt"l:
Why does a bee merit to produce sweet honey, whereas the spider produces only webs from its body?
A bee gathers honey from many different flowers, which results in a sweet, rich product. In contrast, the silk that comprises a spider’s web comes only from within the body of the spider, without the input or assistance of any other creature.
We should try to emulate this characteristic of the bee. How so?
A person who, while learning Torah, compares different sources, and attempts to clarify contradictions, will produce novel Torah thoughts which are sweeter than honey.
However, a person who never seeks knowledge from others, and insists on only building internally upon previously gained knowledge, will produce "new" thoughts which have no true sweetness.
(ע"פ הספר ועלהו לא יבול ח"ב, עמ' רכז)
The Laws of Kashrut A Sweet Change of Pace
What beracha does one recite over chocolate-covered raisins?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
Rabbis in Midrash
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Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
Ein Aya Various Universal Stages of the Geula Process
Rav Kook examines the various stages of redemption, explaining how (in addition to the obvious oft-mentioned stages of ingathering the exiles, reviving the Hebrew language, army, state etc.) the messianic dream of world prosperity, the State of Israel and world unity can and are realistically and logically gradually coming true.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
How do we know that the "claim" of mass revelation to 2,000,000 witnesses at Mt. Sinai is really true? This important class answers all of the questions skeptics ask about this claim of the Kuzari.
Ein Aya Armies Still Necessary for Balance & the War Against Wars
Rav Kook explains why the world was originally divided into the various seemingly contradicting ideologies and cultures, in order to develop each one respectively. Swords or armies symbolize how each respective ideology defends themselves, as well as deters their opposing ideologies and cultures. On the other hand, the messianic era will be one of peace, and Rav Kook explains the transition to that stage, which mankind is already undergoing.
The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
