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"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)
Rabbis in Midrash
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Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 5- "Proofs of G-d"
This may be the most important class of the entire book, where we finally get to the Jewish proof of the existence of G-d and truth of the Torah. We should follow His own direction where He tells us how to get to Him: through the Nation of Israel: Jewish history, Jewish prophets (and today, prophecies fulfilled), and national reward & punishment towards Am Yisrael.
Ein Aya One Humanity, One Creator, One Jerusalem
Rav Kook innovatively and beautifully explains this aggadeta where our sages say that after Jerusalem was destroyed her cinnamon fragrance is only found locked in a particular kingdom's treasury.
Shlach Lecha "Why So Many Don't Make Aliya?" - Parshat Shlach
This short article deals with the weird phenomena that every single time Am Yisrael is meant to enter the Land of Israel, throughout the Tanach, 2nd Temple and until today, they "chicken out" and look for excuses. What's the problem with this mitzvah that proves so challenging. The article, based on sources, suggests that the difficulties of Eretz Yisrael is precisely her secret and beauty!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 4
The class deals with Islam and how the Muslim tries convincing the King of the Khazars, and why he was also rejected.
Beha'alotcha JEWISH STATE= GUIDE TO G-DLINESS & SELFLESSNESS
A Jewish State not only is a good idea, but educates us towards selflessness, altruism and G-dliness in our daily lives.
Ein Aya In Zion Even the Smoke of the Bark is Sweet
Just as Jewish nationalism is different from others, so too our capitol of Jerusalem is totally different than other national capitols. Rav Kook beautifully explains the passage in the Talmud that the trees of Yerushalayim were cinnamon trees.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 3
The second speaker invited to convince the Khazar King is the Christian, who presents their beliefs. Even before the questions of the King, "between the lines", the author R. Yehuda HaLevi already begins disproving them.
Ein Aya "Intimacy: Love, Life & Giving or Egocentric Taking & Expiration"
Today, many confuse between intimacy in marriage, based on love, giving and life which are diametrically opposed to empty "sex", pornography and prostitution which destroyed the Beit HaMikdash. The practical importance of clarifying this topic in today's western society is obvious, especially for young adults.
