Selected halachos from the “One Minute Halacha” project*
HaRav Yosef Yeshaya Braun, shlita, Mara D’asra and member of the Badatz of Crown Heights
HOW IS YOUR SCOTCH “FINISHED”?
Aging whisky is an art that endeavors to produce optimal taste and smoothness with a precise blend of ingredients and method. Many producers (specifically of Scotch whiskies) have reintroduced the practice of storing the spirit in casks that were previously used for wine, called “sherry finishing.” Contemporary poskim question whether this process may place the resulting spirits under the issur d’rabbanan (Rabbinic restriction) of stam yeinam (wine produced by non-Jews). The wine product that remains absorbed in the walls of the empty casks would seemingly be halachically insignificant according to the principle of bittul b’shishim (nullified by a volume of sixty times to one) —or even, as in some cases of stam yeinam, bittul b’shisha (six parts to one). However, there are caveats that override the dispensation of bittul: If the sherry imparts a distinct flavor to the whisky—milsa d’avida l’taama (something added to provide taste)—it cannot be battel; in addition, whisky matured in sherry-infused barrels may be considered derech asiyaso b’kach (the recipe usually includes this ingredient) and likewise not subject to the rule of bittul.
One aspect of matured whisky which is controversial—among the whisky-makers, as well—is whether the wine actually adds flavor to the end-product. Some maintain that it is simply the quality of the wood that helps the whisky process or, as some experts posit, the earlier production of the sherry neutralizes the negative effects new wood casks would have on the whisky. If either is the case, the sherry would indeed be battel.
In practice, if people drinking the whisky do not detect the influence of sherry (according to some whisky connoisseurs a short “sherry finishing” once the whisky is already quite aged does not necessarily improve the product) there is room for leniency, since the improved taste may be attributed to any one of many factors. If indeed the improved taste is not attributable to the wine itself, it may be a case of applying the halachic principle of zeh v’zeh gorem (caused both by this [kosher] and by this [non-kosher]): the smooth, fruity flavor is a result of a kosher component (the wood) which is ostensibly at least as important to the product as the non-kosher ingredient (the sherry) and can therefore override it.
In addition, the fact is that sherry finishing is an expensive prospect for whisky producers; bottles not labeled as such are possibly not of concern. However, the kosher consumer should be stringent not to use whisky brands that clearly label their product as having been aged in sherry or other wine casks. Kashrus agencies have listings of the kosher status of many types of spirits—including which whiskies contain sherry, which possibly do, and which are not a problem at all.
“WAIT A MINUTE! DID I LEAVE ANYTHING BEHIND?”
Rabbi Yehudah HaChassid writes in his tzavaa (living will) that a person who sets out on a journey should not return home to get something he left behind. Instead, someone else should go into the house to retrieve the object for them.
What is departure?
This restriction applies only if one has already left the house, not if they are on their way out and wish to go back into a room they have left. Some poskim say that even if the person is already outside, but has not yet bid goodbye, they may return.
Avoiding return only applies to the day of departure, not to the following day. Someone who left home but then cancelled their plans to travel, may also return home. There are poskim who extend this consideration to someone whose journey is delayed for a set time—and permit them to go home to wait it out.
There is an argument among poskim whether the intended purpose of return is taken into account; some aver that going back for a d’var mitzvah (an article used for a mitzvah) is permitted.
What about stopovers?
There is a difference of opinion among poskim whether this restriction includes a traveler already en route with multiple stopovers, and they have left one midway location for another: May they return to an earlier stop in their journey? Some poskim consider it the same as leaving the starting point, while others maintain that returning to a place mid-journey is permitted.
Delayed Flight FYI
It has been related that the Lubavitcher Rebbe recommended the following to a person whose flight has been delayed and was in a quandary whether he was permitted to return home: “Study a chapter of Tanya,” i.e. take some time to contemplate the greatness of the Creator and reach new heights in avodas Hashem (service of G-d). As a “new person,” you may go back home.
HOW TO PLAY IT SAFE WITH A SEIFER
A seifer is holy and may not be dishonored by using it for tashmishei chol (mundane purposes). Using a background of s’farim shelves for a photo op is not considered dishonoring the s’farim. What if someone wants to otherwise use s’farim as a prop? They scatter them on the table to impress visitors or walk down the street with a seifer under the arm to appear scholarly—when not intending to learn. Though these practices are not considered using a seifer for tashmishei chol, they may well fall under the issur (restriction) of g’neivas daas (deceiving others).
However, if there is a stain on the tablecloth which the host would like to cover before guests arrive, a seifer may not be used for this purpose—it is considered tashmishei chol.
On Shabbos, when it is assur (prohibited) to move an object that has become a bosis l’davar ha’assur (a base for prohibited items, which attains muktza status as well), it is a common practice to place a seifer on a table or tray where candles are burning before Shabbos begins so that the table/tray contain a permissible item of greater significance than the muktza candlesticks. This way, no bosis is created, and the table/tray can thereby be moved once the candles go out. This too would be considered using a seifer for tashmishei chol, and therefore only a seifer that is being used for its intended purpose (even a brief perusal) should be placed on the table or tray.
HALACHOS OF COLICKY BABIES
To parents who may become frustrated or despondent when an infant cries nonstop and refuses to be soothed, the Chovos HaLevavos advises: Recognize that gam zu l’tova (this too is coming from Hashem’s goodness). An infant’s cries are healthy—they help balance the chemical makeup in the maturing body, and have other healing benefits as well (the connection between the release of tears and improved nerve function and emotional health is a topic of scientific study).
Crying is an infant’s sole method of communication, so parents should certainly not ignore their baby’s cries and try to comfort them. But even if all attempts to ameliorate their distress are unsuccessful, parents should keep in mind that this too is from Hashem and has an inherent positive aspect.
In addition to fulfilling their child’s needs, parents of a crying infant have a responsibility to others. They should do whatever possible to calm a fussy child during night-time hours when those in the house—or neighbors—may be disturbed from sleep by a screaming baby. This sensitivity should extend to daytime hours as well if an ill person, who may have an erratic sleep schedule, lives in close proximity.
Halacha states that a person who is davening should not hold an infant, as it disturbs their concentration. But when a crying child is in the vicinity, which disrupts all attempts to daven, the parent (or another adult) should hold and calm the child, even if they are in the middle of Shmoneh Esrei (the silent Amida—the most serious, introspective prayer).
*“One Minute Halacha” is a succinct daily presentation on practical Halacha in video, audio, and text formats, by HaRav Yosef Yeshaya Braun, shlita, Mara D’asra and member of the Badatz of Crown Heights. The daily One Minute Halacha can be accessed by phone at 718.989.9599, by email, halacha2go@gmail.com, or by WhatsApp 347.456.5665. More halacha discussion, with notes and sources, can be found at http://halacha2go.com