I have been meaning to pass along two very good audio teachings that I think you will all enjoy. The first is one that Gil Student at Hirhurim blogged about last November. I think this one has been in an open tab in my Firefox window since then. It is a short teaching from Rabbi Hershel Schachter at Yeshiva University on "Being Normal". If I get a chance some time I will transcribe it.

The second teaching is from OU Radio; it's called Mission Not Impossible: The Kosher Jew in a Non-Kosher Milieu. It explores keeping kosher in the everyday world.

Enjoy!

Labels: Judaism, Kashrut

I love it when people unwittingly support Torah, especially in the most mundane ways. Here is a great example. A cooking blog, SteamyKitchen.com, with instructions on how to make the most amazingly tender steaks—high-grade “prime” quality from low-cost “choice” beef. How does she do it? By salting the steaks. Using a process that she is completely unaware has been used by Jews for millennia. I love Torah.

Labels: Cooking, Judaism, Kashrut

I am subscribed to the Orthodox Union's Kashrut podcasts, and in the last few weeks they have released two very good teachings that I think everyone should listen to:

• “What Could Be Wrong?” - A Guide for the Informed Kosher Consumer - Part I and Part II
• An Overview of an Underwater Mitzvah

In “What Could Be Wrong?”, Rabbi Yaakov Luban, Executive Rabbinic Coordinator of OU Kashruth, explains some of the many problems that may be encountered in the production of food and why, as a result of those problems, a reliable certification is important for foods within specific categories. In “An Overview of an Underwater Mitzvah”, Rabbi Moshe Zywica, Senior Rabbinic Coordinator of OU Kashruth, explains the process of immersing dishes, with great explainations for the uninitiated.

Both of these teachings are very well-done. There is a basic level of Hebrew vocabulary, but if you cannot figure out what is being said, please feel free to drop me a line. I may even need to add another word to my Glossary.

Labels: Judaism, Kashrut