37
votes
Accepted
Why does my bottle of Kosher grape juice say that it's 'for sacramental purposes only'?
The reason is to exempt it from Value Added Tax.
See the regulation at this www.gov.uk site.
The important bit says:
4.7 Food and drink for religious and sacramental use
The existence of ...
- 47.2k
12
votes
Accepted
Did Bartenura really mention this minhag?
עוד מנהג ליהודים מארץ ישמעאל
בערב שבת הולכים כלם לבית המרחץ
ובשובם מביאות נשותיהם לפניהם יין ומרבים בשתיה ואחר מביאות התבשיל שהכינו לסעודת הערב אוכלים מבעוד יום עד שתחשך
ואחר באים כולם לבית ...
- 97.4k
11
votes
Accepted
Why is alcohol not prohibited?
Rabbenu Avraham ben HaRambam writes:
If God would forbid everyone to drink wine and alcohol as he forbade non-kosher animals and fowl, not all would be able to comply...such a prohibition would ...
- 35.4k
8
votes
Accepted
Kashering and tevilas of corkscrews
The Kof-K list of tevila instructions says that, according to the OU, Star-K and CRC, a corkscrew does not require tevilah because it does not touch the food. The Star-K confirms. And so does R Forst ...
- 47.9k
8
votes
For how long must a vessel be left open for it to be considered "Megulah"?
See e.g. Maimonides Hilkhoth Rotzeach U'Shemirath Hanefesh 11:8
כל המשקין האסורין משום גילוי שנתגלו בין ביום בין בלילה אסורין ואפילו היה בצדן אדם ישן אין אימת ישן על הזוחלין. וכמה ישהו ויאסרו כדי ...
- 17.7k
7
votes
Accepted
Wine made/handled by Bnei Noach
This is debated by the Gemara (Avodah Zarah 64b). The Rambam rules that it is forbidden to drink the wine of a ger toshav, but it is permitted to derive benefit from it. This is the ruling of the ...
- 14.3k
7
votes
Accepted
Three faceted blessing after public kiddush on Friday night
Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayyim 269 rules that if one recites kiddush in a synagogue without a meal following it (where such is the custom) the adult making kiddush should not drink the wine but instead ...
- 41.8k
6
votes
Why were Nazarites forbidden to touch anything made of grapes, but we make a brocha over wine on Sabbath?
The relationships between Nezirut and wine are broadly treated in Gemara and Rishonim.
We will start with Samson, Samuel and touching problem of wine in sacrifices, and later wine of Kiddush and ...
- 22.7k
6
votes
Bircas Hamazon exempts al hagefen
It's Shulchan Arukh OC 272:10
ברכת יין של קידוש פוטרת יין שבתוך הסעודה ואינו טעון ברכה לאחריו דברכת המזון פוטרתו בין שהוא על הכוס בין שאינו על הכוס.
The blessing on wine for Kiddush exempts ...
- 97.4k
6
votes
Blessing over a wine-water mix
It appears that you need 1/6 (17%) of wine or grape juice to still be able to say hagefen. The issue is that wine nowadays is already diluted. The proper way therefore appears to be to first say the ...
- 47.9k
6
votes
Diagram showing the place where the wine offerings of the whole year collected and its relationship to the altar in the Temple
Yes if you look at the Perush Chai here it has a clear diagram:
In addition, the Machon Hamikdash website features a write up on both the שיתין and the לול with artistic renderings which might ...
- 30.2k
6
votes
Wine on Erev Yom Kippur
The Mishna Brura (OC 608:16) mentions not to drink fine wine.
OU Kosher writes
Wine and other intoxicating beverages should not be served.
- 47.9k
5
votes
Accepted
Using the Coravin Wine Preserver on shabbat
Assuming the question is only regarding the insertion of the needle on shabbos, and not placed before shabbos, this particular device presents a few issues within the prohibition of “creating a ...
- 15.4k
5
votes
Accepted
Hatov vehametiv on a kos shel bracha?
Magen Avraham (175 sk 0) rules that the fourth blessing of the Bentching (that of HaTov VeHaMeitiv) exempts the new wine in the cup used for Bentching from another HaTov VeHaMeitiv. Mishna Berura (...
- 97.4k
5
votes
Accepted
Non-kosher wine and Rabbi Natan Shapiro's Sefer Yayin Ha-Meshumar
(FTR, in the linked-to shiur the speaker [which, from his voice, sounds like R. Eli Mansour] refers to the “Yayin Ha-meshumar that was written in the 1800s” - except he’s off by 150+ years.)
In the ...
- 11.9k
5
votes
Does the halacha require that even someone who does not like meat and wine must consume them on Yom Tov?
(adapted from R' Josh Flug's YUTorah article "The Mitzvah of Simchat Yom Tov")
The Beit Yosef (Orach Chaim 529:5) questions the Rambam's assertion that one must eat meat on Yom Tov (still ...
- 12k
5
votes
Accepted
When to make kiddush at a Seder with no wine?
Shulchan Arukh OC 483
מי שאין לו יין בליל פסח מקדש על הפת שמברך המוציא ובוצע ומניח ידיו עליו עד שגומר הקידוש ומברך על אכילת מצה ואוכל ואחר כך אוכל שאר ירקות ומסלק השלחן ואומר מה נשתנה וכל ההגדה עד ...
- 97.4k
5
votes
Accepted
R’ Hurewitz’s response to prof. Louis Ginzburg about grape juice
Rabbi Yitzhok Simhah Horowitz’s written response/challenge of Prof. Ginzberg’s responsum was published in his commentary Yad HaLevi on Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvot, beginning s.v. ונראה.
- 11.9k
4
votes
Accepted
The Brakhah 'Ha-Tov ve-ha-Meitiv' and Wine
Am I remembering right?
Yes.
Is it the practice nowadays to make make the brakhah in this situation?
I've seen people do it and personally do it regularly. it's mentioned in the Kitzur Shulchan ...
- 42.8k
4
votes
Accepted
Does adding a bit of red wine to white wine change the resulting drinks' status vis-a-vis kiddush?
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef in Yalkut Yosef (272, 6) says that only if one doesn't have enough red wine (which is preferred for kiddush over white wine), one should add the little amount of red wine he has to ...
- 3,835
4
votes
For how long must a vessel be left open for it to be considered "Megulah"?
The Aruch Hashulchan at the end of Yorah Deah 116:3 writes (emphasis mine):
וכמה זמן ישהו שיהא מגולה ותיאסר? כדי שיצא הנחש מתחת אוזן הכלי ויחזור לחורו, והוא זמן מועט
And how much time can the ...
- 6,753
4
votes
Why does my bottle of Kosher grape juice say that it's 'for sacramental purposes only'?
Sacrimental purposes exempts from tax in many places like New York see here: https://tax.ny.gov/pubs_and_bulls/tg_bulletins/abt/exempt_sales_and_uses.htm
- 1,382
4
votes
Where are the regions Kerutim & Hatoulim, mentioned in the Mishna as having the best wine grapes, located on a map?
Welcome to Mi Yodeya!
Naturally, there's some disagreement about what these places were exactly. Here are the views I was able to find so far (and I'll add more if I find any other views):
Kerotim:
...
- 24.9k
4
votes
Is there a problem with crushed grapes?
No. The issar of yayin nesrch is touching wine not crushed grapes.
In Shulchun Aurach YD 123 seif 17 explains that after the squeezing the grapes you have what is called must, it's the mixture of ...
- 1,232
3
votes
Kashering and tevilas of corkscrews
The response of mbloch is perfect. I just want to quote 2 statements taken out from Gemara Avoda Zara 75B (I elided everything not directly concerned with the question)
1.
כלי סעודה אמורין בפרשה&...
- 22.7k
3
votes
Bracha on frozen grape juice
Rav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach held that grapejuice or wine ices is not downgraded brachawise and one should make a borei pri hagafen.
Text:
- 41k
3
votes
Is wine touched/shaken by a non-idolatrous Gentile child forbidden to drink?
From Avoda Zara 57a we see that even a baby who is one day old renders the wine prohibited for drinking:
אמרו ליה רב כהנא ורב אסי לרב והא מר הוא דאמר תינוק בן יומו הוא עושה יין נסך אמר להו אימור ...
- 3,849
3
votes
Accepted
wine produced in a non jewish company
A very good question, which needs to explore what is the prohibition of "Stam Yenam", I assume that you have a basic knowledge concerning the fact that wine of non-Jews prohibited ...
- 22.7k
3
votes
Invei HaGefen: Why grapes?
My Rebbe, the Stoliner Rosh Yeshivah shelitah, in Boropark, (R' Wolpin) told me an explanation of "why grapes" as opposed to other fruits.
All other fruits eventually rot with age. Wine is the ...
- 10.7k
3
votes
Accepted
Non-grape based replacement for the Daled Kosos?
The Shulhan Arukh (483:1) states that b'diavad one can rely on other beverages if they are hamar medinah. He is discussing a case where wine is not available:
מִי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ יַיִן בְּלֵיל פֶּסַח, ...
- 35.4k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible