Ron at 05:58, 12 December 2025

2025-12-12T05:58:55Z

Ron: Created page with "{{blog}} {{comment|Dec 5th}} Last week I mentioned building the “HCE”, or “Hanuquarium™”. Now you can [https://ronware.org/img/candle-cage.jpeg see it in all its gl..."

2025-12-05T05:24:58Z

Created page with "{{blog}} {{comment|Dec 5th}} Last week I mentioned building the “HCE”, or “Hanuquarium™”. Now you can [https://ronware.org/img/candle-cage.jpeg see it in all its gl..."

New page

{{blog}} {{comment|Dec 5th}}

Last week I mentioned building the “HCE”, or “Hanuquarium™”. Now you can [https://ronware.org/img/candle-cage.jpeg see it in all its glory] (candles not included)! Also for your delectation, my attempts at making liquors from [https://ronware.org/img/mirto.jpeg myrtle berries] and [https://ronware.org/img/tangerine.jpeg tangerines]. These are just in the initial extraction stage; diluting, sweetening, and filtering will be done shortly. Then, they need to “relax” a bit before consuming.

I apologize to my non-Jewish readers for the entirely too-Jewish topic:

Every year I deal with people saying that “''yoshon''” (literally: “old” grain) is a “stringency”. So first of all, the [https://halachayomit.co.il/en/default.aspx?HalachaID=3985 prohibition is “''ḥadash''”] (”new” grain), since that is what is [https://mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0323.htm#14 Biblically prohibited]. But what exactly are the parameters? Perhaps it only applies in the Land, or when the Temple exists, or if the grain was grown by Jews?

The Mishnah (Orlah 10:9) says, “New [grain] is forbidden by law of the Torah everywhere”. That would seem to imply even outside the Land. Rambam’s Mishne Torah ([https://mechon-mamre.org/i/5210n.htm#2 Laws of Forbidden Foods 10:2]) rules it’s forbidden: “…in every place, at every time, whether in the Land or outside it, whether or not the Temple stands”. Further, the vast majority of “Rishonim” (Torah sages of roughly the same era as Rambam) agree.

So it’s clear that “''yoshon''” isn’t a stringency. Rather, ''not keeping it'' is a '''leniency''' which arose in Europe due to the extreme hardships our people faced surviving winters without access to proper (e.g. “''yoshon''”) grains. In today’s day, even in Europe, those hardships no longer exist. Consequently, a ruling made by local rabbis for specific circumstances, must give way in light of the Biblical prohibition against eating new grain. You can read more (in Hebrew) [https://www.toraland.org.il/%D7%9E%D7%90%D7%9E%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D/%D7%94%D7%90%D7%A8%D7%A5-%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%A6%D7%95%D7%95%D7%AA%D7%99%D7%94/%D7%90%D7%99%D7%A1%D7%95%D7%A8-%D7%97%D7%93%D7%A9/%D7%90%D7%99%D7%A1%D7%95%D7%A8-%D7%97%D7%93%D7%A9-%D7%9B%D7%9C%D7%9C%D7%99/%D7%90%D7%99%D7%A1%D7%95%D7%A8-%D7%97%D7%93%D7%A9-%D7%91%D7%99%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%95/ here ] and [https://www.kosharot.co.il/%D7%90%D7%99%D7%A1%D7%95%D7%A8-%D7%97%D7%93%D7%A9 here], among many other places.

Sorry, it just irks me.

Of note:
* Israel performed a [https://www.jpost.com/aliyah/article-876433 massive “war-gaming” exercise] to prepare for “emergency aliyah”.
* Home economics: them candles can be [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpgV6KKdzGM very dangerous].
* Preston Stewart: after the Iran strikes, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw2_7b5IA2U major threat remains].
* Kira Davis: it started [https://justkiradavis.substack.com/p/it-started-with-a-subway-sandwich with a Subway sandwich] (by the way).
* Yassin on [https://www.ymeskhout.com/p/why-i-write-about-the-jews why he writes] about the Jews.
* You thought Islam was [https://x.com/DanBurmawy/status/1995637028180902163 about spirituality]? 72 virgins cannot tell a lie!

We met up with Yarin’s parents one evening, to commiserate and get together before our upcoming yearly jaunt to visit the Grands ''et. fam.'' Traffic was surprisingly light (both going and returning!) and they’d arranged parking for us. Sweet!

We also attended our local “book swap”, and I came back with what is surely “too many” books. Is that a thing, though?

The warmer than average weather should continue through ''shabbat'', with proper seasonal temperatures scheduled for Sunday and beyond.

This ''shabbat'' we’ve got guests, who might enjoy:
 
homemade ''ḥalla'',
chicken soup,
''pargiot'',
chicken breast,
roasted baby potatoes,
broccoli ''kugel'',
artichokes,
various ''salatim'',
and bread-pudding.
 

Until next time, 
''shabbat shalom''! 

<hr>
To subscribe to this blog via email, [mailto:ron@ronware.org?subject=Blog%20subscribe click here]; or, alternatively, [mailto:ron@ronware.org?subject=Blog%20unsubscribe unsubscribe].

{{nav|Blog|Blog|Blog/November 2025/Nov 28th|Nov 28th||}}

@@ Line 46: / Line 46: @@
 To subscribe to this blog via email, [mailto:ron@ronware.org?subject=Blog%20subscribe click here]; or, alternatively, [mailto:ron@ronware.org?subject=Blog%20unsubscribe unsubscribe].
-{{nav|Blog|Blog|Blog/November 2025/Nov 28th|Nov 28th||}}
+{{nav|Blog|Blog|Blog/November 2025/Nov 28th|Nov 28th|Blog/December 2025/Dec 12th|Dec 12th}}
 <!-- vim: set ic nocin tw=0 complete=.,w,b,kspell spelllang=en: -->

Blog/December 2025/Dec 5th - Revision history

Ron at 05:58, 12 December 2025

Ron: Created page with "{{blog}} {{comment|Dec 5th}} Last week I mentioned building the “HCE”, or “Hanuquarium™”. Now you can [https://ronware.org/img/candle-cage.jpeg see it in all its gl..."