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Around the Jewish Year

Nissan: Birkat ha'ilanot on orlah blueberry blossoms

Rabbi Moshe Bloom

I have blueberries growing in a planter in my garden. Last year, I was told I need to count orlah years for it, which seems to make it a tree. If it has flowers, can I count it as one of the trees for birkat ha'ilanot?

Nissan: Birkat Ha'ilanot for flowers that are still closed

Rabbi Avraham Socholovsky, Nissan 5780

Can we say birkat ha'ilanot on a tree with buds that resemble white balls, whose petals have not opened yet, or is it necessary to see the petals of the flowers? We have an orange tree in this state now.

Peasch: Are gluten-free products kosher for Pesach?

Rabbi Tzvi Ben Reuven, Emunat Itecha 119 Nissan 5778

Are gluten-free products kosher for Pesach?

Pesach: Matzah for those with celiac

Rabbi Yaakov Ariel

Someone with celiac, who cannot eat regular grains—even oat matzah—can only eat matzah made of gluten-free grain. Can he fulfill the obligation of eating matzah on Seder night with this special matzah?

Pesach: Lecithin and rapeseed on Pesach

Rabbi Yaakov Ariel

In recent years, my family has begun to avoid eating lecithin and rapeseed products on Pesach. I'm not sure what the source of this custom is. I would like to know if these are considered legumes (kitniyut) and on what basis should one not eat them on Pesach.

Nissan: Birkat Ha'ilanot on trees that blossom twice annually

Rabbi Yoel Friedemann

I have two questions about birkat ha'ilanot:

  • Can we make the blessing on trees that blossom twice a year (lemon, mango, petango)? What about those that bloom twice but only produce fruit once a year (mango)?
  • Why don't we make this blessing over olive trees?

Rosh Hashana: Shehechiyanu on a fresh pineapple on the second night

Rabbi Moshe Bloom, Elul 5779

 

Can I say a Shehechiyanu on a fresh pineapple on the second night of Rosh Hashana?

Pesach: Canola Oil

Rabbi Yaakov Ariel

I am Ashkenazi and avoid eating kitniyot on Pesach. I would like to find out if the prohibition against eating legumes applies to canola oil. My understanding is that this oil is produced from rapeseed (liftit). Also: if canola oil is permitted, then would it also be permitted to eat chocolate when it says on the package "includes rapeseed" (מכיל לפתית)?

Pesach: Quinoa and Amaranth

Rabbi Yehuda HaLevy Amichay

How is it possible to obtain amaranth and quinoa for Pesach, since they don't have kosher-for-Pesach certification? It is possible to buy them without a special Pesach certification, check them carefully, and eat them on Pesach?

Pesach: Challah that got mixed in the matzot

Rabbi Yehuda Amichay HaLevy

After baking matzot mitzvah, we put all the matzot together and we took challah with a blessing. Just then, accidentally, the challah got mixed up with all of the questionable matzot given to the children following the matzah baking. When I noticed what had happened, I took the matzot from the children. Most probably the challah was not eaten, but my heart is very heavy about the whole thing. How do I go about rectifying the matter?