LIKUTEI SPLIT

From the Preface, by Rabbi Benni Bakbuk:

The Schlitzer Rebbe compiled this collection of responsa and other halachic writings during a summer vacation he spent on the Adriatic coast of the former Yugoslavia, hence the title of this book. The writings collected here clearly show that the Rebbe is the undisputed master of all aspects of Purim Torah, and his followers consider his rulings to be the equivalent of Purim Torah mi Sinai. May all who read this book be inspired to keep with perfect faith the Purim Torah of our ancestors, because, as our Rebbe says, if all Jews everywhere were to keep all the mitzvos of Purim Torah one year, then moshiach will come speedily in our day.

(From Chapter 5, Miscellaneous Responsa)

IS ONE OBLIGATED, OR EVEN PERMITTED, TO "BENTSCH 'GOMEL'" AFTER FLYING ON A COMMUTER AIRLINE?

This is a very complicated halachic issue. For many years, poskim have required that persons who have been through danger (i.e., survived an accident, given birth to a child, taken a long journey, etc.) say the berakha of "gomel" on receiving an aliyah after they have escaped the danger. The question is, what danger has the person escaped? In days of old before we had AAA road service, toll free reservation numbers, VISA cards, and ATM machines, long journeys were indeed hazardous. However, in our times, travel is less dangerous, in fact people seem to like to do it for fun. Thus, some poskin feel that it is necessary to "bentsch 'gomel'" only when the travel involves some hazardous activity or mode of transport. Thus, the question here is really, "Is flying on a commuter airline a hazardous mode of transport?"

Rabbi Avraham Anan in his code, "Hilchot El Al" ruled that those flying to Israel do not "bentsch 'gomel'" after their flight, "as in these days, flying is statistically safer than driving, and who bothers to bentsch gomel after driving around Tel Aviv?" However, Rabbi Mordechai Mazon has ruled the opposite, that one does indeed "bentsch 'gomel" after a flight, but only after a flight in which a meal has been served, and only is one actually eats the meal served by the airline. "The prayer is said for surviving the meal, not the flight" (Hilchot Hamazon 1:973)

In fact, R' Mazon even requires one to"bentsch 'gomel'" if one sins by eating a non-kosher airline meal. "It is meritorious to thank the Source of All Life for surviving the ordeal of eating a non-kosher airline meal, for one's very survival after eating such a meal is a sign that one is forgiven for the trangression. Eating a non-kosher airline meal is sufficient punishment for the sin of eating non-kosher food." (Hilchot HaMazon 1:974) And if one can give thanks for surviving a non-kosher airline meal, how much more so that one should "bentsch 'gomel'" for eating and surviving a kosher airline meal?

All of these rulings, however, involve flights from North America to Eretz Yisrael, which typically are made with large jet aircraft. The question before us now concerns commuter airlines, who fly small planes. These planes typically hold less than 100 passengers, are propeller-driven, fly at lower altitudes in rougher weather than large jets, and fly from airports that do not have the wide array of navigational and safety aids associated with large airports. However, commuter airlines do not serve meals, kosher or not, on their flights, so there is no need to "bentsch 'gomel'" for that reason. Based on the above criteria, however, we rule that commuter flights indeed involve a greater element of danger than flights on a large jet, so a Jew who flies on a commuter airline should bentsch gomel on the completion of his journey.

However, this applies only to Jews whose Rav has permitted them to fly in airplanes. For it is written in the Tanakh, "The Heavens are reserved for the Lord, whereas the earth is given to the Sons of Man." (Psalm 115). From this we rule that it is forbidden for anyone to fly in an airplane at any time for any reason. Thus, for those who follow our halachic rulings, there is no need to worry about whether to bentsch 'gomel' after a flight, beause flying in an airplane is itself a violation of halacha, and none of our followers would be in situation where they would fly on an airplane!

(EDITOR's NOTE: This ruling was written a few weeks after Rav Kohol has named Chief Rabbi and All-Around Spiritual Guru of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation ("Amtrak"). The Rebbe is pleased to announce that passengers aboard Amtrak's Metroliners or any trains equipped with public telephone service can now dial direct to the Rebbe if they have any pressing spiritual needs while travelling. Simply use the public phone found in the end of the Food Service Car, and dial #REBBE (#73223).)

IS MY MOUTH KOSHER?

Last month during the terrible storms, I came home with a couple of bags of groceries. My hands were gloved, and I needed to take the gloves off to get my house keys out of my pocket to open the door. Because I could not put my bags down on the snow-covered porch, I needed to use both hands to hold my grocery bags, and I thus ended up holding my gloves with my teeth. A good bit of the leather neded up in my mouth, and even touched my tongue. Imagine my horror when I got into the house, looked at the label on my gloves, and found that they were made of PIG SUEDE! Is my mouth still kosher?

We indeed know about those pig suede gloves, sold by a major mail-order clothing company for $15. Such a deal! and so well made, too. We ourselves own such a pair. We commend your good taste in slecting clothing.

However, you do, indeed have a problem. It is an obvious principle of kashrus that when treif substances come in contact with a kosher vessel, the kosher vessel is rendered treif and must be made kosher again before one can use it for kosher food. Thus, your mouth is indeed treif, and even if you only eat kosher food, it will be rendered treif the minute it touches your mouth. So if you've always wondered what lobster tastes like, now's your chance! It won't make any difference what you eat until you make your mouth kosher again.

How does one make one's mouth kosher? The Ochel Ya'akov (34:574.21a) mentions two pssible methods, purging by fire, and purging by boiling. Rabbi Mordechai Mazon also allows one to purge by eating a kosher airline meal, "for one's very survival after eating such a meal is a sign that the All-Meriful has cleansed and purged your mouth." (Hilchot HaMazon 1:975) However, we have ruled that the laws of Purim Torah clearly prohibit our followers from flying in airplanes (see above), whether or not a meal is served, so you must kasher your mouth by one of the first two methods.

Purging by Fire: You must obtain a blow torch capable of reaching a minimum temperature of 600 degrees F (That is, hotter than the hottest oven commonly used in food preparation). You then point the flame to your mouth, making certain that the small blue tip of flame comes into contact with all parts of your mouth that came into contact with the glove. You may also use a self-cleaning oven, if you can fit in.

Purging by boiling: You must boil a large pot of water. After the water comes to a full rolling boil, you submerge your head under the water for at least 20 seconds, or until the water returns to a boil. The Ochel Ya'akov (34:574.21b) requires that one immerse one's whole body, but we do not require that, unless a hot tub is readily available.

There is a question about what to do at high altitudes (greater than ~1200 m/4000 ft above sea level) At these altitudes, atmospheric pressure is much lower than at sea level, and water boils at a lower temperature than at sea level. Thus, there is a question as to whether the boiling water is hot enough to purge the treif out of your mouth. We rule that water boling at ambient atmospheric pressure is indeed hot enough to purge the mouth if one lives at high altitude and customarily eats foods boiled at that altitude. However, if one normally lives at sea level and is visiting a location at high altitude (for example, Denver, Vail, or Cuzco, Peru), then one would need to either purge one's mouth in a pressure cooker, or return to sea level and purge one's mouth there.

And if one normally lives at high altitude, takes a trip to sea level, eats food boiled at sea level, then returns to high altitude, and his mouth becomes treif, what should he do? He should consult with his rabbi on the specific circumstances of his trip, as in some cases it will be necessary to return to sea level for the purging, whereas in others, the purging can be done at ambient pressure. In all cases, however, one can purge one's mouth by fire.

(c) 1996 by Joe Bachman for the Schlitzer Purim Torah Institute

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