Share Your Spirit – Chanukah 5769

Dear Kosher Spirit,
In the Chodosh article, you wrote about spring wheat and why it is usually Chodosh. Can you please explain what winter wheat is and if it is a problem for those who keep Yoshon?
Sincerely,
MS

Rabbi Chanowitz responds: Winter wheat includes hard red winter, soft red winter, hard white, and soft white. Winter wheat is planted between September and December. The wheat sprouts before freezing occurs and then becomes dormant until the soil warms up in the spring. Wheat grown in the winter tends to be softer and more crumbly, since there is a lower percentage of gluten and protein. Usually winter wheat is used for cookies, crackers, cakes, pretzels, matzos and other baked products that are soft or crumbly. One would not need to be concerned about Chodosh with regard to winter wheat, since it takes root before Pesach and is not available to the consumer until after Pesach.

Dear Kosher Spirit,
I very much enjoyed your magazine. I have the Elul issue and I would like to be on your mailing list for all the publications. Please let me know how we can arrange this.
Thank you,
Dr. Chersky

KS: In order to educate and reach the most people possible, we don’t offer a subscription or mailing list anymore. Instead, the magazine is distributed in Jewish newspapers and is always available at www.kosherspirit.com.

Dear Kosher Spirit,
I read with great interest Rabbi Chanowitz’ article on Chodosh in the Diaspora and I have a question. Does the Bac”h hold that Chodosh is allowed in all of the Diaspora, or only in the field of a non-Jew?.
Regards,
YB

Rabbi Chanowitz responds: Thank you for writing. According to the Bac”h, Yoshon is only applicable when a Jew owns a field and Chodosh is permitted in the field of a non-Jew. Some even hold that this applies to the fields in Israel as well.

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