Volume II, Number 1 Reviewed by: HaRav Yisroel Belsky, Shlita MarCheshvan 5762 bayis, and for whatever else you 1. The Gedolim’s Directive. Unlike the nations of the know He can help you with. PPleaselease Note: world, we are blessed to have the guidance of our Gedolim in all situations, in war and in peace, individually and collectively. Our Suggestion 3: You Can Con- The purpose of this Bul- Gedolim have guided us to say Tehillim Chapters 83, 130 and 142, trol Foreign Thoughts During letin is to alert the public daily. We must be vigilant in our recitation of these “k’pitlach”, Davening. regarding timely issues better even with kavana. Moreover, they have urged us to come to Hashem only requires of which raise serious shul on time and daven each word of the entire davening, in addition us that which we can accom- shailos, so that the in- to other matters. plish. If you had an opportu- Let us demonstrate our Emunas Chachomim by carefully nity to count a stack of $100 formed person can ask following the directives of our Gedolim on a daily basis. bills and could only keep them his Rav the right ques- if your count was accurate, tions. This Bulletin is not 2. Nine Practical Suggestions to Daven with Kavana. In would you allow other plans intended to provide the light of the Gedolim’s directive, it is imperative that we consistently or responsibilities to enter improve our daily Tefilos. As your mind at that time? answers to these issues. It Dovid Hamelech teaches us in is intended to heighten In This Issue Tehillim (147:10), “Lo beg- Suggestion 4: Recognize each member of our com- vuras hasus yechpatz… That You Are Standing Before munity’s awareness of im- 1. The Gedolim’s Directive [Hashem does not desire the Hashem. portant shailos in our 2. Davening with Kavana mighty horse or the mighty As often as you can warrior—Hashem looks to those (preferably, at least before the community, and to rre-e- 3. Tefilah Pointers ceive his own p’sak on 4. Tefillin Reminder who fear Him, those who await end of every brocha), visualize ceive his own p’sak on His chesed.]” Our wars are not yourself thanking the King each of these issuesissues. Brochos Confusion won on the battlefields, but and asking for His compassion 5. -Granola Bars with the quality of our prayers. and mercy. Rejoice that you are supplicating before the only One 6. -Rice Cakes Here are some practical sug- who can really grant your request and fulfill your needs. 7. -Soy Chips gestions to improve the “Hakol 8. Kashrus Alert Kol Yaakov”: Suggestion 5: Daven From a Siddur. 9. Cool Mint Listerine Pocket This includes Ashrei, Shema and Shemone Esrei. Slow down Packs Suggestion 1: Prepare Your- and don’t slur over the name of Hashem. When we daven from a 10. Chocolates self Before Davening-It’s Cru- siddur, we see meanings in the words which we otherwise would not cial. see. Shabbos Halachos Come early and settle down. 11. -Chapped Lips Stop and think about what you Suggestion 6: Periodically Regenerate Your Davening In Some 12. -Ices can accomplish with your Te- Way. 13. -Pre-Cut Tissues filos. Be innovative. Change your siddur. Decide to focus on some- 14. Cholov Yisroel-but Not thing new in davening today. Try to have kavana when saying Pas Yisroel Suggestion 2: Personalize Hashem’s name. Look for nuances. Make different personal re- 15. “Non-dairy” Creamers Your Prayers Making Them quests in the brocha Shema Koleinu or in Elokai Nitzor in the 16. By Popular Demand More Relevant. Shemone Esrei. 17. Tznius: A Contemporary Prior to davening think about Question what you need and how Suggestion 7: Daven in a Place Conducive to Having Kavana. 18. Giving Advice to Others Hashem can bless you with it. Don’t daven in a place where people walk back and forth or 19. Special Notes Daven to Hashem to maintain near “talkers”. Avoid places which are known for their talking. Try your health, security, shalom to daven in the Rav’s minyan. Try to daven near a wall, and in a place where you can concentrate. appropriate brocha rishona is borei minei mezonos. Rav Dovid Feinstein, Shlita, poskens that the appropriate brocha is borei minei Suggestion 8: Refrain From Improper Speech. mezonos. According to all opinions, the appropriate brocha achrona A doctor performing life-saving surgery does not use unclean is, of course, borei nefashos. equipment. Our tool for prayer, our mouth, must also be kept clean. 7. Brochos Confusion III-Soy Chips. Soy chips is a new Suggestion 9: Keep a Record of Your Success. snack product which has soy flour and rice pieces as its main ingre- “All of your deeds are written in a book.” Keep your own re- dients. The appropriate brocha rishona on soy chips will depend on cord of success in increased kavana. Your book in this world will whether the rice pieces constitutes a rov, or majority, of the product. positively reflect in your book in the next world. We inquired of the Rav HaMachshir of one “heimishe” soy chip product who advised us that he believed that soy (and not rice 3. Tefilah Pointers. pieces) was the rov in that particular product, and that, accordingly, a. There is one brocha in Shemone Esrei where we ask for the appropriate brocha rishona was shehakol and not mezonos. The Hashem’s help using the word “be’meheyra” – speedily – three appropriate brocha achrona is, of course, borei nefashos. times in one brocha. Which brocha is it? Once you find it, in light of current events, we urge you especially to have kavana 8. Kashrus Alert. The Kashrus Information Service of when saying the word be’meheyra each time in this brocha. This Brooklyn has recently issued the following Kashrus Alert: will B”EH be a great z’chus for all of K’lal Yisroel. “Due to the very hot weather this past summer, there is a very b. The Gemara in Shabbos (32A) states that we should serious problem with infestation of grain products. A number of daven to stay healthy, because greater z’chus is required to be various brands of products have been found to be infested. healed from sickness than is required to stay healthy and not get sick in the first place. Where in the brocha of Ref’ainu do we “After consultation with Rabbonim Machshirim and Kashrus beseech Hashem to keep us well? organizations, we strongly advise that prior to using any grain prod- ucts such as pastas, noodles, bow ties, macaronis, farfel, orzo, bar- 4. Tefillin Reminder. When making the brocha of ley, matzah meal, and rice etc., a thorough check should be made for “L’honeach Tefillin” one must have in mind not only the Tefillin the presence of any foreign matter such as worms, insects and lar- Shel Yad – but also the Tefillin Shel Rosh, as the brocha relates to vae. both batei Tefillin (Mishna Berurah 25:31). “This applies to both the commercial and the consumer prod- NOTE: We heard a Rav remark “I recently davened ucts.” Shachris with a minyan where the mispallilim were so uninspired that you literally could not tell whether they were putting on their We have received some additional information from a Tefillin or taking them off.” Each of us can avoid this unfortunate very experienced Rav HaMachshir. The infestation is currently scenario by remembering the specific kavanos that the Shulchan most prevalent in pearl barley, matzah meal, orzo and rice. At this Aruch (Orach Chayim 25:5; and Mishna Berurah seif katan 15) re- time, one should place grain products either into a clear bowl of wa- quires us to have when putting on Tefillin. We urge you to review, ter or examine carefully with your hands on a white plate. Addition- think about and remember these kavonos. ally, it is a good practice to check the water when cooking the above products. Of course, all such products should be stored in a cool, 5. Brochos Confusion I-Granola Bars. Granola, or roasted dry place. kernels of grain, may be manufactured into different products by various processes. As a result, special care must be taken as to the **NOTE: Please do not rely upon this Bulletin for all of your appropriate brocha rishona and brocha achrona. The final opinion Kashrus Alerts and updates. There is much more to be aware of. of the sefer V’zos HaBrocha (Rav Aleksander Mandelbaum, Shlita) The offices of Kashrus Magazine maintains an updated list of Kash- and the sefer The Halachos of Brochos (Rav Pinchos Bodner, Shlita) rus Alerts, Mislabelings and other important updated kashrus infor- is that the appropriate brocha rishona on Granola Bars is borei pri mation, which is also included in each issue of its magazine. Its ha’adoma (only if the whole grains adhere to each other as a result phone number is 718-336-8544. of the cooking process, would the appropriate brocha be borei minei mezonos). As for the brocha achrona, the sefer The Halachos of 9. Cool Mint Listerine Pocket Packs. This new product, Brochos states, “There is, however, uncertainty among the Ris- which is being sold in stores and distributed as a promotion by den- honim, as to which brocha achrona is most appropriate for roasted tists, has a number of ingredients which require hashgacha. There is grain products. The Shulchan Aruch suggests, therefore, that a yorei currently no hashgacha on this product. shomayim should try to avoid having to make a brocha achrona on such products either by only eating them during the course of a 10.