Advice for the Kosher Traveler

With only one week left from the period of three weeks when one may restrain from joyful activities like travel, it is the right time to consider you next journey. If you are a kosher traveler there are so many things to keep in mind though.

Compared to few decades and even years ago, the kosher traveler may encounter less - although enough - struggles while on the road. There are ways and apps to recognize kosher products and Chabad houses are spread all over the world - including in remote places, but with an interesting travel potential like Congo or Vietnam. 

Mordechai Hasofer´s book Guide for the Kosher Traveler, published in English and Hebrew by Gefen Publishing House  offers guidance and lots of details about specific circumstances a kosher traveler should consider for a better yet kosher-safe experience, particularly when staying in a rented facility or during flights. 

The language is clear and so are the information, appealing to both the mid-experienced and beginner kosher observant. It covers rather general circumstance than individual cases, turning the book in a convenient travel companion, no matter the destination. However, some specificities are always welcomed, but this should be kept in mind by the travel themselves. 

For instance, Australia and New Zealand, do not permit entry of non-local foods, which may present some difficulties for anyone planing to bring some tasty food supplies from Israel, for instance. I am sure the author - originary from Australia - may know those rules, but once you start with specific details, you may just need more than one book to deal with.

The book has less than 70 pages, and is available both in English and Hebrew and also includes a list of kosher and non-kosher products to check.

It is a very useful and practical book, recommended also for anyone looking to better understand the stringencies and rules of kosher.

Rating: 4 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review 

Exploring Contemporary Halachic Issues with Rabbi Ari N. Enkin

`Dalet amot´ literally means ´4 cubits of Halacha´ and this is what we were left with after the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. In over 100 articles approaching diverse topics such as women&family, medical issues or inter-personal relationships, Rabbi Ari N. Enkin offers a consistent review of more or less known issues pertaining to the everyday Jewish practice.

The level of knowledge required is basic to inter-mediate, but personally I think that every person, regardless the level of Torah education, either you are a layman, scholar or observant Jew, everyone has something new to learn and think about after reading this book. Remember the answee to the question: who is a wise man?

Despite the diversity of topics, many of them - for example, the issue of adoption - I would definitely want to study later in a more systematic and in-depth way, there is something else I highly appreciated about Dalet Amot. Halachic Perspectives by Rabbi Ari N. Enkin: the generous way in which it includes different perspectives and approaches, without taking a definite stance. After all, in the author´s own words: `If Gd is infinite, then there must be an infinite number of legitimate ways to serve Him`. It is nothing wrong in following a certain path that you´ve been observed in your home, but this does not exclude the recognition of many other similar choices and possibilities, given than the halachic matrix is respected.

The author acknowledge the fact that we must ensure that women learn halacha, and there are aspects pertaining to women practice approaches in the book, for example kol isha, modesty and mikveh - the topic of building a mikveh and the various points of view is another topic I will be very interested to approach into more technical detail one day - one may not find any dispute or controversial statements on this issue, the neutral - halachically/legal - perspective being rather followed.

Personally, I´ve found the book very useful as a refreshment of some halachic topics and for the discovery of new problems that hopefully will keep me busy in the next weeks and months.

For anyone looking for a bit of Torah learning and a larger peace of mind in confused times, Dalet Amot. Halachic Perspectives by Rabbi Ari N. Enkin may offer solace, inspiration and eventually reasons to consider an even higher level of Torah learning and halachic observance.

New offer of books from Gefen Publishing House

An amazing selection of new books published recently by Gefen Publishing House. 

Hard to say which one I would NOT like to buy and read right now. 

I included most books on my shopping priority list and getting ready to work more to earn more and invest even more in books.