There was a big announcement today from the City of Bet Shemesh:

I dont know much about this case, but I hope he was not kidnapped or in some sort of danger but just decided to be independent and go traveling or whatever but is safe and sound.. even if so he is worrying his parents and family and should have at least left them a note of some sort to not worry, he is traveling, exploring, etc.

The Rabbanut of Bet Shemesh issued a kashrut alert regarding several local restaurants stating that the hechsher has been removed.
No reason was given for the Rabbanut of Bet Shemesh removing the hechsher form these restaurants, but reasons are rarely given tot he public.

The Strauss company announced today that some of its products, under the Elite name, are tainted with salmonella. To that end they issued a recall on a list of products.

• Chocolate bars (Cow, Blondie, and Splendid brand) with a best before date between 01.10.22-24.04.23
• Pesek Zman, Memolada and Crunch chocolate snack bars with a best before date between 01.12.22 - 01.04.23
• Taami, Egozi, and Kif Kef chocolate bars with a best before date between 01.07.22 - 15.01.23
• “Energy” chocolate coated rice cakes and chocolate cereal bars with a best before date between 01.07.22 - 15.01.23
• Reva L’Sheva snack bars with a best before date between 01.05.22 - 15.12.23
• Brownie cake, Pesek Zman cake and rolls with a best before date between 10.07.22 - 31.08.22
• Chocolate “XL” wafers with a best before date between 15.11.22 - 01.01.23
• “Bonbonierre” selection boxes dated best before 9.4.23 and 21.2.23 only.

When Covid-19 hit globally, the United States basically closed its embassies around the world. They continued to provide some services by mail and at times offered limited numbers of appointments, but most American citizens all around the world have been unable to get the services they required from the embassies and consulates. In Israel the Covid situation was followed by the Gaza situation and just as the embassy was increasing the number of available appointments they shut down again due to the security situation.

Due to plummeting temperatures expected in many places around Israel to reach freezing or near freezing levels during the coming nights, the water authority is recommending people leave a faucet dripping overnight to prevent pipes and water tanks from freezing.

The Bet Shemesh Absorption Department will be hosting a zoom comedy show with comedian Benji Lovitt on Sunday night, October 25, 2020 at 8:30pm

If you think you have symptoms of the COVID-19 CoronaVirus and want to get yourself tested, MADA will be running a "drive-thru testing center in the Bet Shemesh Western Industrial Zone (in the parking lot of the Police Academy - perhaps Hightower himself will do the testing!) for people to get tested. The drive-through will be open from 15:00-20:00. No double matinee though.

I don't think you can just go get tested, but have to have a valid concern, such as symptoms or having been in contact with someone who has tested positive. If you suspect you need a test, be in touch with Magen David Adom (dial 101).

Eli Beer, Director of United Hatzalah, has been in a Miami Hospital being treated for CoronaVirus. His situation was pretty bad for a while and then started to improve. I have not seen any official update in a few days, though I did hear a rumor of a worsening of his situation.

Regardless, it was pretty bad at least at some point and he clearly is not out of the woods yet - there are calls for a nationwide tefilla event for his recovery.

Eli's name for tefilla is Eliezer Yehuda ben Chaya
Join together with thousands of Ichud Hatzala members, friends and supporters LIVE to pray for his full recovery.

The event will include:

• the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel, HaRav Dovid Lau Shlita 
•  The Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, HaRav Amar 
•  The rav of the Kotel, HaRav Shmuel Rabinowitz Shlita 

The event will be broadcast live from the Kotel TODAY, Tuesday March 31st, at 4pm

On Pesach we ask why is this night different than all other nights, but this Pesach we are actually going to have much more differences than in normal years, because of CoronaVirus.

Selling of the chametz will be done mostly using online services, though I am sure some people will still do it the traditional way, just as some people are still insisting on davening in shuls. There are many services online for selling chametz, but here is the one offered by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.

I don't yet know how hagalat keilim will happen. Maybe it will be performed as normal but with restrictions on how many people can be present and distance kept between them. I guess it is possible, but it seems like a disaster waiting to happen. Additionally,the threat of an even tighter closure in the coming days might make that impossible. Though, again, I am sure some people will do this no matter what the closure situation is and no matter what the Ministry of Health allow or does not allow.

Many people buy new dishes or pots and other utensils before Pesach. That is likely true especially this year when people who normally go away will be staying home and making Pesach. With the mikvahs closed, mostly, many people are finding other solutions due to the inability to tovel the stuff. Tzohar is offering a service of selling your dishes to a non-Jew so they wont need to be toveled. Others are making their dishes hefker. And I heard another psak about simply not needing to because of the absurd situation we are in with the inability to tovel. After the situation calms down, no matter which solution you avail yourself of now, you will later have to tovel the dishes (speak to your rabbi if you are in this situation, but this is what I have heard in multiple shiurim about this). Kosharot has also paskened that selling to a goy is not a good long term solution. Kosharot says there is no problem toveling dishes now and it should be done with care (gloves, etc), but if someone can't or is too woried too, base don psak by Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, he can use those utensils without tevila temporarily and the dishes should be marked so he remembers to tovel them later.

Burning chametz is an issue. It will be an even bigger issue in the event of a full closure, but for now it is only an issue. Of course one can solve the problem for himself by burning his chametz in his own yard or porch in a safe manner. Another solution is not burning any chametz but disposing of it in other ways, or by selling it all.

But if you want to burn chametz, as of now, the City of Bet Shemesh just released instructions on how to do so in light of the CoronaVirus restrictions and guidelines.

Shemesh posted the rules from the city information:

Biur Chametz will only be carried out in accordance with the guidelines of the Ministry of Health, which are constantly being updated.
As of March 25th, there can be up to 2 people at each location so that no gathering is formed.
The Chametz should be thrown into the fire and after saying the Nusach, residents are requested to return home immediately.
Please wear personal protective equipment (gloves and masks).
Keep a distance of two meters from person to person.
Children should not be brought at allAdditional guidelines:A. The containers will be put out in various locations throughout the city on Wednesday, April 8, י"ד ניסן, until 11:00 AM, after which they will be collected.
B . The public is asked to burn the Chametz only in these containers and not in any other areas.
C. Only food items related to the Mitzvah should be discarded. Other items are prohibited. The issue will be enforced.
D. Fire safety rules must be followed; no fuel should be used to light the fire.
E. Municipal employees will carry out strict supervision and enforcement at the Biur Chametz stations
Please observe the rules to avoid any unpleasantness.
Click here for a list of sites for burn Chametz around the city: https://go.aws/2UNH3my

So, yes, due to the situation, this year's Pesach is looking a lot different than in previous years. There are solutions for every issue and situation. If you are not sure what to do or what can be done, ask your rabbi for guidance and pay attention to the safety rules publicized by the Ministry of Health.

Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef paskened today that everyone should leave their cellphones turned on over Shabbos - even those who have not been checked and tested for CoronaVirus and are not waiting for results.

The reason every person should leave the phone on is to be available in case it is discovered someone he or she was in close contact with tested positive for COVID-19 and he has to be contacted to go into quarantine because of that exposure. The Health Ministry representatives would need be able to reach such people to inform them of the need for quarantine.

As well, cars should be sent around the religious and Haredi neighborhoods with bullhorns announcing quarantine requirements, should it be necessary.

In addition, the shuls must all be shut and locked and people should daven at home, both on Shabbos and during the week. The shul has become a dangerous place of exposure and there are people more susceptible and more in danger and at risk.

Rav Dovid Yosef, rav of Har Nof and member of the Council of Sages of Shas, has also called for the shuls to be shut down and for people to daven at home. Many other rabbis have said the same, while some say if a shul can work out a minyan with complete adherence to Ministry of Health guidelines, such as only 10 people with each person no closer than 2 meters form the other, it is ok to have such a minyan.
source: Haredim10, Kikar

Regarding the cellphone, I am not sure why such a psak is needed. I was not aware of an obligation to shut off one's phone for Shabbos. I leave mine on but set it on silent mode. The psak should be more specifically about answering the phone should it ring, as Rav Yitzchak Zilbershtein paskened yesterday

PSA:

according to an announcement put out by Mayor of Bet Shemesh Dr Aliza Bloch, in honor of election day, tomorrow all parking in blue and white painted locations will be free around Bet Shemesh.

You still cannot park illegally (eg red and white, on sidewalks, etc) - but paid parking is free.

There is no need to activate Pango or Cellopark when parking tomorrow.

Go Vote!


בהנחיית ראש העיר ד"ר עליזה בלוך וממונה הפיקוח העירוני חבר המועצה הרב שלמה ברילנט:

לרגל יום הבחירות מחר, החנייה באזורים המסומנים בכחול-לבן תהיה בחינם לאורך כל היום! אין צורך להפעיל פנגו, סלופארק או איזיפארק.

זכרו! החנייה באזורים המסומנים באדום-לבן או באזורים המיועדים לבעלי תו חנייה אזורי - אסורה.

מצביעים ומשפיעים! צאו להצביע!

דוברות עיריית בית שמש

JPost is reporting that The Municipality of Jerusalem has come up with a plan to get people excited about election day.

They are promoting the day with free ice cream. Anyone who spends 20nis at any store in Jerusalem on election day, this coming Monday, will be able to bring the receipt to any one of several participating ice cream shops and get free ice cream. participating ice cream shops include Katzefet, Glida Metuka, Metudela, Cookie Cream, Selfy's and Mousseline.

They are running this promo to boost business on election day, after last election day saw businesses suffer loss of business. Mayor of Jerusalem Moshe Lion said he will continue to work to strengthen Jerusalem businesses.

I would recommend also connecting the free ice cream to proof of voting. Maybe voting stations in Jerusalem could stamp the voting card or something to show you voted and only after spending 20nis in a store plus proof of having voted should you get the free ice cream. This would encourage people to vote and to spend money in the city!

The other day the Ministry of Transportation announced changes to some of the bus routes in Bet Shemesh, including changes to the very popular bus #419. This bus serviced mostly the residents of RBS C (Gimmel), but it also serviced the residents of RBS A by exiting the city via the outskirts of RBS A with a few stops on the peripheral road. Along with many residents who live near that part of the route, many residents form all over RBS A would go to bus stops along this route because it was a much more efficient mode of transportation into Jerusalem, as it did make its way winding throughout the city before leaving. A resident of RBS A would save a minimum of 30 minutes by using the 419 over other lines, and often much longer especially during rush hour traffic.

The announcement raised an outcry on social media. Residents of RBS A were upset because a great bus route was being taken away from them. Using the other bus lines will increase transportation time by 30-45 minutes in each direction. Another problem is that the residents of the Ramat Shilo neighborhood within RBS A would now have another bus route taken away from them, with almost none left passing by their part of the neighborhood.

A better solution was requested, rather than a solution that helps one area by taking away from another. The real problem is that with no real government for the past year, there are no new budgets for adding lines, and no new tenders being published. Until elections will bring about a definitive government, all they can really do is put some band-aids on the bad situation.

Deputy Mayor of Bet Shemesh Rena Hollander took notice and took it upon herself to try to find a solution, temporary as it may be. She expressed the urgency of the matter to Minister of Transportation Betzalel Smotritch (it helps that they are both members of the same party and have an interest in helping each other to help the public), and today they announced a temporary resolution.

According to a notice put out by Minister Smotritch, posted by Rena Hollander on Facebook, he was made to understand the gravity of the situation by Rena Hollander and Yisrael Mendelson and Nisim Bariach, he has decided that for now half the buses on the 419 route will remain in operation according to the original route, and half will operate along the new route. As well, at some point int he next week, half oof the buses on the 417 line will continue along its original route and half will collect passengers in RBS A and then leave to Jerusalem without winding its way throughout the city.

Minister Smotritch expressed his hope that the legal situation will soon come to an end and they will be able to publish the tender for renewing the public transportation of Bet Shemesh. This will increase the lines by nearly 50%, and will be a resolution for the needs of all the neighborhoods and communities and the continued development of the city.

kol hakavod for this temporary solution!

The bus situation in Bet Shemesh is pretty lousy, and the Iryah has been fighting with the government to improve it as much as possible.

Bet Shemesh is a growing city, a very-fast growing city, with new neighborhoods being built and populated like nowhere else in Israel (though the problem is similarly prevalent in many new areas and not just Bet Shemesh or parts of Bet Shemesh.

As soon as new neighborhoods become populated, they need public transportation. The existing amount of public transportation serving existing neighborhoods was already barely adequate, and adding new neighborhoods whose residents will rely largely on the existing lines, with slight changes to the routes to extend them into the new neighborhoods, make the bus lines intolerable for everyone. The bus route extended to the new neighborhoods becomes a longer route that nobody likes, the bus fills up sooner and by the time it reaches the later stops it might not have space to let more people on, and everything becomes uncomfortable. In the meantime, no new lines are added, or few new lines are added, and they continue to extend existing lines.

For now, they built a bus depot between some of the new neighborhoods, to lessen the bus traffic on the roads, and to make it more viable to send some of the lines through the new neighborhoods. As a result of the new depot, many of the bus routes have had to be somewhat altered. For example, my house is relatively close to what used to be the first bus stop in RBS A, and the last stop as well, for most RBS routes. Now that they built the depot, most of the routes have been moved to the depot and the bus lines no longer use the bus stops near my house. Along the way, a few other stops have suffered the same fate. Some do, but many do not. If this is better for the greater good, for more people, so be it, even though it inconveniences some people. The problem above, of longer and fuller routes, is the bigger issue.

I do not know what the solution is - maybe the city is just too big by now for every neighborhood to have its own set of buses, each with local lines and lines going to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and a variety of other cities. As well, having so many more buses on the roads just continues to make traffic int he city worse, as each new set of bus lines servicing the different neighborhoods clogs up the roads. Maybe it is time for a Central Bus Station for inter-city travel, with buses from the neighborhoods going to the CBA and then from there out to the different cities. It makes it less convenient for many, as everyone wants the bus to stop right next to his own house, but the current situation has gotten really bad.

In the meantime, the best bus from RBS to Jerusalem is now being changed. The 419 line ran from RBS C (aka Gimmel), up Tzeelim into RBS A, up Kishon and out of the neighborhood to Jerusalem. it avoided most of the city and even in RBS only ran on the peripheral street. It was a very popular bus because its route was much quicker than many of the others. Now the route of the 419 is being changed to include one of the new neighborhoods, and it is also affecting how it leaves the city. Instead of coming up Tzeelim and Kishon, it will now come from the bridge of RBS C and go up Hayarqon, cutting out the first few stops in RBS A (and it only had several to begin with!), and leaving just the last two before heading out to Jerusalem.

This is a big change that will affect a lot of people, so I am posting it here, so everyone can plan their trips accordingly and go to the right bus stop (and get off at the right bus stop on the way back)..:

From Shemesh Online:

this is a kashrus announcement out of Lakewood about quinoa, and no, it is not regarding the kitniyos status on pesach..

It is entirely possible that the issue is regional and in other places the information above might not be relevant, so check with your local authorities.

The only question I have is regarding the line that says "However it is difficult for one without expertise to properly check quinoa". Considering the halacha only requires one to look and see, and if bugs are visible to the naked eye then clean it or dispose of it, and if no bugs are visible then eat it, I am not sure what special expertise is required.

It was explained to me, that  in recent months various brands of quinoa were found to contain booklice. ... The method of checking includes pouring the quinoa into a fine mesh sifter and agitating the quinoa for 30 seconds over a white surface. If any booklice are found on the white surface, the quinoa should be discarded.

Regarding that method of checking, ti does not sound like it requires any special expertise - it isnt that complicated to pour a bag of quinoa into a sifter and shake it up a bit. But really I am not so sure this method is even required.

Regardless of that, as many nowadays would want to check anyway, it is also entirely possible that the problem is regional and might not affect the quinoa in your area. Another possibility is that the problem is related to storage issues in the shops in Lakewood. The CRC responded to this saying they have not seen this problem in the quinoa and stores under their supervision, and it is being investigated what the source of the infestation is.

Kosharot posted the following update from the Rabbanut, about the kashrut of Coca Cola.


The announcement refers to Coca Cola produced in the Palestinian Territories, specifically in Bitunia. The labeling is printed in Arabic and bears no kashrut symbols. It is cheaper than Coca Cola in Israel, and people are confused as to whether or not they can consume it, as it is the same brand that is considered kosher in Israel.

The announcement says that this product is produced without any kashrut supervision at all. Because of that, people that are concerned about kashrut should not consume this product, both because of the lack of kashrut supervision and also from an educational perspective - not getting used to buying products without kashrut supervision.


The debate surrounding this topic is never-ending, with some saying Coca Cola is the same and kosher all over, and others saying it is always localized and requires supervision. The Rabbanut position as announced is that it needs supervision, and even if you think it doesn't you should still avoid it for educational reasons.