Q: And also , whats the difference between normal wine and kosher wine?I mean whats un-kosher in grapes?Isnt wine just made out of grapes? (Okay i know that sounds really silly) Thanks guys. Happy Pesach =D
A: kosher means "clean." judaism defines cleanliness rather specifically. here is one explanation regarding wine: http://www.gemsinisrael.com/e_article000033155.htm i am writing a little explanation of passover for an online community in which i hang out (i operate the only synagogue there, too, congregation makom kavuah. that community is called there and it's at http://www.there.com.) i wrote the part about what we may and may not eat at passover already so here it is: Even the preparation for Passover could be considered part of the celebration. It looks like the Jewish version of spring cleaning (though it's not) -- with a distinct focus. In the week preceding Passover, the entire premises are meticulously cleared of any trace , speck or iota of "chametz," food that is not "Pesadiche." Chametz can be eaten up, thrown out, burned, given away or sold, but it has to be gone by the first evening of Passover. (Anything sold can be, by arrangement of course, bought back after Passover.) And chametz is not just limited to leavening. To make matters even trickier, Jews from different backgrounds consider different things chametz. To an Ashkenazic Jew, that is, someone descended from Jews of Eastern Europe, chametz includes all yeast and other leavening, the five major grains (barley, oats, rye, spelt and wheat), and, in strict households, other grains, such as rice and corn; anything that may have come in contact with such grains -- for example, legumes (beans, peanuts, etc.). This extra stuff is called "kitniyot." Sephardic Jews, those whose heritage is from Spain, North Africa, the Middle East or India, do not usually care abot kitniyot, only chametz. Now to the really tricky part! Raw veggies are sometimes waxed, and the wax might be made of grain. Frozen veggies don't get you home free if they are made by the same machines that produce pasta, because pasta is made from grain (so forget pasta, too!) Dried fruits can be dried in the same ovens used for baking bread, no good! Most soda is made with corn syup... syrup made from a GRAIN, yep, throw out that soda! Drink milk if you like... if the manufacturer does not also produce chocolate milk, since chocolate milk is made with malt, which in turn is made from grain. Be careful of any nasty additives in the otherwise acceptable plain milk, too. The ultra-orthodox will also scrub their kitchen appliances, even the sink, and refrain from using them for 24 hours before Passover. Silverware is boiled one item at a time, then dunked in cold water. Pots are prepared by filling them completely with water, which is brought to the boiling point, then caused to overflow by the insertion of a hot rock (no, not a stolen diamond!) Any household nonfood items that have come into contact with any chometz are, themselves, chometz. Watch out for those rubber gloves! hope that helps. g