Re: The Kosher Pork

In article <gs0qlh$rmh$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Micha Berger <micha@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Herman Rubin <hrubin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
The rabbis were aware that there was a reaction between
certain flours and water which produced something which
made the resulting dough rise...

Herman, Herman, Herman...

Yet again: The talmud says that chameitz comes from 5 species that are
subtypes of the two grains included in the blessing of Israel, "a land
of wheat, barley, grape vines, figs and pomegranates; a land of olive
oil and date honey." (Deut 8:8) Wheat is explained as a category
that also encompasses spelt and barley is also meant broadly, including
rye and "fox-barley".

Rye is biologically related to wheat. There is even a
wheat-rye cross called "triticale". I would consider
triticale leavenable.

It is on these grounds that R' Herschel Schachter questions the medieval
identification of "fox-barley" with oats. Others try to show how oats
could qualify as close enough to barley to be what was intended.

It is not based on your imagined scientific experiments about what
rises better than what. No matter how many times you ignore my rebutting
your thesis.

You are not rebutting my thesis; I gave a scientific
explanation which is in keeping with the Talmudic
statements, and also with the knowledge available at
the time.

In addition, my interpretation gives a basis for
deciding whether any other grain is leavenable or
not; if one can make raised bread with it alone,
without adding anything else but yeast, it is
leavenable, and if one cannot, it is not.
--
This address is for information only. I do not claim that these views
are those of the Statistics Department or of Purdue University.
Herman Rubin, Department of Statistics, Purdue University
hrubin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Phone: (765)494-6054 FAX: (765)494-0558
.

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