We Should Eat Fake Chametz
Regarding “Is it proper to eat kosher l’Pesach rolls, pasta, cakes, pizza and ‘bread’ on Pesach?” (March 31):
My own position is pretty radical on this: I think it’s preferable to have these products on Pesach, so that people are challenged to learn and understand the actual halachic nature of chametz.
Chametz isn’t defined as food with a certain appearance or texture or flavor. That’s a very “materialistic” sense-based view of chametz, whereas in reality chametz has a very specific conceptual definition. By eating these items and challenging our assumptions about what kasher l’Pesach food is supposed to look/feel/taste like, we are forced to move away from a superficial notion of chametz rooted in unthinking sense perception and to use our minds to grasp the true meaning of the category and its significance.
Rabbi Joshua Maroof
Israel
A Better Solution For Social Security
A recent Social Security Insurance report predicts that the Trust Fund used to pay full benefits will be broke by 2034. Medicare will do the same by 2031. After those dates are reached, benefits under both SSI and Medicare recipients may have to be cut. The report suggests immediately increasing the combined payroll tax withholdings for both employees and employers by 3.4%, from the current 12.4% to 15.84%. This would be a disaster for both employees and employers given the current rate of inflation.
Here is a better alternative to keep both SSI and Medicare solvent for decades more. Raise retirement age eligibility by one month each year starting in 2024 over twelve years. In 2036, you would have to be 63 years old to start collecting, 67 and a half for full benefits, and 73 for maximum benefits. The current payroll withholding tax is 6.2% each for employees and employers for a total of 12.4 %. Starting in 2024, raise each by .05%. Within ten years, the total payroll withholdings will be 13.4%.
Both actions should preserve financial solvency for SSI and Medicare. As a majority of Americans continue to live longer, this is the best deal for all.
Larry Penner
Great Neck, N.Y.
