What about kitniyot?

If you are Askenazi, you know that besides chometz, there is something else to be fearful to consume during Pesach: kitniyot. Practically, there is not an English translation of this term, but an approximation could be grains, with a Hebrew general translation as vegetables - which does not make any justice to the term, especially not from the religiously accepted point of view.

According to Rambam, on Pesach there is prohibited to consume the 5 kinds of grains: oats, rye, wheat, barley and spelt. Kitniyot are grains that are similar with the five grains - for instance, rice, millet, peas, lentils, but Rambam do not prohibit their use during Pesach. Therefore even flour ground from rice can be used to prepare different mixture.

The early source for the Askenazi minhag is apparently found at Rabbeinu Peretz (a Baalei Tosafot). According to him, the grains similar to those from the prohibited list, plus beans, if boiled operate similarly with the chometz (produced after more than 18 minutes of co-habitation between flour and water) are forbidden for Pesach. 

For instance, in the case of beans, if you put them in the water and wait for them to boil, the process is problematic chometz-wise, the advice being to just throw them into the boiling water. The beans are a completely different category of discussion anyway. Rabbeinu Yechiel, for instance, also a Baalei Tosafot, is said to have been used to eat white beans on Pesach. However, the beans as a general category and specific examples are a very complicated issues, as many of them - for instance, soy beans - were introduced in the last century only, which opened the way to complicated discussion about their presence on the Pesach menu. The same applies to quinoa, which is a relatively new add to the culinary habits. 

The minhag of refraining from consuming kitniyot, introduced by the Askenazi rabbis, was a gezeira (a decree) based on the fact that the kitniyot are prepared in the kitchen boiling them in a pot of water, therefore similarly with the chometz, therefore should not be consumed on Pesach. It is important to mention that this prohibition is not halachic, but a chumra, a strict standard adopted by the community. In addition to this, it also function the rule that if your parents had a certain Pesach eating custom, you can follow it as well. Last but not least, the minhag hamakom - the custom of the place - operates, meaning that if you are living in a community with stricter standards you should follow them. If the community is lenient and your standards are higher, you keep following your standards.

Rabbi Joseph Caro, the author of Shulchan Aruch, add another information regarding the reason of forbidding kitniyot: sometimes the five grains are mixed with lentils or other priducts, because the fields were near to each other and the wind may bring undeserved seeds. The reason is further outlined by the Taz - Rabbi Levi - in his commentary to Shulchan Aruch. The need to check for cross-contamination is required from the Sephardi communities consuming rice on Pesach. For instance, the rice is checked three times for chometz in a room where there are no children to the room, because their noise might distract from a serious search. 

The discussion about kitniyot is never ending and there are many serious arguments pro and against them. More than any other holiday, on Pesach our many differences as communities and individuals are on display and the positive lesson we should learn is about being tolerant and accepting the food alterity of everyone. The care to respect the prohibition of eating chometz on Pesach is a valuable asset we should respect and transmit further to the next generation. Without hate or permanent complaining and disregard for other people's customs. 

Kashering wood and silver for Pesach

It is again that time of the year when the stress is at its highest. In order to be free, we need to get rid of what it keeps us slaves, isn't it? This year, I decided to take it easier, meaning that I did not start the preparations shortly after Purim but I started to get crazy two weeks after Pesach and planned chaotically my redeem. 

Every year, it is something new to learn and some improvements to do. 

For instance, this year, I wanted to find out more about how the kashering for Pesach is rightly done in the case of wood and silver. As usual, the final opinion should be made in direct consultation with your Orthodox Rabbi, and the following article is only my own reflection and experience about the process. 

Before kashering, the utensils should be scrubbed clean and left unused for 24 hours. 

The kashering process should be done in order to reverse the changes that affected the utensils during their use. According to Avodah Zarah 75b, taste is removed from the vessel the same way it was put in. For instance, utensils used directly in the fire must be kashered through the fire (procedure called libun), as burning will absorbe the taste. 

Utensils that can be damaged by boiling water or burning fire cannot be kashered. The same applies to vessels with handles glued on. The utensils with wooden or bone handles and without crevices can be kashered. All the rust should be removed before kashering as particles of food and chometz can be trapped between the rust and the utensil. 

The utensils should be dropped one by one in the boiling water (procedure called hagala). You should make sure that the water is boiling when the cutlery is placed. You should leave them till the water bubble. 

After, rinse them in cold water. The pot used for kashering should not be used 24 hours before the start of the process. Some do have a special kashering pot not used for anything else during the year. 

In general, it is not possible to use dairy cutlery for meat and vice-versa, but if the utensils were kashered for Pesach, this change it is possible. However, according to Orach Chayyim (451:17) it is customary not to kasher and use utensils used for kneading of dough. 

According to the Askenazi customs, I am following now, everything that was used during the year cannot be brought on the Pesach table unless was kashered. This applies as well to kiddush cups or candlesticks. However, leniences applies and, for instance, it is enough to only pour water over them, boiling them not being necessary.

On Erev Pesach, as chometz is still permitted, even within 24 hours of use a pot still can be kashered. On the other hand, according to Orach Chayyim (452:1), kashering should be completed before 10 o'clock in the morning of the 14th of Nisan.

Generally, I prefer to use for Pesach completely new things, especially plastic cutlery and paper cups and plates trying to separate completely from the chometz kitchen. This year, I wanted also to prepare some wooden tops and silver cutlery and realized that I don't know too much about how to do it properly.

Here are my findings.

Kashering wood

Wood is a relatively old new material for the Jewish kitchen. Due its porous nature, it may complicate a bit the kashering. If the wood do have cracks that may collect chometz, it is better either to cover it or to just find out something else to use. For the big butchering factories or shops, the surfaces of wood couters is usually carefully protected, including by sanding the surface. 

Wood cannot undergo libun (heating the utensils to extreme temperatures). Usually, it is preferred the kashering for wooden utensils with a smooth structure. Rabbi Joseph Caro recommends to clean everything well and to cover the surface or the top with paper or a cloth. 

An Orthodox rav should be asked about the right kashering method for specific wooden utensils. 

Kashering silver

The silver cutlery should be carefully cleaned, rinced and polished 24 hours before kashering, in a boiling pot. After boiling, rinse them in cold water. It can be done also for various types of antique silver. For specific pieces of silver, ask your local rav. The same process is followed in the case of gold, copper, steel and aluminium cutlery or kitchen wares. 

That's all with the writing for now!

Hard work is still waiting for me!!

Sources

OU Pesach Kashering 2015

Chabad guidance

Ohr Somayach guidelines

Aish resources

Passover kitchen cleaning for Sephardim

It is not about cleaning

After months of fear and thousands of discussions and weeks of planning and days of hard work, I am almost done with the Pesach preparations. I avoid to overuse the word 'cleaning' because: 1. does not have nothing to do with 'spring cleaning' and another kind of seasonal cleaning; 2. the word does not cover properly what the entire process has to do with.

Compared with other holidays, I always prefer to get ready for Pesach on my own. I want to be sure that every corner was checked and that I checked carefully the closets and shelves in order to find out things I will rather give to those in real need. I want to do the kashering myself because I like to observe all the details. I also do most part of the shopping on my own, because I want to look at each product and eventually have my own exchange of ideas and thoughts about Pesach.

Each year, there are different lessons. For instance, this year, the decision was to have a very modest Pesach. We have different editions of the Haggadah and there will be many dvar Torah moments, but the menu as such, will be as heimish as possible. Not sophisticated cakes, many salads, matzos - choco matza cannot miss - and good wine. But not eccentric cakes and bread-like meals. 

I need simple meals and Torah learning, especially after weeks when I tried to prepare the good ambiance, without any source of pride and illusions of greatness. The learning is not for showing off but for finding the truth and the food is for basic sustenance, not for wasting impressive amounts of food and resources. 

As in the daily life, we may discover that we don't need everything or big quantities to be happy and feel accomplished: just the proper quality for daily sustenance. And more than anything else, the source of the water we need daily can't be bought.

A meaningful and kosher Pesach!

Pesach cleaning, the new chapter

One week before Purim, I was already taking about what it is to happen next. Two days after, I visited some of my heimishe friends and they were already done 25% of the cleaning. More than one week after Purim, I am here writing a post about Pesach cleaning, but don't have a plan to cope with the challenge. 

To be very honest, I am not as spontaneous as I want to look like. Ten days ago when I was trying to find something fast to cook, I mapped the dangerous corners of the kitchen where most likely chometz is comfortably hiding. I can see often myself starting a huge cleaning process, when everyone in the house is doing its job properly, without any protests against the assigned task. Even if some are faster, they offer to do my part. 

The tragi-comic part of the story is that we don't even know exactly where we will spend Pesach, and I am fighting the terrible feeling that I will need to take care of cleaning another house besides mine, in case that we want to backpack and go in another sunnier place. 

What I know for sure is that I want to enjoy the mitzva of Pesach cleaning. Most probably will listen to some shiurim or hazzanut when cleaning. I will find the most creative recipes for the time of the matzot and will try to learn as much as possible about the holiday. As I am the kind of person that is doing the best job when coping with stress, the proper cleaning will be done 10 days before Pesach, regardless of where we will decide to spend the 2 seder. 

I don't to hear anyone complaining about how hard is to eat matzot and we will find the best ways to embelish the mitzvot with new and nice tablecloth, songs and new yidden that we plan to meet. As usual, we have special savings that will help us, iy''H, to have the best on our table, both spiritually and physically. 

We all have been on Sinai so we better open our doors and hearts for being really free. When your heart is happy with the mitzvot, you are free and happy, even when all you have is a small piece of matza.