Pesach (Passover)This post is the result of some unsettled emotions that stem from an unfortunate incident a few years back.
At the time I was living happily with a bunch of friends from school. One of these pals, Sam, is also Jewish. Sam and I decided that we were going to keep Kosher for Passover, and we were going to do it as strictly as possible.
Now, don’t get me wrong, ordinarily my insatiable thirst for bacon negates any and all kosher eating I might consider, but during Passover I do my best to be observant. I fight and struggle all week, dreaming of bacon egg and cheese on a bagel sandwiches from the diner, but I always seem to prevail. I think apart from any religious aspects to the holiday observance, I like know that I’m not a total slave to my desires, and that I have some will power. I don’t think it is bad to test yourself every once in a while. But, I digress…
Sam and I went out, bought all Kosher food, segregated our food from the rest of what was in the house (except for the Gefilta fish jar I hid in Mike B’s bed, I think he’s still angry about that) and proceeded to clog our innards with Matzo. Hey, they call it the bread of affliction for a reason. I don’t remember exactly what it was we were eating, but while looking at a food label, we discovered that “Parve” does not mean Kosher for Passover; it means that the food is neither dairy, nor meat. There needs to be a letter P next to the Kosher certification mark on any food that is Kosher for Passover. An example from a Coca-Cola bottle is above.
Now, say what you will about our lack of knowledge about our own religion, but the fact is, we tried, and we really cared. Sam and I were both pretty upset that we had broken our Passover commitment in such a manner. A hard lesson learned, but one that will ALWAYS stay with me. I hope that this post helps someone out there avoid the same mistake Sam and I made. That material below has been taken from the most reliable sources I know of on this topic:
The Kosher Overseers of America (http://www.kosher.org/)
“The World’s Best Known Kosher Trademark” (http://www.oukosher.org/),
“The Premier Kosher Information Source on the Internet” (http://www.kashrut.com/)
Star K Kosher (http://www.star-k.org/)
I’ve focused mainly on the dietary restrictions in regards to Chametz (also spelled Chumetz by some). Obviously, all standard rules of Kosher still apply during Passover. I recommend reading some of the links at the bottom of this post for more information about how to properly clean and prepare a home for Pesach. People forget that this is a very pious, detailed and important holiday.
What Does Kosher for Passover Mean?
During Passover, Jewish law forbids the consumption or possession by Jews of all edible fermented grain products (chametz) or related foods. Therefore, even foods and household products which meet the strict, year-round dietary regulations and are considered kosher, are nevertheless often unacceptable, or require special preparation for Passover use in the Jewish home in order to be kosher for Passover.
Which Foods are Chametz?
If one of the five grains – wheat, barley, rye, oats and spelt – sits in water for more than 18 minutes it becomes chametz, and one may not eat, derive benefit from, or own it on Pesach. In addition, Ashkenazim (generally defined as Jews of European descent) don’t eat kitnios – a group of foods which includes (among other things) rice, corn, soy and their derivatives – but are allowed to own kitnios foods on Pesach.
What is Kitniyot?
In addition to the Torah’s restrictions on owning, eating and benefiting from chametz, an Ashkenazic minhag developed in the middle ages to not eat certain foods known collectively as “kitnios”. The Mishnah Berurah (453:6 & 464:5) cites three reasons for the minhag (a) kitnios is harvested and processed in the same manner as chametz, (b) it is ground into flour and baked just like chametz [so people may mistakenly believe that if they can eat kitnios, they can also eat chametz], ( c ) it may have chametz grains mixed into it [so people who eat kitnios may inadvertently be eating chametz]. Although initially there were those who objected to the minhag, it has become an accepted part of Pesach in all Ashkenazic communities.
Kitniyot List
The following are considered Kitniyot:
Rice
Millet
Soybeans
Peanuts
Corn
Sunflower Seeds
Buckwheat
Sesame Seeds
Poppy Seeds
Cardamom
Fenugreek
Rapeseed
Mustard
Peas
Beans
Lentils
The following are not considered Kitniyot:
Coriander
Anise
Cumin
Caraway
Fennel
Linseed
Cottonseed
Guar Gum
Locust Bean Gum
Carob
The following may be Kitniyot and are therefore not used:
Quinoa
Amaranth
Who Can Eat Egg Matzah?
According to the Shulchan Aruch, dough made from flour mixed with fruit juices or eggs will not become chametz no matter how long it stands, provided no water is added. Despite this ruling, Ashkenazic practice mandates that egg matzot may only be used by the elderly and the infirm. Furthermore, all the precautions associated with ordinary Passover matzot apply to egg matzot. The egg matzah must be baked thin, in specially heated ovens for less than eighteen minutes and must be carefully guarded from becoming chametz during production. (Sephardic custom commonly permits different varieties of flour-juice mixtures even when not produced as matzah.) Although the allowance to eat egg matzah over Passover applies in the above-mentioned cases, one cannot fulfill the mitzvah of eating matzah on Seder night with egg matzah. The Torah refers to matzah as “lechem oni” poor man’s bread, because it is made solely from flour and water, the simplest of ingredients. Egg matzah is called “matzah ashirah,” rich man’s bread, for it contains more complex ingredients and is unacceptable for the mitzvah of matzah. Therefore, even the elderly or infirm should (if they are able) eat a kezayit of shmurah matzah on the night of the Seder.
Some Good Links (some are links to PDF files):
http://www.oukosher.org/pdf/Passover_for_Beginners.pdf
http://oukosher.org/index.php/passover/article/which_foods_are_chametz/
http://oukosher.org/index.php/passover/article/kitnios/
http://program.ouradio.org/content/oukosher/PESACH_09.pdf
http://www.star-k.org/kashrus/star-k09_pesach_directory.pdf
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