 |
Pesach Guide Pages: |
Prayers: |
|
PREPARING FOR PASSOVER
Removing Chametz
Prior to Passover, every Jew is required to remove all Chametz from his home, property, and all premises under his or her jurisdiction (i.e., desk, office, locker, car). Even if one will not be on the premises during Passover, as long as one is there within 30 days of Passover, the obligation to remove all Chametz before Passover applies. In such cases, one should consult a competent Halakhic authority and make the necessary arrangements.
To facilitate the removal of Chametz, one is obligated to conduct a diligent search in all places where Chametz may have been kept or consumed any time during the preceding year. The specified time for this search is Wednesday, April 8th, at nightfall, traditionally using a feather and the light of a candle. However, Passover cleaning must be started much earlier. The premises should be clean by the time the search begins (approximately 45 minutes after sunset). The blessing is recited before the search begins.
It is permissible to sell Chametz to a non-Jew before the restrictions on Chametz go into effect on the day before Passover. To comply with the stringent requirements of Jewish law, the sale is conducted by contract through an Orthodox rabbi, who is empowered to act as an agent. The sold Chametz is the non-Jew’s property until after Passover ends and must be treated accordingly. The Chametz should be locked away until after Passover when the rabbi repurchases it for the community.
Restrictions on the eating, then use, and finally, possession of Chametz begin on the morning before Passover, April, 8th. The last time to eat chametz is 10:37am, April 8th. The remaining Chametz must be destroyed (usually burned) and we recite a public disclaimer of Chametz ownership (bitul).
Chametz which remains in a Jew’s possession during Passover may not be used by him or any other Jew at any time, and it may not be purchased after Passover. If Chametz is discovered during Passover, it should be disposed of, in accordance with Jewish law, as soon as possible.
Utensils For Use on Passover
Jewish law requires special dishes, cooking utensils, glassware, silverware, and table linen for Passover use, with separate meat and dairy sets. They can be made of any material, including plastic or paper. Once they are used for Chametz, they may not be used again on Passover.
If it is not possible to maintain a complete set of separate utensils for Passover it may be possible to use some year-round utensils for Passover after a special “kashering” procedure.”Kashering” should only be done under the guidance of a rabbi. Metal and wooden utensils, if they can be thoroughly cleaned, may be “kashered”, but earthenware utensils may not be “kashered”. Procedures for “kashering” depend on how the utensil was used during the year. Consult with your rabbi for details.
Shelves, countertops and eating surfaces used year round should be cleaned and covered for Passover use, and special dish racks and wash basins should be used. Cooking surfaces should be thoroughly cleaned and covered. Ovens should be thoroughly cleaned, and either “kashered” by being “burned out” or used with a special insert liner.
Foods Which May Not Be Used On Passover
Any food or food product containing fermented grain products (Chametz) may not be used or remain in a Jew’s possession on Passover. Even foods with minute amounts of Chametz ingredients, or foods processed on utensils which are used for other Chametz-containing foods, are not permissible for Passover use.
Ashkenazic Jews (Jews of Eastern European descent) do not eat many legumes (kitniot) – beans, corn, peas, rice, etc. – and products containing them as ingredients, throughout Passover while Sephardic, Yemenite and Oriental Jewish custom varies from one community to another.
Because of the large number of food products which contain Chametz or kitnios ingredients, only food products manufactured under reliable rabbinical supervision should be purchased for Passover use. That includes beverages, condiments, spices, and all processed foods such as fruits and vegetables, fish, meat and dairy products, and, especially, baked goods.
Grain alcohol is a fermentation product, and is therefore Chametz. Any edible items which normally contain grain alcohol, including whiskey, liquor, and liquid medications (however, see paragraph F for further information on medications), and even those which are not usually taken internally (such as perfumes, cologne, toilet water, hair spray, hair tonic, shaving lotion, mouth-wash, liquid and roll-on deodorants) should be treated as Chametz unless specifically approved for Passover use.
Totally inedible non-food products which contain grain alcohol such as polish, ink, paint and floor wax, are permissible for Passover use.
Any person with a medical condition must consult his or her physician and rabbi to ascertain the medicines that should be taken during the holiday, and any special procedures that should be followed.
There are many families which maintain the tradition of additional restrictions to their Passover diet. Some do not eat any food products made of matza or matza meal mixed with water (gebrokt) during the first seven days of Passover.