Pesach 5773 - Clanton Park Synagogue

PESACH 2013/5773
‫בס"ד‬
‫פסח תשע"ג‬
Rabbi:
Rabbi Yehoshua Weber
Rabbi Emeritus: Rabbi Yitzchok Kerzner
President:
Howard Lyons
The Executive Board
Wishes the Rabbi, Rebbetzin & family
and the entire Clanton Park community
a Chag Kasher v’Sameach !
! ‫חג פסח כשר ושמח‬
HILCHOS PESACH 5773
Rabbi Weber has prepared a halachic summary of hilchos Pesach that should help answer your
questions. The summary is included in this bulletin. As well, a “searchable” version is available on the
Clanton Park website www.clantonpark.com.
THOUGHTS FROM THE RAV
ON ANTI-ANTI SEMITISM
How could I avoid those eyes?
Those eyes spoke to me from the other side of the hospital elevator, even before the mouth articulated.
“Are you a Rabbi?” the owner of those eyes asked. “Yes, I am.” I replied. “My husband is very sick and I
would like you visit him before he dies. There is a Catholic pastor on staff, but we are Anglicans and your
Jewish belief is much closer to ours than the pastor’s Catholicism. Will you visit my husband?” It was not
the time for theological discussions about the similarities or the dissimilarities of our respective belief
systems. It was a time for action and so I followed her to her husband’s bedside.
I stood there and I spoke to the two of them about nachas (I used the word posterity), shalom bayis
(enduring love) the eternality of mitzvos (lasting deeds) and olam ha-ba’ah (the soul). They thanked me for
my time, I thanked them for the opportunity and I left with a heightened realization of a blessed reality in
which Anglicans respect and find religious comfort in a rav and in Judaism.
Rabbi Yehoshua Weber
I encounter this respect for Judaism, on a regular basis, when I sit as dayan on Toronto’s beis din for geirus. The dayanim warn
potential converts of the scourge of antisemitism. But to most of these converting non-Jews who live, as they do, in our cosseted
reality, that scourge is foreign. I make a point of asking them if their conversion is causing upset to their relationships with parents,
siblings and friends. They respond, by and large, by noting that their religious choices are causing no upset and that their relatives are
happy with their conversion choice.
Yes, ours is a period not only of exceptionally muted antisemitism but even of significant philo-Semitism. Yes, ours is an exceptional
period, but large sections of our community have not internalized that exceptionality.
I have been to simchas, as I am sure you have, where speakers launch into intricate discussions about Jewish superiority and nonJewish inferiority, all with non-Jewish guests and non-Jewish staff in attendance. I regularly hear the terms shegetz and shikse being
used as monikers for non-Jews. Shegetz and shikse are the grammatical derivatives of sheketz, which is the Hebrew term for
repulsive. They are the hard words from a hard time, in a world that denigrated Jews in every conceivable way. Such terms of antiantisemitism might have been appropriate in a world of unceasing antisemitism, but using them today is expressing an antiantisemitism that is, quite frequently, more virulent than the prevailing antisemitism.
Rabbi Yehoshua Weber
Hashem must look at our community and wonder, for the Torah demands respect for non-Jews even during periods of gut wrenching
antisemitism. Look, by way of example, at those heroes that the Torah highlights during ‫יציאת מצרים‬. There must have been endless
sacrifices by an endless number of unsung heroes while that river of tears flowed, but it is a non-Jewish princess, Pharaoh's
daughter, whose self-sacrifice the Torah highlights. And not only is her story highlighted, it is the name that she chose, the name that
recalls “for from the water I have extracted him" (Shemos 2, 10), that is memorialized forevermore.
Moshe must have had a name before he was wrenched from his parental home. And indeed, the Midrash (Vayikra Rabba 1, 3) lists
nine names: Yered, Chever, Yikusiel, Avigdor, Avi Socho, Avi Zenoach, Tuviah, Ben Nesenel and Levi, but the Torah only uses the
name Moshe. "This is the reward of those who do kindness, even though Moshe had many names, the only name used by the Torah
is the one that Pharaoh's daughter called him, even though Hashem called him a different name" (Shemos Rabba 1, 26). Let Moshe's
name be a testament of thanks to this extraordinary non-Jewish woman.
Pharaoh's daughter is not the only non-Jewish hero we meet in this week's portion. According to the Abarbanel, at least, the brave
midwives who saved the Jewish babies from execution were not Jewish, but Egyptian. The Abarbanel assumes that the midwives are
non-Jewish both because the names Shifra and Puah sound Egyptian and because he finds it highly improbable that Pharaoh would
expect Jewish midwives to murder Jewish children.
And these midwives risked their lives "because they feared Hashem." Hashem reciprocated and they were rewarded. "And it was,
because the midwives feared Hashem that he established houses for them" (Shemos 1, 21). Our Torah emphasizes that even in the
darkness of Jew-hating ancient Egypt, moral non-Jews were to be found. And the Torah makes a point of sharing their stories, of
according them respect and of telling us about their divine reward.
If such respect towards decent non-Jews was demanded in ancient Egypt should not privileged North American Jews be at least as
respectful towards their non-Jewish neighbours. But are they? Unfortunately, the answer is not an If such respect towards decent
non-Jews was demanded in ancient Egypt should not privileged North American Jews be at least as respectful towards their nonJewish neighbours. But are they? Unfortunately, the answer is not an unequivocal yes. Let us make sure that we do not descend into
anti-anti Semitism at a time and in a place in which others are rising above antisemitism.
A kasheren, zissen Pesach.
This article is being concurrently published in the Jewish Tribune.
Sponsored by:
“May we only meet b’simcha”
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Mazel Tov Irwin & Ruth Diamond and Moti & Millie Ziskind on the birth of a granddaughter, Avery
Simone, to Jeremy & Sandra Diamond. Mazel Tov to the great- grandmothers Mrs. Miriam Ziskind and
Mrs. Rose Diamond. Mazel Tov to the uncles & aunts David, Debbie, Jim & Florence Diamond, Limor &
Ike Ziskind, Terry & Jack Herscu, Uzi & Kayla Diamond, Debbie & Helene Bauer, Alex Kramer, and
Tiffany & Seth Lebowitz .
Mazel Tov to Jeremy & Susie Weitz on th eengagement of their daughter, Laya Weitz to Shaya Spitzer.
Mazel Tov to the grandparents Harry and Sally Weitz.
Mazel Tov to Harry and Sally Weitz on the birth of a great grandson, Ariel Mordechai, to Refael and Odeya
Weinberger.
Mazal Tov to Zack and Yael Rosen on the marriage of their son Kobi to Yardena, daughter of Judge
Abraham and Mary Davis. Mazal Tov to Kobi's grandmother Mrs. Frances Kopstick & to all of Kobi's and
Yardena's siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins. May Kobi and Yardena be Zocheh to build a Bayis Ne'eman
B'Yisrael.
Mazel Tov to Yechiel & Lisa Colman on the engagement of their daughter, Miriam, to Joshua Gornitsky,
son of Richard and Marcelle Gornitsky of Boca Raton, Florida. Mazel Tov to the proud grandparents, Carl &
Reta Goldstein, and to Josh's grandparents - Leonard and Esther Melunsky of Toronto and to Mervyn and
Rena Gornitsky of Montreal. May the wedding take place b'sha'ah tovah umutzlachas and may they be
zocheh to build a bayis ne'eman b'Yisrael.
Mazel Tov to Eisig and Ethel Bergman on the birh of a great-granddaughter, born in Jeruselm to Chavi and
Eli Scheller. Mazel Tov to the grandparents, Pessy and Peretz Feder of Brooklyn, N.Y.
PREPARING FOR PESACH
SHABBOS HAGADOL DRASHA
‫שבת הגדול תשע"ג‬
The Rav will be giving the Shabbos Hagadol drasha
rd
on Shabbos March 23 , Parsha Tzav, at 6:05 PM.
There will be flyers available in the shul foyer
shortly identifying the topic and content of the
drasha. References for the drasha will be posted on
the bulletin boards upstairs and downstairs as well
as being available on the shul website.
All men and women (members and non-members)
.
are invited to attend.
Babysitting services will be available
MECHIRAS CHAMETZ
Rabbi Weber commenced buying chametz from the community on Tuesday, March 12th. He will be available
after all three shacharis minyanim as well as after Mincha and Maariv.
The Mechiras Chametz form can be found on the next page or will be available in the foyer of the shul or from the Rav.
CHAMETZ TIMES
Bedikas Chametz
th
Sunday, March 24 after 7:47 PM
End Time for Eating Chametz
th
Monday, March 25 11:20 AM
Biur Chametz
th
Monday, March 25 12:22 PM
Ta’anis Bechorim on Erev Pesach
th
There will be a siyum following each of the 3 shacharis minyanim on Monday, March 25 .
Following each siyum there will be a Kiddush.
The Shul extends a warm welcome to :
 our members who have returned home after spending the winter
months in warmer climates
 our youth who have returned home from their studies to spend Pesach
with their families and friends
 members’ relatives and friends who will be celebrating Pesach with
them.
SHAIMOS COLLECTION ALERT
When doing your pre-Pesach cleanup, shul members are requested NOT to bring their shaimos
to the shul as it will not be disposed of by the shul.
There will be a city-wide shaimos collection taking place prior to Pesach at the following 2 dropoff locations:
 Parking lot of Bais Yaakov High School - 400 Lawrence Ave., Toronto
Monday March 18th and Tuesday March 19th 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (prompt)
 Parking lot of BAYT – 613 Clark Ave., Thornhill
Sunday March 17th 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (prompt)
Do not leave any bag in the parking lots before or after hours of collection - IT WILL NOT
BE COLLECTED.
There is a nominal fee of $10/bag to pay for the cemetery charges to bury the shaimos.
‫כל דכפין ייתי ויכול‬
It is a mitzvah (the act of tzedakah) to provide assistance to the underprivileged
at all times, but particularly as one approaches a Yom Tov. Contributions to
those in need provide them with the opportunity to adequately prepare for and
enjoy the Yom Tov. Your contribution can help make the Yom Tov a joyous
one for those in need.
The Gemilas Chesed Committee of Clanton Park has started its Maos
Chitin campaign for Pesach. Funds collected will be distributed to those in need
within our shul – should funds remain thereafter they will be distributed within
our local community. With the cost of food items traditionally increasing for
Pesach, there is an even greater need to assist.
Don’t wait for the Gemilas Chesed canvassers to approach you – take the
initiative and approach them first and donate generously so that a
disadvantaged individual or family can have an enjoyable Pesach !
Donations should be given to Irwin Diamond, Bobby Silberstein or
Mordechai Grunwald. Cheques should be made payable to Gemilas Chesed
of Clanton Park.
SHUL REMINDERS
The Pirkei Avos shiurim with the Rav will commence the first Shabbos following Pesach. They will
take place in the main shul, on Shabbos afternoons 45 minutes prior to mincha davening. Men and
women are encouraged to attend these shiurim.
Rosh Chodesh Davening on Weekdays
Please remember that the Rosh Chodesh shacharis times for the 1st
and 2nd minyanim, on weekdays, is now 5 minutes earlier, i.e. 6:40 am
and 7:00 am respectively. The 3rd minyan remains at 8:00 am.
CHOL HAMOED PESACH MINCHAH / MAARIV
PESACH NOTES
Davening for minchah and maariv will be held in the main shul during Chol
Hamoed instead of in the the Bais Hamidrash.
.
CLANTON PARK YOUTH
CHOL HAMOED PESACH 2013
Sunday March 31st (4th day chol hamoed)
Drop off at Shul 12:15 pm
Pick up at Shul 3:30 pm
The bus will leave the shul at 12:30 sharp and will head
to Sky Zone where we will have 60 minutes of jumping
fun. Open to youth of all ages. Please dress comfortably
and bring water. Lunch will not be served.
PRICE:
$16.50 per jumper member
$21.00 per jumper non member
LIMITED SPACE IS AVAILABLE
Please RSVP: clantonparkyouth@gmail.com
EVERY jumper MUST fill out their own waiver form from SkyZone.
Thank you to all the women/families who helped
organize this year’s mishloach manos:
aaaaaa
aaaaa
Renee Rubinstein
Ahuva Edell
Haviva Diena,
Yonit Rothenstien
Bev Herzig
Naomi and Sarah Rechnitz
Rochelle Socken ,
Deanna Caro
Edna Milevsky
Manuel Kanner ,
Naomi Levi and kids
Hartley and Isaac Bressler.
A special thank you to those that organized the most elegant wine
tasting event. The decor was spectacular and the food, catered by, the
chosson and noted chef Shmuel Kanner did a superb job.
Thank you to, in no special order, Ahuva Edell, Faige Grunwald,
Immanuel Greenberg and Yitzchak Kaplan.
Yosher Kochachem!!!!!
WINE TASTING EVENT
CLANTON PARK YOUTH
the Latest & Greatest from the Clanton Park Youth Department
clantonparkyouth@gmail.com
The Shul’s annual Purim party was a booming success!
While the adults enjoyed an illusionist show by Bobby
Motta, the kids had an amazing carnival in the
basement. Everyone enjoyed pizza, falafel, popcorn,
cotton candy, and a lot more.
Many thanks to everyone who set up right after
Shabbos and to everyone who helped clean up. A
special thanks to Yitzchak Kaplan and Immanuel
Greenberg for all their efforts in organizing the
event.
From the entire youth and social committees we want
to wish everyone a……
CHAG KASHER V’SAMEACH
Photos of the Annual Purim Party, courtesy of our
photographer, Yitzchak Kaplan, can be found on the
following 3 pages of the bulletin.
‫הרב אברהם אהרון פרייס זללה"ה‬
A seuda to commemorate the memory of
‫הרב אברהם אהרון פרייס זללה"ה‬
will take place on Sunday April 14, 2013
at Clanton Park Synagogue
Minchah is at 6:00 pm with the seuda following
Women are invited.
There will be separate seating.
THE SAGES - CHARACTER, CONTEXT & CREATIVITY
VOLUME 1 - THE SECOND TEMPLE PERIOD by RABBI BINYAMIN LAU, PHD
MAGGID BOOKS 2010
Book Review by Morris Sosnovitch
There are a number of leaders in the Israeli Rabbinic world who stand out in their outspoken advocacy of bridging the
religious chasms in Israeli society. One of the leading figures of this new generation is Rav Benny Lau. Rav Lau has
quite the yichus. He is the grandson of Rav Moshe Chaim Lau and the nephew of Chief Rabbi Israel Meir Lau. His
father Naftali Lau -Lavie was an Israeli career diplomat but is well known by those who have read the Chief Rabbi’s
biography as the brother responsible for saving his life as a five year old child in Treblinka.
Rav Benny Lau is a child of Medinat Yisrael having been educated in the Dati Leumi (National religious) yeshiva world,
served in the Golani brigade, and obtaining a PhD in Talmud . He established the Beit Midrash for Social Justice
together with the organization B’Maaglei Tzedek, a non-profit organization that he helped establish, with the goal of
involving secular Israeli society in Torah learning. He is the Rav of the Ramban shul in Katamon as well as a teacher in
a number of schools. He is passionate in the crucial goal of uniting Israeli society by rebuilding the relationship
between the religious and secular and has locked horns with the Haredi dominated religious establishment for their
non inclusive attitude to society as a whole and their extreme conservatism. He is quoted as saying “We allowed the
rabbinate to become the preserve of political interests and rabbis who are taking orders from the Lithuanian
leadership, which has no stake in the national interest.”
His shiurim attract a huge following and his series of shiurim on Hazal is now being translated into English in a three
volume set of which two have been released. The first volume deals with the Sages during the Second Beit Midrash
starting with the Anshei Knesset Hagdolah and ending with the destruction and is based on Pirkei Avot. His goal,
which he brilliantly achieves, is to combine the tools of modern academic research and fuse them with the world of
learning to bring Hazal to life and to reveal the roots of the philosophy and ideology behind the disputes of the
Talmud.
Rav Lau in his forward explains the purpose of his shiurim. He is attempting to decipher the teaching of the Sages and
their philosophy through the broader context of the historical events they lived through, the spirit of their times as
revealed through traditional sources and outside sources. They are “ lessons in Talmud with a historical background.”
His goal is to draw closer to the worlds of the sages and from understanding their world try to better understand and
improve the Jewish world of today. His shiurim are very text oriented and analyze sayings and incidents discussed in
the mishna and gemara and commentaries.
Rav Lau starts with the first mishna of Avot that many of us can quote by heart “ Moshe kibbel Hatorah m’sinai...” that
traces the chain of the teaching of the Torah from Har Sinai to the Anshei Kenest Hagadola. But then he stops and
describes the historical and political background. Thus he illuminates his methodology. By understanding the fabric of
the society and the problems they faced we can better understand the teachings of the Mishna. Rav Lau notes in his
commentary on this first Mishna that something is missing. Nowhere in the chain of transmission of Torah do the
Cohanim appear . Once pointed out, it is glaring. The Torah gives the Cohanim the mission of teaching the Torah. Why
are they left out? Rav Lau uses this as a springboard to discussing the corruption and the failure of the priesthood as
moral leaders.
This volume starts with the transition from prophecy to Halacha. The next part is the period of the great Pairs, the
rise of the sects of the Tzadukim and Parushim, Hillel and Shammai, and then to the period of fragmentation and the
destruction. Rav Lau takes us on a journey that is both deep in his elucidation of the meaning of the text and unique in
its blend of modern scholarship and tradition. Rav Lau’s underlying message is his view of the role of Rabbinic
leadership. He obviously does not view the role of the Rabbinic leadership being limited to teaching to the choir. His
view is that our Rabbinic leaders must be leaders on a national scale . Rabbonim must be sensitive to society’s needs
and be creative in their application of halacha in order to preserve the relevance of the Torah to all segments of the
Jewish people.
mj
PROUD TO BE JEWISH!
The following article was suggested by Morris Sosnovitch (forwarded to him by Moshe Goldstein) as an inspiring message, especially for young
people.
Original article was on www.Aish.com. Permission to reprint article was granted by the Aish.com editorial board.
Rabbi Blech has also granted his permission to have it reprinted in the bulletin.
Ed Koch
by Rabbi Benjamin Blech
With the words he chose to be inscribed on his tombstone, Ed Koch, the iconic New York Mayor who passed away Friday, February
1st, made it very clear how he wanted most to be remembered.
And they reminded me of a family disagreement in which I had to acknowledge that I was wrong and my daughter was right.
It was a number of years ago when my daughter Tamar was making plans to apply to law school. Having gotten a perfect score on her
LSAT exam, the highest mark in the country, she wasn’t nervous about getting accepted at one of the top universities. But she knew
that an important element that would be considered by the very best schools was the essay she had to submit explaining why she
had chosen law as a career and defining herself as a person.
When she told me she had finished writing it, I asked if I might see it. As I began to read it I found myself filled with apprehension.
Her opening words were “I am an Orthodox Jew.” She continued by linking the Jewish love for law with its divine origin at Sinai. She
explained that her love for Torah made her seek a way to seek the betterment of the world through a commitment to legal redress for
the innocent and lawful punishment for the criminal.
Her presentation was masterful, yet I was afraid. Afraid because I was part of a generation that still bore the emotional scars of
centuries of anti-Semitism. Afraid because I had lived through the years of the Holocaust and been forced to leave the land of my
birth when a Nazi takeover threatened. Afraid because even though I now live in “the land of the free” I still didn't feel free enough to
believe that my daughter could openly identify herself as an Orthodox Jew without subjecting herself to prejudiced repercussions.
“I don't think you should send the essay in the way it is,” I advised my daughter. Tamar thought about what I said. Respectfully she
concluded she had to be true to herself. She decided that if by identifying herself through her faith she was closing the door to
professional advancement, she would rather not enter those portals. “And who knows,” she added, “perhaps the fact that I take pride
in my heritage will be viewed as a positive.”
Yes, my daughter did get accepted to every one of the top law schools in the country. Now fast forward a decade to learn the real end
of the story. I was teaching a class at Yeshiva University when a young man knocked on the door. I immediately recognized him as a
former student. Out of breath, he told me he rushed up from Columbia University Law School because he had to share the story of
what had just happened in one of his classes.
The conversation had turned into a discussion about the required essays. Someone asked the professor, “Now that we’re in the
school, can you tell us what exactly you were looking for in those essays?” The professor responded that he couldn’t really put it into
words but he could only give a general guideline by referencing what he felt was the best essay they had ever received. He recalled
that it was written by some girl with a strange last name that’s difficult to pronounce – “something like Blech.”
“If this is your daughter,” my former student said, “I knew you’d love to hear the story.”
I assured him that indeed it was my daughter, and that I was so grateful to him for sharing it with me. I also confessed how I almost
messed it up by suggesting to my daughter that it was too dangerous to be submitted as written!
If taking pride in one’s identity proved to be helpful rather than hindrance to Tamar, it is certainly instructive to learn how much this
trait meant to the former Mayor of New York City.
As the eulogies are offered and the tributes pour in with a lengthy list of Ed Koch’s accomplishments, there are so many things the
mayor could have been proud of. Yet what Koch chose to stand in perpetuity as a summary of his life’s meaning were the last words
of Daniel Pearl before he was brutally murdered by Pakistani terrorists: My father is Jewish, my mother is Jewish, I am Jewish.
Two years before his death, in his personal blog in the Huffington Post, What’s On My Tombstone And Why, Koch told his readers that
this was what he had prepared to be inscribed as his epitaph. So strongly did he feel about the importance of this recognition for
every Jew that he added, “I believe those words should be part of the annual services on the Jewish High Holiday of Yom Kippur, and
should be repeated by the congregants.”
Beneath this powerful expression of identity, Koch commissioned the inscription of the Shema in Hebrew and English followed by
these words: "He was fiercely proud of his Jewish faith. He fiercely defended the City of New York and he fiercely defended its people.
Above all, he loved his country, the United States of America , in whose armed forces he served in World War II."
Koch did not hesitate to define himself in this sequence – a proud Jew, a loving New Yorker and a patriotic American. In accord with
his wishes, the words by his grave express with pride the last words of Daniel Pearl. Is it merely coincidence then that Ed Koch died
on the first day of February, the very day on which Daniel Pearl was murdered exactly 11 years ago?
HALACHIC ISSUES FOR PESACH 2013/5773
‫ קהל מחזיקי הדת‬- CLANTON PARK, TORONTO
RABBI YEHOSHUA WEBER
Please note that this compendium is available and searchable at the shul website
http://www.clantonpark.com.
CLEANING
We clean our homes of all chametz products because, on Pesach, even the ownership of chametz
is forbidden. The prime contemporary reason for chametz eradication is that, accustomed as we
are to eating chametz year round, we might, in an act of forgetfulness, consume chametz 1on
Pesach. We therefore eradicate only the accessible, “consumable” chametz, that could be eaten.
Inaccessible chametz is dealt with through bittul, i.e., the nullification that is read after the bedika
and before the burning of the chametz; ripping out car seats to find inaccessible chametz crumbs is
thus unnecessary.
Strictly speaking, all grain products, e.g., liquor, beer etc., ought to be disposed of before Pesach.
Nevertheless, elimination of the sort, in a world in which people have large quantities of preserved
chametz would entail hardship. And so, for many years now, broad swaths of the community 2 have
relied on sources that permit the sale of chametz to a non-Jew.3 The chametz that will be sold is
set aside in a segregated area and then legally transferred to non-Jewish ownership. Some people
opt not to rely on this leniency and discard rather than sell their chametz.
ALCOHOL & INEDIBLE CHAMETZ
Grain alcohol, a fermentation product, is chametz, according to most contemporary authorities.4
Edible items containing grain alcohol such as whisky, liquor or liquid medications are certainly
forbidden. We are stringent with perfumes and with other liquid inedibles containing ethyl alcohol
because that alcohol might be grain based. 5 Such alcohol, even if it is currently denatured, i.e.,
inedible, can, conceptually, be reconstituted and might, therefore, be considered chametz. Inedible
solid products containing grain alcohol (or any other chametz, for that matter), e.g., lotions, soaps
and items such as shampoo, shoe polish, ink, pure talc powder, cleansers, shaving lotions, paints,
floor waxes etc. are permissible for Pesach use. Nevertheless, here too, given chumras Pesach,
even totally inedible items that have a clear chametz base, i.e., wheat & oat based soaps, are best
avoided.
BEDIKAS CHAMETZ
Although the house has been thoroughly cleaned, we are still obligated to perform the rabbinic
mitzva of searching for chametz on the night that precedes Pesach. The search this year occurs on
Sunday night, March 24. The beracha, al bi’ur chametz is recited prior to beginning the search. The
beracha introduces both the search and the bittul, i.e., the nullification that is read immediately after
1
Talmud Bavli, Pesachim 4b
Bach, OC, 448, Vi’im
3
Tosefta, Pesachim, 2, 6
4
Sedei Chemed, Chamtez u’Matzah, 8, 28
5
Levushai Mordechai, 86
2
the search. The nullification is a halachic dissociation from any chametz that was overlooked
during the search.6
It is forbidden to talk at all between the beracha and the beginning of the bedika. It is best not to
discuss matters extraneous to the bedika from the moment that the beracha is made until the
bedika and the subsequent nullification are complete.7 The search is carried out with a single-wick
candle or a flashlight.8 The traditional feel of a candle and the safety and ease of a flashlight can be
melded. Make the beracha, begin the bedika with a candle and, for the finer parts of the bedika and
for the children who are assisting, use a flashlight.
Many rationales are offered for the minhag of some to place 10 pieces9 of bread before the search
begins:
a) to add a level of excitement to the search.10
b) to ensure that some bread is found so that the bedika beracha should thereby be validated.11
c) to ascertain that chametz will remain for the burning / bittul ceremony the following morning.12
Some find this tradition disconcerting13 because bandying chametz around the home right before
Pesach is a dangerous thing indeed. Try to limit the potential problem of an unfound piece of
chametz by limiting the 10 pieces of chametz to less than a ke’zayis14 (27 grams) each. As in other
arenas of conflicting halachic opinion, follow your family’s tradition. If you are unsure as to what
that your tradition is, place the bread.
The pieces are gathered during the course of the search. Upon concluding the search, the bittul
(nullification) is read. The text of the bittul is found in most Haggados. Understanding the text is
imperative. People who find Aramaic difficult to understand should familiarize themselves with the
meaning of the text or recite the nullification in a comprehensible language. 15 A free translation of
the nullification follows: "All leaven that may be in my possession, whether or not I have seen it and
whether or not I have I have removed it, should be considered void and I relinquish my ownership
of it. It should be considered as the dust of the ground."
There is considerable debate as to when to do bedikas chametz. Although the bedika is meant to
take place at night, some would begin the checking process right after sunset (well before halachic
night which begins with tzais ha'kochavim, the appearance of three stars in the night sky.16) The
more common tradition is to do the bedika after tzais ha'kochavim.17 Although defining tzais
ha’kochavim is also a matter of considerable debate, here, according to most, it is unnecessary to
wait until Rabbainu Tam’s later tzais ha’kochavim; begin to check from 7:47, at the early end of the
halachic nightfall range.18
`
6
Rashi & Tosafos, Pesachim 4b, Rambam, Chametz u’Matzah, 2, 2
Shulchan Arukh, OC, 432, 1
8
She’arim Metzuyanim bi’Halacha, 11, 4 who notes that incandescent electric light is considered “flame” in
other halachic arenas as well. Responsa Be’er Moshe who prefers a flashlights where it allows for a more
effective bedika
9
Arizal based on Bavli, Pesachim 10a
10
Chok Ya’akov, OC, 432, 14
11
Rema, OC, 432, 2
12
Mahari Weil, 193
13
Taz, OC, 432, 4
14
Sha’arei Teshuva, 433, 3
15
Mahari Weil, 193, Mishneh Berurah, 434, 9
16
Magen Avraham, OC, 431, 4
17
Arukh ha'Shulchan, OC, 431, 25, Mishneh Berurah 431, 1
18
Mo’adim u’Zemanin, 3, 286
7
BEDIKAS CHAMETZ OUTSIDE THE HOME
Individuals who are leaving for Pesach and who will, therefore, not be home the night before
Pesach, perform the bedika in their homes without a beracha on the night before they leave.19
(Individuals who will not be home for the entire Pesach have the option of “selling” large swaths of
their home and cleaning and doing a bedika on the “unsold part.” (Apprise your rav of the details to
ensure the appropriate handling of particulars.) Individuals who will be in a hotel room the night
before Pesach do the bedika in their hotel room with a beracha, just as they would at home.20
Those who are spending Pesach at friends’ or relatives’ homes and will be at those homes the
night before Pesach should listen to the beracha of the owner of the house and perform the bedika
in the room in which they are staying.21 (Although these individuals will later be reading the
nullification, a verbal nullification is not reason enough to require a personal beracha.)
KASHERING
It is best to have special Pesach utensils. Earthenware and synthetic22 utensils are nonkasherable. If need be, certain metal and glass (not Pyrex or other types of glass that are used in
the oven) utensils may be kashered. Silverware, metal pots in which items are cooked via a liquid
medium and metal table cutlery, can be kashered through the standard hagalah process, i.e.,
immersion in a keli rishon, a Pesach or a chametzdik pot that first goes through its own kashering
prices. To kasher the pot, first ascertain that the pot has not been used in the past 24 hours. Then,
fill the pot with water. Bring that water to a boil, allowing the water to boil over the pot’s rim. The pot
has now been kashered. Fill the pot with water again and bring that water to a boil. Make sure that
all rust and dirt have been removed from the utensils that you are kashering. Drop the
utensils/cutlery (which should not have been used with anything hot for 24 hours), one by one, into
the boiling water. Make sure to rinse the utensils/cutlery with cold water after the hagalah process
has been completed. Knives with serrated edges or with attached handles or silverware with
grooves that cannot be well cleaned are more difficult to kasher.
Standard glass used for hot foods is a matter of debate, with Ashkenazim veering towards
stringency and equating glass with earthenware and Sephardim veering towards leniency. 23
Drinking glasses that were not used for hot chametz can, in cases of necessity, be kashered
through a milui ve’irui process, i.e., filling glasses with water for three 24-hour periods and
changing the water for each one of those periods. Sinks, stovetops and all surfaces normally used
for food should be readied for Pesach use. Metallic sink surfaces can be kashered. These surfaces
must first be thoroughly cleaned and then dried. The sink should then remain unused for 24 hours.
Take a chametzdik pot that had not been used in the past 24 hours and kasher it. Then fill the pot
with water again and bring that water to a boil. The boiling water should then be poured on all parts
of the sink, including the faucet. The faucet should be swiveled to ensure that the boiling water
reaches all of it, in its entirety. Sink filters with small mesh holes should be replaced; filters with
large holes can be kashered with hot water. Enamel and Formica must be covered. Chametzdik
dish racks, sink racks, washbasins and blechs should not be used.
Self-cleaning ovens should be thoroughly cleaned and kashered by running a self-clean cycle.
Make sure to clean the areas of the oven which are not reached by the self cleaning process, i.e.,
the edges and the sides of the door. Regular ovens should be cleaned thoroughly with an “Easy
Off” type cleaner and set on the highest setting for an hour and a half. Continuous clean ovens,
19
Shulchan Arukh, OC, 436, 1
Siddur Pesach ke’Hilkhaso, 12, 8
21
Shibolai ha’Leket, 4, 44
22
Iggeros Moshe, OC, 2, 92. Although this is a debatable matter, for Pesach we are stringent.
23
Shulchan Arukh, OC, 451, 26
20
which cannot tolerate abrasive “Easy Off” type cleaners, are trickier. Begin the cleaning action with
the application of non-abrasive cleaner. Put the oven on 450°F for an hour, so that the continuous
clean properties deep clean. If spots remain even after all this, then the oven should be left on the
highest temperature for a few hours. Follow this process with a one hour broil cycle.
Some claim that regular / continuous clean ovens do not become hot enough to effect a thorough
kashering. Those following these opinions would require these ovens to either (a) be blowtorched
(something that should only be done by people well acquainted with activity of the sort) or (b) have
special inserts.24 These stricter opinions would also require that the regular / continuous clean oven
racks be placed in a self-clean oven for a cycle, be changed, be blowtorched or be covered with
aluminum foil. Perforate the aluminum foil to allow for appropriate circulation. In this area, as in
most areas, follow your family minhag. If you do not have a clear minhag, the fact that food is not
placed directly on the oven racks is reason enough to allow yourself to follow the more lenient
opinion.
Stovetop grates should be placed in a self-clean oven for a cycle (be careful-they might become
discoloured in the process) or burnt out on top of the stove by covering them with a kettle, blech or
a layering of aluminum foil and turning on the flame full force for ten minutes. Ensure that the hot
aluminum foil does not extend beyond the stovetop where it can touch, and possibly melt, the
plastic knobs. Between-the-grates stovetop areas that are stainless steel can be kashered by
having the entire area covered with aluminum foil during the burning out process. If the area is
enamel, it should be covered for Pesach. Kashering /covering this area is necessary because a
trickling overflow might connect the pot to chametzdik stovetop. If the grates lift the pot off the
stove and will prevent this scenario from arising and you also never slide the pot onto that stovetop
area (and you are also habituated not to eat food that falls onto that area), then such stovetop
kashering /covering, where difficult (as for instance with the glass stovetops that we will soon
discuss), is unnecessary.
Glass stovetops are trickier because keeping them covered with a blech or with aluminum foil can
cause small cracks in the glass. Kashering should, therefore, occur in one of the following ways.
(a) After kashering the burners as previously outlined, run a blowtorch over the surface of the
glass. Cracks can be avoided by quickly moving the torch back and forth over the entire surface so
that there is a uniform rise in temperature. (b) Kasher the burner area only. Do this by turning on
the burners, full force, for 10 minutes. The outlying areas of the stove will, nevertheless, not be
kashered because the heat does not extend beyond the burner area. Given that the outlying area
have not been kashered, it is important that the cooking pots do not extend beyond the kashered
burner area. In addition, upon conclusion of cooking, place hot pots on trivets rather than onto the
non-kashered outlying areas. Last, but certainly not least, be careful that spills do not extend from
the pot down onto the burner area and from there onto the non-kashered stovetop areas because
spills of the sort connect the food in the pot to non-kashered stove top. One way of addressing all
of these issues is to place a disc on the burner area. This disc lifts the pot off the stove top and
creates a break between the pot and the stovetop. .
Microwave ovens can be kashered, after a thorough cleaning, by boiling water from a Pyrex dish
inside the microwave until a thick steam permeates the entire microwave. Turntables should
nevertheless be changed / covered (a sheet of Styrofoam works well here). Given the affordability
of small microwave units, and the difficulty of cleaning the fan area, consider buying a special
Pesach unit. Follow standard oven kashering procedures for convection microwave ovens that are
also used in the convection mode. Follow microwave kashering procedures for convection
microwaves that are never used in convection mode. As mentioned, all utensils should remain
24
She'arim Metzuyanim be’Halakha, 116, 2
unused for the twenty four-hour period that precedes their kashering. Warming drawers should not
be kashered because the heat settings do not go high enough to effect kashering. The warming
drawer should be cleaned, sealed, and not used for Pesach.
Broilers, barbecues and griddles which have food broiled or roasted directly on them must to be
heated to a glow in order to effect kashering. This requires blowtorching (something that should
only be done by people well acquainted with activity of the sort). Or you can replace the broiler pan
and/or the barbeque grates. The empty broiler space must still be kashered by cleaning it and
setting it to broil for an hour. The part of the barbecue which the food can touch (the part that is
level with the grate) must also be kashered by heating it to a glow. If you do not intend to use the
broiler, your can still use your oven - just thoroughly clean the broiler as you would anything else.
KITNIYOS
Ashkenazim do not eat legumes (kitniyos) - beans, corn, peas, rice, etc. and products containing
them as ingredients, throughout Pesach. Some include peanuts in the ban; some also include
kitniyos derivatives such as peanut oil. Follow your tradition. If you are unsure as to what your
tradition is, you may be lenient with peanuts, peanut oil and the like.25 The kitniyos tradition arose
because kitniyos were frequently stored together with grain.26 Alternatively, kitniyos were banned
because flour and bread like items can be produced from legumes.27 Potatoes (from which potato
starch is made) while included in the initial ban according to some, were permitted because of
famine.28 Others claim that potatoes were not banned simply because they were unknown in
Europe at the time the ban’s promulgation.29 Sephardic, Yemenite and Oriental Jewish customs
vary from community to community. Please note that imported Israeli foods containing kitniyos may
nevertheless be labelled Kosher for Pesach.
MEDICATIONS
A troubling issue that I confront, Pesach after Pesach, (and for that matter, Yom Kippur after Yom
Kippur) is the spectre of ill people refusing their medications because of that medication’s alleged
chametz component(s). To reiterate a point that I have repeatedly made, few, if any non-chewable
pills, contain chametz in their ingredient base. Even if they do contain chametz, non-chewable pills
are swallowed; they are not eaten, and if they do not have a pleasant tasting coating, they offer no
pleasure to the palate. All non-chewable, solid medications that do not have a pleasant tasting
coating (most pills and all capsules) are permissible on Pesach, for any and all illnesses, for any
and all people. They need no certification and channelling effort into researching the ingredient
base of these pills exacerbates a climate in which ill people endanger their lives in a mistaken
attempt at halachic observance. Most adult medications fall within the framework of this leniency.
Vitamins are not to be included within the scope of this leniency, but I would permit vitamins
ingested because of a clear medical need, e.g., prenatal pills.
Liquid or chewable medications are a wholly different matter. Such medications that contain
chametz, are considered bona fide chametz because of their pleasant taste. Chametz liquid and
chewable medications may nevertheless be used if medically necessary and if no adequate
substitutes can be found. One needing such medications should purchase them before Pesach
and consult a rav about how to store and how to consume such medications over the course of
Pesach. Liquid and chewable medications that contain kitniyos but no chametz may be consumed
by an ill person (ill to the point that one would be recuperating in bed) or by a young child who is
25
Iggeros Moshe, OC, 3, 63
Bais Yosef, OC, 453
27
Mordechai, Pesachim, 2, 688
28
Nishmas Adam
29
Tiferes Shelomo
26
facing even slight discomfort. The published Pesach lists are valuable in ascertaining the status of
these medications. Please remember that there are additional issues involving the consumption of
medicines on Shabbos and Yom Tov that require discussion with a competent halachic authority.
EGG MATZAH AND WHITE GRAPE MATZAH
Matzah made with fruit juice or eggs, including Egg Matzah, Chocolate Covered Egg Matzah, and
White Grape Matzah are not permitted on Pesach according to the European tradition. Although
there is room for leniency for the ill and for those who cannot digest regular matzah, you would be
hard pressed to rely on this leniency when there is a plethora of other food available. 30 Matzah
made with fruit juice or eggs certainly does not qualify for the seder.
SEDER MATZAH
The three matzos are placed on the seder table to:
a) represent the three kinds of Jews: Kohen, Levi and Yisroel.
b) represent our three avos, our forefathers.
c) remind us that there are three times during the course of the seder when matzah must be eaten
- at the beginning of the seder meal, when the beracha over matzah is made, for the korech
(Hillel Sandwich) when the matzah is eaten together with the maror, and at the end of the meal,
for the afikoman.
At the beginning of the seder, the middle matzah is broken in two. The larger part31, the afikoman,
is hidden. The afikoman is eaten as a remembrance for the non-extant korban Pesach. The korban
Pesach was eaten at the end of the meal. The afikoman is, therefore, also eaten at the end of the
meal.
MATZAH SHEMURA
Matzah is prepared from the flour of grains that have not been washed, and have been processed
under supervision, completely protected from any contact with water. Matzah must be made with
mayim shelanu, water that has been stored overnight. The matzah can be manufactured either by
hand or by machine. The dough must be pummeled constantly. If it is left idle for longer than 18
minutes it becomes chametz. It is rolled into thin sheets and then baked. All equipment used in the
preparation of matzah must be constantly cleaned of dough crumbs, and the oven in which matzah
is baked must be set at the proper baking temperature. Properly certified matzos are manufactured
with care and are absolutely kosher. Nevertheless it is important to use matzah shemura, which is
“guarded matzah” for the seder. This is because there are opinions requiring the seder matzos to
be produced lishmah, for the sake of the mitzva that is to be done with them. Matzah shemura can
be either machine or hand baked. German Jews generally favour machine matzos; most other
Jews favour the hand baked version.
GEBROCKTS
Once matzah has been baked properly, leavening can no longer occur, and the product can no
longer become chametz. Therefore, matzah products such as ground matzah meal, flour or farfel
may be cooked in hot water, baked or blended with any variety of Pesach ingredients. People who
do not eat Gebrockts (they do not allow their matzah to come in contact with water) are concerned
that there might be a small bit of raw flour that will become chametz if we expose it to water now.32
MAROR
Maror is a reminder of bitter Jewish suffering at the hands of the Egyptians. Many people use
grated horseradish. Many recommend grating the maror before the Yom Tov begins, because of
31
32
Mishneh Berurah 473, 58
Sha’arei Teshuvah 460, 10
Yom Tov grinding issues. 33 If you follow that point of view, and did not have a chance to grate the
maror before Yom Tov, grate your maror on Yom Tov with a shinui, i.e., a change in normal
routine. The shinui can be achieved by holding the grater upside down or grating onto a piece of
paper rather than onto a dish. 34 Others would actually grate their maror on Yom Tov as they would
all year. Either way, if you do grate your maror on Yom Tov, prepare the amount that is needed for
that night only. Preparing extra for the following night would be a violation of hachana, i.e.
preparing on Yom Tov for the next day. Maror that has soaked in liquid of any sort for more than 24
hours has its bitterness muted during the soaking process and is, therefore, disqualified.
Commercially prepared horseradish that has water or vinegar added to it is unacceptable. 35
Many people use Romaine lettuce which should be cleaned thoroughly. Here too, do not allow the
lettuce to soak in liquid for more than 24 hours. Therefore, if the second day maror supply was
cleaned before Yom Tov do not allow it to soak over the first day and into the second. Wrap the
washed maror in damp paper towels instead. Romaine lettuce, while not bitter, is soft at the edges
and has a hard stalk in the middle. This situation is a perfect metaphor for the Egyptian exile. The
Egyptian exile, comfortable at first, gradually grew harder and harder.36
ROASTED MEATBONE
This is a symbol for the Pesach lamb, which we brought as a korban on the eve of Pesach. This
offering needed to be roasted. One explanation for the required roasting is that poor people insist
on boiling rather than roasting their meat because they want to make a broth out of the meat as
well. They extract as much as they can from every piece of meat. Only wealthy people can afford
to roast their meats, thereby wasting the broth. On Pesach we are all “wealthy” and so the offering
was roast. Today, given that we have no bais ha’mikdash, and consequentially no Pesach offering,
we refrain from eating roast meat or fowl at the seder lest someone think that we are eating some
sort of mock Pesach offering.37
ROASTED EGG
This symbolizes the festival offering, the chagiga. In the time of the bais ha'mikdash, the chagiga
was brought on all holidays. The round egg, which can roll on and on, symbolizes the continuous
circle of life, the constant flux from pain to joy and the reverse. The egg is therefore also an
appropriate sign of mourning. This small symbol of mourning reminds us of the bais ha’mikdash
and of the Pesach offering, both of which we sorely miss.
CHAROSES
This is a mixture of nuts, cinnamon, apples and wine. It is a reminder of the clay the Jews used to
make bricks to build for Pharaoh. The red wine reminds us of the spilled blood, the cinnamon sticks
tell us about the straw Jews gathered for these bricks. The maror is dipped in the charoses to
somewhat temper the maror’s bitterness. We then shake the charoses off the maror so that the
charoses does not totally negate the maror’s bitterness.38 It is better to grate the fruits or nuts that
will be added to the charoses mixture before Yom Tov and place them in the refrigerator. If you did
not have a chance to grate the maror before Yom Tov and are grating the charoses on the first
night of Yom Tov, only prepare the amount that you need for that night. Preparing extra for the
following night would be a violation of hachana, i.e. preparing on Yom Tov for the next day.
33
Mishneh Berurah 473, 19
Rema, OC, 504,1
35
Shulchan Arukh, OC, 473, 5
36
Arukh ha’Shulchan, OC, 473, 16
37
Shulchan Arukh, OC, 476
38
Shulchan Arukh, OC, 475, 1
34
KARPAS
A vegetable dipped into salt water. Some recommend preparing the salt water before Yom Tov.39
If your minhag is to abide by this stringency, but you forgot to prepare it before Yom Tov, then, if
preparing on Yom Tov, reverse the preparation process, i.e., if the salt is usually placed in the bowl
first, place the water first.40 Also, if preparing the salt water on the first night, only prepare the
amount that you need for that night. Preparing extra for the following night would be a violation of
hachana, i.e. preparing on Yom Tov for the next day. The vegetable dipped in saltwater might
symbolize the Jewish people who were “down and out” like a vegetable which is near the ground
being immersed in the tears of Egyptian slavery. Alternatively it might remind us of the Jews’
passing through the salt water of the Sea of Reeds. A primary reason for the karpas is that there is
a question as to whether we make the ha’adama beracha on the maror. The doubt revolves around
the fact that the maror is eaten during the meal, after we have already partaken of the matzah.
Matzah exempts most items eaten during the course of a normal meal. Items that are not part of a
normal meal, i.e., wine, certain desserts, would require their own beracha. The maror can be
viewed as normal, akin to a salad vegetable or unusual, i.e., a mitzvah item. And so, there is doubt
as to whether you make a ha-adama on the maror. The ha-adama beracha that is made on the
karpas, if it is used to exempt the maror of its beracha obligation, helps us resolve this issue. It is
imperative, therefore, to have the maror in mind when the ha’adama beracha is made on the
karpas.41
FOUR CUPS
The first cup of wine is the Kiddush. The second cup is taken at the end of the first of the three
parts of the Seder. The third cup follows the bentching. The fourth cup is drunk at the end of the
second part of the seder. The number four is used because Hashem used four different verbs, all
of which signify redemption, when Moshe was sent to free the Jews. The number four also talks to
us about our four imahos, our four matriarchs, and reminds us of feminine strength. We are being
reminded about the extraordinary role that women (Pharaoh’s daughter who saved Moshe, the
midwives who saved the Jewish children, Miriam who was responsible for Moshe’s birth) played in
our redemption from Egypt.
CUP OF ELIYAHU
Some authorities believe that there should be five rather than four cups of wine at the seder table.
The fifth cup came to be known as the Cup of Eliyahu because the rabbonim of old left the
resolution of all unresolved questions to await the coming of the prophet Eliyahu and the Messianic
era that he will bring. All of our halachic questions, including our debate as to whether we do or
don’t need the fifth cup, will be resolved during that Messianic period. The custom of setting up a
cup for Eliyahu led to the custom of opening the door during the seder for the entrance of this great
prophet.
RECLINING
In ancient times it was customary for royalty to recline during meals. On Pesach night, we are all
royalty. It is obligatory to eat the joyous, critical parts of the seder, i.e. the four cups and the
matzah, while reclining to the left. The maror, on the other hand, because of its connotations of
slavery, is not eaten in a reclining position. Ashkenazic women generally do not recline, Sephardic
women generally do.42
39
Chayai Adam
Kitzur Shulchan Arukh, 118, 4. The Mishneh Berurah seems to restrict this stringency to Shabbos.
41
Peri Megadim, Aishel Avraham, 473, 4
42
Shulchan Arukh, OC, 472, 4
40
MEASUREMENTS FOR THE PESACH SEDORIM
MINIMUM SIZE OF WINE CUPS
For the arba kosos and for Kiddush, the cup should hold at least 98 millilitres (3.3 oz.), of which
you must drink the majority of the cup, 49 millilitres (1.7 oz.) from each of the arba kosos. If even
98 millilitres is too much, use a cup that contains 86 millilitres (2.9 oz.). Here too, you would be
required to drink at least the majority of each cup, i.e. 43 millilitres (1.5 oz.). One who is using a
cup that is larger than the minimum shiur can, if need be, still address his obligation by drinking
most of the shiur, i.e., the same 49 or 43 millilitres (1.7 or 1.5 oz.), rather than drinking most of the
actual cup, even if that cup is a large cup. It is better, though, to drink most of the actual cup, i.e., 4
ozs. from an 8 oz. cup, and better yet to drink the entire cup, which would mean drinking all 8 ozs.
from an 8 oz. cup for each of the arba kosos. Consuming such amounts of wine can be quite
taxing. It is therefore best to use smaller cups. 100 millilitre or, if need be, 90 millilitre sherry
glasses qualify and are readily available. These smaller cups allow you to comfortably drink the
entire cup for each of the arba kosos. If you opt for large cups, please remember that the
recommendation to drink most of the cup or, ideally, the entire cup, still stands.
WINE
1. Undiluted wine is best for the arba kosos. The great variety of delicious, low alcohol wines that
are now available allows you to drink the arba kosos without becoming intoxicated in the
process. (There are those who are halachically stringent and use unsweetened red wines that
are not mevushal for the four cups. Those choosing to follow this stringency should be aware
that the rationale for this stringency is applicable to year round kiddush as well).
2. If need be, you may mix the wine with grape juice.
3. If need be, Ashkenazim may dilute wine with water but make sure to have a bit more than 1/4cup wine to 3/4 cup water. Sephardim should never dilute the mixture with more than 1/4
water.
4. If need be, you may use grape juice instead of wine. Wine is preferred, though, because
intoxicating wine more aptly captures the “freedom” idea of Pesach.43
(NOTE - The beracha upon all these mixtures is hagafen.)
MINIMUM AMOUNT OF MATZAH SHEMURAH
Everyone must eat the minimum amount of matzah shemura the following three times during the
seder:
1) After the beracha al achilas matzah. This is the primary eating of matzah; e.g., this is when we
perform the Torah commandment. You should attempt to eat 2/3 of a machine matzah or 1/2
of a hand-baked matzah. One may be lenient and use 1/3 of a machine matzah or 1/4 of a
hand-baked matzah. The matzah should be eaten within a two minute or, if need be, a four
minute time span.
2) For korech, when we eat matzah and maror together in a sandwich, 1/3 of a machine matzah
or 1/4 of a hand-baked matzah suffices.
3) The afikoman is also considered very important and it is therefore best to eat 2/3 of a machine
matzah or 1/2 of a hand-baked matzah.
If you cannot eat matzah, then matzah shemura meal (upon which you are permitted to recite
ha’motzi) may be substituted as follows:
1 & 3) After reciting the beracha, al achilas matzah and afikoman - an amount of meal that can be
compacted into a vessel measuring 1.5 oz.
2) For korech - an amount of meal that can be compacted into a vessel holding 0.75 oz.
43
Peri Megadim, Meshbetzos Zahav, OC, 472
MINIMUM AMOUNT OF MAROR
A minimum amount of maror is eaten twice during the seder. Once after the beracha, al achilas
maror, and once for korech.
If using pure, grated horseradish, use the following amounts:
1. After reciting the beracha, al achilas maror - an amount that can be compacted into a vessel
measuring 1.1 oz.
2. For Korech - an amount that can be compacted into a vessel measuring 0.7 oz.
If using Romaine Lettuce:
1. After reciting the beracha, al achilas maror enough stalks to cover an area of 3 by 5 inches.
MAGGID, TELLING THE STORY OF THE REDEMPTION FROM EGYPT
The seder is a time to bring our yiddishkeit alive. We do this by rereading and re-enacting the
Exodus story. Seder participants should discuss all aspects of the Exodus in detail. One should not
limit oneself to the text of the Haggadah. Discussion allows a person to re-examine his or her
connection with yiddishkeit and Hashem. We focus especially on the young children. This might be
because the evil Egyptian decrees (such as the killing of newborn boys) were suffered inordinately
by innocent children. Children should participate in the seder to the extent of their ability. It is
important that they nap beforehand so that they (and we) can enjoy the seder. In addition to the
Four Questions, children should be encouraged to drink the Four Cups, eat the maror and matzah,
and ask questions about Jewish life.
CHAMETZ AFTER PESACH
Chametz that was in a Jew’s possession during any part of Pesach may not be eaten nor may you
derive any benefit from this chametz after Pesach. Care should be therefore taken when
purchasing chametz after Pesach that this chametz should not have been in a Jew’s possession
during Pesach. Many stores have signs saying that they sold their chametz and yet they continue
doing chametz business on Pesach. Even if we accept the validity of the sale we may not buy
chametz there after Pesach because of the Pesach chametz deliveries.
A special thanks to the COR, the CRC, National Council of Young Israel, the Orthodox Union and
the Star K and to Nathan Kirsh, Daniel Orner, David Segal and David Spiegel, all of whose
resources were accessed in developing this compendium.
A kasheren zissen Pesach
Yehoshua Weber
rs t St (mai l raf fles @bathurs tautopro.comco rner o f Sheppard and Bathu rs t) 416 -633-
3727 "s ervicing all your vehicle needs " Pur im Of fer fo r Clanton Pa rk Shul o nly Win a s et of P remium NA PA Pads and Rotors fo r your vehicle (appro x. value $250.00 does n't include labo ur and tax) draw will be M arch 4th, no purchas e neces s ary to enter, email ra ffles @bathurs tautop ro.comppr ox. value $250.00 does n't include labo ur and tax ) draw will be M arch 4th, no pu rchas e neces s ary to enter, email raffles @bathurs tautop