Chametz
Encyclopedia
Chametz, also Chometz, and other spellings transliterated
from (χaˈmets), are leavened foods that are forbidden on the Jewish holiday
of Passover
. According to Jewish law, Jews may not own, eat or benefit from chametz during Passover. This law appears several times in the Torah
; the punishment for eating chametz on Passover is the divine punishment of kareth
("spiritual excision"), one of the most severe levels of punishment in Judaism.
Chametz is a product that is both made from one of five types of grain, and has been combined with water and left to stand raw for longer than eighteen minutes.
has several commandments governing chametz during Passover
:
The prohibitions take effect around late morning on the eve of Passover, or the 14th of the month of Nisan
in the Jewish calendar. Chametz is permitted again from nightfall after the final day of Passover. Traditional Jewish homes spend the days leading up to Passover cleaning and removing all traces of chametz from the house.
after wetting. The actual species are not known with certainty, although they would necessarily have been crops that grew in the middle east in Biblical times. When the Bible was translated into European languages, the names of food grains common in Europe, wheat
, barley
, spelt
, rye
and oats
, were used, some of which were not grown in ancient Israel:
As more accurate historic and botanical evidence comes to light, some scholars today propose that only the 'five grain species' native to the Land of Israel can become chametz. They are:
Shippon (shifon) – einkorn (Triticum monococcum),
Kussemet – emmer
(Triticum dicoccon),
Chittim – durum wheat (Triticum durum) and bread wheat (Triticum aestivum),
Se’orim – six row barley (Hordeum vulgare), and
Shibbolet shual – two row barley
Spelt, rye, and oats (Avena sativa) did not grow in the Land of Israel in the biblical period. Since spelt (Triticum spelta) is genetically closely related to bread wheat it is also considered to be prohibited. Rye should not be eaten since it closely resembles wheat and can be mistaken for it; it was considered chametz during Exile, even though in actual fact it did not grow in ancient Israel and was not on the list of chametz-capable grains. According to the Talmud, when any grain not listed is exposed to water it begins to "decay or rot", rather than "rise" (sirachon).
Source: Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, Gil Marks
, Publisher - John Wiley and Sons, NJ, 2010, Eli Rogosa based on her field research in Israel and on interviews with Israeli scholars
foods can be diluted by kosher food to one part in sixty and then be permitted. Sephardi Jews
do not follow this stringency if the dilution happened before Passover.
Also, hana'ah (any benefit, such as selling) from some forms of non-kosher food is permitted, but no form of benefit may be derived from chametz during Passover. Mixtures containing amounts of chametz, such as the Mishnaic Babylonian dipping sauce (Mishna Pesachim 3:1) which contained bread crumbs, salt, and whey, may not be eaten by Jews on Pesach, and are subject to a Rabbinic difference of opinion as to whether or not they can be owned by Jews on Pesach (See Rashi and Tosafot at the beginning of the 3rd Chapter of Tractate Pesachim.)
In addition to the Biblical prohibition of owning chametz, there is also a positive commandment to remove it from one's possession. There are three traditional methods of removing chametz:
It is considered best to use both bi'ur and bittul to remove one's chametz, even though either of these two methods is enough to fulfill one's biblical requirement to destroy one's chametz. Mechirah, which averts the prohibition of ownership, is an alternative to destruction.
For chametz owned by the State of Israel
, which includes its state companies, the prison service
and the country's stock of emergency supplies, the Chief Rabbinate
act as agent; since 1997, the Rabbinate has sold its chametz to Mr. Jaaber Hussein, a hotel manager residing in Abu Ghosh
, who puts down a deposit of 20,000 shekels for chametz worth an estimated 150 million dollars.
when it can be burned. Chametz found during Chol HaMoed
should be burned immediately.
After the holiday, there is a special law known as "chametz she'avar alav haPesach," chametz that was owned by any Jew during Pesach. Such chametz can only be burned; no benefit may be derived from it at all, not even by selling it to a non-Jew.
Chametz that was owned by a Jew during Pesach may not be eaten by Jews after Pesach. If a store owned by a Jew is known not to have sold its chametz, no Jew may buy chametz from that store until enough time has passed that it can be assumed the inventory has changed over since Pesach.
, the custom during Passover is to refrain from not only products of the five grains but also kitniyot
. Literally "small things," kitniyot refers to other grains or legumes. Traditions of what is considered kitniyot vary from community to community but generally include rice
, corn
, lentils, and beans. Many include peanut
s in this category as well.
The origins of this practice are not clear. Two common theories are that these items are often made into products resembling chametz (e.g. cornbread
), or that these items were normally stored in the same sacks as the five grains and people worried that they might become contaminated with chametz. The most common explanation, however, has to do with the talmudic concept of Marit Ayin (translated as "how it appears to the eye"). While not against the laws of passover to consume kitniyot, a person might be observed eating them and thought to be eating chametz despite the law, or erroneously conclude that chametz was permitted. To avoid this confusion, they were simply banned outright.
While it would seem ideal to eat foods that cannot conceivably become chametz, there are authorities who are concerned that Kitniyot might in some way become confused with true chametz. First, cooked porridge and other cooked dishes made from grain and Kitniyot appear similar. Second, Kitniyot are often grown in fields adjacent to those in which chametz is grown, and these grains tend to mix together. And third, Kitniyot are often ground into a type of flour that can easily be confused with chametz. For these three reasons these authorities suggested that by avoiding eating Kitniyot people would be better able to avoid chametz. The Vilna Gaon
(Hagaos HaGra, ibid.) indeed actually cites a novel source for this custom. The Talmud
in Pesachim (40b) notes that Rava objected to the workers of the Raish Gelusa (the Exilarch) cooking a food called chasisi on Pesach, since it was known to be confused with chametz. The Tosefos explain that, according to the Aruch, chasisi are lentils and thus, argues the Vilna Gaon
, establishes the basis for the concern of Kitniyot.
While this practice is considered binding in normative Ashkenazi Judaism, these items are not chametz and therefore are not subject to the same prohibitions and stringencies as chametz. For example, while there is a prohibition against owning chametz on Passover, no such prohibition applies to kitniyot. Similarly, while someone would not be permitted to eat chametz on Passover unless his life were in danger since this is a Torah prohibition, kitniyot is merely prohibited by the Rabbis, and therefore people who are infirm
or pregnant, may be allowed to eat kitniyot, on consultation with a Rabbinic authority. Furthermore, kitniyot is considered "Batel B'Rov" meaning that Ashkenazi Jews may eat food containing less than 50% kitniyot as long as the kitniyot are not distinguishable within the food and the food was not prepared to take advantage of such a "loophole". However, many Ashkenazi Jews today hold to a standard not to eat food containing any kitniyot.
There is some movement among observant Ashkenazi Jews to cease to observe the tradition of kitniyot.
Sephardi Jews have no general restrictions. Some Sephardi Jews from Spain and North Africa (for example, Moroccan Jews) have different restrictions such as avoiding rice during Pesach.
in cakes and other dishes. The Hebrew term for gebruchts is "matza shruya," (מצה שרוייה, "soaked matza"), although outside Israel the Yiddish name is usually used.
Transliteration
Transliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another...
from (χaˈmets), are leavened foods that are forbidden on the Jewish holiday
Jewish holiday
Jewish holidays are days observed by Jews as holy or secular commemorations of important events in Jewish history. In Hebrew, Jewish holidays and festivals, depending on their nature, may be called yom tov or chag or ta'anit...
of Passover
Passover
Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
. According to Jewish law, Jews may not own, eat or benefit from chametz during Passover. This law appears several times in the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
; the punishment for eating chametz on Passover is the divine punishment of kareth
Kareth
In Judaism, Kareth is a divine punishment for transgressing Jewish law.It is the punishment for serious crimes that were not brought to justice by a human court...
("spiritual excision"), one of the most severe levels of punishment in Judaism.
Chametz is a product that is both made from one of five types of grain, and has been combined with water and left to stand raw for longer than eighteen minutes.
Torah related sources
The TorahTorah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
has several commandments governing chametz during Passover
Passover
Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
:
- The positive commandment to remove all chametz from one's home .
- Not to possess chametz in one's domain. .
- Not to eat chametz, or mixtures containing chametz .
The prohibitions take effect around late morning on the eve of Passover, or the 14th of the month of Nisan
Nisan
Nisan is the first month of the ecclesiastical year and the seventh month of the civil year, on the Hebrew calendar. The name of the month is Babylonian; in the Torah it is called the month of the Aviv, referring to the month in which barley was ripe. It is a spring month of 30 days...
in the Jewish calendar. Chametz is permitted again from nightfall after the final day of Passover. Traditional Jewish homes spend the days leading up to Passover cleaning and removing all traces of chametz from the house.
The five grains
Biblically, five specific species of grain become chametzChametz
Chametz, also Chometz, and other spellings transliterated from , are leavened foods that are forbidden on the Jewish holiday of Passover. According to Jewish law, Jews may not own, eat or benefit from chametz during Passover...
after wetting. The actual species are not known with certainty, although they would necessarily have been crops that grew in the middle east in Biblical times. When the Bible was translated into European languages, the names of food grains common in Europe, wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
, spelt
Spelt
Spelt is a hexaploid species of wheat. Spelt was an important staple in parts of Europe from the Bronze Age to medieval times; it now survives as a relict crop in Central Europe and northern Spain and has found a new market as a health food. Spelt is sometimes considered a subspecies of the...
, rye
Rye
Rye is a grass grown extensively as a grain and as a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe and is closely related to barley and wheat. Rye grain is used for flour, rye bread, rye beer, some whiskeys, some vodkas, and animal fodder...
and oats
OATS
OATS - Open Source Assistive Technology Software - is a source code repository or "forge" for assistive technology software. It was launched in 2006 with the goal to provide a one-stop “shop” for end users, clinicians and open-source developers to promote and develop open source assistive...
, were used, some of which were not grown in ancient Israel:
As more accurate historic and botanical evidence comes to light, some scholars today propose that only the 'five grain species' native to the Land of Israel can become chametz. They are:
Shippon (shifon) – einkorn (Triticum monococcum),
Kussemet – emmer
Emmer
Emmer wheat , also known as farro especially in Italy, is a low yielding, awned wheat. It was one of the first crops domesticated in the Near East...
(Triticum dicoccon),
Chittim – durum wheat (Triticum durum) and bread wheat (Triticum aestivum),
Se’orim – six row barley (Hordeum vulgare), and
Shibbolet shual – two row barley
Spelt, rye, and oats (Avena sativa) did not grow in the Land of Israel in the biblical period. Since spelt (Triticum spelta) is genetically closely related to bread wheat it is also considered to be prohibited. Rye should not be eaten since it closely resembles wheat and can be mistaken for it; it was considered chametz during Exile, even though in actual fact it did not grow in ancient Israel and was not on the list of chametz-capable grains. According to the Talmud, when any grain not listed is exposed to water it begins to "decay or rot", rather than "rise" (sirachon).
Source: Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, Gil Marks
Gil Marks
Gil Marks is a food writer and historian who has published five cookbooks on the subject of Jewish food, and was the founding editor of Kosher Gourmet magazine.-Education:...
, Publisher - John Wiley and Sons, NJ, 2010, Eli Rogosa based on her field research in Israel and on interviews with Israeli scholars
Stringency
The Torah specifies the punishment of karet (spiritual excision) for eating chametz, one of the highest levels of punishment in Jewish tradition. The prohibition applies even to the smallest particle of chametz, while most other Torah prohibitions on food only apply to larger quantities (though small amounts may be prohibited rabbinically). Moreover, during Passover eating chametz is prohibited no matter how small a proportion it is in a mixture, although usual non-kosherKashrut
Kashrut is the set of Jewish dietary laws. Food in accord with halakha is termed kosher in English, from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the Hebrew term kashér , meaning "fit" Kashrut (also kashruth or kashrus) is the set of Jewish dietary laws. Food in accord with halakha (Jewish law) is termed...
foods can be diluted by kosher food to one part in sixty and then be permitted. Sephardi Jews
Sephardi Jews
Sephardi Jews is a general term referring to the descendants of the Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula before their expulsion in the Spanish Inquisition. It can also refer to those who use a Sephardic style of liturgy or would otherwise define themselves in terms of the Jewish customs and...
do not follow this stringency if the dilution happened before Passover.
Also, hana'ah (any benefit, such as selling) from some forms of non-kosher food is permitted, but no form of benefit may be derived from chametz during Passover. Mixtures containing amounts of chametz, such as the Mishnaic Babylonian dipping sauce (Mishna Pesachim 3:1) which contained bread crumbs, salt, and whey, may not be eaten by Jews on Pesach, and are subject to a Rabbinic difference of opinion as to whether or not they can be owned by Jews on Pesach (See Rashi and Tosafot at the beginning of the 3rd Chapter of Tractate Pesachim.)
Removal of chametz
- Bi'ur: burning one's chametz. All appropriate methods of destruction are included in this category. On the night preceding the 14th of Nisan, a formal search of the house known as bedikat chametz ("search for chametz") is conducted by candlelight. The chametz found in this search is burned the next morning in a formal bi'ur ceremony.
- Bittul: nullifying one's chametz. On the night and again on the morning of the 14th of Nissan, at the formal bedikah and bi'ur respectively, the head of the household recites an Aramaic statement nullifying all chametz remaining in the family's possession. The statements conclude that the chametz "shall be nullified and considered ownerless as the dust of the earth." Bittul must be done before the prohibition of chametz takes effect; once five twelfths of the day have passed on Passover eve, bittul is no longer an effective means of removal and any chametz one discovers must be destroyed.
- Mechirah: selling one's chametz. Until five-twelfths of the way through Passover Eve one may sell or give ones chametz to a non-Jew, and it is no longer ones responsibility. One who keeps the sold chametz in his or her household must seal it away so that it will not be visible during the holiday. After the holiday, the non-Jew generally sells the chametz back to the original owners, via the agent; however, he is under no obligation to do so.
It is considered best to use both bi'ur and bittul to remove one's chametz, even though either of these two methods is enough to fulfill one's biblical requirement to destroy one's chametz. Mechirah, which averts the prohibition of ownership, is an alternative to destruction.
Mechirah practices
In many Jewish communities, the rabbi signs a contract with each of his congregants, assigning him as an agent to sell their chametz. This practice is convenient for the congregation and ensures that the sale is binding by both Jewish and local law.For chametz owned by the State of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, which includes its state companies, the prison service
Israel Prison Service
The Israel Prison Service , commonly known in Israel by its acronym Shabas , is the prison service of Israel. It is responsible for maintaining civilian prisons in Israel, as well as detention centers for security prisoners. It is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Security...
and the country's stock of emergency supplies, the Chief Rabbinate
Chief Rabbinate of Israel
The Chief Rabbinate of Israel is recognized by law as the supreme halakhic and spiritual authority for the Jewish people in Israel. The Chief Rabbinate Council assists the two chief rabbis, who alternate in its presidency. It has legal and administrative authority to organize religious...
act as agent; since 1997, the Rabbinate has sold its chametz to Mr. Jaaber Hussein, a hotel manager residing in Abu Ghosh
Abu Ghosh
Abu Ghosh is an Israeli Arab town in Israel, located west of Jerusalem on the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway. It is situated 610–720 meters above sea level. In 2010, it set the Guinness World Record for largest dish of hummus...
, who puts down a deposit of 20,000 shekels for chametz worth an estimated 150 million dollars.
Chametz found during or after Pesach
According to Halakhah, if chametz is found during Yom Tov, it must be covered over until Chol HaMoedChol HaMoed
Chol HaMoed, a Hebrew phrase meaning "weekdays [of] the festival" , refers to the intermediate days of Passover and Sukkot. During Chol HaMoed the usual restrictions that apply to the Biblical Jewish holidays are relaxed, but not entirely eliminated...
when it can be burned. Chametz found during Chol HaMoed
Chol HaMoed
Chol HaMoed, a Hebrew phrase meaning "weekdays [of] the festival" , refers to the intermediate days of Passover and Sukkot. During Chol HaMoed the usual restrictions that apply to the Biblical Jewish holidays are relaxed, but not entirely eliminated...
should be burned immediately.
After the holiday, there is a special law known as "chametz she'avar alav haPesach," chametz that was owned by any Jew during Pesach. Such chametz can only be burned; no benefit may be derived from it at all, not even by selling it to a non-Jew.
Chametz that was owned by a Jew during Pesach may not be eaten by Jews after Pesach. If a store owned by a Jew is known not to have sold its chametz, no Jew may buy chametz from that store until enough time has passed that it can be assumed the inventory has changed over since Pesach.
Additional Ashkenazi restrictions
Because of the Torah's severity regarding the prohibition of chametz, many communities have adopted stringencies not biblically required as safeguards from inadvertent transgression.Kitniyot
Among Ashkenazi JewsAshkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...
, the custom during Passover is to refrain from not only products of the five grains but also kitniyot
Kitniyot
Kitniyot, qit'niyyoth are a category of foods which are defined by Jewish law and tradition that Ashkenazi Jews avoid eating during the Biblical festival of Passover....
. Literally "small things," kitniyot refers to other grains or legumes. Traditions of what is considered kitniyot vary from community to community but generally include rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, lentils, and beans. Many include peanut
Peanut
The peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume or "bean" family , so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing tall...
s in this category as well.
The origins of this practice are not clear. Two common theories are that these items are often made into products resembling chametz (e.g. cornbread
Cornbread
Cornbread is a generic name for any number of quick breads containing cornmeal and leavened by baking powder.-History:Native Americans were using ground corn for food thousands of years before European explorers arrived in the New World...
), or that these items were normally stored in the same sacks as the five grains and people worried that they might become contaminated with chametz. The most common explanation, however, has to do with the talmudic concept of Marit Ayin (translated as "how it appears to the eye"). While not against the laws of passover to consume kitniyot, a person might be observed eating them and thought to be eating chametz despite the law, or erroneously conclude that chametz was permitted. To avoid this confusion, they were simply banned outright.
While it would seem ideal to eat foods that cannot conceivably become chametz, there are authorities who are concerned that Kitniyot might in some way become confused with true chametz. First, cooked porridge and other cooked dishes made from grain and Kitniyot appear similar. Second, Kitniyot are often grown in fields adjacent to those in which chametz is grown, and these grains tend to mix together. And third, Kitniyot are often ground into a type of flour that can easily be confused with chametz. For these three reasons these authorities suggested that by avoiding eating Kitniyot people would be better able to avoid chametz. The Vilna Gaon
Vilna Gaon
Elijah ben Shlomo Zalman Kramer, known as the Vilna Gaon or Elijah of Vilna and simply by his Hebrew acronym Gra or Elijah Ben Solomon, , was a Talmudist, halachist, kabbalist, and the foremost leader of non-hasidic Jewry of the past few centuries...
(Hagaos HaGra, ibid.) indeed actually cites a novel source for this custom. The Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
in Pesachim (40b) notes that Rava objected to the workers of the Raish Gelusa (the Exilarch) cooking a food called chasisi on Pesach, since it was known to be confused with chametz. The Tosefos explain that, according to the Aruch, chasisi are lentils and thus, argues the Vilna Gaon
Vilna Gaon
Elijah ben Shlomo Zalman Kramer, known as the Vilna Gaon or Elijah of Vilna and simply by his Hebrew acronym Gra or Elijah Ben Solomon, , was a Talmudist, halachist, kabbalist, and the foremost leader of non-hasidic Jewry of the past few centuries...
, establishes the basis for the concern of Kitniyot.
While this practice is considered binding in normative Ashkenazi Judaism, these items are not chametz and therefore are not subject to the same prohibitions and stringencies as chametz. For example, while there is a prohibition against owning chametz on Passover, no such prohibition applies to kitniyot. Similarly, while someone would not be permitted to eat chametz on Passover unless his life were in danger since this is a Torah prohibition, kitniyot is merely prohibited by the Rabbis, and therefore people who are infirm
Illness
Illness is a state of poor health. Illness is sometimes considered another word for disease. Others maintain that fine distinctions exist...
or pregnant, may be allowed to eat kitniyot, on consultation with a Rabbinic authority. Furthermore, kitniyot is considered "Batel B'Rov" meaning that Ashkenazi Jews may eat food containing less than 50% kitniyot as long as the kitniyot are not distinguishable within the food and the food was not prepared to take advantage of such a "loophole". However, many Ashkenazi Jews today hold to a standard not to eat food containing any kitniyot.
There is some movement among observant Ashkenazi Jews to cease to observe the tradition of kitniyot.
Sephardi Jews have no general restrictions. Some Sephardi Jews from Spain and North Africa (for example, Moroccan Jews) have different restrictions such as avoiding rice during Pesach.
Gebruchts
At Passover, some religious Ashkenazis will not eat matza that has become wet, including matza balls and other matzo meal products, although it cannot become chametz. Such products are called "gebruchts" or gebrokts, a Yiddish word meaning "broken" referring to the broken or ground matza used for baking or cooking. Instead of matzo meal, they use potato starchPotato starch
Potato starch is starch extracted from potatoes. The cells of the root tubers of the potato plant contain starch grains . To extract the starch, the potatoes are crushed; the starch grains are released from the destroyed cells...
in cakes and other dishes. The Hebrew term for gebruchts is "matza shruya," (מצה שרוייה, "soaked matza"), although outside Israel the Yiddish name is usually used.
External links
- Etymology of "chametz" from balashon.com
- "The Symbolism of Chametz" by Rav Alex Israel, at the Virtual Beit Midrash
- Chametz Wizard at chabad.org
- How To Search for Chametz (Bidikat Chametz) by about.com
- Chametz FAQ by AskMoses.com