
Last week’s Torah portion, Vayikra, overlaps with our Passover preparation in a very important way. “All the offering that you bring to HaShem will not be made with leaven, because absolutely no leaven or honey may you burn (on the altar) to HaShem.” Lev 2:11
I want to talk about a few aspects of the laws of clearing out leaven and of eating unleavened bread. First, based on Deut. 16:3, which states that we should not have any leaven in our houses even on the very first day of the festival, the sages decided that we need to search our houses and get the leaven out on the day before Passover, that is Nissan 14, by noon (BT Pesahim 28b). And we are instructed to fulfill the commandment to eat unleavened bread every day during the festival (Ex. 12:15) with one of five particular types of grain. Wheat, barley, spelt, rye, and oats (Mishnah, Pesahim 2:5). These grains are listed because they include the only classes of grain that can be leavened naturally. If we leave any of these grains out on the counter mixed with water, they will leaven themselves. If we leave, say, Potato flour out, it will just mold. That doesn’t mean we can’t eat other types of grain during Matzot, but that when we do we haven’t fulfilled the commandment to eat unleavened bread.
Based on the fact that these are the only grains suitable for unleavened bread, the sages concluded that they are also the only grains which we need to worry about leavening (BT Pesahim 35A). There is a difference of opinion in the Talmud as to whether or not rice and legumes are allowed, but it should be noted that the only reason that some rabbis do not allow eating rice and legumes is because they are “like” leavening. Observance of this law should be based on your local custom, and we should not let it divide us.
Leavening agents which are not in one of these grains, and that cannot be used to leaven anything are allowed during Passover. For instance, if there is baking soda in your toothpaste, you don’t have to throw it out. The purpose of the rule against leavening is to remember the Exodus from Egypt through the kind of bread we eat, so if there is no chance that it can be used to leaven bread then it is not considered leavening.
I have heard a lot of misunderstandings about why there is Matzah which is Kosher for Passover, and Matzah which is not Kosher for Passover. Most of them are very wrong. The real reason that not all Matzah is kosher for Passover is because making Matzah, as a ritual commandment, requires “kavanah” meaning “intent.” (previously discussed here: http://nothingtolosebutyourshackles.blogspot.com/2011/07/change-of-heart.html) If we do not set out to make Matzah for the sake of eating it during Passover, then we have eaten Matzah, but we have not fulfilled our obligation to eat Matzah.
No comments:
Post a Comment