Pesach – Rosh Yeshiva Responds

11 04, 2021

Halakhic Status of Bread Made With Both Wheat and Almond Flour

April 11th, 2021|Berakhot, Orach Chayim, Pesach, Yoreh De'ah|

QUESTION

Washington, D.C.

A bread made with mostly rice flour but some wheat flour would be HaMotzi if you could taste the wheat. What about if instead it were made with almond flour? Would the same taste rule apply or would you need rov?

ANSWER

A very relevant question for those who are gluten intolerant. So how do they make HaMotzi or eat matzah? One answer is to use oats, which is one of the 5 species of grain. However, from what I have heard, it is very hard to eat bread that is completely made out of oats. (Also, from an academic perspective, it is questionable if oats […]

2 04, 2021

Ordering Chameitz During Chol HaMoed Pesach

April 2nd, 2021|Orach Chayim, Pesach|

QUESTION

Chicago, IL

What is the Rosh Yeshiva’s position on ordering chameitz from Amazon/online grocery/etc. during Chol HaMoed?

ANSWER

Totally אסור. You will own חמץ on Pesach even if not yet in your possession. The only way it can be okay is if the purchase doesn’t take effect until the food is delivered. I am assuming that is the case but it should be checked out. They certainly take your money up front. Let’s say they never deliver – do you ask for a refund or do they say that the order never went through? It is true that your item won’t be selected from […]

29 03, 2021

Getting a Haircut on Chol HaMoed

March 29th, 2021|Chol Hamoed, Orach Chayim, Pesach|

QUESTION

Washington, D.C.

Chag Sameach! Mo’adim LeSimchah! Suppose someone had been working 80-100 hours a weeks as a doctor leading up to Friday night coming into Shabbat and was unable to get a haircut in advance of Yom Tov. His vacation starts Friday night before chag and lasts for the duration of Pesach. Does this level of involvement in one’s job qualify as הבא ממנידת הים שיצא לסחורה vis-a-vis permitting a haircut during Chol HaMoed when the person is off work for vacation in advance of Yom Tov HaAcharon shel Pesach?

ANSWER

Yes, there is no question that he can. There is no reason […]

22 03, 2021

Kashering a Griddle for Pesach

March 22nd, 2021|Kashrut, Orach Chayim, Pesach, Yoreh De'ah|

QUESTION

Chicago, IL

Can this be kashered for Pesach? Griddle for making pancakes used with batter.

ANSWER

In general, we rule that chameitz, even during the rest of the year, is considered to be איסורא בלע, and when absorbed directly via the fire requires libun chamor (Shulchan Arukh OC 451:4). That is normally defined at about 700 degrees. I imagine that that is not possible here and that a blow torch or the like would destroy it.

There are, however, poskim who rule that libun chamor is the same as the hottest temperature the object got to. According to this you […]

22 03, 2021

Use of Hamster Food on Pesach

March 22nd, 2021|Orach Chayim, Pesach|

QUESTION

Philadelphia, PA

Can I use hamster food (a seed mix that has raw wheat, oats, barley, rye spelt) like this for Pesach?

ANSWER

Why should it be okay? We cannot assume that they didn’t use water. The only question would be if it were fit to be eaten by humans (ignoring the “gross” factor because they know it is hamster food). If it were never fit for humans, then it is chameitz nukshah, so one does not transgress de’orayta of bal yera’eh, but it is still assur derabanan to keep. See Mishnah Berurah 442:2. If it is not fit for achilat kelev, […]

21 03, 2021

Defining Kitniyot

March 21st, 2021|Kashrut, Orach Chayim, Pesach|

QUESTION

Washington, D.C.

Rav Linzer, can you weigh in on why (or why not) sesame seeds and mustard seeds are kitniyot?

ANSWER

It is hard if not impossible to nail down a definition of what type of produce is included in kitniyot. Rav Moshe Feinstein (Iggrot Moshe OC 3:63) acknowledged that the two reasons given for the prohibition of kitniyot, (1) that these foods can be used to make flour and, (2) that wheat and barley often get mixed in with these foods, do not explain the list of what is included and excluded. There are foods that fit into one of these categories, such […]

21 03, 2021

Peanut Oil On Pesach

March 21st, 2021|Kashrut, Orach Chayim, Pesach|

QUESTION

Chicago, IL

An Ashkenazi woman discovered a Pesach recipe that belonged to her grandmother. One ingredient is peanut oil. Is she entitled to return to that prior Minhag of her family?

ANSWER

See Rav Moshe (Iggrot Moshe OC 3:63), who allows peanuts for those that don’t have a practice otherwise. He specifically mentions at the end that he has seen that they give a kosher-li-Pesach hekhsher on peanut oil. OU states that only “some” have the practice to not use peanut oil, see here.

I would say that unless she was consciously adopting a Minhag to not use peanut oil then she […]

21 03, 2021

Eating Egg Matzah On Erev Pesach

March 21st, 2021|Kashrut, Orach Chayim, Pesach|

QUESTION

Riverdale, NY

Rav Linzer, If one is using egg matzah for lechem mishnah for Shabbat/Erev Pesach, can it be eaten after the point that one can no longer eat chameitz? Also, does one need to avoid putting egg matzah in hot soup (keli shelishi) on Shabbat Erev Pesach, if it’s in Pesach keilim?

ANSWER

The Shulchan Arukh (OC 462:1-2) writes that matzah ashirah can be eaten on Pesach, but only when no water was used, as that creates a chameitz concern. Rema OC 462:4 says that our Minhag is not to eat it even without water unless in a case of choleh or similar sha’at hadechak. The Shulchan Arukh OC 471:2 rules that […]

14 03, 2021

Preparing for Yom Tov Sheini on Yom Tov Rishon

March 14th, 2021|Orach Chayim, Pesach, Yom Tov|

QUESTION

If one holds like the poskim that one can be mekabel Yom Tov Sheini early for needs of the family, etc., would it be okay to accept the second day of Pesach after doing Ma’ariv after Plag HaMinchah and then do the seder prep for the second seder, but wait to do Kiddush until nightfall to be mekayeim doing the mitzvot of the seder during nighttime?

ANSWER

There is definitely reason to say that one cannot. See Levush (OC 488:3) and Mishnah Berurah (299:40),

לבוש אורח חיים סימן תפח סע’ ג

ושוהין בין מנחה למעריב עד הלילה כדי שלא יעשו מלאכה […]

14 03, 2021

Eino Ben Yomo Kitniyot Keilim On Pesach

March 14th, 2021|Kashrut, Orach Chayim, Pesach, Yoreh De'ah|

QUESTION

New York, NY

What concerns should we have about cooking and eating kitniyot (rice, for example) on Pesach keilim on Shabbat-Erev Pesach. Is this mutar lekhatchilah?

ANSWER

Yes. You will use them on Friday, and not use them again until Saturday night. They will be eino ben yomo, and there is no issur to use kitniyot eino ben yomo pots, since even if they are ben yomo, they will definitely be bateil. This follows the general principle that we don’t forbid X lest it lead to Y if even Y is mutar bedieved. See Gra YD 35:10 and Taz YD 91:7,

דכל שמותר בדיעבד לא חיישי’ מתחלה שמא ישכח וזה מוכח בסימן א’ בטור גבי ומיהו לכתחלה יכולין […]

QUESTION

Washington, D.C.

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QUESTION

Chicago, IL

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QUESTION

Washington, D.C.

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QUESTION

Chicago, IL

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QUESTION

Philadelphia, PA

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QUESTION

Washington, D.C.

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QUESTION

Chicago, IL

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QUESTION

Riverdale, NY

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QUESTION

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QUESTION

New York, NY

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