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Thought for the Day: Kitnios, Cumin, Gebrochts and Stuff On Pesach

The say a story about a fresh off the boat European rabbi who was asked by his relatively modern congregation if bananas were permissible during Pesach. The rabbi had never seen one, so they brought one to show him. A picture may be worth 1000 words, and the real-McCoy-holding-it-in-your-hands must be worth oodles and oodles of words and pictures; but to no avail. The rabbi, looking a bit flummoxed, turned to his new flock and said, "Can't you do without this for a week?"

I don't believe it actually happened, but its a cute story. Even with all the choices and hechsharim, Pesach can still feel like that. On the other hand, R' Heinemann feels that a person should only accept a stringency after serious deliberation. One noteworthy point is that Simchas Yom Tov is a Torah obligation. If accepting a new stringency would disturb your enjoyment of the holiday, then perhaps it is the wrong thing to do. Ask your rav.

The truth is, though, Pesach is different and observing stringencies is the norm. There is a lot to say about the importance of having one time a year when we go all out on stringencies and why Pesach is the best time for that, but that's a bigger discussion for another time. (Though I cannot refrain from mentioning that at a very basic level, Pesach is the celebration -- and, in fact, reliving -- of our birth as truly the One Nation, Under HaShem. The time of birth is critical, as everything that happens affects the entire future of that which is coming into existence. המבין יבין)

The star of Pesach is, of course, matzah and our (ahem, verging on neurotic) avoidance of all things chameitz. Even the possibility of chameitz. Sometimes even something that just feels too darn much like chameitz. Let's look at three: kitnios, cumin/anise, and gebrochts. I choose that order, by the way, because it is from halacha decided in Shulchan Aruch to halachic machlokes after Shulchan Aruch to custom.

Kitnios -- rice and legumes -- are used in the human diet in a very similar way to the way that the five grains -- wheat, barley, oats, rye, and spelt -- that we use for matzah. The unique characteristic of those five grains is that they can become leavened; aka chameiz. The Shulchan Aruch (O. Ch. 451:1) rules that since kitnios cannot become chameitz, they may be used freely on Pesach. (Though the require very careful checking to be sure they are not mixed with any of the five grains.) And so S'fardim do, in fact, eat rice and legumes on Pesach. The Rema, however, rules that since one should not use them. The reasoning appears to be that, as stated above, rice and legumes have a very similar use and "feel" to the five grains. Regardless, so paskens the Rema and so have Ashkenazi Jewry accepted for centuries.

What about anise/cumin (basically the same plant)?  The Rema, in the same siman/syef referenced above, states categorically that cumin and anise are spices, so may be used freely on Pesach. The Mishna Brura (sk 13), however, notes that it is very, very difficult to ensure those spices are not tainted by an admixture of the five grains (I believe they are often grown in proximity to each other and the seeds look very similar.) The Mishna Brura refers the interested reader to the Taz and Chayei Adam for more details. The OU and CRC are split on the issue nowadays; the OU is lenient, the CRC is strict -- CYLOR.

Gebrochts... the enigmatic early question in the suggestig a shidduch: do you broch? The basic issue is a fear that perhaps some minute amount of flour did not get well mixed with water in the matzah making process. If there were, then it would remain unmatzahfied and if it that matzah were to be mixed with water, that water could penetrate to the unmatzahfied flour, wet it, and then become chameitz. It was never a really big concern, much less today -- especially among Ashkanazim who eat very thin matzos. Nonetheless, we are nervous (verging on neurotic) on Pesach, so some groups --- particularly among the Chasidim -- established a custom to refrain from cooking matzah in water during Pesach; they don't broch. (I do broch; just in case you were wondering.)

These last two -- being already an overzealous stringency -- apply only during the first seven days of Pesach, but are permitted on the eighth day. Basically, this is an application of גזירה לגזירה לא גזרינן/we may be nervous (verging on neurotic), but we aren't crazy... too much.

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