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Wednesday, 26 Adar I, 5784
  |  March 6, 2024

Where the Chumros Come From

With Pesach being defined by what we don't eat, one dayan maps out and even dispels some known chumros. A must read. Full Story, Video

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to # 30 sefardim
April 22, 2015 3:34 pm

If u speak to sefardim such as I have in my own community u discover that very many sefardic communities do Not eat certain kitnios. In some regions only rice is permitted and none other.

Sugar
April 14, 2014 4:45 am

‎5. Sugar:‎ The custom of the Rebbe Rashab: The Rebbe Rashab avoided using sugar on Pesach. Some say it was due to suspicion that a chameitz ‎ingredient was used in the boiling process, or alternatively the workers would dip their breads into it, and thus ‎there is a suspicion that a crumb of chameitz remained in the sugar. There is a story with the brother-in-law of ‎the Rebbe Rashab which owned a sugar production plant and had made a specially supervised batch of sugar ‎to be used by the Rebbe Rashab on Pesach despite that even throughout the year there… Read more »

Shcmaltz-R. Goldsteins Pesach book
April 14, 2014 4:43 am

Oil: The Rebbe writes‎ [Igeres Hakodesh Vol. 21 p. 96.]‎‎ that “Anash use Natala margarine on Pesach”. This refers to a congealed vegetable fat ‎that was processed by a company under a local Mehadrin Hashgacha. Thus one may purchase any Kosher for ‎Pesach oil that contains a most reliable Hashgacha.‎ ‎ Nevertheless there are those which are stringent to only ‎use melted chicken fat [Shmaltz] as their oil base product for Pesach food and cooking.‎

Halachic updates to above from Rabbi Goldsteins Pesach book
April 14, 2014 4:41 am

From what time are those that are accustomed to not eat processed foods to begin their stringency? ‎From the night of Pesach or from 5th hour of Erev Pesach?‎ One who is stringent to avoid eating processed foods is to avoid eating them starting from the 5th hour of ‎the day.‎ ‎ [Response of Rabbi Yehuda Leib Groner [secretary of the Rebbe] to a query of the author; Custom of many of Anash from vintage Chabad ‎homes as heard by the author The reason: The reason for not eating processed foods is due to a suspicion of Taaruvos Chameitz. Now… Read more »

To #44
April 14, 2014 12:24 am

ABSOLUTELY false. The Rebbe did NOT eat that chocolate on Pesach, as well as processed foods. Also, to the one who says the Rebbe didn’t eat Milchigs on Pesach – FALSE! The Rebbe drank milk and ate cottage cheese, and more.

to 48
April 13, 2014 11:27 pm

is the tikun stated somewhere that the BESH”t told him to do? thanx

cooking before YomTov
April 13, 2014 2:45 am

can one use unpeeled vegetables when cooking before pesach?

Smoking kills
April 13, 2014 2:34 am

Tobacco should be chometz all year.

quinoa isn't a grain
April 13, 2014 12:37 am

Quinoa is a grass My father R’ Gershon Chanowitz HaCa”M, would tell this story every Pesach. So thank you for reminding me about it My father was by the Freerdiker Rebbes sedarim the years that he was in Otvotsk. His uncle was Moishe Leib Rodshtain, who was a secretary to the Freerdikeh Rebbe (and later to our Rebbe) and he was one of the Minyan of men that were invited to the seder. My father stayed at his uncle, and therefore was able to attend the sedarim by the Rebbe. Our sedarim were rich with many sichois and stories that… Read more »

the story happened with the Baal Shemtov and one of his Chassidim
April 12, 2014 11:05 pm

My father R’ Gershon Chanowitz HaCa”M, would tell this story every Pesach. So thank you for reminding me about it My father was by the Freerdiker Rebbes sedarim the years that he was in Otvotsk. His uncle was Moishe Leib Rodshtain, who was a secretary to the Freerdikeh Rebbe (and later to our Rebbe) and he was one of the Minyan of men that were invited to the seder. My father stayed at his uncle, and therefore was able to attend the sedarim by the Rebbe. Our sedarim were rich with many sichois and stories that he heard by the… Read more »

TO # 19
April 11, 2014 5:00 pm

The Minchas yitzchock says regarding COTTONSEED OIL tzarich iyun lemaaseh I call that INCONCLUSIVE.not a ruling.

quinoa isn't a grain
April 11, 2014 2:20 pm

Quinoa is a grass

What about Chocolate??
April 11, 2014 1:23 pm

I heard the Rebbe used to eat shmerling chocolate – specifically the bar with the horse on the packaging. Can anyone confirm this?

mushrooms
April 11, 2014 12:51 pm

much of the mushrooms today are grown in/on a medium that contains wheat stalks(straw0 that might contain wheat kernels that can grom into the mushrooms thamself

Pure Juice?
April 11, 2014 12:15 pm

Despite what it says on the bottle, it is almost impossible today to buy pure juice that doesn’t have even a miniscule amount of water. If the factory used water to wash their machinery before processing their beverages, which they undoubtedly do, then that is sufficient to render those beverages “Gebroks-enabled”. Of the 5% that companies can get away with not reporting on their ingredients – does anybody think there is not one drop of water in any of them? It is troubling that many commenters seem to misunderstand the trivial amount of water needed to render a food capable… Read more »

THANK YOU
April 11, 2014 11:45 am

Wow. I will definitely keep this information in kind!
So well written and clear. Thank you!

avocado
April 11, 2014 4:22 am

I did not know we are allowed to put avocado on the matzo, that is fantastic! 🙂

to #33
April 11, 2014 4:21 am

I peel raw tomatoes every Pesach. Roma tomatoes are best for this purpose, and peel them with a tiny serrated knife.

to #30
April 11, 2014 4:19 am

Some Moroccan Jews refrain from eating kitniyos, it depends what city they were from and also their family custom.

To number 31
April 11, 2014 2:25 am

If you squeeze lemon juice straight from a lemon onto the avocado that’s how you know there’s no water

Regarding gebrokts...
April 10, 2014 11:27 pm

So according to the Alter Rebbe can we have matzah with eggs and possibly cook eggs with matzah?

to #14 and #22
April 10, 2014 10:25 pm

The rav probably said no bc its very hard to make sure theres absolutely no water in it. if there would be any water at all the chshash is a lot more “dangerous” bc mei peiros are ‘memaheres lichmoitz’ if theyre with water (more than water itself). Bc its very hard to keep any water away the rav just said not to do it.

Mushroom
April 10, 2014 8:42 pm

Can anyone tell what the problem with mushroom is?

To #24
April 10, 2014 8:24 pm

Peeled tomatoes are usually boiled and shruya lchol hadaios.

yasher koach
April 10, 2014 7:33 pm

Thank You Rabbi!

to # 22
April 10, 2014 7:02 pm

yes the alter rebbe says fruit juice doesnt make it chometz but can you 100% guarantee that the lemon juice did not come in contact with water?

Sephardim?
April 10, 2014 5:04 pm

You say: “The custom of Ashkenazic Jewry is to refrain from eating any “Kitniyos” on Pesach, Sephardic communities have adopted the custom either partially or fully.”

On what is this statement based? I’m having trouble finding any Sephardic Orthodox rabbi who says that Sephardim abstain from kitniyos or have adopted that chumra at all.

Garlic
April 10, 2014 4:29 pm

In the “hiskashrus” magazine he quotes each year in the name of R’ Yaakov Landau that Lubavitch never accepted NOT to eat garlic.

alcohol
April 10, 2014 4:19 pm

if there is alcohol on the veggies doesn’t get absorbed in the fruit?

Cheese Maker
April 10, 2014 3:22 pm

… but will refrain from hard cheeses, because those will be in the equipment for more than 24 hours before packaging.
Today cheese is usually packed about 6 hours after the first drop of milk is poured into the vat, I have never seen hard cheese in any container for 24 hours.

why don't we use garlic?
April 10, 2014 2:14 pm

I heard that they used to pour mashke on it to make it grow strong. So that’s why we keep this minhag.

Fish
April 10, 2014 1:53 pm

I heard that the minhag not to eat fish altogether like by Belz etc comes from a chametz problem in the brine that was used to preserve the fish distributed there. In places that had access to fresh fish there was no issue.

Thank You!!!
April 10, 2014 1:01 pm

You answered many questions!!!

peeling vegetables
April 10, 2014 12:51 pm

if the vegetables have wax oleic acid and /or alcohol that was chametz shouldn’t they have to be peeled before yom tov?

To # 14
April 10, 2014 12:50 pm

Minhog chabad is to eat avocado, with lemon juice, onion and (peeled) tomato. We follow the opinion of the alter rebbe who says fruit juice cannot make chomitz. Any rov who says otherwise can take it up with the alter rebbe

Shruya
April 10, 2014 12:46 pm

Very nice article.
חכמים הזהרו בדבריכם, pure avocado, etc, is not considered shruya, but you neglected the chumra mentioned by the Rebbe many time of assuring that dishes and utensils do not come into contact with matza. That is why some remove the matza from the table while food is being served.
It is therefore important to make sure that you do not use a knife or fork, etc, to spread the avocado.

Garlic and Juice
April 10, 2014 12:13 pm

Oftentimes juice is not really 100% juice. If your bottle says “from concentrate” it’s the same as if you bought a frozen juice and mixed in a few cups of water….

Also, a thought on garlic I heard from an older person who grew up in Russia is that garlic was sometimes stored/dried with sacks that had also been used for flour. So someone who wanted dried garlic cloves to use would run into a potential problem then, The garlic we buy in the store is not the same as if gotten fresh.

An Fellow Rabbi Responds:
April 10, 2014 12:12 pm

To #2 Re: Onions Somone said, that if not for Mussia serving onions in 1414, we wouldn’t eat onions on Pesach… To #5 Re: Radish You are mixing up Mashke with Radishes. Radishes were prohibited by the Tzemach Tzedek, Mashke was prohibited by R’ Akiva Eiger (and the Tzemach Tzedek said that he could’ve argued with his logic if there would be a reason, etc) To #6 Re: Not Normal Chumros Maybe this article applies to the 60% of Chabad who are BT and their family traditions don’t include these Chumros? And they feel pressured to follow crazy Chumros because… Read more »

To #17
April 10, 2014 11:44 am

Yes, if peanuts are boiled – they are not to be eaten on Pesach.

Southerner asks:
April 10, 2014 10:43 am

What if you eat boiled peanuts?

Cottonseed oil
April 10, 2014 10:00 am

Cottonseed oil has a lot of chemical sprays which are not monitored and is used in China for sterilization and should be banned from foods.

Regarding fish
April 10, 2014 9:34 am

This was on the OU website: Due to the frequent application of glazes to raw fish, it should be purchased only with reliable kosher certification. However, Kirkland Frozen Wild Salmon is acceptable after washing it off, while the Kirkland Atlantic (Farm Raised) Salmon is acceptable as is for Passover.

Ask a Rav
April 10, 2014 9:01 am

I asked my Rav (well known and respected Lubavitch Rav) and he said not to put anything on matza, only plain avacado with no lemon in it. If fruit is ok, then lemon should be ok?

Michigs
April 10, 2014 8:52 am

The rebbe had Milchigs on Pesach

Insightful
April 10, 2014 8:10 am

This was a fascinating and I gained much insight . Thank you and a Kosher and Freilicher Pesach.

thank you
April 10, 2014 7:14 am

for clarifying

To number 9
April 10, 2014 7:13 am

Many prevailing customs don’t make sense…. That doesn’t change anything for the families that have those customs but for others there is no issue of putting fruits or vegetables on matza as long as they are sure there is no water mixed in it.

Very interesting
April 10, 2014 6:21 am

Thanks for posting! Is not the prevailing custom now not to put anything on matzo and not as above?

bread in water barrel
April 10, 2014 5:47 am

It was with the tzemach tzedek who told him to look in the barrel

I've always wondered
April 10, 2014 3:11 am

There are some people who do not eat vegetables with seeds in it because they resemble kitniyas ex cucumbers eggplants etc.
Is there a source for this custom?

Meh.
April 10, 2014 3:11 am

Pesach is the one time a year when we observe chumros that are even “not normal”. (Garlic being the perfect example).
The logic of this article is sound for the rest of the year, not on Pesach.

we don't radish because of the Tzemach Tzedek
April 10, 2014 1:37 am

The minhag Chabad is not to eat radish on Pesach.
R’ Akiva Eiger said not to eat it.
The Tzemach Tzedek said that since R’ Akiva Eiger did not give a reason for the issur, we have to follow it. If he would have given a reason, we can argue his reasoning. But since he didn’t, we have to follow his psak.

thank you
April 10, 2014 1:27 am

I’ve always had the question of why we can eat certain things and not others but no one had the real answer so thank you for the explanations

wow
April 10, 2014 12:51 am

what an article…
Thank you
this is so enlightening

evedd
April 10, 2014 12:43 am

Lechora according to the reasoning about garlic and reddish which the author writes is because it is sharp, the same logic should apply to onions which the loam eats. .. so…seems they are either all mutar or all assur?

Fascinating !
April 10, 2014 12:43 am

Most informative ! Thanks so much !

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