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Chicago Rabbinical Council
2016 Passover Guide
Table Of Contents
Policy on Medicines, Cosmetics and Toiletries............................................ 3
How to Use This Guide.............................................................................. 5
Sephardic Laws and Customs...................................................................5-6
Passover — an Introduction........................................................................ 6
Preparation for Passover
Description of Chametz.............................................................................. 7
Guidelines on Buying Food Before and After Passover................................ 7
Which Foods are Chametz?....................................................................9-11
Kitnios.................................................................................................12-14
From Slavery to Freedom: the Dual Celebration of Pesach........................ 15
Kashering the Kitchen and Countertops..............................................17-21
Tevillas Keilim and Hechsher Keilim...................................................22-25
Eruv Tavshilin......................................................................................28-29
Shaimos Guidelines................................................................................... 30
Proper Disposal of Chametz.................................................................30-31
Pre-Pesach Cleaning Checklist.................................................................. 31
Guidelines on Leaving Home Before Passover........................................... 35
Seder Thoughts......................................................................................... 35
Taanit B’chorim — Fast of First Born Sons............................................... 36
The Seder, Seder Plate, and Requirements and Measurements..............36-39
Passover Information
Shopping Guide, Product Information, FAQ and Pet Foods................41-61
Kashrus Status of Raw Fish on Pesach..................................................64-65
Chametz After Pesach..........................................................................66-70
Candle Lighting Times.........................................................................72-73
Passover Dates to Remember..................................................................... 73
General Information
Guide for Wedding Dates......................................................................... 73
Calendar of Holidays................................................................................ 74
Sefirat Haomer Chart................................................................................ 75
Understanding the Reliability of Kosher Agencies................................76-78
Information about the Chicago Rabbinical Council.............................79-81
Glossary of Hebrew Terms...................................................................82-83
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How to Use This Guide
W e have designed the 2016
Passover Guide to provide
a user-friendly reference on
the wide-ranging, com­plex issues
involved in Passover observance.
Please disregard any previous ver-
sion of this publication, as kashruth
information may have changed.
While all of the information in
Sephardic Laws and Customs
Rabbi Daniel J. Raccah
Dayan
T he term Sephardi, or in its
plural form Sephardim, has
many levels of meaning. In its
most common usage, it identifies the
Jews of countries from North Africa
to the west, and as far as Iran to the
east (with the possible exception of
Yemen), as well as the Jews of Turkey,
Greece, and much of the Balkans.
Additionally, there were important
and early Sephardic communities
in Amsterdam and London. The
term could possibly serve as a tribal
identifier (see Rashi and Radak to
Ovadia, verse 20). On a mystical
level, the term is associated with
particular spiritual traits and talents
to be found in those of this extrac-
tion (see for example Rav Moshe
David Vali, student/colleague of
Rav Moshe Chaim Luzatto, the
Ramchal, in his Sefer HaLikutim
Vol 1 page 9). However, from a
halachic perspective, it refers to Jews
who have accepted the authority of
Maran, Rav Yosef Karo and his work
Shulchan Aruch as legally binding
upon themselves and their progeny.
this booklet has been reviewed by
Rabbi Gedalia Dov Schwartz, Rosh
Beth Din of the cRc, please consult
your Orthodox Rabbi for specific
decisions on matters of Jewish Law
(halacha). For further details on
any matters related to kashruth,
please visit www.crcweb.org.
Sephardic laws and customs,
The submission of Sephardim to
Maran Rav Yosef Karo’s rulings is
a powerful commonality between
different Sephardic communities.
The communities of the Jews
in Sephardic countries are ancient,
with some of them dating back to
the exile from the First Beit HaMik-
dash. In distinction to many Ash-
kenazi communities, the Sephardic
communities did not move and
for the most part remained in the
same place for hundreds and even
thousands of years. This remained
the status-quo until the latter half
of the 20th century. The Holocaust,
the creation of the State of Israel,
and the rising hatred of their Arab
neighbors resulted in mass exodus
from the homes that the Sephardim
had occupied for centuries. How-
ever, until then, each community
developed essentially independent
of one another. As a result, each
community has its own distinct and
unique customs. Even within the
same country, different communities
may have widely differing customs.
www.crcweb.org
(see article below by Rabbi Dan-
iel J. Raccah) have been carefully
reviewed by Rabbi Michael Azose
or Rabbi Daniel J. Raccah. Finally,
many transliterated Hebrew words
throughout this Guide are in italics;
and may be found in a brief glossary
on pages 82-83.
For example, some Moroccan Jews
eat rice on Pesach, while many do
not. On a halachic level as well,
different communities have differ-
ent levels of relationship to Maran
Rav Yosef Karo’s authority, with all
however accepting the Shulchan
Aruch as a baseline.
When Sephardim lived in their
communities of origin, Pesach obser-
vance was not complicated. Every-
one was familiar with the halachic
guidelines and community cus-
toms. Today, however, there are
very few Sephardic communities
that survived the transplantation
sufficiently well that they can con-
tinue to maintain their observance
much the same way as they did in
their country of origin. In America,
the Syrian communities of Flatbush,
New York and Deal, New Jersey; the
Persian communities of New York
and Los Angeles; and the Bukharan
community of Queens, New York
have varying levels of success in this
regard. These communities may be
the exception, while many Sephardic
5
 Jews find themselves confused and
uncertain how to proceed and which
opinion to follow. With its severity
and complexity, Pesach is particularly
difficult for them.
This cRc Guide to Passover is
written primarily with Ashkenazi
Jews in mind, and as such, the hal-
achot presented therein follow the
Ashkenazi traditions. The intent
of this article is to identify some
of the areas where the Ashkenazi
and Sephardi traditions differ, and
provide direction in those cases. This
Passover — An Introduction
T he Mishna (Pesachim, 10:5)
tells us, “In every generation
one is obligated to envision
himself as if he left Egypt.” In copy-
ing this particular passage into his
compendium of Jewish law, Mai-
monides altered the text slightly,
to read, “…as if he himself has just
left Egypt.”
What did Maimonides aim to
teach us with this change? Very
simply, that Passover is not like
other holidays, in which we com-
memorate a particular miracle
or event. Rather, the obligation
is upon us to feel as though
we have just been physically
and emotionally redeemed from
slavery in Egypt.
The matter of fulfilling this
obligation, however, is the sub-
ject of much debate among our
Rabbinic authorities. In his expla-
nation of the Mishna, Maimonides
explains that the various mitzvot and
customs of Passover exist so that we
might make it apparent to others that
we have just been granted the most
6 www.crcweb.org
article only relates to the “Kashering
the Kitchen” section of the Guide
(pages 17-20).
Additionally, this article does
not presume nor endeavor to pres-
ent the positions and halachic views
of each and every Sephardic com-
munity. Rather, we will follow here
the opinions of Rav Ovadia Yosef
zt”l. Rav Yosef was a halachic titan
in our generation, and his decisions
are followed by countless Sephardic
Jews of all origins. Additionally, Rav
Yosef recognized that many com-
miraculous salvation by Hashem. On
a practical level, what is it that we
actually do to impress upon others
that we are now free?
We drink four cups of wine in
a reclining position — the drink
and posture of free people. We
speak openly about our redemp-
tion from slavery in Egypt, and our
subsequent
receipt of Hashem’s Torah on Mount
Sinai. In short, we must demon-
strate our freedom by playing the
part of the free person and actively
celebrating that freedom.
munities had veered from the total
authority of the Shulchan Aruch, and
as such he set as one of his missions
in life to return the prominence
and the absoluteness of Maran Rav
Yosef Karo’s authority to its proper
place. In many cases, Rav Yosef ’s
opinions reflect the unfiltered view
of Maran Rav Yosef Karo, the base-
line of authority for all Sephardic
communities.
Those desirous of following the
traditions of any particular com-
munity should consult their Rabbi.
Every Passover grants us the
opportunity to educate our children
about the beauty of our Torah, and
the freedom we have always fought
to protect, through the Seder and the
many beautiful mitzvot of the holi-
day. In this spirit, the Chicago Rab-
binical Council offers this Passover
Guide to the community, with
the prayer that our observance
of Hashem’s redemption of our
People more than 3,300 years
ago will lead to the Ultimate
Redemption in 5776.
Passover begins with the
first Seder on the eve of the 15th
day of Nissan, corresponding
to Friday evening, April 22,
2016, and ends outside of Isra-
el at the conclusion of the 22nd
day of Nissan, corresponding
to Saturday evening, April 30,
2016. For specific times relevant to
the Chicago area and Chicago Rab-
binical Council member communi-
ties for the 2016 Passover festival,
please turn to pages 72-73.
Chametz
C hametz includes leavened
foods, drinks and ingredients
that are made from or contain
wheat, rye, barley, oats or spelt.
Therefore, all grain products such as
breads, cereals and other breakfast
foods, grain alcohol, grain vinegar
and grain malts, are forbidden dur-
ing Passover. Certain other foods
known as kitniyot, such as beans,
corn, peas, rice, alfalfa sprouts, bean
sprouts, green beans, mustard, and
the derivatives of these foods, are
not eaten by Ashkenazic Jews due
to their similarity to the five chametz
grains. (For more information on
foods which may be kitniyot see the
center pull-out, color-coded shop-
ping guide and the article beginning
on page 41.)
Guidelines on Buying Food
Before and After Passover
T he purchase of food items
for Passover that do not bear
special Passover certification
is not permissible, even for prod-
ucts that have year-round kosher
supervision (this does not apply to
foods that require no certification
during the year, such as fresh fruits
and vegetables).
Special Passover endorsement is
required for all baked and processed
goods, candy, soft drinks, wines,
liquors, milk and milk products,
horseradish, vinegar, and canned
goods. Passover foods such as mat-
zot, cakes, macaroons, egg noodles,
etc., also require reliable rabbinic
endorsement. Fresh fruits and veg-
etables may be purchased without
As explained in the Sephardic
Laws and Customs article on pages
5-6, there are many differences in the
halachot followed by the Ashkenazic
(Jews of European descent) and
Sephardic (Jews of Mediterranean,
West Asian or Spanish descent) com-
munities, and the laws of chametz
are no exception. Some Sephardim
have adopted the Ashkenazic custom
of refraining from rice and kitniyot
during Passover. Others do eat rice,
however it must be checked three
times prior to Passover to make abso-
lutely certain there are no kernels of
chametz. In order to determine your
family’s customs, as well as to deter-
mine what Rabbinic certification
is required on products containing
special Passover certification; leafy
vegetables must be thoroughly
washed and checked for bugs. Jew-
ish grocers, bakers and other food
merchants who deal in chametz must
sell their chametz before Passover. If
they fail to do so, these chametz
products are forbidden even after
Passover. In such an event, pur-
chases of chametz goods should not
be made for the period of time it
normally takes for complete replen-
ishment of such stock. It is therefore
preferable when purchasing from
a Jewish merchant to deal with a
proprietor who is known to have
sold his chametz before Passover,
and who sells no chametz during
the holiday.
www.crcweb.org
kitniyot, it is important to contact
your Orthodox Rabbi, especially one
who is well-versed in the laws fol-
lowed by Jews of Sephardic descent
during Passover.
One should not rely on list-
ed ingredients on the label alone
to determine whether a prod-
uct merely contains kitniyot and
may be used on Passover as many
times these products may con-
tain actual undeclared chametz.
The following sections discuss
chametz as it relates to food pur-
chases, preparing the kitchen for
Passover, cleaning the home and
office for Passover, and other issues
central to the observance of this
Yom Tov.
The prohibition against cha-
metz applies to all products pre-
pared or baked during Passover. This
means that you may not purchase
bread on the evening following
the last day of Passover, April 30,
2016, if baked by a Jewish-owned
firm during Passover. Please check
with your Rabbi when you may
resume purchasing products from
that establishment. All kosher certi-
fied bakeries cease their operations
on Friday, April 22, 2016, and do
not begin baking until after the
conclusion of the entire holiday.
cRc-certified bakeries will be open
for business on Saturday evening,
April 30, 2016.
7
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Which Foods are Chametz?
Rabbi Dovid Cohen
Administrative Rabbinic Coordinator
O ne part of cleaning the house
for Pesach is to get all cha-
metz out of the kitchen. Of
course, the first things to be removed
are those that are obviously chametz
– bread, pasta, cookies, crackers,
pretzels, etc. Other foods can be
identified by simply reading the
ingredient panel, which shows that
breakfast cereal, soy sauce, fish sticks,
licorice, candy and many other foods
often have wheat or flour (chametz)
listed prominently. Only the most
astute readers realize that the vin-
egar in their ketchup, the vitamins
in the rice or milk, and the flavor
in their favorite snack may in fact
contain chametz. The goal of this
article is to educate the reader about
the many foods which potentially
contain chametz, beginning with
the more obvious and progressing
to the more obscure.
Flour, oats, and barley
If one of the five grains – wheat,
barley, rye, oats and spelt – sits in
water for more than 18 minutes it
becomes chametz, and one may not
eat, derive benefit from, or own it
on Pesach. In addition, Ashkenazim
do not eat kitnios – a group of foods
which includes (among other things)
rice, corn, soy, and their derivatives
– but are allowed to own kitnios
foods on Pesach.
It is common practice that
before wheat is ground into flour,
the wheat kernels are tempered with
water for many hours; therefore
flour should be treated as chametz.1
[In fact, matzah which is not baked
especially for Pesach is made from
tempered wheat and should also
be treated as chametz!] Similarly,
all oats are heat-treated to prevent
them from becoming rancid; if this
heating is done with “wet” steam,
the oats/oatmeal may be chametz.
On the other hand, barley (a.k.a.
pearled barley) is processed with-
out water, and therefore a standard
bag of barley is not chametz. Some
barley is steeped in water until the
barley begins to sprout; this creates
a product known as barley malt
(a.k.a. malted barley, malt) which
is definitely chametz.
Yeast
The Torah says that one may not
own se’or on Pesach. What exactly
is se’or? Are se’or and yeast the same
thing? A quick lesson in bread bak-
ing will surprisingly show that se’or is
yeast but yeast is not necessarily se’or!
Although a grain which soaks in
water for 18 minutes is chametz, in
order to make good bread, one needs
yeast. Yeast is the living microor-
ganism which converts some of the
flour into the carbon dioxide, which
fluffs-up the batter and causes it to
“rise”. The air we breathe contains
yeast. Therefore if one makes a bat-
ter of flour and water it will eventu-
ally rise even if no yeast is added,
because yeast from the atmosphere
www.crcweb.org
will find its way into the batter. But
most bakers do not have the patience
to wait all day for their bread to rise,
so they add their own yeast into the
batter to speed things up a bit.
The traditional method of col-
lecting/creating yeast was as follows:
Every day the baker would take one
handful of dough out of the batter
and not bake it. As the day went
on the yeast in that dough would
multiply (and be joined by other
yeast found in the air) to such an
extent that that the batter would
turn sour and inedible. This ball of
concentrated yeast would be thrown
into the next day’s batter to help
that batter rise (and a handful of
that batter would be taken out to
be saved for the next day, etc.). In
English this concentrated yeast-ball
is called “sourdough” due to its
awfully sour taste; this is what the
Torah calls se’or and forbids one from
owning on Pesach.
However, one can also collect
yeast from plant sources and produce
it via fermentation. If yeast does not
contain any ingredients from the
five primary grains (as it often does
not) it is not chametz even though it
has the same characteristics as se’or,2
and one may own it on Pesach. [The
process of “fermentation” and the
possible chametz concerns it raises
will be discussed below.] Thus, se’or
is concentrated yeast, but the yeast
which is commonly sold in stores
is not se’or.
Brewer’s yeast is yeast recovered
9
 from beer production (discussed
below). It is similar to se’or, and
one may not own it (derive benefit
from it, or eat it) on Pesach.
Beer and whisky
If barley is soaked in water
under proper conditions, it fer-
ments into beer; since the
barley sat in water for more
than 18 minutes, beer is
chametz.3 Beer contains
approximately 5% alco-
hol, and people who want a
drink with a higher alcohol
content do the following:
The grain is allowed to fer-
ment until it reaches about
12-13% alcohol, and then
the alcohol is separated from (some
of ) the water using a process called
“distillation” to produce whisky,
which contains 30-95% alcohol.
The consensus of the Poskim is that
whisky produced from one of the
five primary grains is considered cha-
metz, even though it went through
the process of distillation.4 In fact,
most whisky contains a minimum of
10-30% of those grains, but even if
the whisky is made exclusively from
corn or another kitnios grain, there
are a number of other reasons why
it may be chametz:
1. The watery liquid that remains
after distillation is called “back-
set” and is often used in creating
another batch of whisky. Thus,
even if the grain used in creating
the whisky is kitnios, the water
may be from a chametz whisky.
2. Before the yeast ferments the
grain, the grain’s starch must
be broken-down into individual
glucose molecules, and this is
traditionally done with barley
malt (discussed above). Since
the chametz barley malt plays
10 www.crcweb.org
such a crucial role in the cre-
ation of the whisky (and also
dramatically changes the taste of
the grain before it is fermented),
the barley malt is considered a
davar hama’amid, and one may
not own such whisky on Pesach.5
As such, all types of whisky
should be treated as chametz unless
they are specifically certified as
kosher for Pesach.
Vinegar
Vinegar is created when alcohol
is (re)fermented, and the primary
concern with vinegar is the source
of the alcohol. As the name implies,
malt vinegar is made from malt or
beer, which we have seen is chametz,
and therefore malt vinegar is defi-
nitely chametz. In contrast, wine
vinegar and apple cider vinegar are
made from wine and apple cider,
which are not inherently chametz.
However, due to the possibility
that the equipment used and/or
the processing aids are chametz, it
is prudent to only consume wine or
apple cider vinegar which is certified
as kosher for Pesach.
The more difficult question is
the Pesach status of white distilled
vinegar, as follows: White distilled
vinegar is made from distilled
alcohol (described above), and the
most serious concern is whether the
grain used was chametz (e.g. wheat),
kitnios (e.g. corn), or something
innocuous (e.g. potatoes). Addi-
tional concerns stem from questions
about the equipment, enzymes,
yeasts, and nutrients used in creat-
ing the alcohol and vinegar.6 Lastly,
the fermentation of vinegar always
begins with a “starter” taken from
a previous batch of vinegar (similar
to the way se’or is used), and if that
starter is chametz, the entire batch
will be forbidden.
The question of whether
grain-based/distilled vinegar is
chametz has far-reaching implica-
tions. This is because many foods
are preserved with vinegar (e.g. pick-
les, olives), and vinegar is a prime
ingredient in many condiments
(e.g. ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise,
salad dressing); in general it is dis-
tilled vinegar which is used in these
applications. Certainly, any food
containing vinegar should not be
consumed on Pesach unless the food
is specifically certified for Pesach use.
But do the concerns with vinegar
mean that we must destroy or sell
all of the products in our pantries
which contain vinegar?
As a result of the concerns out-
lined above, many Rabbonim recom-
mend that people whose minhag is
to not sell chametz gamur, should
not sell (or retain possession of )
vinegar-containing products on
Pesach. However others with knowl-
edge of the food industry argue that
due to the abundance of corn in
the United States, the overwhelm-
ing majority of the vinegar sold
and used in the United States does
not contain chametz (although it
does contain kitniyos). Therefore,
since there is no reasonable way for
the average consumer to determine
whether the vinegar in a specific
ketchup (for example) is chametz,
they may rely on the rov (majority)
and assume that the vinegar is not
chametz, at least to the extent that
it may/should be sold to a non-Jew.
As with all matters of halacha, one
should consult with a local Rav. It is
noteworthy that the aforementioned
leniency does not necessarily apply
to (a) vinegar or vinegar-containing
products from other countries or
(b) organic vinegar (even if it is
produced in the United States, due
to the difficulty in obtaining organic years ago and to improve on the way gum from France or China than
corn). that they produce “older” foods. from the local producer. Addition-
Pesach products are generally Of all these items, enzymes have ally, many of the ingredients listed
made with white distilled vinegar arguably had the most far-reaching above are used in tiny proportions,
which is specially-made without affect. Enzymes are chemicals which which would theoretically be batel
any chametz or kitnios concerns. act as a catalyst for change in other b’shishim, and Poskim have taken
However some companies choose items. A common example is rennet, different positions as to which of
to substitute glacial acetic acid for which causes milk to coagulate into these serve as a davar hama’amid
the vinegar in their Pesach products. cheese, but the range of uses goes and/or a milsah d’avidah lit’amah,
Glacial acetic acid is chemically well beyond cheese. For example, which cannot be batel.
identical to vinegar but is made from one enzyme liquefies and sweetens In light of the seriousness of
petroleum feedstock, as opposed to corn into corn syrup, so that another eating chametz on Pesach, it is obvi-
being fermented, and poses little enzyme can make it even sweeter ous that no one would consider
Pesach concern. and become the high fructose corn eating any food on Pesach which
syrup used to sweeten soft drinks. contains (or may contain) any of
Another enzyme is used to create these ingredients, unless the food is
Enzymes, vitamins, flavors, and the “right” kind of sugar molecule certified as kosher for Pesach. [Many
other complex issues so that hard-candies will not stick children and adults must consume
Microbiology has played a great to the wrapper, and yet another one baby formula, soy/rice beverages,
role in the advances in food tech- ensures that beer does not get cloudy or nutritional supplements (which
nology in the past few decades. when it is refrigerated. cannot be certified for Pesach since
Food scientists have identified The kashrus issues raised by all they contain kitnios) and require
numerous microorganisms which of this technology are beyond the information as to whether those
can either serve as or help to cre- scope of this article, but one issue items contain chametz. That issue is
ate enzymes (see below), vitamins is quite relevant to our discussion. beyond the scope of this article but
(e.g. Riboflavin, Vitamin B12), One of the prime ingredients used see listings elsewhere in this Guide
flavorful chemicals (e.g. MSG), in making just about all of the items for more information on specific
and other items (e.g. xanthan gum, discussed above is “glucose” (a.k.a. items]. Some Rabbonim say that
citric acid, yeast). In addition, sci- sugar). Glucose can be created for the same reason one should not
entists have learned new ways to from any starch, which means that own any of these items on Pesach,
react chemicals with one another these items may be wheat (chametz), but as noted above regarding vin-
(and use other methods) to create corn or rice (kitnios), sweet potatoes egar, others argue that one may rely
emulsifiers, acidulants, sweeteners, (kosher for Pesach), or something on the fact that the overwhelming
flavors, and other chemicals (e.g. else, depending on what is available majority of these items sold and
polysorbates, ascorbic acid, aspar- in the country where the glucose is used in the United States do not
tame, esters, magnesium citrate). being produced. This issue is fur- contain chametz (although they
This technology has allowed food ther complicated by the emergence contain kitnios). As with all matters
scientists both to create an array of of the “global marketplace”, where of halacha, one should consult with
foods which were inconceivable 50 it may be cheaper to buy xanthan a local Rav.
An earlier version of this article first appeared in Hamodia and the OU website and is reprinted here with permission.
(Endnotes)
1 Mishnah Berurah 453:24.
2 See Mechiltah 9:19 on Sh’mos 12:19.
3 Shulchan Aruch 442:5.
4 See Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 92:8 & 123:24, and Mishnah Berurah 442:4.
5 See Shulchan Aruch 442:5 and Mishnah Berurah 442:25.
6 The nutrients are generally batel b’shishim, but some Poskim hold that since they are intentionally added to the vinegar
they are not batel. This issue, discussed in Magen Avraham 442:1, Nodah B’yehudah Y.D. II:56, Mishnah Berurah 447:14
and others, is beyond the scope of this article.

www.crcweb.org 11
Kitnios
Rabbi Dovid Cohen
Administrative Rabbinic Coordinator
I n addition to the Torah’s restric-
tions on owning, eating, and
benefiting from chametz, an Ash-
kenazic minhag (custom) developed
in the Middle Ages to not eat certain
foods known collectively as “kit-
nios”. Mishnah Berurah1 cites three
reasons for this minhag: (a) kitnios
is harvested and processed in the
same manner as chametz, (b) it is
ground into flour and baked just
like chametz [such that people may
mistakenly believe that if they can
eat kitnios, they can also eat cha-
metz], and (c) it may have chametz
grains mixed into it [so people who
eat kitnios may inadvertently be
eating chametz]. Although initially
there were those who objected to the
minhag, it has become an accepted
part of Pesach in all Ashkenazic com-
munities.
Which foods are kitnios
The earlier Poskim mention
that rice, buckwheat/kasha, millet,
beans, lentils, peas, sesame seeds,
and mustard are included in the
minhag,2 and it is generally accepted
that chickpeas, corn (see below),
green beans, poppy seeds, snow
peas, soybeans, sugar-snap peas, and
sunflower seeds are also forbidden.
On the other hand, coffee, garlic,
nuts, olives, potatoes (see below),
radishes, and tea are not treated as
kitnios.3 Iggeros Moshe4 assumes that
peanuts are not kitnios but notes that
some have a custom to be machmir.
Some other examples of foods which
12 www.crcweb.org
are or are not kitnios are noted below
and in the “Derivatives of kitnios”
section of this article.
Iggeros Moshe explains that the
minhag to not eat kitnios developed
differently than other minhagim and
therefore rules that only foods which
we know were specifically includ-
ed in the minhag are forbidden.
[See also Chok Yaakov 453:9, who
makes a similar point.] With this
he explains the generally accepted
custom to not consider potatoes to
be kitnios, even though the reasons
upon which the custom is based
apply to potatoes. The minhag of kit-
nios can be dated back at least until
Maharil, who died in 1427. Potatoes
did not come to Europe until the
16th century, so they were a “new”
vegetable which was not included in
the minhag. [An important “excep-
tion” to the aforementioned rule that
“new” vegetables are not included
in the minhag, is corn/maize which
Mishnah Berurah 453:4 and oth-
ers rule is kitnios, even though it
was introduced to Europe after the
minhag had already been enacted.]
This logic has also been sug-
gested as a basis for permitting the
consumption on Pesach of a grain
called quinoa. The thinking is that
since quinoa, which has only recent-
ly been introduced to the Northern
Hemisphere from its native South
America, was never considered kit-
nios, it remains permitted on Pesach,
even though logically it should be
included in the minhag. While this
logic is sound, it is noteworthy that
quinoa is often packaged in plants
that also package wheat and barley,
and it is possible that those grains
(i.e. chametz) could get mixed into
the quinoa. Therefore, it is recom-
mended that quinoa only be used for
Pesach when it is specifically certified
as being Kosher for Passover.
As a rule, spices are not consid-
ered to be kitnios, and Rema 453:1
makes a point of noting that anise
(dill) and coriander are not kitnios.
Nevertheless, Taz 462:3 notes that
all spices should be checked before
Pesach to establish that no chametz
grains are mixed in, and elsewhere
Taz (453:1) specifically notes that
anise and coriander seeds should be
thoroughly checked. In addition,
Taz and Magen Avraham (453:3)
discuss whether fennel, cumin, and
caraway seeds (i.e. three variations of
“kimmel”) can possibly be checked
(and used) for Pesach. Thus, as a rule,
spices are not kitnios but require
special care to guarantee that no
chametz grains are mixed into them.
Some hashgochos consider fenugreek
to be kitnios, while others do not,
and the surprising ramifications of
this question will be noted towards
the end of this article.
Derivatives of kitnios
The earlier Poskim, including
Rema, clearly indicate that oil made
from kitnios is forbidden on Pesach,
but some of the later Poskim suggest
that such oil may be permitted,
because some of the original rea-
sons for the minhag do not apply
to the oil extracted from kitnios. It
is generally accepted to follow the
stricter opinion in this matter, but
the lenient opinion is sometimes
considered as one factor in a larger
decision. Therefore, on Pesach one
may not use corn or soybean oil
(a.k.a. “vegetable oil”), and some
do not use peanut oil either (see
above regarding peanuts). Oil from
olives, palm, coconut, and wal-
nuts are acceptable for Pesach-use,
because the fruits from which they
are extracted are not kitnios. Minchas
Yitzchok5 suggests that cottonseed oil
is kitnios, but in a subsequent teshu-
vah6 he reconsiders this position;7
in the United States cottonseed oil
is generally not considered to be
kitnios, but in Eretz Yisroel there
are those who refrain from using it.
Canola oil was first approved
for food use in the United States
in 1985, and there are those who
therefore suggested that it is a “new”
item which should not be included
in the minhag, as per Iggeros Moshe
cited above. However, the fault with
this line of reasoning is that “canola
oil” is actually rapeseed oil (a.k.a.
colza oil), which has been used for
centuries in Europe. [Canola oil is
rapeseed oil specially bred to have
less erucic acid (a suspected cause
of heart disease); therefore only this
better variation of rapeseed oil is
approved for food use in the USA.]
In fact, Avnei Nezer and Maharsham8
specifically mention rapeseed and its
oil in their discussions of kitnios. It
is also noteworthy that canola often
grows near oats, and therefore even
those who might argue that canola
is not kitnios would agree that all
of the oats must be removed before
the oil is extracted from the canola.
In recent decades, scientists
have learnt to manipulate micro-
organisms to create and convert all acid due to the dramatic change in
types of enzymes and foods. This has taste from sweet to sour but would
had dramatic effects on the world not permit the corn syrup, since it
of kashrus, including kitnios. What is not changed/nishtaneh “enough”
happens if one takes bland-tasting from the corn from which it came.
corn and uses enzymes to liquefy and This rationale is the basis for some
sweeten it? Does the resulting corn hashgachos’ certification and/or
syrup remain forbidden as kitnios? Is acceptance of certain productions of
the halacha possibly more lenient if aspartame, citric acid, monosodium
one takes the aforementioned corn glutamate (MSG), and xanthan gum
syrup and uses enzymes to convert for Pesach. Some argue that Mishnah
it to sour-tasting ascorbic acid? Berurah’s ruling is limited to cases
These questions depend on a of b’dieved and does not justify the
machlokes Rishonim cited in Mishnah l’chatchilah creation/certification of
Berurah 216:7 regarding the kashrus such an item, and others argue that
of musk – a fragrant byproduct of nishtaneh may be limited to cases
blood which is found in a gland of where the forbidden item becomes
the male musk deer. Some Rishonim inedible in the middle of its con-
are of the opinion that since blood is version to the “new” item. We will
non-kosher, musk is also forbidden, see below that even those who take
but others say that once the blood the strict position in this matter
is nishtaneh (changed), it loses its generally agree that foods created
original identity and becomes an with these ingredients are b’dieved
innocuous kosher liquid. Mishnah permitted on Pesach.
Berurah rules that
as relates to issurim
d’rabannan one
may be lenient.
Accordingly,
some hashgochos
take the position
that since kit-
nios is merely a
minhag (i.e. even
less than an issur
d’rabannan) one
can be lenient
and certify kit-
nios which was
truly nishtaneh.
In order to qual-
ify as nishtaneh
the kitnios must
go through a sig-
nificant change
in taste; therefore
in the cases noted
above, they would
certify the ascorbic
www.crcweb.org 13
 Halachos of kitnios
The minhag to not eat kitnios
begins on Erev Pesach at the same
time that one may not eat chametz.9
Although one may not eat kitnios,
one may own and derive benefit
from kitnios. Therefore, on Pesach
one may keep cans of sweet corn
in his possession or feed millet to
his parrot. Additionally, children,
people who are ill, and people whose
diet is otherwise restricted and must
eat kitnios, are excluded from the
minhag and may eat these foods
after consulting with a Rav.
This halacha is quite relevant
to baby formulas and nutritional
supplements (e.g. Ensure) which
invariably contain kitnios and are
usually used by people who have few
non-kitnios choices, if any, and such
people are permitted to eat kitnios.
When such foods are used on Pesach,
they should be prepared in special
non-Pesach and non-chametz uten-
sils, which should not be washed
with the Pesach dishes. It must be
noted that although the halacha is
quite lenient in permitting children
and the infirm to consume kitnios,
the halacha is quite strict regarding
the consumption of chametz, and
one must therefore be sure that
the product is truly chametz-free
before consuming it. The subject
of determining whether an item is
merely kitnios or if it possibly con-
tains chametz is beyond the scope
of this article.
Kitnios is batel b’rov, which
means that if someone acciden-
tally put kitnios into their Pesach
food, the food is b’dieved permit-
ted, assuming the food contains
more non-kitnios than kitnios.10 This
means that although the food may
have a pronounced taste of kitnios,
the food is permitted (unless there
are recognizable pieces of kitnios
which have not been removed).
Therefore, if a beverage is sweetened
with aspartame made of kitnios shen-
ishtaneh, even those people who are
of the opinion that the aspartame
is forbidden (as explained above)
may drink the beverage, because
the aspartame is batel b’rov in the
other ingredients. Similarly, we have
seen that there is a disagreement
as to whether fenugreek is kitnios.
Nonetheless, even those who follow
the strict approach may consume
maple syrup which is flavored with
fenugreek (as it often is) because it is
batel b’rov. Thus, although we have
seen a number of disagreements as
to whether certain foods are or are
not kitnios, those disagreements
are limited to one who wants to
consume the actual item (or a hash-
gachah certifying a company that is
intentionally putting the ingredient
into a food), but these disagreements
rarely affect consumers.
Other Minhagim
In addition to the well-known
minhag of not eating kitnios, the
Rema (467:8) cites customs to not
eat honey, raisins, dried fruit, sugar,
saffron, and cloves, and other Pos-
kim cite numerous other customs
from specific communities. Many of
these minhagim are limited to cases
where the person does not know
for sure that the product does not
contain chametz; therefore many of
these minhagim are not practiced
nowadays because the hashgachah
on the food guarantees that it is
chametz-free. As with all matters
of halacha, one who is unsure as
to whether a family or community
custom remains in effect, should
consult with his or her Rav.

An earlier version of this article first appeared in Hamodia and the OU website and is reprinted here with permission.

(Endnotes)
1
Mishnah Berurah 453:6 & 464:5.
2
See Beis Yosef OC 453, Rema 453:1 & 464:1 and Mishnah Berurah 453:4, 7 & 11.
3
See Sha’arei Teshuvah 453:1, Chayei Adam 127:7 and others.
4
Iggeros Moshe OC 3:63.
5
Minchas Yitzchok 3:138:b.
6
Minchas Yitzchok 4:114:c.
7
See also Mikra’ai Kodesh, Pesach 2:60:2.
8
Avnei Nezer 373 & 533 and Maharsham 1:183.
8
Shevet HaLevi 3:31, citing Chok Yaakov 471:2 and others.
10
Rema 453:1 as per Mishnah Berurah 453:9.

14 www.crcweb.org
 From Slavery to Freedom:
the Dual Celebration of Pesach
By Rabbi Yona Reiss, Av Beth Din
“It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…” (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities) Is the theme of Pesach, which is known as the holiday
of spring (Chag Ha-Aviv), the story of our springtime salvation and hope or is it the story of our winter servitude and despair? Pesach, primarily known
as Z’man Cherusainu (the festival of freedom) is unquestionably a time of celebration of our freedom and triumph, but it is also a time of recollection
of our previous state of slavery.
In the seder ritual, we commemorate both aspects. We remember the Pesach offering which symbolizes the deliverance of the Jewish people from
Egypt, but also partake of the maror (bitter herbs) which reminds us of the bitterness of our experience as slaves. The eating of the matzah evokes both
themes, serving as the “lechem oni” – bread of affliction that we ate in Egypt, but also as the “lechem she’onin alav devarim harbeh” – the unleavened bread
that we took with us during our hurried departure from enemy soil, and which triggers our oral recollection of our redemption (see Pesachim 115b).
This dual theme helps to explain a striking Midrash on Parshat Beshalach.
The Midrash states that the articulation by Moshe Rabbeinu of the words “Az Yashir” in the song celebrating the splitting of the Yam Suf served as an
atonement for his previous usage of the word “Az” (“Me-Az dibarti”) to complain to G-d about how the villainous Pharaoh only increased the misery of
the Jewish people after Moshe had first approached Pharaoh to release them from bondage. However, it seems odd that the word “Az” (meaning “then”)
can affect an atonement, or that its initial usage constituted a transgression in the first place.
The Beit Halevi explains that the parallelism drawn by the Midrash between the initial frustration of Moshe and the victorious song of Moshe is intended
to underscore the fact that the ultimate joy of the Jewish people at the time of the Exodus was actually enhanced through their experience of suffering
and subjugation. If not for the fact that the Jews in Egypt suffered such despair during the Egyptian exile, they would not have been able to have the
requisite appreciation for G-d’s intervention in worldly affairs and His miraculous deliverance of the Jewish people. Paradoxically, the devastation of their
servitude was necessary in order for the people of Israel to comprehend the grandeur and majesty of the hand of G-d and His everlasting covenant with
the nascent Jewish nation. This can be likened to a patient who is grateful for receiving bitter-tasting medicine in order to improve his overall health.
Perhaps it is for this reason that the Talmud in Pesachim (116a) notes the importance of recounting the Exodus story in a fashion of “maschil b’g’nus
u’mesayem b’shevach” – of emphasizing the depths of our original despair and descent, both in physical and spiritual terms (in accordance with the
opinions of both Rav and Shmuel), in order to attain the same level of praise and exaltation as the Jewish people at the time of the Exodus from Egypt.
This is part of the obligation to see ourselves as if we are leaving Egypt during the observance of the Pesach seder, so that we can share in the sublime
understanding that even times of suffering can serve as a portal towards a fuller comprehension and appreciation for G-d’s providence in our lives.
As the Beit Halevi quotes from the section of Tehillim recited during the Hallel prayer, Dovid Hamelech thanked G-d not only for deliverance from his
enemies, but also for the experience of suffering itself: “odecha ki anisani va-tehi li lishuah” (“I thank You because you have afflicted me, and this has
brought me salvation”).
Similarly, Rav Yonason Avner Sacks, shlit”a, in his sefer Chazon L’Yomim notes that the breaking of the matzah during Yachatz can be understood in a
similar fashion. On the one hand, the middle matzah is broken at the seder to symbolize that the matzah is the bread of affliction, of an “ani” – a poor
person – who is accustomed to eaten broken bread. On the other hand, the Da’as Zekainim (Shmos 12:8) states that the breaking of the matzah com-
memorates the miraculous event of the splitting of the Yam Suf.
Rabbi Sacks also quotes the Chida who similarly unites the themes by noting that the broken matzah commemorates the years of slavery, while at the
same time celebrating the fact that the slavery was “split in half” – the four hundred and thirty years of slavery (see Shemos 12:40) that had been decreed
upon the Jewish people was commuted by G-d to two hundred and ten years (the years of “re-du”) after Yaakov brought his family to Egypt, plus the
five additional years that Menashe and Efraim were born beforehand, as set forth in the Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer (chapter 48). A similar dual theme can be
discerned in the charoset, which is meant to recall both the mortar used by the Jewish slaves in Egypt, as well as the “tapuach” tree (variously translated
as an apple or citrus tree) which was utilized by the Jewish women as a place where they would comfortably bear children outside of the watchful eye
of the Egyptians and thus prepare the nation for its future redemption (see Pesachim ibid).
Along the same lines, Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook (Olas Reiyah on the Haggadah, s.v. “Korech”) explains the opinion of Hillel (Pesachim 115a)
that the matzah and maror were eaten together at the time of the Temple (which we re-enact when we eat “Korech” in remembrance of this practice).
According to Hillel, the forces of both slavery and freedom must be fused together in order to strengthen our commitment to the service of G-d. Through
slavery, symbolized by the maror, we learned about the power of servitude, and through the freedom symbolized by the matzah of the Exodus, we
are able to utilize that power of servitude in order to experience the ultimate freedom by subjugating ourselves entirely to G-d through the service of
the Torah. Similarly, the spiritual message of the matzah constantly reminds us of G-d’s providence and therefore enables us to utilize every challenge
and difficulty, symbolized by the maror, to uplift ourselves and our surroundings in a positive and constructive fashion to reach even greater heights.
It is instructive that the Chizkuni indicates that the first mitzvah in Parshat Mishpatim is the fair and equitable treatment of Jewish slaves (who were
sold into bondage in order to provide restitution for committing theft), because it was precisely the experience of being slaves in Egypt that sensitized
us to become more humane towards others who find themselves in a predicament of slavery. There are many different ways in which adversity has the
potential to edify us once we have an appreciation for the lessons that can be learned from the bitter herbs of life.
In this vein, each year’s celebration of Pesach is a time for us to reflect both on a communal level and on a personal level upon our trials and tribula-
tions of the past year, and the manner in which we can learn from those experiences to gain a greater appreciation for our spiritual potential. Just as
the challenge of the Egyptian slavery enabled us as a people to reach greater heights in our comprehension of Divine providence, so too every setback
should be viewed as an opportunity for personal and communal growth, and a means to appreciate the many blessings that we are able to enjoy each
day from the Almighty. We therefore celebrate the matzah together with the maror, the deliverance together with the difficulties, in recognition of the
Pesach message that all of our experiences should be understood and utilized as necessary vehicles towards catharsis and redemption.

www.crcweb.org 15
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Kashering the
Kitchen
Introduction
D ishes, utensils, kitchen appliances, countertops,
and anything else used with food year-round,
cannot be used for Passover unless it goes through
a process known as “kashering” or “hechsher keilim”. For
a few items kashering just involves thoroughly cleaning
the item, but for most items kashering also requires
submerging the item in boiling water or a similar hot
process. The laws of kashering are quite complex, and
this article will present the most practical points for the
average consumer; readers are encouraged to discuss
any questions not covered in this article with their local
Orthodox Rabbi.
New Utensils
Many people choose to purchase extra dishes, flat-
ware, and other utensils which are kept from year
to year for Passover use, thereby avoiding the need
to kasher those items.
• All new metal, aluminum, and glass utensils require
tevilat keilim (ritual immersion) in a kosher mikvah
(ritual bath) with the appropriate bracha (blessing).
• New disposable aluminum pans are acceptable
for Passover without special certification. Ritual
immersion is not required.
• New utensils made of plastic , wood or Styrofoam
are acceptable without special certification, and
ritual immersion is not required.
The following items may not be kashered for Passover:
• China, pottery, earthenware, cement, concrete, and
enameled pots may not be kashered for Passover. The
Ashkenazic custom is to not kasher glass or crystal,
with the exception of glass stovetops discussed below.
There is a difference of opinion as to whether plas-
tic and other synthetic materials are included
in this rule, and the cRc position is that
those materials may be kashered.
• Utensils and appliances which cannot
be thoroughly cleaned, such as those
having crevices in which chametz can
accumulate, may not be kashered for
www.crcweb.org
Sephardic Applications
1. Rav Ovadia Yosef (Chazon Ovadia – Pesach
2003 edition page 151), following the Shul-
chan Aruch (Orach Chaim 451:26), rules that
glass and crystal DO NOT need to be kashered
for Pesach. Glass is a non-porous material,
and thus merely requires to be washed and
cleaned and may be used for Pesach. This
includes Pyrex and Duralex as well. (Chazon
Ovadia, ibid.)
2. However, an item that is not 100% glass, but
contains even a small amount of material that
is not able to be kashered, such as ceramic,
may not be kashered (personal communication
with Rav Ovadia Yosef ). For example, a glass
stovetop is likely not 100% glass and may
contain additional materials. If even a small
percentage of those additional materials are
not kasherable, then the entire stovetop may
not be kashered.
3. Rav Yosef (Chazon Ovadia – Pesach 2003
edition, page 151) opines that plastic may be
kashered for Pesach.
NOTE: Sephardic applications are indicated in
marked boxes.
Passover. Some examples of this are dishwashers,
sieves, graters, utensils with loose-fitting handles,
and bottles with narrow necks.
• Materials which might get ruined during the kashering
process may not be kashered for Passover, out of
concern that the person would be afraid of breaking
his utensil and would therefore not kasher properly.
We now turn to the parts of the kitchen which
can be kashered.
Flatware
Silver, stainless steel, and plastic flatware may be
kashered. The process begins with a thorough clean-
17
 ing, after which the utensil should not be used for 24
hours. A pot of water is brought to a rolling boil, and
the pieces of flatware are dropped into the water one
at a time. If the water stops boiling at any point, one
must wait until it returns to a boil before putting in
any more flatware. The custom is to rinse the flatware
with cold water after kashering.
Some have the custom to kasher in a dedicated
“kashering pot” which is not used for anything else,
but most kasher in any pot which is clean and has not
been used for 24 hours.
Pots and Pans
Standard metal pots are
SEPHARDIM
kashered in the same Glass Pots (Pyrex)
manner as flatware; con- Per point #1 above,
sult with your Rabbi if these items do not need
the pot which requires to undergo kashering.
kashering is too large to Washing and cleaning
fit into any other pot of them suffices (Chazon
boiling water. Enameled Ovadia – Pesach 2003
pots (e.g. Fiesta Ware, edition page 152).
Le Creuset) and glass
pots (e.g. Pyrex) cannot be kashered.
In general, baking,
SEPHARDIM
roasting, and frying Frying Pans
pans cannot be kashered Following the Shulchan
for Passover, unless they Aruch  (Orach Chaim
are always used with gen- 451:11), Rav Ovadia
erous amounts of oil or Yosef (Chazon Ovadia
other grease when cook- – Pesach 2003 edition
ing. If that is the case, page 138) rules that
they can be kashered via hagala suffices for frying
libun kal which involves pans. However, the
cleaning the pans well, difficulty in achieving
not using them for 24 the prerequisite level of
hours and then puting cleanliness necessary for
them upside-down on hagala may make this
an open flame until both process impractical.
the inside and outside of
the pan are hot enough to singe paper.
Drinking Vessels
SEPHARDIM
The Ashkenazic custom Glassware
is that drinking glasses
made of glass cannot be Per point #1 above,
glassware does not
kashered if they were ever
used for hot beverages or require more than being
washed and cleaned to be
washed with hot water,
such as in a dishwasher. usable on Passover.
18 www.crcweb.org
If they were never used or washed hot, fill the glasses
with water and leave the water in the glasses for at
least 24 hours; repeat this procedure two additional
times with fresh water. Drinking glasses made of
plastic can be kashered in the same manner as flatware
outlined above, and drinking glasses (or anything
else) made of ceramic or china cannot be kashered.
Tablecloths
Fabric tablecloths may be used for Passover after
being laundered. Vinyl tablecloths cannot be kash-
ered and should be replaced for Passover.
Electric Mixers, Food Processors and Blenders
The motor area of small electric appliances (e.g. mixers,
food processor, blenders) is often exposed to chametz and
is very difficult to clean; it is therefore recommended
that one purchase separate appliances which should be
reserved for Passover use. A food processor or blender
whose motor area is truly sealed, such that food does
not penetrate, is not affected by this issue and may be
used for Passover after separate bowls and blades are
purchased for Passover use.
Sinks
Stainless steel or Corian
SEPHARDIM
sinks may be kashered by
Sinks
cleaning them thorough- Rav Ovadia Yosef
ly, leaving them unused (Chazon Ovadia – Pesach
for 24 hours, and then 2003 edition page 151)
carefully pouring boiling ruled that porcelain
water from a kettle over sinks may be kashered
all surfaces of the sink and in the same way that
faucet. The strainer cover- stainless steel or Corian
ing the sink’s drain should sinks are kashered. He
be replaced for Passover. added that it is preferable
Porcelain sinks cannot to undergo this process
be kashered. Dishes and three times for porcelain
other Passover utensils sinks.
may not be placed in a
sink which was not kashered; rather, an insert or basin
which was never used for chametz must be placed in
the sink, and all dishes should be put into that insert.
Stovetops and Ovens
Stovetops (ranges) and ovens may be kashered for
Passover use, and the process for doing so is as follows:
Stovetops
The most common type of stovetop is a metal grate
over an open flame, which is situated on a porcelain

enamel
surface. Others have elec-
tric coils in the place of an open
flame or have a ceramic or glass
be run with the racks inside the oven, and
then the oven may be used for Passover
without covering the racks. This kasher-
ing may be done even if the oven was not
left unused for 24 hours. If the racks are
not inside the oven while the self-clean cycle
is run, the racks should be kashered separately.
Note: Low-temperature self-clean cycles (e.g.
AquaLift, Steam Clean) do not qualify as kashering.
Microwave oven

SEPHARDIM
Microwave ovens may be Microwave oven
surface covering electric coils; used on Chol HaMoed,
the most popular brands for this Regarding the glass
but not on Shabbat and
last type of stovetop are Corning plate, refer to Point 1
Yom Tov. The glass plate
and Ceran. above that glass does not
cannot be kashered (or
Stovetops which are covered with require anything more
used) and should be
ceramic cannot be kashered. For all other than being washed and
removed before kasher-
types – including glass – the kashering is as cleaned to be usable on
ing begins. Some micro-
follows: All parts of the stovetop should be thoroughly Passover. This assumes,
waves have a porcelain
cleaned, including scraping residual food from the though, that the plate
enamel interior; these
surface and catch-tray, and not used for 24 hours. Then does not contain even
cannot be kashered.
the fire or coil should be turned to its maximum tem- a small amount of
To kasher the micro-
perature for at least 30 minutes. [For electric stovetops un-kasherable materials
wave appliance, clean it
with exposed coils (i.e. not covered with glass), leave (see Point 2 above).
thoroughly, and do not
the coils on for just 15 minutes.] Finally, the knobs, use it for 24 hours. Then a cup of water should be boiled
catch trays, and all areas between the burners must be in the chamber for an extended amount of time, until
covered with aluminum foil. the chamber fills with steam and the water overflows
from the cup. For Passover, it is a commendable extra
Non self-cleaning oven precaution to cover all foods in the microwave, even
The interior and exterior
SEPHARDIM

after performing the above kashering. If a microwave

surfaces of the oven must Ovens
be thoroughly cleaned, Rav Ovadia Yosef
the oven should not be (Chazon Ovadia – Pesach
used for a full 24 hours, 2003 edition page 132)
and then should be does not require the
turned on to its high- additional stringencies
est temperature for one of covering the racks
hour. As an added pre- etc. and preventing
caution for Passover, food from coming into
once this process is contact with the oven
complete, the racks and walls.
grates should be covered
on both sides with aluminum foil (which should be
perforated for air circulation). Additionally, no food
should be permitted to touch the side, bottom or top
of the oven on Passover.
Self-cleaning oven
A complete high-temperature self-clean cycle should
has a metal grate, it should be kashered in a pot of hot
water as described in the Flatware section above.
For convection microwave ovens, the same kasher-
ing process as a conventional oven should be followed,
paying particular attention to cleaning out the chamber
and fan assembly.
Refrigerators
Refrigerators and
Freezers Rav Ovadia Yosef does
All parts of refrigerators not require the shelves to SEPHARDIM
and freezers, includ- be covered, assuming the
ing storage bins, must general usage does not
be thoroughly cleaned involve placing boiling
and washed. The shelves hot pots and pans directly
should be lined with plas- on the racks. To his view,
tic or foil, which should washing and cleaning
be perforated with small the shelves is sufficient
holes to allow for air cir- (Chazon Ovadia – Pesach
culation. 2003 edition page 148).

www.crcweb.org 19
 Countertops ing the countertops is practical in one’s home or if the
In any situation where the countertop cannot or will countertop contains no cracks, the countertop may be
not be kashered, it may kashered; otherwise the wooden countertop should be

SEPHARDIM
only be used on Passover Countertops covered for Passover. Some of the popular wood brands
after being covered with on the market are Craftart, John Boos, and Spekva.
According to Rav Ovadia
a non-porous material Many kitchens use natural stone such as granite,
Yosef (Chazon Ovadia
which will not easily rip marble, limestone, quartzite, soapstone, slate, and
– Pesach 2003 edition
or tear. onyx for countertops. These may be kashered for Pass-
page 160), countertops
The procedure for over regardless of which sealant is used.
are kashered by pouring
kashering a countertop Another material used for countertops is quartz
boiling hot water over
is to clean it thoroughly, resin, a man-made material made to look like granite
them, assuming of
not use it for 24 hours, or marble. Some common brands are Cambria, Ceaser
course that the material
and then carefully pour Stone, Silestone, and Zodiaq. These may be kashered
is kasherable.
boiling water on all sur- for Passover. Similarly, countertops made of acrylic
faces. Once the countertop is kashered, it may be used or polyester look like stone. Some popular brands
without being covered. However, many people have a are Avonite, Corian, Gibraltar, Staron, Surrell, and
custom to both kasher and cover their countertops. As Swanstone. These materials may be kashered for Passover
noted at the beginning of this article, one may not kasher if they do not contain any scratches or stains; otherwise
utensils made of certain materials (ceramic, cement, they must be covered.
glass), or with materials which are not robust enough There are also glass,

SEPHARDIM
Glass Countertops
to withstanding kashering, and one may also not kasher ceramic, cement, and
any utensil that has cracks, nicks, or scratches where porcelain countertops Although Rav Ovadia
pieces of food might get stuck. These same restrictions available, with porous Yosef is lenient regarding
apply to countertops, and the practical examples are grout between each tile. glass, in this instance,
detailed below. Buddy Rhodes and due to the presence of
There are many countertop materials available Cheng Design are pop- porous un-kasherable
for home use today, with an old favorite being plastic ular brands of cement grout, one should cover
laminate, manufactured by laminating a hard plastic countertop. These coun- such a countertop and
material onto a thin piece of not kasher it.
wood. Some popular brands of tertops cannot be kashered for
laminate are Formica, Neva- Passover and must be covered.
mar, and Pionite. In some While not used as often in
cases, there are seams where a home, stainless steel, cop-
two pieces of laminate meet, per, and zinc countertops are
creating the potential for cha- also available, and they may be
metz collecting in that area kashered for Passover.
during the year, and special Special thanks to Rick
attention should be paid to Glickman of “Dream Kitch-
cleaning those seams. ens” for his assistance with our
Others create coun- countertop research.
ters from butcher block or As with all halachic issues, if a
wood. In general, wood may question arises regarding kasher-
be kashered only if it contains ing one’s kitchen, contact your
no cracks that might trap cha- local Orthodox Rabbi.
metz. Due to the likelihood A summary of the information
of such cracks developing, it about countertops is included in
was the practice to sand down the chart on the following page.
wooden surfaces in butcher
shops before Passover. If sand-

20 www.crcweb.org
Countertops
The following is a summary of the countertop information presented in the preceding article.
Can it be
Brand Name or
kashered Comment
Material
?
Acrylic Yes May be kashered if there are no scratches or stains; otherwise cover.
Avonite Yes May be kashered if there are no scratches or stains; otherwise cover.
Blue Louise Yes
Buddy Rhodes No Must be covered for Passover.
Butcher Block Yes May be kashered if there are no cracks; otherwise sand or cover.
Caesar Stone Yes
Cambria Yes
Cement No Must be covered for Passover.
Ceramic tile No Must be covered for Passover.
Cheng Design No Must be covered for Passover.
Concrete No Must be covered for Passover.
Copper Yes
Cosmos Yes
Corian Yes May be kashered if there are no scratches or stains; otherwise cover.
Craftart Yes May be kashered if there are no cracks; otherwise sand or cover.
Curava No Must be covered for Passover
Dekton No Must be covered for Passover
Fireclay Tiles No Must be covered for Passover
Formica Yes Carefully clean seams before kashering.
Gibraltar Yes May be kashered if there are no scratches or stains; otherwise cover.
Glass tile No Must be covered for Passover.
Granite Yes
HanStone Yes
John Boos Yes May be kashered if there are no cracks; otherwise sand or cover.
Laminate (plastic) Yes Carefully clean seams before kashering.
Limestone Yes
Marble Yes
Neolith No Must be covered for Passover.
Nevamar Yes Carefully clean seams before kashering.
Pionite Yes Carefully clean seams before kashering.
Plastic Laminate Yes Carefully clean seams before kashering.
Porcelain No Must be covered for Passover.
Quartzite Yes
Quartz Resin Yes
Silestone Yes
Silgranit Yes
Slate Yes
Soapstone Yes
Spekva Yes May be kashered if there are no cracks; otherwise sand or cover.
Stainless Steel Yes
Staron Yes May be kashered if there are no scratches or stains; otherwise cover.
Surrell Yes May be kashered if there are no scratches or stains; otherwise cover.
Swanstone Yes May be kashered if there are no scratches or stains; otherwise cover.
Wood Yes May be kashered if there are no cracks; otherwise sand or cover.
Zinc Yes
Zodiaq Yes

www.crcweb.org 21
cRc Guide to Tevillas Keilim and
Hechsher Keilim (Kashering)
Reviewed February 2016 / ‫אדר הראשון תשע"ו‬
T hese guidelines presented on the following pages were formulated by the Rosh Beth Din of the Chicago
Rabbinical Council (cRc), Rav Gedalia Dov Schwartz a”uyl$.
The following are general guidelines
for tevillas keilim:
••Metal or glass items require tevil-
lah with a beracha/hkrb.
••Ceramic, plastic, rubber or wood
items do not require tevillah.
••China (i.e. glazed ceramic)
requires tevillah without a beracha.
This guide will discuss the following
3 forms of hechsher keilim (kasher-
ing).
1. Hag’ala (HLEGH)
The item is cleaned thoroughly
and left unused for 24 hours.
[The 24 hour idle period is
known as rendering the item
aino ben yomo/‫]אינו בן יומו‬.
All surfaces of the item are
then placed into a pot of
water that is on the fire and at
a rolling boil. Some families
own a dedicated “kashering
pot”, but it is also acceptable
to use an ordinary pot that
had previously been used for
chametz, dairy or meat, if the
pot is clean and aino ben yomo.
2. Irui Kli Rishon
(IW$AR YLK YWRYE)
The item is cleaned thoroughly
and left unused for 24 hours.
Water is brought to a rolling
boil in a pot on the fire, and
that water is poured directly
22 www.crcweb.org
from the pot onto all surfaces
of the item being kashered.
Extreme caution should be
exercised during this method
of kashering, to protect
against anyone accidentally
getting burned by the
cascading boiling water.
Some families own a dedicated
“kashering pot”, but it is also
acceptable to use an ordinary
pot that had previously been
used for chametz, dairy or
meat, if the pot is clean and
aino ben yomo.
3. Libun Gamur
(RWMG IWBYL)
The item is heated with a
blowtorch or hot coals until
the item begins to glow red-
hot. Aino ben yomo is not
required for this form of
kashering. This method of
kashering is impractical for
most individuals and should
only be done by someone
specially trained in this area.
Under no circumstances may
something be kashered if there
is a concern that it will break,
as this might lead the person
performing the kashering to be
apprehensive and therefore not
perform the kashering properly.
For this reason, some items are
listed as not being eligible for
kashering even if technically
there is a way that kashering
can be done.
As relates to a number of
items, the guidelines will
differentiate between whether
they are used with or without
liquids, and this refers to
whether the food is cooked or
fried in a meaningful amount
of water or oil. For example,
a pot used to cook pasta is
considered to have been used
“with liquids” (even though
the pasta/chametz is a solid)
because cooking is always
done with liquid in the pot.
On the other hand, a baking
sheet used to bake bread is
considered to have been used
“without liquid” (even though
the bread/chametz contains
water) since bread is basically a
dry item.
The guidelines reflect the
general ruling that china
cannot be kashered. However,
if the china is particularly
expensive and/or of great
sentimental value, please
consult a Rabbi as there
are cases where kashering is
permitted for year-round use.
 CAN IT BE KASHERED?
Requires Method of kashering (where applicable)
Item For Year-
tevillah? and other notes
Pesach round

Aluminum  If used with liquid, kasher through hag’alah

No See note See note
(disposable)  If used without liquids, requires libun gamur

Aluminum  If used with liquid, kasher through hag’alah

Yes See note See note
(not disposable)  If used without liquids, requires libun gamur

Baking sheet Yes Yes Yes Libun gamur

For year-round, clean blech well, do not use for 24 hours,

place the blech upside-down on stovetop burners, and turn
Blech No No Yes on all burners to their highest setting for 15 minutes.
Exercise caution as the blech will become very hot.

Bone China Yes, without No No

a beracha

 If used with liquid, kasher through hag’alah

Cast Iron Yes Yes Yes
 If used without liquids, requires libun gamur

Ceramic
No No No
(e.g. coffee mug)

China Yes, without No No

a beracha

Yes, For year-round, clean well, do not use for 24 hours, and
Coffee maker for the glass No Yes then run through one cycle
portions

Colander Yes No Yes For year-round, kasher through hag’alah

Corelle (plates, bowls) Yes No No

Corelle (cups) No No No

Cork No No No

Corningware Yes, without No No

a beracha

Crystal Yes No No

www.crcweb.org 23
 CAN IT BE KASHERED?
Requires Method of kashering (where applicable)
Item For Year-
tevillah? and other notes
Pesach round

Not
Dentures (false teeth) No Yes For Pesach, kasher through irui kli rishon
required

Dishwasher made of…

No No No
Porcelain

Dishwasher made of…

For year-round, replace racks, do not use for 24 hours,
Stainless steel or No No See note and then run through one cycle
plastic

Duralex Yes No No

Farberware Yes Yes Yes For kashering, see individual utensils (e.g. frying pan, pot)

Yes, For year-round, kasher all parts including those made of hard
Food Processor for the metal No Yes plastic through hag’alah
portions

Frying pan,
Yes No No
with Teflon coating

 If used with generous amounts of oil or other grease,

Frying pan, kasher through libun kal (clean well and do not use for 24
hours, then put upside-down on open flame until both
without Teflon Yes See note See note inside and outside are hot enough to singe paper).
coating  If used with insignificant amounts of oil (e.g. cooking
spray) kasher through libun gamur

 For year-round, kasher by leaving all burners on highest

setting for half an hour
Glass-topped range No Yes Yes
 For Pesach, kasher as above but do not use the range on
Pesach unless the space between the burners is covered

If used with hot beverages or washed in a dishwasher, they

cannot be kashered for Pesach. Otherwise, fill the glasses with
Glasses used for drinking Yes See note No water and leave the water in the glasses for at least 24 hours.
Repeat this procedure two additional times with fresh water.

To kasher, clean and do not use for 24 hours, leave on

Hot Plate (metal) No Yes Yes highest setting for half an hour, then cover with foil before
use. Glass and ceramic hot plates cannot be kashered.

24 www.crcweb.org
 CAN IT BE KASHERED?
Requires Method of kashering (where applicable)
Item For Year-
tevillah? and other notes
Pesach round
To kasher, clean microwave thoroughly and do not use for
24 hours. Boil a cup of water in the chamber for an
extended amount of time, until the chamber fills with steam
Yes, Yes, Yes, and the water overflows from the cup. The glass plate
Microwave oven only for the except for except for glass cannot be kashered (or used) and should be removed before
glass plate glass plate plate
kashering begins. For Pesach, it is a commendable extra
precaution to cover all foods in the microwave, even after
performing the above kashering.

Pot made of…

Metal (uncoated), or Yes Yes Yes Hag’alah
Teflon-coated metal

Pots made of… Kasher with libun kal – clean well and do not use for 24
Metal coated with Yes See note See note hours, then put upside-down on open flame until both
enamel (e.g. Le Creuset) inside and outside are hot enough to singe paper

Plastic No Yes Yes Hag’alah

Pyrex Yes No No

Hag’alah, assuming there are no cracks where food might get

Rubber No Yes Yes trapped. If there are cracks, it cannot be kashered (or used).

Stainless steel Yes Yes Yes For kashering, see individual utensils (e.g. frying pan, pot)

Yes,
Stoneware without a No No
beracha

Teflon-coated cookware Yes See note See note For kashering, see individual utensil (e.g. frying pan, pot)

Hag’alah, assuming there are no cracks where food might get

Wood No Yes Yes trapped. If there are cracks, it cannot be kashered (or used).

For an instructional cRc video on Kashering the Kitchen, please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA3P1shmhME

www.crcweb.org 25
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The Laws of Eruv Tavshilin
Rabbi Akiva Niehaus
Rabbinic Coordinator
A s we approach the holiday of
Pesach 5776, it may be pru-
dent to review the laws of Eruv
Tavshilin because we will have the
privilege of performing this special
mitzvah prior to the last days of
Yom Tov. When Yom Tov falls out
on Friday leading into Shabbos,
every household must prepare an
Eruv Tavshilin before Yom Tov in
preparation for Shabbos. By setting
aside some cooked food and baked
food in honor of Shabbos before the
onset of Yom Tov, one is permitted to
prepare Shabbos foods on Friday. Let
us explore why it is necessary, how
it works, and the procedure used.
The Background
On Yom Tov, like Shabbos, one
may not transgress the 39 forbidden
melachos, with a few exceptions. One
of the exceptions is the melacha of
bishul (cooking) as it states (Shemos
12:16), “‫אך אשר יאכל לכל נפש הוא‬
‫ – ”לבדו יעשה לכם‬the only work that
may be performed on Yom Tov is that
which is needed so that everyone will
be able to eat. However, cooking
on Yom Tov is only permitted if
the food will be consumed on Yom
Tov; cooking for a later date, be it
a regular weekday, another day of
Yom Tov, or Shabbos, is forbidden,
and according to some opinions
may involve a Biblical prohibition.
Accordingly, when Yom Tov occurs
on Friday, it should be forbidden
to prepare food on Friday for the
next day, Shabbos. How, then, is
one able to prepare fresh, tasty food
28 www.crcweb.org
for Shabbos?
To alleviate this concern, Chazal
instituted a new procedure called
Eruv Tavshilin, literally, the mixture
of foods. If one prepares food for
Shabbos before the onset of Yom
Tov, he may continue the prepara-
tion on Yom Tov for Shabbos. The
rationale for this is that if one begins
the food preparation before Yom
Tov, any cooking on Yom Tov is
considered a mere continuation of
the original cooking.1 Initially, one
must be careful to ensure that all
food prepared on Friday is edible
before Shabbos begins. However, in
extenuating circumstances, one may
prepare food on Friday for Shabbos
even if the food will not be edible
when Shabbos begins.2 Accordingly,
special care must be taken to ensure
that the cholent is prepared early
enough on Friday to allow it to be
edible (at least one-third cooked)
by the time Shabbos begins.
As an extension of the above require-
ment, many people have a custom
to accept Shabbos early when Yom
Tov falls on Friday to ensure that all
food preparation is completed well
before nightfall.3
The Procedure
The Eruv should be prepared on Erev
Yom Tov, i.e. Thursday. If the Eruv
was prepared on an earlier day, the
Eruv is effective but should ideally
be prepared again on Erev Yom Tov
without a bracha.4
The Eruv consists of two food items
– one cooked and one baked.5 As
explained, by setting aside a cooked
item and a baked item for Shabbos
before the onset of Yom Tov, all sub-
sequent preparations are considered
a continuation of the original prepa-
ration rather than a new preparation.
For this reason, we set aside two
items – a cooked item and a baked
item – because the vast majority of
food preparations involve cooking
and baking.
The cooked item should be at least
the size of a k’zayis (approximately
1 fluid ounce).6 It should be an
item that is usually accompanied
by bread or matzah (e.g. meat, fish,
or eggs); common custom is to use
a hard-boiled egg.7 Although one
may use a cooked food even if it was
not cooked specifically for the Eruv,
the optimal form of the mitzvah is
performed when one cooks a food
specifically for the Eruv.8
The baked item should ideally be
whole and at least the size of a
k’beitza (2 fl. oz.), but it is sufficient
if the piece is at least the size of a
k’zayis.9 Ideally one should use bread
or matzah, but if these are unavail-
able, cake or cookies from the five
species of grain may be used. Many
people have a custom to use matzah
as the baked item.
The baked and cooked items are
held in one’s hand and the follow-
ing beracha is recited: “Boruch atah
Hashem… al mitzvas eiruv,” fol-
lowed by the declaration, “Baha-
dein eiruva…” as printed in many
siddurim. The declaration states
that, with the Eruv, preparation for
Shabbos may take place on Yom Tov.
It is important that one understand
the meaning of the declaration; if
necessary, the declaration may be
recited in English.10 After the dec-
laration, the food items should be

stored in a safe location so that they
remain intact until Shabbos. In fact,
the Eruv must stay intact until the
preparations for Shabbos have been
completed.11 It is customary to use
the Eruv’s baked item, if it is bread
or matzah, for lechem mishnah on
Shabbos, and then to eat the Eruv-
foods during Seudah Shlishis.12
Forgot To Prepare the
Eruv?
If one forgot to prepare the Eruv
before the onset of Yom Tov and
remembered before tzeis hakochavim
(nightfall), he may still prepare the
Eruv Tavshilin.13 If he does not
remember until after tzeis hako-
chavim, he may no longer prepare
the Eruv, and should consult his
Rav as to how he should conduct
himself on Yom Tov.14
What Kind of
Preparations are
Permitted?
The Eruv is primarily designed to
allow cooking and baking for Shab-
bos. In addition, the Eruv permits
activities indirectly related to food
preparation (e.g. lighting candles
and washing dishes with hot water);
it also permits preparations which do
not involve melachah (e.g. straight-
ening up the house for Shabbos).
Other preparations which involve
melachah and are not food-related
(e.g. carrying a machzor to shul for
Shabbos through a public domain)
are subject to dispute; therefore, it
is preferable to derive benefit from
it on Yom Tov itself.15
It is important to stress that
preparing the Eruv Tavshilin only
permits actions which may be per-
formed on Yom Tov and were pro-
hibited merely because they were
preparation for Shabbos use; actions
which are prohibited to be done on
Yom Tov (e.g. turning on and off
lights, using electric appliances) are
never permitted, even if an Eruv was
prepared. Additionally, the Eruv
Tavshilin only allows preparation for
Shabbos; preparation for a weekday
remains prohibited.
Who Needs to Prepare an
Eruv Tavshilin?
Any household which intends to
cook, bake, or even reheat food on
Friday for Shabbos, must prepare an
Eruv Tavshilin.16 Those who do not
intend to do any food preparation
may still need to prepare an Eruv for
other preparations (see footnote).17
One Eruv is sufficient for all mem-
bers of the household.18 A guest in
a hotel or in someone’s home needs
to prepare an Eruv and does not
automatically become part of the
household’s Eruv. Therefore, the
guest should prepare an Eruv, but
should do so without a bracha (see
footnote).19
1
Rama 527:1.
2
Mishnah Berurah 527:3. The rationale for this
requirement is based on the following: Logic dictates
that a Rabbinical directive, such as Eruv Tavshilin,
may not override a Biblical prohibition; it is thus
self-evident that the Eruv Tavshilin is only effective
where there is no Biblical prohibition. As explained
above, according to some opinions, cooking on Yom
Tov for Shabbos may involve a Biblical prohibition.
In order to accommodate these opinions, one must
be careful to ensure that all food prepared on Fri-
day is edible before Shabbos begins, thus avoiding
the Biblical prohibition. However, in extenuating
circumstances, one may rely on the other opinions
which rule that preparing food for Shabbos does not
involve a Biblical prohibition (ibid.).
3
Mishnah Berurah ibid.
4
Shulchan Aruch 527:14.
5
According to most opinions, the main component
of the Eruv is the cooked item – not the baked
item – because the term “cooking” encompasses
baking as well. However, in order to accommodate
the position of some opinions who rule that baking
is not included in the term cooking, one must set
aside a baked item as well. If one set aside a baked
item for the Eruv but failed to set aside a cooked
item, the Eruv is not valid and must be prepared
again in the proper way. If, however, one set aside a
cooked item but failed to set aside a baked item, the
Eruv is valid (Shulchan Aruch 527:2). Nonetheless,
if one remembers before the onset of Yom Tov that
www.crcweb.org
he forgot to set aside a baked item, he should take
a baked item along with the cooked item and say
the declaration again without repeating the bracha
(Mishnah Berurah 527:7).
6
Shulchan Aruch 527:3.
7
One explanation for this custom is that the Eruv
must stay intact and edible until the preparations
for Shabbos are finished. Accordingly, one must use
a food item which does not spoil quickly, so the
custom developed to use a hard-boiled egg, which
satisfies this requirement (Aruch HaShulchan 527:13,
Ben Ish Chai Shanah 1, Tzav 1). As an aside, one
should be careful to leave the egg in its shell because,
according to many opinions, an egg should not be
eaten if it was left overnight without its shell (see
Aruch HaShulchan Y.D. 116:22). If the egg was
shelled, it should be mixed with another food, e.g.
mayonnaise.
8
See Biur Halacha, 527:6, s.v. adashim.
9
Rama 527:3.
10
See Mishnah Berurah 527:40.
11
If the baked item was eaten (or ruined) before
preparations for Shabbos took place but the cooked
food is intact, Shabbos preparations may continue
as usual (Mishnah Berurah 527:46). If, however,
the cooked item was eaten, the Eruv is disqualified,
unless a k’zayis of the food remains (Shulchan Aruch
527:15). If the Eruv is ruined or eaten while one is
in the midst of food preparation, preparation of that
particular food may be completed (ibid. 527:17).
12
Mishnah Berurah 527:48. The reason for this is
that once an item is used for a mitzvah, it should
be used for additional mitzvos (ibid.).
13
Rama 527:1. If doing so will cause one to miss
the correct time to recite mincha, he should recite
mincha and appoint a messenger to make the Eruv
on his behalf. Alternatively, he may give all the food
items he wishes to prepare for Shabbos as a present to
a friend who prepared an Eruv and ask the friend to
cook and bake the food (Mishnah Berurah 527:4).
14
In extenuating circumstances, there is a possibil-
ity that one may be able to rely on the Rav’s Eruv.
In addition, (a) on any Yom Tov other than Rosh
Hashanah there is an option to make the Eruv on
the first day of Yom Tov with a t’nai - a condition (see
Shulchan Aruch 527:22 for more details), and (b)
one who forgets to prepare the Eruv may still light
Shabbos candles but should only light one candle
(Mishnah Berurah 527:55).
15
See Mishnah Berurah 302:17, Levush 528:2, Noda
B’Yehuda Tinyana O.C. 25, and Kinyan Torah 3:70:2.
16
T’shuvos Shevet HaKahasi 2:184.
17
One who does not intend to heat or prepare food
for Shabbos may still need to prepare the Eruv for
other activities, such as lighting Shabbos candles or
carrying items in a public domain. According to
many Poskim, the Eruv should be prepared and the
declaration recited, but the bracha should be omitted
(Kaf HaChaim 527:113). Nevertheless, one who is
intends to light Shabbos candles and is unsure if he
will cook or bake for Shabbos should prepare the
Eruv as normal (Chut Shani, Yom Tov pg. 150).
18
Mishnah Berurah 527:56.
19
Chut Shani ibid. pg. 154. Alternatively, a guest
may ask permission to join the household Eruv and
pick up the Eruv food with intention to acquire a
portion of the food prior to the Eruv setup (ibid.).
Guests which have been given free reign of the
home and are welcome to help themselves to food
and drink are likely included in the household Eruv.
This applies as well to children visiting their parents’
home for Yom Tov.
29
cRc Guidelines for Shaimos
A s we clean and prepare our homes for Passover, it is not uncommon to come across many items, other
than chametz, that we would like to discard. Questions often arise regarding papers or publications that
bear Hebrew letters and may be considered shaimos, religious items or texts, which require special disposal.
Therefore, we present the following guidelines established by our Rosh Beth Din, HaRav Gedalia Dov
Schwartz A”UYL$.

Shaimos Guidelines
In regard to disposal of items
containing Hebrew script, etc. and
shaimos, the following guidelines
are recommended:
• Any parts of Kisvei Kodesh such
as Tanach, Gemara, and siddurim,
etc. must have geniza, burial of
religious items. This includes tefil-
lin, mezuzot, rabbinic sefarim, and
mezuzah covers.
• It would be advisable that work-
sheets, etc. not be reproduced or
written in ksav ashuri (printed
Hebrew letters – not handwrit-
ten script) if possible, and it is
advisable that entire p’sukim not
be reproduced. These worksheets
may be disposed or recycled.
• Jewish newspapers may be put
into double plastic bags and then
disposed of. This includes such
publications as the Jewish Press,
the Yated, etc.
• In Jewish publications such as
Likutei P’shatim and shul newslet-
ters, only the Divrei Torah sections
must have geniza. The social sec-
tions may be recycled.

Important note: As the cRc will not be collecting shaimos, please do not bring your shaimos to the cRc office
during the Passover season.

Proper Disposal of Chametz

E very Jew is obligated to cel-
ebrate the entire holiday of
Passover without owning or
benefiting from chametz. There are
three components to ensuring that
him to a non-Jew. This transaction
is completely legal, giving the non-
Jew all rights of ownership over the
chametz that has been sold to him.
After the conclusion of the festival,
address as well as your office address
when selling your chametz through
your Rabbi.

this obligation is fulfilled:
1. Mechirat chametz (sale of cha-
metz)
2. Bedika and bitul of chametz
(the search for and nullifica-
tion of chametz)
3. Biur chametz (destruction of
chametz)
Mechirat Chametz
One who cannot dispose of all of
his chametz before Passover must
authorize his Orthodox Rabbi, in
advance, to sell this chametz for
your Rabbi will purchase the cha-
metz from the non-Jew. You should
wait at least one hour after Pass-
over before using this chametz, to
give the Rabbi time to complete
the re-purchase of the chametz
and restore its ownership to you.
All chametz that is to be sold
should be placed in a special room
or section of the house, together with
chametz dishes and utensils, until
after Passover. This area should be
locked or closed off so that access
to it will be difficult.
It is important to list your home
Bedikat Chametz
The search for chametz is made on
Thursday evening, April 21, 2016,
immediately after dark. By that
time, your home should be thor-
oughly cleaned of all chametz except
for food you have set aside for the
bedikat chametz ceremony and the
chametz you intend to eat before
it becomes prohibited (for specific
times for the 2016 holiday, please
see pages 72-73.
Traditionally, we spread 10
small pieces of bread to be gathered
up throughout the home during a

30 www.crcweb.org
 search by the light of a single-wick
candle. It is important to be very
careful when placing pieces of cha-
metz that they be placed on a piece
of paper, napkin or paper plate to
prevent the spread of chametz. The
person conducting the search first
recites a blessing:
OLWEH VLM WNYQLA ‘d HTA VWRB
RWEB LE WNWCW WYTWCMB WN$DQ R$A
.JMX
BA-RUCH A-TA ADO-SHEM ELO-KEINU
ME-LECH HA-O-LAM ASHER KID’SHANU
B’MITZ-VOTAV V’TZI-VANU AL BI-UR
CHAMETZ.
Once the blessing has been
recited, one then proceeds with the
search, going from room to room
to look for his chametz. At the same
time, a spot check is made to be
sure that all other chametz has been
removed. Using a feather as a brush,
all the chametz is gathered into a bag
or cloth, and carefully set aside to
be burned the following morning.
Bitul Chametz
After the search for the chametz has
been completed, a formal renuncia-
tion of ownership or desire to benefit
from any undiscovered chametz in
one’s possession must be recited by
everyone. Since the person making
this declaration must understand
what he or she is reciting, it may be
recited in any language the reader
understands. Here is the bitul cha-
metz statement, in Aramaic and
English:
,YTW$RB AKYAD AEYMXW ARYMX LK
ALDW,HTREB ALDW,HTMX ALD
RQPH YWHLW LUBL,HYL ANEDY
AERAD ARPEK
“Any chametz or leaven that is in my posses-
sion, which I have not seen, have not removed
and do not know about, should be nullified
and become ownerless, like dust of the earth.”
Biur Chametz
On Friday, April 22, 2016, chametz
may be eaten no later than 10:09
a.m. Daylight Savings Time in the
Chicago area. All chametz remaining
in one’s possession must be kept in a
sealed cabinet or room throughout
Passover.
All chametz that has not been
sold (see prior section) must be
burned on Friday, April 22, 2016,
no later than 11:29 a.m. Daylight
Savings Time
in the Chicago area. The follow-
ing formula is recited at the time of
burning of the chametz on Friday,
April 22, 2016:
,YTW$RB AKYAD AEYMXW ARYMX LK
ALDW HTMXD HTZX ALDW HTZXD
LUBL,HTREB ALDW HTREBD HTMX
aerad arpek rqph ywhlw
“Any chametz or leaven that is in my pos-
session, whether I have recognized it or
not, whether I have seen it or not, whether
I have removed it or not, should be nulli-
fied and become ownerless, like dust of
the earth.”
As a community service, the
Agudah will hold a public biur
chametz on Friday, April 22, 2016
between 8:00 A.M. and 11:00 A.M.
in the parking lots of Yeshivas Ohr
Boruch at 2828 W. Pratt Blvd. and
JDBY at 3200 W. Peterson Ave.,
both in Chicago. To allow for com-
plete burning in time, no chametz
will be accepted after 11:00 a.m.

Pre-Pesach Cleaning Checklist

Disposal of Chametz chair and crib, carriages and stroll- the inside of both the front and
Check List ers, as well as toy boxes? back seats, as well as the trunk?

D •

 …check your medicine cabinet

for sprays, toiletries, and
 …make certain that your pets are
not fed chametz during Passover?
id you remember to…•  …turn your children’s pockets
inside-out to shake out all crumbs;
see that all family members do the
cosmetics including same with their clothes? (Women
mouthwash, that are not should also be careful not to leave
recommended for Passover use? candy, gum, or chametz cosmetics
 …thoroughly clean and in their purses.)
wash the playpen, including  …thoroughly clean the glove com-
padding, as well as the high partment of the car, and vacuum
 …meticulously clean your kitchen
area: stove, cupboards, refrigerator,
table top, shelves, sink, etc.?
 …kasher any utensils or silverware
before Friday, April 22, 2016 at
11:29 a.m. (in the Chicago area)?
 …check the drawers, filing cabi-
nets, etc. in your office, as well as
in your home, for chametz you
may have forgotten?
 …replace all vacuum cleaner bags?

www.crcweb.org 31
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2

Kashered At 212° F
Guidelines for
Those Leaving
Home Before
Passover
Note: For specific questions about these laws please
consult your Orthodox Rabbi.
Bedikat Chametz —
Search for Chametz
A s outlined in the Shulchan
Aruch (Rabbi Yosef Karo’s
Code of Jewish Law), anyone
leaving home before the traditional
evening of bedikat chametz, must
carry out the search on the night
before he or she departs. However,
since this is not the normal evening
for bedika, no bracha is recited.
Another option is to appoint a she-
liach — agent — to perform the
bedika at the normal time. On the
morning of Erev Passover (Friday,
April 22, 2016), the statement of
bitul should be pronounced at the
required time of the place where the
chametz is kept.
Mechirat Chametz —
Selling the Chametz
Because of differing opinions regard-
ing those who travel to Eastern time
zones (where the holiday begins
earlier) a separate sale of chametz is
arranged earlier in the home com-
munity for those traveling towards
the Eastern time zones. Another
option would be the transfer of the
chametz as a gift to someone else
who remains in the community; the
recipient of the gift would arrange
the sale of the chametz. Call your
Orthodox Rabbi for the proper
forms or for questions regarding
international travel.
Seder Thoughts
Rabbi Gedalia Dov Schwartz, Rosh Beth Din
The Pesach Haggadah, which is the actual guide for our fulfill-
ment of the mitzvos on the first nights of Yom Tov, contains
many familiar oft-quoted texts that have resulted in vast
commentaries throughout the ages. Many of the insights and
interpretations are responses to many of the questions that the
reader might find while reading the words of the Haggadah.
One of the observations which I personally have noted is the
following: In describing the Four Sons mentioned in different
places in the Torah, 1) the Chochom, or wise son; 2) the Rasha,
or wicked son; 3) the Tam, or simple son; and 4) the Sheino
Yodea Lishol, the son who does not even have the knowledge
to ask, it is strange that normally in Torah and Rabbinic texts,
the opposite of the Rasha, the wicked person, is the Tzaddik,
the righteous individual, as a contrast, rather than the Cho-
chom, the wise son.
My humble explanation is that in the definition of a Tzaddik,
which means that he is basically fully observant of Torah and
mitzvos, he must have the wisdom of Torah knowledge or
training that takes him out of the category of an am ha’aretz,
an illiterate or unknowledgeable Jew. In order to be classi-
fied as a Tzaddik, one must have a knowledge of Torah, which
directs him to perform the mitzvos. How can one observe
Shabbos, kashrus, Pesach, and other mitzvos if he is not
educated through Torah learning? Within the context of the
Torah and the questioning or doubts of the Four enumerated
Sons the term of “chochom” fits the observant son, who in his
observance may not ask questions about the Torah in order
to understand its meaning. He, then, is in stark contrast to the
Rasha, who, although perhaps educated, has already rebelled
and separated himself from observance.
From the above it is clearly implied that Torah education
will result in the category of a generation that will be called
symbolically the Wise Son, learned and devoted to Torah. We
cannot celebrate a rich and meaningful Pesach with all of its
requirements of special mitzvos and high demands on kashrus
without a Torah chinuch, education, which creates proud and
observant children, who take their place in the best category
of the Four Sons.
Chag Kasher v’Sameach!
www.crcweb.org 35
Taanit B’chorim —
Fast of First Born Sons
O n Friday, April 22, 2016,
Taanit B’chorim, Fast of First
Born Sons, is held to com-
memorate their deliverance from
death during the tenth plague in
The Seder
T he Passover Seder is a time
when families come together
to relive our Exodus from
enslavement in Egypt, and rejoice
in our receipt of the Torah on Mount
Sinai. Passover is, in essence, the
birthday of the People of Israel,
the defining event that brought us
together for the first time as a nation
and set the stage for our arrival in
the Land of Israel after hundreds of
years in exile.
More than just our physical
exile, however, the Exodus was also
a redemption of the soul. The Torah
tells us that we were redeemed from
Egypt “in haste.” Why was that so?
Could Hashem have not redeemed
us in a more leisurely way? One
answer is that in Egypt the Jewish
people had sunk to the 49th level of
impurity. According to the Maharal,
we had lost the characteristics of
righteousness that Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob had imbued in our people
years before. Had Hashem not res-
cued the Children of Israel in haste,
we would have lost the last vestiges
of our faith in Him, and would have
succumbed to Egyptian society as
a persecuted subclass instead of the
36 www.crcweb.org
Egypt. It is customary for first-
born sons to participate in the meal
served in celebration of a mitzva,
such as a Brit Mila (circumcision)
or siyum (e.g. the completion of a
exalted recipients of our precious
Torah.
Passover, through the Seder, is
an active demonstration of both our
spiritual and physical redemption
from Egypt; the foods we eat, prayers
we say, and the stories we tell bring
this experience to life. Our guide
is the Haggadah — a book filled
with Scripture, Rabbinic teachings,
songs, prayers and rituals — a work
unique to the holiday of Passover.
The Seder service is divided into
14 sections (the word Seder means
“order”):
 Kadesh — Sanctifying the day
over a cup of wine
 Urchatz — Washing the hands
prior to eating karpas
 Karpas — Eating a vegetable
like potatoes or parsley or celery
dipped in salt-water
 Yachatz — The breaking of the
middle matza
 Maggid — The story of our Exo-
dus from Egypt
 Rachtza — Washing the hands in
preparation for eating the matza
 Motzi-Matza — Eating the
required amount of matza
 Maror — Eating the required
tractate of the Talmud). Those who
attend one of these events on Erev
Passover celebrate with the partaking
of refreshments and are then exempt
from this fast.
amount of bitter herbs dipped in
charoset
 Koraich — Eating the “Hillel
Sandwich” of matza and maror,
dipped in charoset
 Shulchan Oraich — Eating the
festive meal
 Tzafun — “Dessert,” through
eating the required amount of
Afikomen (matza)
 Barech — Grace After Meals
 Hallel — Prayers in praise of
Hashem
 Nirtzah — Conclusion of the
Seder and the festive songs
≈At the beginning of the Seder,
many Sephardic communities
have a young child go outside
the door of the house and knock.
“Who’s there?” ask those on the
inside.
“An Israelite,” responds the child.
“Where are you coming from?”
they ask.
“From Egypt,” says the child.
“Where are you going?” they ask.
“To the Land of Israel!” the child
exclaims.
The child then re-enters the house,
and the Seder begins.
Seder Plate
T he Seder plate, upon which all
the symbols of Passover are
placed, is at the center of the
celebration. A large plate is set at
the head of the table (and in many
households, before each guest at
the Seder) and includes the follow-
ing items:
 Three matzot (covered)
 A roasted meat bone, on the upper
right, to remember the time when
our ancestors would offer the Kor-
ban Pesach (Passover Sacrifice) in
observance of the holiday.
 A roasted egg, on the upper left, as
a remembrance of the additional
festival offering by our ancestors
in celebration of Passover.
 Maror/Chazeret (bitter herbs:
Please go online to http://bit.ly/WlBSpV for the cRc’s step-by-step video guide to assembling your seder plate.
horseradish or romaine lettuce
leaves) placed in the center and at
bottom, to remind us of the bit-
ter slavery suffered by our people
during their long stay in Egypt.
 Charoset, on the lower right, a mix-
ture of nuts, apples, cinnamon,
and wine, that serves as a symbol
of the mortar used for making the
bricks with which our ancestors
built cities for Pharaoh.
≈ Many in the Sephardic commu-
nity add to the charoset fruits to
which our People are compared,
such as raisins, pomegranates,
cinnamon, ginger and other sweet
ingredients.
 Karpas (potatoes, parsley, or any
vegetable) on the lower left, to be
www.crcweb.org
dipped in salt-water during the
Seder service, signaling the festive
nature of the meal and to arouse
the curiosity of the children.
≈ Some in the Sephardic community
dip the karpas into vinegar instead
of salt water.
Since everyone is obligated to
drink four cups (see below) of wine
during the Seder ceremony to com-
memorate the redemption of our
people, each person attending the
Seder should have his or her own cup
of wine. Ashkenazim say a bracha
over each of the four cups of wine.
≈ Most Sephardim only recite bless-
ings over the first and third cups
of wine.
37
Basic Seder Requirements
and Measurements
Wine
T he first of the Seder night mitz-
vot is the drinking of four cups
of wine (known in Hebrew
as Arba Kosot) by both men and
women, in tribute to the Almighty
for the four promises made and
fulfilled concerning the redemption
(see Exodus 6:6-7).
In honor of the prophet Elijah
(Eliyahu), an additional goblet of
wine is placed on the table. This
wine is not drunk. Elijah is the
symbol of peace and freedom that
one day will reign throughout the
world.
According to Rabbi Gedalia
Dov Schwartz, Rosh Beth Din of
the Chicago Rabbinical Council,
based on the halachic decisions of
the late Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, zt’l,
that are quoted by his son, Rabbi
Dovid Feinstein Sh’lita in his Hag-
gadah, “Kol Dodi”, the following
are the minimum amounts of
wine required during the Seder:
 For the Arba Kosot (four
required cups of wine), for Kid-
dush (except on Friday night
when the cup must contain at least
4.42 fluid ounces) and for
Havdalah, the cup must
contain at least 3.3 fluid
ounces (revi’it ha-lug) in
size. The obligation is ful-
filled if more than one-half
(rov kos) of each cup is
consumed after each
blessing over the
wine.
Minimum Strength of
Wine
38 www.crcweb.org
 Full strength (undiluted) wine is
required for the Arba Kosot.
 If one’s health does not permit
this, then one may dilute the wine
with grape juice. One should be
careful to only dilute the wine as
much as necessary, with the least
amount of grape juice possible.
 If for health reasons one cannot
use wine at all, one may substitute
grape juice.
 If one must dilute 100% grape
juice with water, the ratio should
not exceed two-thirds cup water
to one-third cup grape juice.
 If one does not have enough wine
to perform the mitzva (Kiddush,
Havdalah, etc.) water may be
added but not in excess of two-
fifths cup wine to three-fifths cup
water.
Note: The Bracha over
all these mixtures is
“Hagafen.”
Maggid
Relating the story
of our Exodus from
Egypt is the vital
mitzva of the Seder
night. The Torah teaches us that
one is specifically obligated to tell
the story of Passover to the children
(V’hegadita l’vincha, Exodus 13:8). It
is therefore important for everyone
present, and children in particular,
to understand the story. Throughout
the Seder, it is appropriate to offer
commentary or insights into the
Exodus, and anyone who ampli-
fies the story through questions,
interpretations, or discussion, is
deemed to be “praiseworthy.” Most
importantly, children should be
encouraged to raise any questions
they have at the Seder — separate
from the well-known “Mah Nishta-
na” — to further demonstrate the
true meaning of freedom.
Matza
The mitzva of eating matza at the
Seder is one of the most important
of our Torah commandments, and
both men and women are required
to fulfill this mitzva. We eat matza
at three specific points during the
Seder service:
 Motzi-Matza — this matza is
eaten immediately after the appro-
priate blessings are recited.
 Koraich
— the sandwich
of matza and
maror, eaten prior
to the main meal.
 Afikomen
— dessert — the
eating of matza at
the conclusion of
the Seder.
The halachic
requirement is to eat a minimum
of a “k’zayit” (the volume of an
olive) of Shmurah Matza, at each
of these points during the Seder as
follows: 2 k'zaytim for Motzi-Matza,
and 1 k'zayit each for Koraich and
Afikomen. Matza Shmurah has been
supervised by a Jew from the time
of harvest through baking.
According to Rabbi Gedalia
Dov Schwartz, Rosh Beth Din of the
Chicago Rabbinical Council, based
 on the hala- determine the appropriate use of ingestion of insects. Please note that
chic deci- these products on Passover. when using either
sions of ≈ Some Sephardic communities method, activi-
the late pass the Afikomen around the ties which
Rabbi Seder table from right shoulder may eradicate
Moshe to right shoulder, thus reenacting insects (e.g.
Fein- the Exodus from Egypt. soaking) should
stein, be done prior to
zt’l, that Maror (Bitter Herbs) Yom Tov.
are quoted (Horseradish or Romaine According to Rabbi Gedalia
by his son, Lettuce) Dov Schwartz, Rosh Beth Din of the
Rabbi Dovid Fein- The eating of bitter herbs is another Chicago Rabbinical Council, based
stein, Sh’lita in his Haggadah, “Kol Seder night mitzva, re­minding us of on the halachic decisions of the late
Dodi”, the following are the mini- the bitterness of slavery. Both men Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, zt’l, that
mum amounts of Matza Shmura and women must eat the equiva- are quoted by his son, Rabbi Dovid
required during the Seder: lent of a k’zayit. Bottled horserad- Feinstein, Sh’lita in his Haggadah,
 Motzi-Matza: a piece equivalent ish does not fulfill the mitzva of “Kol Dodi”, each person must eat
in size to 6¼ inches by 7 inches maror. a minimum amount of Maror twice
 Koraich: a piece equivalent to 6 When Romaine lettuce is used, during the Seder, once after the
inches by 4 inches one must be careful to ensure that bracha “Al Achilat Maror” and once
 Afikomen: a piece equivalent to there are no insects found. There for Koraich, as follows:
6¼ inches by 7 inches are two ways to verify the absence If using pure, grated horseradish, use
If for health reasons, one can- of insects as follows: 1) Wash each the following amounts:
not eat matza, Shmurah Matza meal and every leaf under a strong stream  After reciting the bracha “Al Achi-
(upon which one is permitted to of water, and then check each leaf in lat Maror”— eat an amount that
recite the Hamotzi) may be substi- the sun or under a strong light. OR can be compacted into a vessel
tuted as follows: 2) Soak the leaves in a soap solution measuring 1.1 fluid ounces.
 After reciting the bracha “Al Achi- or Kosher for Passover vegetable  For Koraich — eat an amount that
lat Matza” and for the Afikomen, wash (with a sufficient amount of can be compacted into a vessel
an amount of matza meal t h a t either to make the water “slip- measuring .7 fluid ounces.
can be compacted pery”) and agitate If using whole leaf Romaine lettuce,
into a vessel the water; if no use the following amounts:
measuring bugs are found  After reciting the bracha “Al Achi-
1.5 fluid in the water, lat Maror” and Koraich — eat
ounces. then a chazaka enough leaves to cover an area of
 For Koraich check should be done 8 by 10 inches.
— an amount next. When we refer If using Romaine lettuce stalks only,
of matza meal that to a “chazaka check”, use the following amounts:
can be compacted three samples or batches  After reciting the bracha “Al Achi-
into a vessel holding must be checked and if lat Maror” and Koraich — eat
1.1 fluid ounces. no bugs are found, the enough stalks to cover an area of
≈ Most Sephardim remaining product may be 3 by 5 inches.
permit matza ashira, used without further check- ≈ Sephardim do not use horseradish,
which is made from ing. In all cases, if bugs are as it has a sharp taste and not a
fruit juice or eggs on found in the initial inspection (or bitter one. The Sephardic custom
Passover, although not in the water), the product should is to use the fresh leaves or stalks
for the mitzvah of lechem be washed and checked again, or not of Romaine lettuce or endives,
oni (motzi-matza). Please check be used. Careful washing will ensure but not the root.
with your Orthodox Rabbi to that no Torah laws are violated by the

www.crcweb.org 39
 • Chicagoland’s Oneg Foods • ‫בס״ד‬
• •
WishesYou a Pesach Kasher v’Sameach

•
DAIRY
935

•
Thank you for your patronage throughout
•
•
the year and during this Pesach season
 Shopping Guide 
P E S A C H   2016 
This list of products is marked as follows: 

    Acceptable without Passover Certification 
    Food items in this section should preferably be purchased before Passover 

▲  Must bear reliable Passover Certification 

    Not acceptable for Passover 
    Sephardim should contact their local Sephardic rabbi regarding issues of kitniyot 

Product Status Notes Product Status Notes

Adhesive bandages  Bean sprouts   Kitniyot 

Liquid  ▲  Benefiber   Chametz 

Air freshener Solid   
Beverages  ▲  
For drinking  ▲ 
Alcohol Isopropyl alcohol    Bicarbonate of soda   

Alfalfa  Kitniyot  Bird food See pet food pages 

Aluminum products  Includes aluminum foil and pans Bleach 

Amaranth is not kitniyot but  Bleach wipes   
Amaranth  ▲ requires certification to be sure no 
other grains are mixed in  Blush   

Ammonia  Body wash 
Anise  Kitniyot 
Braces 
Wax for braces is also acceptable; wash 
rubber bands before placing in mouth
Antacid (chewable)  ▲  
Brewer’s yeast  Chametz 
Concentrate also requires Pesach 
Apple juice  ▲ certification   Brown sugar  ▲  

Apple sauce  ▲   Buckwheat  Kitniyot 

Aspartame  ▲   One may own and derive benefit 
Buckwheat pillow  from kitniyot 
Raw are acceptable if they contain 
Baby carrots no additives  Butter  ▲  
Canned, cooked or frozen  ▲ 
Candles  Scented is also acceptable  
Baby food   ▲ Includes jarred or canned 
Candy  ▲  
See Infant Formula pages 
When acceptable, bottles should be  Canned fruits or 
Baby formula ▲  
filled and cleaned separately from  vegetables 
Pesach dishes since formula is kitniyot
Canola oil  Kitniyot 
Baby oil 
Caraway  Kitniyot 
Baby ointment 
Raw (including baby carrots) are 
Acceptable if it only contains talc, 
Baby powder talcum powder, corn starch, or  Carrots acceptable if additive‐free 
other innocuous ingredients Canned, cooked or frozen  ▲ 

Acceptable if they do not contain  Cat food See pet food pages 

Baby wipes ethyl alcohol (ethanol)
Charcoal   
Bags 
Cheese  ▲  
Baking powder  ▲  
Cheese spreads  ▲  
Baking soda 
Chewable pills See medicine letter (page 3) 
Balloons  If powdered, wash before Pesach 
Chewing tobacco  ▲ Contains flavors 
Band‐aids 
Chickpeas  Kitniyot 
Beans  Kitniyot 
Cigarettes     

Chicago Rabbinical Council  2701 W. Howard St., Chicago, Illinois 60645  773‐465‐3900  www.crcweb.org   
 SHOPPING GUIDE – PESACH 2016 

Product Status Notes Product Status Notes

Cloves 
Some have a custom not to use  Eye drops   
cloves for Pesach 
Acceptable if 100% pure and not  Eye liner   
Cocoa powder processed in Europe. Hershey’s are 
Eye shadow   
acceptable except for Special Dark
Sweetened or flavored  ▲    Fabric protector 
Coconut (shredded)  Unsweetened & unflavored    
Fabric softener 
Beans which are plain, unflavored, 
and not decaffeinated do not  Seeds  (Kitniyot) 
Fennel Leaves  
require certification, but the grinder 
Coffee  ▲ must be clean    Fresh   
Instant, flavored or decaffeinated  Fish Canned, frozen or processed ▲ 
coffee requires certification  
K‐cups require certification  Fish food See pet food pages 

Coffee filters  Flax seeds are not kitniyot 
Flax seeds See spices 
Coffee whitener  ▲  
Flour  Chametz 
Cologne See medicine and cosmetic pages 
Acceptable (including waxed) if not 
Colonoscopy drink  See medicine and cosmetic pages 
Floss (dental) flavored

Confectionary sugar  ▲   Foil (aluminum) 
Contact lens solution  Food coloring  ▲  

Contact paper  Food supplements See nutritional supplement page 

Cooking oil spray  ▲   Foot powder   

Cooking wine  ▲   Formula for infants See baby formula

Coriander seeds  Kitniyot  Frozen dinners  ▲  

Canned, cooked, dried or 
Corn & corn products   Kitniyot  sweetened  ▲ 
(e.g. corn oil, corn syrup)
Fresh   
Fruit
Corn remover    Frozen is acceptable if it is not 
sweetened or cooked, and contains 
Cosmetics See medicine and cosmetic pages  no sensitive additives 

Creams (e.g.  Pure frozen concentrated orange 
  
Fruit juice   ▲ juice   
cosmetics)
Other concentrates  ▲ 
Crock pot liner   
Fruit preserves  ▲  
Cumin  Kitniyot 
Furniture polish 
Cutlery (plastic)  Fresh   
Garlic Peeled (in jars or cans)  ▲ 
Dates  ▲ Glaze may be problematic 
Powder free   
Decaffeinated coffee  Lipton decaffeinated tea bags are  Gloves (disposable)
▲ Powderless or with powder  ▲  
or tea  acceptable without certification  

Acceptable (including waxed) if not 
Glue   
Dental floss or tape flavored
Grape juice  ▲  
Dentures  Grapefruit juice  ▲  
Deodorant See medicine and cosmetic pages
Green beans  Kitniyot 
Dessert gels &  Gum (chewing)  ▲
▲    
puddings 
Hair gel   
Detergent 
Hairspray See medicine and cosmetic pages 
Seeds  (Kitniyot) 
Dill  Leaves    Hemp  Kitniyot 

Dishwashing soap    Herbal tea  ▲  

Dog food See pet food pages  Honey  ▲  

Dried fruit  ▲   Raw   
Horseradish Prepared  ▲ 
e‐Cigarette “Juice”  ▲  
Hydrogen peroxide 
Edamame    Kitniyot 
Ice (in bag) 
Cooked or liquid  ▲ 
Eggs Whole and raw (including  Ice cream  ▲  
pasteurized)   
Ices  ▲  
Ensure See nutritional supplement page 

 = Acceptable without Passover Certification   ▲ = Must bear Passover Certification    = Not acceptable for Passover 
 SHOPPING GUIDE – PESACH 2016 

Product Status Notes Product Status Notes

Infant formula See baby formula Mousse (for hair) See medicine and cosmetic pages 

Insecticide
Sprays    Mouthwash See medicine and cosmetic pages 
Some traps contain chametz 
MSG  ▲  
Instant coffee or tea  ▲  
Canned  ▲ 
Invert sugar  ▲  Mushrooms Raw or dried   

Isopropyl alcohol  Mustard  Kitniyot 

Jam  ▲   Nail polish 
Jelly  ▲   Nail polish remover   
Pure frozen concentrated orange  Napkins   
Juice (fruit)  ▲ juice   
Other concentrates  ▲  Non‐dairy creamer  ▲  

K‐Cups  ▲   Nutritional 
Kasha  Kitniyot  supplement (e.g.  See nutritional supplement page 
Ensure)
Ketchup  ▲   Peanuts are kitniyot     
Kimmel  Kitniyot  Pecans (all shelled)  ▲ 
Nuts Other nuts (incl. chopped) are 
Lactaid milk may be used if  acceptable without certification if 
purchased before Pesach   free of BHA and BHT, and not 
Lactaid Chewable pills   blanched, roasted or ground
Non‐chewable pills   
Ointments   
Powder free   
Latex gloves  Powderless or with powder  ▲  
Extra virgin (unflavored)   
Olive oil Other types, including extra light ▲ 
Laundry detergent   
Oil  ▲  
Laxatives  See medicine and cosmetic pages 
Pure frozen orange juice 
Concentrate also requires Pesach  Orange juice  ▲ concentrate does not require 
Lemon juice  ▲ certification   Pesach certification  
Wash rubber bands before placing 
Lentils  Kitniyot  Orthodontics  in mouth
Lip products See medicine and cosmetic pages 
Oven cleaner 
Liqueur  ▲  
Pam  ▲  
Liquid dish detergent  Pans (aluminum) 
Liquid medicines See medicine letter (page 3)  Including bags, napkins, plates, and 

Liquor  ▲   Paper products    wax paper  

May be used for hot or cold 
Requires Passover certification, and 
Listerine PocketPaks   this brand is not certified  Paraffin    

Lotions    Parchment paper  ▲  

Makeup See medicine and cosmetic pages  Peanuts  Kitniyot 

Margarine  ▲   Peas  Kitniyot 

Mascara    Pecans (all shelled) ▲  

Matzah  ▲   Perfume See medicine and cosmetic pages 

Mayonnaise  ▲   Pet food See pet food pages 

Fresh or frozen raw meat in original  Petroleum jelly   
packaging is acceptable, but 
Meat ground, cooked or repacked  Pickles  ▲  
requires Pesach certification 
Pills See medicine letter (page 3) 
Medicine See medicine letter (page 3) 
Pineapple (canned)  ▲  
See separate list of certified milk 

Milk  ▲
producers in the Midwest   Plastic (cutlery, plates) 
If certified is unavailable, buy 
before Pesach  Plastic wrap 
Millet  Kitniyot  Including  paper, plastic and 
Plates  Styrofoam 
Mineral oil  May be used for hot or cold 

Mineral water
Acceptable if it does not contain  Play‐doh  May contain chametz 
carbonation, flavors or vitamins
Polish (for furniture, 
Monosodium  
▲   shoes, or silver)
glutamate 
Pop  ▲  

 = Acceptable without Passover Certification   ▲ = Must bear Passover Certification    = Not acceptable for Passover 
 SHOPPING GUIDE – PESACH 2016 

Product Status Notes Product Status Notes

Popcorn  Kitniyot  String beans  Kitniyot 

Poppy seeds  Kitniyot  Styrofoam 

Potato chips  ▲   Brown sugar and confectionary 
sugar  ▲ 
Fresh or frozen raw poultry in  Sugar Pure, white cane sugar without 
original packaging is acceptable, but 
Poultry ground, cooked or repacked 
additives is acceptable  

requires Pesach certification  Sugar substitute  ▲  

Powdered dish  Sunflower seeds  Kitniyot 


detergent
Suppositories    
Prunes  ▲  
Syrups  ▲  
Not kitniyot; acceptable if raw and 
Pumpkin seeds  without additives  Pure black, green or white tea 
leaves or tea bags are acceptable 
Quinoa is not kitniyot but requires  unless they are flavored, instant or 
Quinoa  ▲ certification to be sure no other 
Tea decaffeinated, in which case they 
grains are mixed in  require certification   
Lipton decaffeinated tea bags    
Raisins   ▲  
Herbal tea  ▲
Kitniyot 
Rice, including wild  Tissues   
 Rice milk may contain chametz; see 
rice milk alternatives page 
Tofu  Kitniyot 
Some have a custom not to use 
Saffron  ▲ saffron for Pesach  Tomato‐based 
▲  
Salads (bagged)  ▲   products 
See www.crcweb.org for updated 
Salmon
Fresh    Toothpaste information 
Canned, frozen or processed ▲
Toothpicks are acceptable unless 
Acceptable without iodine or other  Toothpicks
Salt additives
flavored or colored 
Chewable antacids require Pesach 
Sanitizers (e.g. Purell)  Tums   certification, and this brand is not 
certified for Pesach 
Scouring pads   
Tuna fish (canned)  ▲  
Seltzer  ▲  
Turmeric is not kitniyot 
Sesame seeds  Kitniyot  Turmeric See spices 

Shampoo  Vanilla  ▲   

Shaving lotion See medicine and cosmetic pages  Vaseline   

Sherbet  ▲   Vegetable oil  ▲  

Shortening  ▲   Bagged salads  ▲ 
Canned, cooked or frozen ▲ 
Silver polish  Fresh raw vegetables are acceptable 
Vegetables
if they are not kitniyot (see listing 
Snow peas  Kitniyot 
for individual vegetables) and don’t 
contain additives other than sugar 
Soaps   
Vegetable wash  ▲  
Soda  ▲  
Vinegar  ▲  
Sorbet  ▲  
Vitamins  ▲  
Sorghum   Kitniyot 
Acceptable if it does not contain 
Soup mix  ▲   Water carbonation, flavors or vitamins

Sour tomatoes  ▲   Wax for braces 
Kitniyot  Wax paper   
Soy products  Soy sauce and soy milk may contain 
chametz; see milk alternatives page  Pure sugar without additives is 
White sugar acceptable 
Anise, caraway, coriander seeds, 
cumin, dill seeds, fennel seeds, and  Whitener (for coffee)  ▲  
mustard are kitniyot   
Spices Other spices are acceptable in  Wild rice  Kitniyot 
whole form, but ground spices 
require certification  Wine  ▲  

Splenda  ▲   Wood chips   

Stain remover    Wrap (plastic)   

Stevia  ▲   Yogurt  ▲  

Stick deodorant 

 = Acceptable without Passover Certification   ▲ = Must bear Passover Certification    = Not acceptable for Passover 
 NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM.
THIS YEAR AT THE PARK PLAZA.
We are a people of tradition.
Of faith. Of love.
It’s no wonder why our Seder is so special
as we celebrate with family and friends.
At Park Plaza we celebrate the richness of family and tradition.
Call to arrange a visit and see how wonderful life can be.

6840 N. Sacramento Avenue, Chicago • www.park-plaza.org • 773.465.6700

cRc 2016 Passover
Supervised Products
A note of caution: The label-
ing of the Kosher for Pass-
over status of a product,
varies from product to product.
Please pay attention to the notes
that follow regarding what labeling
Milk and Other Dairy
Products
It is recommended that milk and
milk products sufficient for the full
8 days of Passover should be pur-
chased before the
holiday, as stores
may not have P-16
(meaning “Passover
2016) on the label
or container during
the holiday itself.
The cRc does not
supervise any choc-
Milk
Bareman’s (17-284)
Best Ever (17-101)
Borden (17-37, 17-38)
Centrella (17-37, 17-38)
Clear Value (55-1500)
Country Delight (17-38)
County Market (17-101, 17-284)
Dairy Pure (17-38, 17-38)
Festival (55-1500)
Friendly Farms (17-38)
Glenview Farms (17-101)
Great Value (17-37, 17-38)
46 www.crcweb.org
P-16
each product must bear to indi-
cate that it is Kosher for Passover.
Since we update our informa-
tion as close to Passover as possible,
information included here is only
accurate as of the date of publica-
olate milk, yogurt, or cottage cheese
for Passover. For milk and related
dairy products, nearly all companies
indicate Kosher for Passover status
by stamping P-16 alongside the
“best by” or expiration date. Any
exceptions will be noted in bold
below. We have listed the brands,
along with the plant numbers where
they are produced in parentheses, of
the dairy products the cRc certifies
HyVee (17-101, 17-284)
IGA (17-101)
Jewel (17-37)
Kemp’s (55-1500)
Market Pantry (17-37, 17-38,
55-1500)
Lucerne (17-38)
Mid-West Country Fare (17-101,
17-284)
Piggly Wiggly (17-37)
Prairie Farms (17-101, 17-284,
47-125)
tion of this guide. Please feel free
to check www.crcweb.org or contact
the cRc office closer to Passover,
since changes may have taken place
after publication.
for Passover. In the case of milk,
the cRc logo on the product is not
necessary; as long as the correct
brand, plant number, and P-16 are
present, it is kosher for Passover.
All must bear P-16, except for
the following plants which have
recently come under Star-K cer-
tification and will bear Star-D P
instead of P-16: Plants 17-37,
17-38 and 17-135.
Price First (17-37, 17-38)
Roundy’s (55-1500)
Save-a-Lot (55-1500)
Schnucks (17-101, 17-284)
Sendik’s (55-1500)
Shopper’s Value (17-101, 17-284)
Sentry (17-37)
Trader Joe’s (55-1500)
Trig’s (55-1500)
Wic (17-37)
Wisconsin Farms (55-1500)
 Cheese
*Oneg Cheese when bearing Kosher for Passover
*Schtark Cheese when bearing Kosher for Passover
Half and Half
Dean’s Dairy Pure (17-37) when bearing Star-D P
*Kemp’s (55-1500) when bearing P-16
Meijer (17-37) when bearing Star-D P
*Prairie Farms (17-284) when bearing P-16
Trader Joe’s (55-1500) when bearing P-16
Passover Supervised Products
Beverage Companies
The following are acceptable only when bearing cRc
and P-16:
Coca Cola 2-liter bottles
Diet Coke 2-liter bottles
Pepsi 2-liter bottles
Diet Pepsi 2-liter bottles
Candy, Nuts & Snacks
(The following must be specially labeled Kosher for
Passover cRc)
*Illinois Nut – 847/677-5777
*Zelda’s – 847/679-0033
Coffee
The following are acceptable without special
certification for Passover:
Folgers – unflavored, regular and decaf
Tasters Choice – unflavored, regular – this does
not include decaf
ALL other instant coffee must bear Passover
certification.
Whole Beans and Fresh Ground Beans:
Unflavored plain ground or whole bean coffees
do not need special certification for Passover;
this does not include decaf. Decaf requires
Passover certification.
The following coffees are kosher for
Passover only when bearing the kosher symbol
and the letter P:
Maxim, Maxwell House, Sanka, and
Yuban
www.crcweb.org
Sour Cream
* Daisy Brand (48-0957) Sour Cream & Lite Sour
Cream when bearing Passover 2016
* Dean’s Sour Cream (17-135) when bearing
Star-D P
*Roundy’s Sour Cream (55-851) when bearing P-16
Whipping Cream
Dean’s Dairy Pure (17-37)
Fish, Raw and Smoked
All processed (i.e. breaded, canned, smoked,
pickled, salads, etc.) fish must bear Passover
certification.
Kosher for Passover fish may be purchased at
the following locations:
* Hungarian Kosher Foods – 847/674-8008
* Roberts Fish Market – 773/761-3424
For additional information on fish, see pages 64-65
Fresh Meat and Delicatessen Products
Any fresh or frozen raw meat in original packaging
is acceptable. Ground, cooked, or repacked meat
requires Pesach certification.
cRc certified Kosher for Passover meat includes:
* AD Rosenblatt or Lamm’s:
* Beef – Glatt Kosher Boxed and Packaged Beef
* Lamb – Glatt Kosher Boxed and Packaged Lamb
Griller’s Pride, LLC (only Kosher for Passover
after March 1, 2015)
HaNekudim – Glatt Kosher Boxed Lamb
* Hungarian Kosher Foods
4020 Oakton, Skokie — 847/674-8008
Kohn’s Kosher Produts (only Kosher for Passover
after March 1, 2015)
* These companies have cRc
endorsement throughout the year.
47
 Orange Juice Supermarkets
[bearing the following plant numbers Hungarian Kosher Foods – 847/674-8008
(in parentheses)]
Dierbergs (17-37) when bearing Star-D P Carryout meals will be available from
Marsh (17-37) when bearing Star-D P * Hungarian Kosher Foods – 847/674-8008
Orchard Pure (17-37) when bearing Star-D P
*Roundy’s (55-851) When bearing P-16 Pre-ordered meals and a la carte will be available from:
ValuTime (17-37) when bearing Star-D P * Mizrahi Grill – 847/831/1400
* Zelda’s Kosher Gourmet – 847-647-0033
Resorts
Gateways Organization, Inc.
www.gatewaysonline.org
Kosher Mountain Retreats, KMR Inc.
www.kmrtours.com * These companies have cRc
Weekend Connections endorsement throughout the year.
www.weekendconnections.com

Medicines and Cosmetics

The cRc’s general guidelines on medicines, cosmetics, and toiletries can be found
on page 3 of this guide. The following is a summary of the medicine portion of
those guidelines:

Medicines Guidelines
The cRc’s general guidelines on medicines, cosmetics and toiletries can be found on page 3 of this guide. The
following is a summary of the medicine portion of those guidelines:
 All pill medication – with or without chametz – that one swallows is permitted.
 Rav Schwartz, Shlit”a, has ruled that, as a rule, vitamins do not qualify as medications and are instead
treated as food supplements, which require hashgachah for Passover. If a doctor prescribes a specific
vitamin which does not have Passover supervision, please review your specific situation with your doctor
and Rabbi.
 Liquid and chewable medications that may contain chametz should only be used under the direction of
a doctor and Rabbi, who will judge the severity of the illness, the likelihood that the medicine contains
chametz, and the possibility of substituting a swallowable pill. Important: Do not discontinue use of
liquid, chewable or any other medicine without consulting with your doctor and Rabbi.
 Liquid and chewable medications that contain kitnios may be consumed by someone who is ill.
 For laws of taking medicine on Shabbos and Yom Tov, please consult your Rabbi.

Medicine and Toiletry Details

Items marked “Possible Chametz” contain edible ingredients whose chametz-status we were unable to
determine; these items may be permitted for someone who is seriously ill, and consumers should consult
with their Rabbi.
For an expanded and updated list of products, search www.ASKcRc.org or on our smartphone apps.

48 www.crcweb.org
Allergy
Adwe Allergy Relief (Liquid).................Recommended
Allegra Children’s Liquid Suspension..Possible chametz
Allegra Children’s Orally Disintegrating Tablet
..................................................... Possible chametz
Claritin Children’s Chewable............. Possible chametz
Zyrtec Children’s Allergy Indoor & Outdoor Allergies. Diabetic Tussin Nighttime Cold & Flu Formula
..................................................... Possible chametz
Zyrtec Dissolve Tabs.......................... Possible chametz
Antacid / Digestion / Gas
Adwe Calcium Heartburn Relief...........Recommended
Adwe Ko-Lanta Antacid Anti-gas..........Recommended
Alka Seltzer Alka-Seltzer Xtra Strength
(Effervescent Tablets).................... Possible chametz
Alka Seltzer Original Effervescent Tabs
..................................................... Possible chametz
Culturelle Digestive Health Capsules..Possible chametz
Culturelle Kids Chewables................. Possible chametz
Culturelle Kids Packets..................Not Recommended
Gas-X Extra Strength Chewables Cherry Crème
..................................................... Possible chametz
Gas-X Extra Strength Chewables Peppermint Crème
..................................................... Possible chametz
Gas-X Extra Strength Thin Strips (Meltaway)
..................................................... Possible chametz
Gaviscon Extra Strength Cherry (Chewables)
..................................................... Possible chametz
Gaviscon Extra Strength Original (Chewable)
..................................................... Possible chametz
Imodium AD For Ages 6 & Up Liquid
..................................................... Possible chametz
Imodium AD Liquid......................... Possible chametz
Imodium AD Multisymptom Relief Caplets
........................................................Recommended
Kaopectate Max Peppermint (Liquid)
..................................................... Possible chametz
Kaopectate Vanilla Regular Flavor (Liquid)
..................................................... Possible chametz
Pepcid Complete Berry Flavor Chewables (Dairy)
..................................................... Possible chametz
Pepcid Complete Cool Mint Chewables (Dairy)
..................................................... Possible chametz
Pepto Bismol 5 Symptom Relief Caplets
........................................................Recommended
Pepto Bismol 5 Symptom Relief Cherry (Liquid)
..................................................... Possible chametz
Pepto Bismol 5 Symptom Relief Chewable
..................................................... Possible chametz
Pepto Bismol Children’s Pepto Bubble Gum Flavor
(Chewable)................................... Possible chametz
Pepto Bismol Max Strength............... Possible chametz
Tums (all varieties)............................. Possible chametz
Blush............................................... All are recommended
Body Soap....................................... All are recommended
Cologne
Only recommended if known to be chametz-free
Cough, Cold & Flu
Adwe Cough Syrup Tussin (Liquid)......Recommended
www.crcweb.org
Alka Seltzer Plus Severe Cold & Flu Formula
(Effervescent Tablets).................... Possible chametz
Cold-EEZE Daytime QuickMelts (Meltaway
..................................................... Possible chametz
Cold-EEZE Nighttime QuickMelts (
Quickmelt tablet)......................... Possible chametz
(Liquid)........................................ Possible chametz
Dr Cocoa Nighttime Cough and Cold (Liquid)
.................................................Not Recommended
Dr Cocoa Non-Drowsy Cough (Liquid)
.................................................Not Recommended
Theraflu Multi-Symptom Severe Cold (Packets)
..................................................... Possible chametz
Thera-Flu Nighttime Severe Cold and Cough Powder
(Powder)....................................... Possible chametz
Triaminic Children’s Night Time Cold and Cough
(Liquid)....................................Not Recommended
Triaminic Day Time Cold & Cough Cherry Flavor
(Liquid).................... Chametz (not recommended)
Triaminic Night Time Cough and Cold (Liquid)
.................................................Not Recommended
Tylenol Cold Sore Throat Cool Burst (Liquid)
..................................................... Possible chametz
Vicks Nyquil Children’s Cold and Cough (Liquid)
..................................................... Possible chametz
Vicks Nyquil Liquid Cold and Flu (Liquid)
..................................................... Possible chametz
Zicam Rapid Melt Tablets.................. Possible chametz
Delsym Children’s 12 Hour Cough Liquid
..................................................... Possible chametz
Delsym Children’s 12 Hour Cough Liquid
..................................................... Possible chametz
Delsym Liquid Cough Suppressant
..................................................... Possible chametz
Diabetic Tussin DM Max Strength Cough
Suppressant/Expectorant.............. Possible chametz
Little Remedies Honey Cough Syrup (liquid)
..................................................... Possible chametz
Mucinex Chest Congestion Mini-Melts for Kids
(Dissolving Granules)................... Possible chametz
Vick’s DayQuil Cough (Liquid)......... Possible chametz
Vicks Nyquil Cough (Liquid)............ Possible chametz
Zarbee’s Children’s Nighttime Cough Syrup Grape
Flavor (Liquid)............................. Possible chametz
Zarbee’s Naturals Children’s Cough Syrup (Liquid)
..................................................... Possible chametz
Creams............................................ All are recommended
Deodorant
General Recommendation
Gel.............................................. All are recommended
Liquid................................................. Possible chametz
Spray................................................... Possible chametz
Stick........................................... All are recommended
Specific Products
Arrid Extra Dry XX..............................Recommended
Arrid Extra Extra Dry XX.....................Recommended
Axe Deodorant (most varieties) ......... Possible chametz
49
 Axe White Label Dry Spray Antiperspirant
........................................................Recommended
Degree Antiperspirant Spray.................Recommended
Degree Dry Spray.................................Recommended
Degree Men Dry Spray.........................Recommended
Old Spice Refresh Body Spray............ Possible chametz
Right Guard Sport (original) ................Recommended
Right Guard Sport 3-D Odor Defense..Recommended
Secret Deodorant..................................Recommended
Secret Refresh Body Spray.................. Possible chametz
Fiber Supplements........................................see Laxatives
Face Powder.................................... All are recommended
Fever Reducer / Pain Relief
Adwe Fever-Ex (Liquid)........................Recommended
CVS Extra Strength Pain Relief Adult Liquid
Acetaminophen Rapid Burst (Cherry)
........................................................Recommended
[consult with doctor for children’s dosaging]
Up & Up Children’s Acetaminophen Melty Tabs
(tablet)............................................Recommended
Walgreens Extra Strength Pain Reliever Acetaminophen
(Cherry Flavor) (Liquid)..................Recommended
[consult with doctor for children’s dosaging]
Walgreens Junior Strength Ibuprofen 100 Chewable
Tablets (Orange or Grape flavor).....Recommended
Foot Powder.................................... All are recommended
Gas.......................................... see Antacid/Digestion/Gas
Hairspray and Mousse
Alberto VO5 Hairspray (assorted varieties)
..................................................... Possible chametz
Consort Hairspray for Men................ Possible chametz
Dove Dry Spray....................................Recommended
Dove Hairspray ................................. Possible chametz
Dove Men Care Dry Spray....................Recommended
Dove Mousse........................................Recommended
Herbal Essences Mousse........................Recommended
L’oreal Mousse .....................................Recommended
Matrix Hairspray (assorted varieties)
..................................................... Possible chametz
Pantene Hairspray ............................. Possible chametz
Pantene Mousse ...................................Recommended
Paul Mitchell Hairspray (assorted varieties)
.................................................... Possible chametz
Redken Full Frame 07 Mousse..............Recommended
Redken Hairspray.............................. Possible chametz
Rusk Hairspray ................................. Possible chametz
Sebastian Hairspray ........................... Possible chametz
Suave Hairspray ................................ Possible chametz
Suave Max Hold Mousse.......................Recommended
TRESemme Hairspray ...................... Possible chametz
TRESemme Mousse ............................Recommended
White Rain Hairspray........................ Possible chametz
Indigestion.............................. see Antacid/Digestion/Gas
Laxatives / Fiber Supplements
Benefiber Healthy Shape (Powder)
............................... Chametz (Not Recommended)
Benefiber Powder (powder)
............................... Chametz (Not Recommended)
50 www.crcweb.org
Benefiber Stick Packs (unflavored) (Powder)
............................... Chametz (Not Recommended)
Citrucel Caplets (Caplets).....................Recommended
Dulcolax Suppository (Suppository).....Recommended
Epsom Salt (pure) Generic or Branded versions
(Powder)..........................................Recommended
Ex-Lax Tablets (Tablets)........................Recommended
Fibercon Caplets (Caplet).....................Recommended
Metamucil Original Coarse (Powder)....Recommended
Mineral Oil (pure, liquid).....................Recommended
Miralax Powder (Powder)......................Recommended
Pedia-Lax Suppository (Suppository)....Recommended
Peri-Colase Tablets................................Recommended
Phillips Milk of Magnesia Caplets.........Recommended
Phillips Milk of Magnesia Original Liquid
(unflavored).....................................Recommended
Prunelax Ciruelax Tablets......................Recommended
Senokot Tablets.....................................Recommended
Senokot-S Tablets..................................Recommended
Walgreens Mineral Oil (Liquid)............Recommended
Phillips Milk of Magnesia Fresh Mint (Liquid)
..................................................... Possible chametz
Lipstick
Almay Liquid Lip Balm........................Recommended
Almay Smart Shade Butter Kiss.............Recommended
Bare Minerals Loud and Clear Lipsheer
........................................................Recommended
Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss
........................................................Recommended
Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss-Hypnotist
........................................................Recommended
Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick-Break Away..
........................................................Recommended
Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie- Live Large
........................................................Recommended
Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie- Raise the Bar
........................................................Recommended
Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in Take
Charge.............................................Recommended
Bare Minerals Modern Pop Marvelous Moxie Lipstick
in Dream Big...................................Recommended
Bare Minerals Pop of Passion Lip Oil-Balm
..................................................... Possible chametz
Bare Minerals Pretty Amazing Lipcolor
..................................................... Possible chametz
Bobbie Brown Sheer Lip Color.............Recommended
Bobbie Brown Creamy Lip Color
..................................................... Possible chametz
Bobbie Brown Creamy Matte Lip Color
........................................................Recommended
Bobbie Brown Lip Color.......................Recommended
Bobbie Brown Lip Color in Shimmer Finish
.................................................Not Recommended
Bobbie Brown Rich Lip Color........... Possible chametz
Lancome Color Design Jason Wu Collection Lip
Color...............................................Recommended
Lancome Color Design Sensational Effects
........................................................Recommended
 Lancome Baume In Love......................Recommended
Lancome Color Design Limited Edition
........................................................Recommended
Lancome Color Design Matte Lip Color
........................................................Recommended
Lancome Color Design Matte Lip Crayon
........................................................Recommended
Lancome L’absolu Nu...........................Recommended
Lancome L’absolu Rouge Advanced Replenishing &
Reshaping Lipcolor Pro-Xylane.......Recommended
Lancome L’absolu Rouge Definition.....Recommended
Lancome L’absolu Rouge Long-Wear Advanced
Replenishing & Reshaping Lipcolor
........................................................Recommended
Lancome L’absolu Velours ....................Recommended
Lancome Rouge In Love.......................Recommended
Lancome Shine Lover............................Recommended
L’oreal Colour Caresse Wet Shine Stain
..................................................... Possible chametz
L’oreal Colour Riche Collection Exclusive Red
Lipcolor...........................................Recommended
L’oreal Colour Riche Le Gloss...............Recommended
L’oreal Colour Riche Lipcolour ............Recommended
L’oreal Extraordinaire By Colour Riche.Recommended
L’oreal Infallible 8 Hr Le Gloss.............Recommended
L’oreal Infallible 8 Hr Plumping Gloss
..................................................... Possible chametz
L’oreal Infallible Le Rouge.....................Recommended
L’oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Gloss..........Recommended
Revlon Colorstay Overtime Lipcolor Basecoat
........................................................Recommended
Revlon Colorstay Overtime Lipcolor Topcoat
........................................................Recommended
Revlon Colorstay Ultimate Suede Lipstick
........................................................Recommended
Revlon Just Bitten Lip Balm.................Recommended
Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain ............... Possible chametz
Revlon Super Lustrous High Shine Lipstick
........................................................Recommended
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick Cream..Recommended
Revlon Super Lustrous Matte................Recommended
Revlon Super Lustrous Pearl..................Recommended
Lotions............................................ All are recommended
Mascara........................................... All are recommended
Miscellaneous
Asthma Inhalers, all types (Liquid Vapor)
........................................................Recommended
Bayer Low Dose Baby Aspirin Chewables
..................................................... Possible chametz
Bonine Bonine Complete Raspberry Flavored
(Chewable)...................... (Dairy) Possible chametz
Castor Oil (pure, liquid).......................Recommended
Chapstick Active...................................Recommended
Chapstick Classic Original....................Recommended
Chapstick Moisturizer...........................Recommended
Citrus Magic Air Freshener ..................Recommended
Crest 3D White Whitestrips 1 Hour Express
........................................................Recommended
www.crcweb.org
Dramamine Chewables Orange Flavor
..................................................... Possible chametz
Femcon Fe (brown and white pills) (chewable tablet
(Dairy)......................................... Possible chametz
Fixodent Extra Hold (Powder)..............Recommended
Fixodent Food Seal (Gel)................... Possible chametz
Fixodent Free (Gel)...............................Recommended
Fixodent Original (Gel)........................Recommended
FlavorX (assorted flavors) (liquid)...... Possible chametz
Floss, flavored.................................... Possible chametz
Floss, unflavored...................................Recommended
Lip Balm Assorted................................Recommended
Listerine PocketPaks Assorted varieties
(Dissolving strip)......................Not Recommended
NoDoz Alertness Aid (Pill)...................Recommended
Polident 3 Minute (Tablet)................ Possible chametz
Polident Overnight Whitening (Tablet)
..................................................... Possible chametz
Polygrip Free (Gel)................................Recommended
Polygrip Original (Gel).........................Recommended
Vivarin (Tablet)....................................Recommended
Mouth Pain Relief
Abreva Gel............................................Recommended
Orajel Mouth Sores Triple Medicated (Gel)
........................................................Recommended
Anbesol Maximum Strength Liquid
..................................................... Possible chametz
Kanka Mouth-pain Liquid................. Possible chametz
Orajel Maximum Strength Toothache (Gel)
..................................................... Possible chametz
Mousse..................................... see Hairspray and Mousse
Mouthwash
Only recommended if known to be Chametz-free
Nail Polish....................................... All are recommended
Ointments....................................... All are recommended
Perfume
Only recommended if known to be Chametz-free
Shampoo......................................... All are recommended
Shaving cream
Cream......................................... All are recommended
Gels............................................ All are recommended
Liquid................................................ Possible chametz
Lotion......................................... All are recommended
Sleep Aids
Unisom PM Pain SleepCap (Caplet).....Recommended
Unisom SleepTab (Tablet).....................Recommended
Unisom QuickMelts (Meltaway)........ Possible chametz
Vicks ZzzQuil Liquid........................ Possible chametz
Toothpaste
Only recommended if known to be Chametz-free
Vitamins...........................................See Guidelines above
Wipes
Only recommended if free of ethyl alcohol, a.k.a.
SD Alcohol (many are)
Huggies Baby Wipes (assorted varieties)
.......................................................Recommended
Pampers Baby Wipes (assorted varieties)
........................................................Recommended
51
Nutritional Supplements & Infant
Formula for Passover 2016
T he OU has researched the following nutritional supplements and infant formulas and determined that
they are respectively suitable for someone who is infirm (choleh she’ain bo sakanah) and for infants, when
bearing the OU logo.*

Nutritional Supplements:  Promote with Fiber Infant Formula

Arginaid is not recommended 365 Everyday Value
Arginaid Extra Pulmocare Ameribella
Benecalorie Resource 2.0 America’s Choice for Baby
Beneprotein Resource Dairy Thick Babies R US
Boost Glucose Control Resource Diabetic Baby Basics
Boost High Protein Resource Milk Shake Mix Baby’s Choice
Boost Nutritional Pudding Resource Thicken Up Baby’s Only Organic
Boost Plus Resource Thickened Juice Bear Essentials
Diabetishield Resource Shake Plus Belacta
Enlive Simply Thick Belacta Premium
Ensure Complete Nutrition Shake Thick & Easy (all) BelactaSure
Ensure Healthy Mom Shake Thick-It Berkley & Jensen
Ensure High Calcium Shake Vivonex Pediatric Bright Beginnings
Ensure High Protein Shake Vivonex Plus Cottontails
Ensure HN Vivonex Ten CVS
Ensure Homemade Shake Daily Source
Ensure Plus Pediatric Supplements Discount Drug Mart
Ensure Plus HN Boost Kid Essentials Earth’s Best
Ensure Plus Next Generation Boost Kid Essentials with Fiber EnfaCare
Ensure Shake D-Vi-Sol Enfalac
Ensure TwoCal Enfamil 5% Glucose Water Enfamil
Fibersource HN Fer-In-Sol Drops Enfapro
Glucerna Poly-Vi-Sol Drops Food Lion
Glucerna 1.0 Tri-Vi-Sol Drops Full Circle
 Glucerna 1.2 & 1.5 Resource Just for Kids with Fiber Fulton Street Market
are not recommended Pediasure Peptide Gerber Good Start
Jevity 1.0 Pediasure Vanilla Powder Giant
 Jevity 1.2 & 1.5 Pediasure Shakes Giant Eagle Baby
are not recommended Hannaford
Liquid Diabetisource AC Pediatric Electrolytes H-E-B
Liquid Fibersource HN Bright Beginnings Heinz Nurture
Liquid Isosource Comforts for Baby Home 360 Baby
Liquid Isosource HN with Fiber Cottontails Hy-Vee
Nepro CVS Pharmacy Isomil
Nepro Vanilla Goodness Kirkland Signature
Nepro with Carb Steady Flavored H-E-B Baby Kuddles
Novasource Renal Home 360 Baby Laura Lynn
Nutren (Product line) Meijer Life Brand
Nutrisource Benefiber Mom to Mom Little Ones
Osmolite 1.0, 1.2 and 1.5 Naturalyte Meijer Baby
Osmolite HN (unflavored) ShopRite Member’s Mark
Perative Parent’s Choice Mom to Mom
Promote (except Promote with Top Care Moo Moo Buckaroo
fiber) Walgreen’s Mother’s Choice
Western Family My Organic Baby

52 www.crcweb.org
 Nature’s Place Publix Tippy toes by TopCare
Nestle Good Start Rite Aid - Tugaboos Top Care
Next Step Shopko Topco
NutraEnfant Similac Up & Up
O Organic Baby Simply Right Vermont Organics
Parent’s Choice Stop & Shop Walgreens
Premier Value Sunrise Wegmans
President’s Choice Supervalu Well Beginnings
Price Chopper Target Western Family

* Most of these products contain kitnios, and for some that is the primary ingredient. With the exception of the flavors used,
any item which might be chametz-based is used in such small proportions that it is batel b’shishim (nullified). Where possible, it
is preferred to (a) use a substitute which is certified for Pesach, and (b) use a liquid supplement instead of a powdered one.

Milk Substitutes for Passover 2016

T he OU has researched the following milk substitutes and determined that they do not contain chametz,
and are kosher when bearing the OU symbol. However, the (a) soy and rice milks are kitnios-based,
and the almond milks may also contain kitnios and (b) may contain other ingredients which are only
appropriate on Pesach for people with specific health needs. Accordingly, these items should only be used after
consultation with one’s Rabbi who will determine if and how it is appropriate for a given person to use them.

Almond Milk – Original only Coconut Milk – Original Only Fit & Active
365 Everyday Value Coconut Dream Fresh & Easy Soysense
Almond Breeze (Original) Giant
Almond Breeze Unsweetened Rice Milk – Original only Green Way
Almondsense Full Circle Harris Teeter Naturals Organic
Essential Everyday Harris Teeter Harvest Farms
Fred Meyer Hy-Vee Hy-Vee
Fresh & Easy Market Basket Enriched Market Basket, Unsweetened
Friendly Farms Meijer Meijer
Full Circle Nature’s Place Natural Directions Organic
H-E-B Nature’s Promise Enriched Nature’s Place
Hy-Vee Price Chopper Enriched Nature’s Promise Organic
Laura Lynn Rice Dream Enriched O Organics
Market Basket Unsweetened Original Shop Rite Organic
Meijer RiceSense Enriched Shop Rite
Natural Directions Shop Rite Smart Menu Organic
Nature’s Place Wild Harvest Enriched Soy Dream
Price Chopper Stop & Shop
Roundy’s Soy Milk – Original only Western Family Aseptic
Shop Rite 365 Everyday Value (Original, Winn-Dixie Organic
Sunnyside Farms Light, and Unsweetened)
Tree of Life Best Choice Clearly Organic
Winn-Dixie Fit & Active Organic

www.crcweb.org 53
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Howard Kaplan
President
601 North Milwaukee Ave
Wheeling, IL 60090
847.777.6500

847-982-9755 or 773-509-9755

8038 N. Central Park, Skokie, IL 60076

 A T   T H E   H E A R T   O F   I N DE P E N D E N T   L I V I N G   F O R   J E W I S H   A D U L T S   W I T H   S P E C I A L   NE E D S  

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Pesach FAQs
T
Food
he following are answers to questions posed to the cRc by consumers. A more complete list of FAQs can
be found on the cRc website at www.crcweb.org.
Brown Sugar
Genuine brown sugar is a
precursor to white sugar and
does not require special Pesach
certification. However, nowadays
much of the brown sugar sold
in the market is actually white
sugar which is colored brown
with molasses or caramel color,
and those two ingredients
are potentially not acceptable
for Pesach (for reasons that
are beyond the scope of this
document). Additionally, in
some brown sugar, the process
begins with an enzymatic
“inversion” of the sugar. For
these reasons, we recommend that
consumers only purchase brown
sugar that is certified for Pesach.
Gluten-Free Foods
People who are celiac or otherwise
choose to avoid gluten will
not eat items that
contain wheat,
rye, spelt, and
barley, and at
first glance it
would seem that
anything labeled
gluten-free is
automatically
suitable for
Pesach. The
simplest reasons
why this is not
accurate are that
(a) oats can be gluten-free, yet
oats mixed with water is chametz,
56 www.crcweb.org
and (b) corn, rice, and beans are
all gluten-free but are not eaten
by Ashkenazic Jews due to the
custom of avoiding kitnios.
In addition, in order to qualify as
gluten-free, the FDA requires that
the product be shown to contain
less than 20 ppm of gluten.
This may be an appropriate
standard for people suffering
from celiac but such tests will
not show whether the product
was produced on hot equipment
used for chametz/gluten (which
was not kashered) or whether
the gluten-free products had
incidental contact with gluten-
containing grains during transit
or processing. Such issues have
been observed by Mashgichim
overseeing kashrus for items
claiming to be gluten-free.
However, there is a more
fundamental reason why
gluten-free products
are not necessarily
acceptable for
Pesach: the
standards for
gluten-free and
chametz-free are
not the same! The
term “gluten” is
used to refer to
specific proteins
(gliadin, hordein,
and secalin) found
in certain grains and any item
free of those proteins can be
labeled gluten-free. Of course,
these grains also have other
components such as starch
which may be gluten-free but are
most definitely chametz. Thus,
for example, in some countries
wheat starch which is converted
into glucose, later becomes
alcohol, and finally ferments into
vinegar, may be labeled “gluten
free” yet the product is clearly
not suitable for Pesach. A real-
life example of this is Benefiber
powder which is made of pure
wheat dextrin and is chametz but
since it is free of wheat protein
it is labeled as being gluten-free
(see http://bit.ly/1ckR3ng).
Similarly, Scotch whisky is made
of malted barley and is surely
chametz, yet the Scotch Whisky
Association proudly reports that
it is acceptable for coeliacs (the
English spelling of celiac) (see
question #90 at http://bit.ly/
HiBrG5). These examples reflect
the fact that the standard for
gluten-free is not the same as the
halacha’s standard of chametz-free.
Accordingly, we recommend that
people wishing to purchase food
for Pesach check that the item
is certified as being kosher for
Pesach and not merely rely on a
company’s gluten-free claim.
Medical
Chewing a Pill
A person who has difficulty
swallowing pills/tablets may
choose to chew it. [Check with
your doctor that this is medically
advised.]
Coated Pills
Most pills which one swallows
are coated with a glaze, wax or
shellac which makes the pills
easier to swallow, and some of
these coatings have some form
of simple sugar (e.g. sucrose)
mixed in to make it even more
pleasant to swallow the pill.
None of these ingredients pose a
Pesach concern. Once in a while
a pill is coated with sweeteners
which are Pesach sensitive (e.g.
sorbitol) or which contain a
flavor; such items would be listed
as one of the inactive ingredients,
and we would not recommend
those for Pesach. [This occurs
so infrequently that our general
recommendation remains that all
pills are permitted.]
An example of this issue is the
Advil brand family of tablets.
The (inactive) ingredient panel of
the standard Advil tablets shows
that they contain pharmaceutical
glaze (i.e. shellac) and sucralose,
and one who swallows an Advil
pill notices that they have a more
pleasant/sweet taste than pills
coated with a non-sweetened
coating. These do not pose a
Passover concern. However, the
ingredient panel on the “Film-
Coated” Advil tablets indicates
that its coating contains a flavor,
and that variety is therefore not
recommended.
Colonoscopy
The primary solutions used
to flush the patient’s colon in
preparation for a colonoscopy
are polyethylene glycol based
(e.g. GoLYTELY, NuLYTELY,
MiraLAX). The ingredients
used in the unflavored versions
of both of these solutions do not
pose any Pesach concern and may
be consumed on Pesach. These
solutions are also available pre-
flavored or with a “flavor pack”
that one adds to the solution, and
these are not recommended for
Pesach.
In recent years, another option
has become available – sodium
phosphate tablets (e.g. Osmo-
Prep, Visicol). As with all
other inedible tablets which
are swallowed (as opposed to
chewed), these tables may be used
on Pesach regardless of which
ingredients they contain.
If someone is unable to drink
the unflavored solution, and
their doctor recommends that
they not use the tablets, they
should consult their Rabbi and
doctor as to whether they may
take the flavored solution and/
or reschedule the procedure for
before or after Pesach.
Diabetes
At the Seder one is required to
consume large quantities of
carbs, such as wine and matzah,
which poses a unique challenge
for diabetics. An excellent and
thorough guide for this has been
written by Rabbi Hirsch Meisels
of the “Friends with Diabetes”
website. The English version of
the guide is available at http://
friendswithdiabetes.org/files/
pdf/Pesachenglish.pdf, and that
website also has other resources
for Jewish diabetics. We have not
reviewed the medical and halachic
advice provided by those guides
www.crcweb.org
and recommend you discuss the
details with your doctor and
Rabbi.
Intravenous
Someone who must be
hospitalized on Pesach may allow
him or herself to be given any
intravenous fluid because (a) it is
unlikely that they contain chametz
and (b) even if it did, there is
halachic rationale to permit
any incapacitated person (even
without a condition as serious as
yours) to use it.
Kashering
Barbeque Grill
The grates of a barbeque
grill must be kashered with
libun gamur, which is not
recommended for the average
consumer. If a person purchases
separate grates for Pesach, the
rest of the grill can be kashered
with libun kal, which can be
accomplished relatively easily, as
follows:
If the grill comes with a cover,
light the grill with coals or gas,
close the cover, and allow it to
burn on its highest setting (or
filled with a considerable amount
of coal) for an hour. If the grill
does not have a cover, follow
the same procedure, but make
sure that all surfaces of the grill
are covered with coals. As with
all items being kashered, it is
crucial that the grill be cleaned
thoroughly of all food residue,
which is often a particular
difficulty in a barbeque grill. In
fact, if the grill has too many
holes, cracks, and crevices where
food may get trapped, one should
refrain from kashering the grill at
all.
57
 Braces
We have been told by
orthodontists that [for those
people who do not have a water-
flosser (e.g. Waterpik)] the best
way to clean braces is to use a
Proxa “proxa brush” which has a narrow
Brush
bristled end that fits between the
different wires and brackets. It
is an inexpensive and effective
tool for removing all residue
from braces and other dental
appliances.
Counter
Shulchan Aruch 451:20 says that
tables should be kashered via irui
kli rishon. However, Mishnah
Berurah 451:114 questions this
ruling because occasionally a hot
davar gush (solid food) of chametz
might be placed onto the table,
and we are machmir for those
opinions that davar gush has the
status of a kli rishon such that irui
kli rishon would not be a sufficient
kashering. Based on this question,
Mishnah Berurah recommends
that tables be kashered via irui kli
rishon using an even m’lubenes so
as to bring the level of kashering
closer to that of a true kli rishon.
Based on this, you may wonder
why our kashering guide says that
a table can be kashered via a mere
irui kli rishon and makes no note
of an even m’lubenes. The answer
requires a deeper understanding
of the halacha of “rov tashmisho”,
as follows:
Shulchan Aruch 451:6 rules that –
if a utensil is aino ben yomo – the
method of kashering is determined
by looking at the primary way
the utensil is used (rov tashmisho)
such that a table can be kashered
via irui kli rishon because the
primary use of the table is not for
58 www.crcweb.org
a hot davar gush. Rema agrees
that the letter of the law follows
Shulchan Aruch’s ruling, but
says that the Ashkenazic custom
is to be machmir and choose a
method of kashering that even
suffices for the secondary uses
(miut tashmisho) of the utensil.
Accordingly, in the case of a table
irui kli rishon is not sufficient,
and that is the basis for Mishnah
Berurah’s question. Since it is
merely a chumrah to be concerned
with miut tashmisho, one is not
required to follow that chumrah
in cases of b’dieved (as noted in
the aforementioned Mishnah
Berurah and in Rema 451:6) or
in cases where that will mean it
is impossible to kasher the utensil
(see Sha’ar HaTziun 451:51, based
in essence on the ruling of Rema
YD 121:5).
Accordingly, if one were able
to kasher their table or counter
via irui kli rishon with an even
m’lubenes that would be the best
way to kasher it, and in fact there
are some people who do this.
However, for most of the public
this suggestion is impractical
due to the (a) inability of many
surfaces to withstand such heat
and (b) the difficulty in properly
using an even m’lubenes over
a large surface. Therefore, we
treat this situation as one where
kashering based on miut tashmisho
will mean that it is impossible
to kasher the utensil, and rely on
the letter of the law that one may
kasher based on rov tashmisho (i.e.
irui kli rishon without an even
m’lubenes).
Counter Covers
Some people have Formica-type
covers professionally made to
cover their counters for Pesach.
Standard Formica is made of a
very thin layer of laminate/plastic
glued to a thick piece of wood,
and the special Pesach covers are
made from the same laminate
glued to a thin piece of wood (to
make it easier to maneuver and
save from year to year).
Dishwasher
The first step in kashering any
item is to remove all residual
chametz. With this in mind,
Rema 451:18 rules that any
utensil which has small cracks
and crevices where food might get
trapped should not be kashered for
Pesach because of the difficulty in
getting the utensil perfectly clean.
Our guide presents the position
of our Posek, Rav Schwartz, who
holds that the racks, silverware
holder, and drain/filter areas of a
dishwasher are classic examples
of Rema’s ruling; since there is a
concern that food might be left in
these areas, a dishwasher cannot
be kashered for Pesach. Others
hold that Rema’s ruling is limited
to strainers and other items that
(a) have smaller and many more
holes and (b) come in direct
contact with Pesach food.
Granite
It is well established that stone
can be kashered (see Shulchan
Aruch 451:8), and one would
therefore imagine that all Rabbis
would agree that granite can
be kashered. However, granite
is commonly sealed with a
synthetic coating so as to prevent
staining, and there is a difference
of opinion as to whether that
coating can be kashered. Some
Rabbis follow the opinion that
synthetic materials cannot be
 kashered
and,
therefore,
rule that sealed-
granite cannot
be kashered. [A
subset
of this
group
is that
some
Rabbis
follow this
s t r i c t opinion for Pesach
but not when kashering from non-
kosher to kosher.] The cRc and
most other hashgochos accept the
lenient opinion that synthetics
may be kashered and therefore our
Pesach Guide provides directions
for how granite and other sealed
stone surfaces can be kashered.
For more on the question of
whether synthetics can be
kashered, you may want to see
Iggeros Moshe OC 2:92 & 3:58,
Tzitz Eliezer 4:6:c, and Minchas
Yitzchok 3:67.
Kedairah Blech
A kedairah blech can be kashered
with hag’alah. [Although people
may put dry chametz foods
(e.g. challah) directly onto the
kedairah blech, the blech’s pan
is filled with water and therefore
libun gamur is not required.]
The kedairah blech, a.k.a. the
“un-blech”, has two parts, a pan
and a cover. The first step is
to clean the pan and the cover
thoroughly, and not use them
for 24 hours. The pan should
then be kashered by filling it
with water and bringing that
water to a rolling boil. The top
of the cover (i.e. the side which
comes in contact with the pots)
must be submerged into boiling
water. One possible way to do
this would be by placing the cover
upside down in the pan as
it is filled with water,
which is brought to a
rolling boil (as described
above).
Mouth Guard
A mouth guard used year-round
at night (i.e., a nocturnal bite
plate) can be used for Pesach after
it is thoroughly cleaned with a
brush and soap.
Rotisserie
Although the spits, poles, and
skewers in a rotisserie oven can
be kashered with libun kal from
kosher meat to pareve, the same
procedure cannot be used when
kashering from chametz to Pesach.
In this regard, the kashering
requirement after chametz is
stricter than after kosher meat,
because chametz is a forbidden
item (issurah), (albeit only for 8
days a year), while kosher meat
is inherently kosher/permitted
(hetairah). Accordingly, although
libun kal suffices when kashering
between kosher meat and pareve,
a more intensive libun gamur is
required to kasher the skewers
from chametz use for Pesach. [The
rest of the rotisserie chamber,
can be kashered with libun kal
www.crcweb.org
regardless of whether it was used
for kosher, non-kosher, chametz or
anything else].
Sink Insert
Porcelain sinks cannot be
kashered, and therefore they can
only be used on Pesach with a
bowl-like “insert” put into the
sink. The insert does not have to
cover all interior surfaces of the
sink but you should be careful
to never put Pesach food, Pesach
dishes, or any hot liquids into the
space between the insert and the
sink.
Urn
Rav Schwartz ruled that an
electric urn which is not brought
to the table during the year,
is never used for anything but
heating hot water, and is not
washed with chametz items,
may be used for Pesach without
kashering. If it is small enough to
be brought to the table, is used
to heat other beverages, it is ever
used to warm challah or other
food on top of it for Shabbos,
or it is cleaned with vinegar (to
remove calcium buildup) or with
the chametz dishes, then it should
not be used for Pesach without
kashering.
Water Filter
A Brita pitcher used year-round
should be cleaned well on the
inside and outside because it
is used at meals where chametz
is served. It would also be
commendable to use a new filter
cartridge for Pesach. [Placing
your “chametz” cartridge in water
for Pesach will allow you to reuse
it after Pesach.] There is no need
for a hot kashering of the pitcher.
59
Passover Foods
for Your Pets
O n Pesach, a Jewish person may not eat, own, or derive benefit from chametz which is fit for human or
canine consumption, and owning chametz pet food to feed to an animal (even if the animal belongs to
someone else or is ownerless) is a violation of the latter two of those restrictions. While Ashkenazic Jews
have a custom to not eat kitnios, they may own and derive benefit from them. To benefit pet owners, the cRc
“certifies” certain varieties of pet food for Pesach, which means that we visit the factory to determine which for-
mulas are chametz-free, relieving the consumer of that responsibility. However, if no certified (or recommended)
pet food is available, the consumer would have to carefully read the ingredient panel to determine whether a
specific product contains any chametz (and many, in fact, do). A complete list of possible pet food ingredients
is beyond the scope of this guide; however the following are a few pointers when reading the ingredient panel.
If an ingredient does not appear in the following, it may still be chametz or chametz-sensitive.
1. In addition to checking for the five chametz grains – wheat, barley, rye, oats, and spelt – also look for brewer’s
yeast (a common flavoring agent, which is chametz), malt (a barley-based sweetener), pasta, xanthan gum
(a thickener which may be fermented from chametz), and other generic terms which may refer to a chametz
ingredient (e.g. flour, gluten, middlings, starch, et al).
2. Many varieties of animal feed contain a multitude of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, some of which
may well be chametz, and there is no realistic way for a consumer to determine which of them are problem-
atic. However, the good news is that vitamins comprise such a small percentage of the animal food that they
are batel. Therefore, it is generally accepted that if the animal food was created before Pesach, it may be used
on Pesach.
3. Some common ingredients used in pet food which do not pose a Pesach concern are:
a. Animal, poultry and fish products.
b. Vegetables, such as alfalfa, asparagus, beets, and carrots.
c. Assorted kitnios foods, such as buckwheat, corn products, lentils, millet, peas, rice, peanuts, sunflower
seeds, and soy products.
d. Other items, such as barley grass, BHA, BHT, carrageenan, cellulose, colors, eggs, gums (other than
xanthan gum), kelp, lactose, linseed, milk products, molasses, oils, psyllium, and whey.
By no means do these pointers cover all of the ingredients used in pet food, and you might want to be in touch
with a kashrus professional if you are unsure about any of the other ingredients in a given pet food.

T he following is a list of pet foods approved for Passover 2016. Make sure to check all labels. A product
listing both meat and dairy ingredients may not be used any time during the year. Feed available at zoos
is often chametz and should not be purchased or fed to the animals on Pesach. After Pesach, pet food
with chametz may be purchased only from stores which are non-Jewish owned (e.g. Petsmart, Petco) or Jewish
owned but have sold their chametz.

NOTE: Mixes sold in stores often contain chametz. It is advisable to mix regular and Pesach food together one to
two weeks before Pesach before switching completely to Pesach food. The ratio of regular and Pesach food should
be changed slowly to get the animal used to the new diet. Check with your veterinarian before changing diet.

One may feed his pet any of the following items:

CATS: Evanger’s: Beef Tips with Gravy; Chicken Dinner; Freeze-Dried Beef Liver; Freeze-Dried Beef
Tripe; Freeze-Dried Wild Salmon; Wild Salmon.

60 www.crcweb.org
 There may be varieties of other name brand pet foods, such as Prescription Diet and Sci-
ence Diet, which may be chametz-free. Consumers are urged to check all labels for cha-
metz and/or chametz-sensitive ingredients as listed in the introductory paragraph above.

DOGS: Evanger’s: :100% Beef (6 oz, 13 oz); 100% Buffalo; 100% Chicken (13 oz,
22 oz); 100% Duck; 100% Organic Chicken; 100% Organic Turkey with Potatoes
and Carrots; 100% Pheasant; 100% Sweet Potato; All Natural Beef Liver Chunks;
Beef with Chicken; Beef, Chicken, & Liver; Beef Chunks Dinner in Gravy; Beef
Dinner; Braised Beef Chunks with Gravy; Catch of the Day; Chicken Chunks
Dinner in Gravy; Cooked Chicken: Duck and Sweet Potatoes Dinner; Freeze-Dried Beef Liver;
Freeze-Dried Beef Tripe; Freeze-Dried Wild Salmon; Hunk of Beef; Lamb and Rice Dinner; Lamb
Chunks Dinner in Gravy; Senior Dinner; Turkey Chunks Dinner in Gravy; Whole Chicken
Thighs; Wild Salmon.

There may be varieties of other name brand pet foods, such as Prescription Diet and Science Diet,
which may be chametz-free. Consumers are urged to check all labels for chametz and/or chametz-
sensitive ingredients as listed in the introductory paragraph above.

FISH: Fish food, including pyramid feeders, and vacation blocks often have chametz. Goldfish and tropi-
cal fish can be given tubular worms, frozen brine shrimp, and freeze-dried worms (if they do not
contain fillers).
BIRDS (PARROTS, PARAKEETS, COCKATIELS, MACAWS):
• Millet, sorghum, wild bird food (check for chametz ingredients) as main diet.
• Peanuts, sunflower seeds, and safflower seeds can be given.
• Larger birds, such as parrots, can eat pure alfalfa pellets (make sure it is pure alfalfa since it is com-
mon to add grains) or dry dog food (see above for list).
• Smaller birds can also eat pure alfalfa pellets – crush before feeding.
• Can supplement with sliced grapes, cottage cheese, rice cakes (birds like these), small pieces of lean
meat, matza, berries, eggs, canned baby fruits. All large food should be shredded before serving.
These items should be given sparingly.
• For minerals, can have oyster shells (calcium) or mineral block such as Kaytee Tropical Fruit Mineral
Block Treat.
• The greater the variety, the better.
HAMSTERS, GUINEA PIGS, GERBILS & RABBITS:
• Best to feed pure alfalfa pellets. Make sure it is pure alfalfa since it is common to add grains. Dried
alfalfa may also be given.
• Can supplement with mixture of cut-up fruits and vegetables - carrots, grapes, apples, melon, kale,
parsley, oranges, celery, dry corn, sunflower seeds, or cabbage. Can also give some matza. If not
accustomed to these items, give sparingly.
• Guinea pigs will especially benefit from kale, parsley, and oranges.
• Hamsters will especially benefit from apples.
• Guinea pigs need vitamin C added to diet.
LIZARDS:
Be aware that mealworms, which as living creatures are not chametz, are commonly sold in a bed of
wheat flakes or oatmeal, which is chametz and, therefore, may not be owned or used on Passover.
Live crickets are permissible. Whole insects (live or dead) with no additives or other ingredients are
permissible.

www.crcweb.org 61
 This PASSOVER, don’t forget your pets!
Evanger’s is the only pet food plant that is endorsed by the
cRc for Passover – to make feeding your dogs, cats and
ferrets during the holidays simple and convenient.

08-06-14
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Available exclusively at independent pet stores.
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The Kashrus Status of Raw
Fish on Pesach
Rabbi Sholem Fishbane
Kashruth Administrator
O f the many food items that
grace our Shabbos and Yom
Tov tables, almost nothing
can spoil faster than fish. Even when
the fish is no longer oif de velt, the
enzymes that helped transfer the
essential sugars and amino acids
from the live fish’s lunch to its mus-
cles do not die with the fish. These
active enzymes rapidly bring out
self-digestion, affecting the flavor,
texture, and appearance of
the fish.
To this end,
the customer
is gener-
ally careful
to only
p u rc h a s e
healthy
a n d
whole-
some-
looking fish.
Manufacturers of
frozen fish have developed some
innovative methods to keep their
final product appealing, despite the
natural obstacles they face. “Blast
freezing” and “glazing” have been
proven to be the best methods for
preserving fish to maintain the
attractive look and feel of fresh fish.
“Blast freezing” means to flash
freeze the fish at minus 25º Fahren-
heit, which instantly stops the aging
64 www.crcweb.org
of the fish. The fish does not regain
its natural aging until it is thawed
by the processor who converts it to
individual packaging, or your local
fish store who thaws and fillets it,
or places it whole on a bed of ice.
Before the blast freezing, many
manufacturers glaze the fish by
dipping each fish in an ice water
solution, which protects the
fish from dehydration
while in
cold storage.
Some man-
ufacturers
glaze with
pure ice water, while oth-
ers add salt, sugar, or corn syrup
solids to the water. One popular
salmon company that adds both salt
and corn syrup granules explained
that the “salt softens the glaze to
keep chipping from occurring, and
the soluble corn syrup adds viscosity
for better adherence”. In simpler
terms, the corn syrup makes the
glaze freeze evenly and assists in
binding the ice to the fish. Aside
from helping prevent “freezer burn,”
the glaze also acts as a barrier so that
the fish do not stick to each other.
For those that do not eat kitni-
yos on Pesach, the question arises as
to whether one should be concerned
when purchasing raw fish that the
fish may have some corn syrup resi-
due. To answer this, we need to delve
further into the glazing process. In
order to thaw frozen fish so that it
appears as if it was caught that very
morning, the purveyor must take
special care to do so properly. Rapid
thawing causes the cell walls of the
fish to burst, resulting in loss of
moisture and damaged
fish. This means that
improper thawing
can result in dry-
ness, off flavors, or
even spoiling of the
fish. Therefore, it is not
recommended to thaw the fish
via heat, but to slowly thaw it in
cold water. Many processors thaw
the glazed fish in a large vat of cold
water, with air circulating through
it. As the fish thaw, the water slowly
takes in the melted corn syrup glaze.
Luckily, the fish do not sit in the vat
for more than 24 hours, so there is
no issue of kovush, however, there
is a slight residue of corn syrup that
 remains on the fish.
We at the cRc have done exten-
sive research on this issue by visit-
ing cRc-certified manufacturers,
contacting other manufacturers,
contacting other mashgichim, and
last but not least, by sending ran-
dom fish samples for lab testing.
Our research has shown that corn
syrup glaze is primarily used only on
Alaskan Wild Salmon. The fishing
season is so short in Alaska that they
need superior methods of freezing
and shipping to preserve the quality
of the fish for the rest of the year.
Indeed, we have found that salmon
coming from Chile does not have
Instructional videos for Passover and more...
http://www.crcweb.org/videos.php
these issues, as they are only glazing
with salt water.
In truth, even the fish that is
glazed with corn syrup is 100%
permissible to eat on Pesach, as
the amount of corn syrup added
is always well below the shiur of
bitul, which for kitniyos is bitul
b’rov (Rema 453:1 as per Mishnah
Berurah 453:9.). However, as with
many items in kashrus – and spe-
cifically on Pesach - many people
would rather not consume items
that need an article such as this to
explain why it is acceptable to eat.
They would rather buy something
that has no shailos to start off with –
www.crcweb.org
even though the product in question
is 100% permissible to eat according
to halacha.
For those that would like to
avoid such fish, as previously men-
tioned, you are safe if you choose the
Chilean salmon, or fresh fish in the
market. When you see fish in the gro-
cery store labeled “previously frozen”,
but it is unfrozen in the refrigerator
section, it usually means the whole
fish has been thawed, either by a
processor or by the grocery chain’s
seafood preparation area. These may
have been glazed with the corn syrup,
although it is botul.
65
Chametz after Pesach
Rabbi Dovid Cohen
Administrative Rabbinic Coordinator
A fter all of the Pesach dishes have
been put away, we still have
one halacha relating to Pesach
which helps us hold on to the Yom
Tov’s inspiration for just a bit longer;
it is known as chametz she’avar alav
haPesach (literally: chametz which
passed through Pesach).
I. General rules
The Torah forbids Jews from
owning chametz on Pesach, and in
order to discourage people from
violating that prohibition, Chazal
legislated that any chametz owned by
a Jew on Pesach is forbidden forever
to all Jews. Not only may one not
eat such chametz, known as chametz
she’avar alav haPesach, but one may
not even derive any pleasure/ben-
efit from the chametz. Therefore, if
one accidentally purchased chametz
she’avar alav haPesach, not only is
he forbidden to eat the food, but
he may not give it to a non-Jewish
acquaintance, as that person will feel
appreciative for the present.
That said, the only chametz
which is forbidden after Pesach is
chametz which is forbidden accord-
ing to Torah law, but Chazal never
imposed this penalty on chametz or
mixtures of chametz whose owner-
ship on Pesach is only forbidden
mid’rabannan. We will discuss two
examples of this halacha.
One case pertains to a container
of food which contains less than a
kezayis of chametz, such as a potato
66 www.crcweb.org
kugel whose only chametz is two
teaspoons of flour. [For purposes of
this discussion, a kezayis is approxi-
mately the size of half a “large” egg.]
There is considerable discussion in
the Poskim as to whether the pro-
hibition to own such a kugel on
Pesach is d’oraisah or d’rabannan,
and one ramification of that dis-
cussion relates to chametz she’avar
alav haPesach. Although some favor
the stricter approach , Mishnah
Berurah is lenient. According to
Mishnah Berurah, if a Jew owned
the kugel over Pesach it would not
be forbidden as chametz she’avar
alav haPesach.
A second example is where the
chametz is a tiny portion of the
food (less than 1/60) but serves a
crucial role in creating the food’s
structure or texture. Mid’oraisah
such an ingredient, known as a davar
hama’amid, can be batel b’shishim,
but mid’rabannan it cannot be. As
such, one would imagine that if a Jew
owned food that contained a cha-
metz davar hama’amid it would be
permitted after Pesach. Yet Mishnah
Berurah is machmir that foods that
contain a chametz davar hama’amid
are forbidden after Pesach. However,
as a rule, a retail-sized container
of food contains much less than a
kezayis of davar hama’amid or avi-
dah lit’amah; therefore according to
Mishnah Berurah mentioned in the
previous paragraph, the prohibition
of chametz she’avar alav haPesach
does not apply.
As noted, the prohibition of
chametz she’avar alav haPesach is
Rabbinic in nature, and therefore
some Acharonim are of the opinion
that if one is unsure as to whether a
specific item is or is not forbidden,
one may be lenient. Others argue
that in cases of doubt one may not
eat the food but may have benefit/
pleasure from it. Mishnah Berurah
449:5 cites both opinions without
offering a definitive ruling, but it
is noteworthy that Iggeros Moshe
is lenient. Mishnah Berurah does,
however, note that all agree that the
food is permitted if the majority of
that type of food in the market is
permitted (i.e. produced after Pesach
or owned by a non-Jew over Pesach)
or if there is any reason to believe
this specific food was produced after
Pesach. Later in the article we will
see that this issue is quite relevant
to many kosher consumers.
As with most prohibitions, it
is generally accepted that if some
chametz she’avar alav haPesach was
mixed into other food, the entire
mixture is forbidden unless the cha-
metz comprises less than 1/60 of the
mixture (i.e. batel b’shishim) . For
this reason, if a Jew owned chametz
flour over Pesach and used that flour
in a soup, the entire soup would be
forbidden. One notable exception
to this rule is in cases where chametz
she’avar alav haPesach was mixed
“yavesh b’yavesh” into permitted
foods, where the rule is that the
mixture is permitted as long as there
is less chametz than other foods (i.e.
batel b’rov) . Yavesh b’yavesh refers to
“mixtures” where no one can tell the
difference between the issur/chametz
and permitted food, but each retains
its distinctiveness. An example of
this would be a supermarket that
has five bottles of ketchup on the
shelf that contain chametz she’avar
alav haPesach and eight bottles that
do not, and no one can figure out
which bottles are the ones that are
permitted. The different bottles of
ketchup are “mixed together”, but
each individual bottle retains its
distinctiveness. In that case all 13
bottles would be permitted because
the five forbidden bottles are batel
b’rov in the eight permitted ones.
II. Which foods are included
Chametz is defined as what is
created when one of the five grains
– wheat, barley, rye, oats, or spelt
– soaks in water for more than 18
minutes, and only chametz foods are
forbidden after Pesach as chametz
she’avar alav haPesach. Kitnios (e.g.
rice, beans, corn) and other foods
forbidden based on minhag are not
chametz. Therefore, a Jew may own
them on Pesach, and they remain
permitted after Pesach regardless of
who owned them.
Some foods are obviously cha-
metz, e.g. bread, pasta, cookies,
crackers, and pretzels, and are clearly
included in the halacha of chametz
she’avar alav haPesach. Other cha-
metz-containing foods can easily be
identified by reading the ingredient
panel. Breakfast cereals, soy sauce,
fish sticks, and other foods gener-
ally have one of the five grains listed
prominently. Additionally, nowa-
days, wheat kernels are generally
tempered/soaked in water for many
hours before they are ground into
flour. Therefore Mishnah Berurah
453:24 rules that “standard” flour
should be considered chametz, and
he strongly implies that the same
applies to chametz she’avar alav
haPesach as well. Similarly, water
is potentially used in two different
stages of the processing of oats/oat-
meal, and oatmeal should therefore
be assumed to be chametz.1
On the other hand, plain barley
kernels (i.e. pearled barley) gener-
ally do not have any contact with
water during processing; therefore
one may purchase them from a
Jew after Pesach. If barley is soaked
in water under proper conditions,
it ferments into beer, and since
the barley was in water for more
than 18 minutes, beer is chametz.2
The consensus of the Poskim is that
whisky produced from one of the
five grains is considered chametz as
well.3 It is noteworthy that although
certain whiskies are assumed to be
made of kitnios (e.g. bourbon is
made from corn), a careful reading
of the regulations often shows that
the product must only contain 51%
of that grain, and the rest typically
is chametz.
Vinegar is created when alcohol
is fermented, and the primary con-
cern as relates to it regarding chametz
she’avar alav haPesach is the source
of the alcohol. In some vinegars, the
source is apparent – malt vinegar is
made from malt beer and is chametz,
while wine or apple cider vinegar
are made from fruits that obviously
are not chametz. However, most
vinegar is labeled “white distilled”,
and the alcohol used to produce it
can come from just about any grain.
This vinegar is bottled and sold
and is also a primary ingredient in
pickles, olives, salad dressing, and
condiments (e.g. ketchup, mustard,
mayonnaise). Does that mean that
www.crcweb.org
all of these products are forbidden
if they were owned by a Jew over
Pesach? Surprisingly, the answer to
that question depends on where one
lives, or more specifically, where the
food was manufactured, as explained
below.
As noted, white distilled vinegar
can be made from just about any
grain, and the finished product tastes
exactly the same regardless of which
grain was used. Therefore, vinegar
is generally made from whichever
grain alcohol is cheapest in that
country. Thus, for example, in the
United States, white vinegar is by
and large made from corn alcohol
(i.e. non-chametz), while in Europe
it is often made from wheat alcohol
(i.e. chametz). Of course there are
exceptions to this rule due to market
fluctuations,4 but we have seen that
as relates to chametz she’avar alav
haPesach one may surely rely on
the rov/majority. Therefore, white
vinegar (and vinegar-containing
products) made in the United States
may be assumed not to be in the for-
bidden category of chametz she’avar
alav haPesach, even if owned by a
Jew over Pesach.
Certain enzymes, vitamins, fla-
vors, and other items (e.g. xanthan
gum, citric acid) are created through
fermentation and are found in many
products (including vinegar, noted
above). One of the prime ingredi-
ents in fermentation is “glucose”
(a.k.a. sugar), and, just like white
vinegar, glucose can be created
from any starch. As noted above,
in many countries this means that
the fermentation products can be
assumed to be non-chametz. Even
in countries where the glucose is
generally chametz, these items do
not pose much of a concern regard-
ing chametz she’avar alav haPesach
because (a) the items are gener-
67
 ally batel b’shishim in the finished
product, and (b) even in the cases
where they are considered a davar
hama’amid, there will always be less
than a kezayis of the fermentation
product in any retail-sized container.
It is also worth noting that
Mishnah Berurah5 rules that non-
chametz food that was cooked in
a chametz pot before Pesach may
be kept (i.e. owned) by a Jew over
Pesach.6 Clearly, if the Jew is permit-
ted to keep it over Pesach, there is
no prohibition of
chametz she’avar
alav haPesach on
such food. each category, but
III. Jewish store-
keepers
It was noted
above that the pro-
hibition of chametz
she’avar alav haPe-
sach is limited to
chametz owned by
a Jew on Pesach,
but chametz owned
by a non-Jew is per-
mitted. Towards this end, most
conscientious Jews sell all of their
remaining chametz to a non-Jew
just before Pesach and repurchase it
after Yom Tov. Therefore, as a rule,
observant Jews rarely have any of
their own chametz which is chametz
she’avar alav haPesach, and they only
deal with these halachos as relates to
food purchased in stores after Pesach.
That issue can be divided into three
parts: buying from a non-religious
Jewish storekeeper, food produced
in a Jewish-owned factory, and food
distributors who are Jewish.
If a non-observant Jewish
storekeeper owned chametz during
any part of Pesach, the chametz is
forbidden to all Jews forever. In a
68 www.crcweb.org
well-known set of teshuvos, Iggeros
Moshe1 discusses the case of a store-
keeper who asks his Rabbi to sell his
chametz to a non-Jew (i.e. mechiras
chametz) but then continues to do
business with chametz on Pesach.
Does the fact that he continues to
do business with the chametz show
that the sale was just a sham, which
is invalid and renders the chametz
in the store chametz she’avar alav
haPesach? While there were those
who took a strict position on this
matter, Iggeros Moshe ruled that
the written document of sale over-
rides the unspoken intentions of the
storekeeper, and the sale is valid.
Therefore, any chametz owned by
the storekeeper from before Pesach
may be purchased and eaten by Jews
after Pesach. However, Iggeros Moshe
has two important caveats:
Any chametz sold by the store-
keeper on Pesach is forbidden as
chametz she’avar alav haPesach, since
the Jewish storekeeper took/stole it
from the non-Jew who purchased all
of the chametz. This will be relevant
in a further section of this article.
Any chametz purchased by the
storekeeper on Pesach is not cov-
ered by the mechiras chametz and is
forbidden as chametz she’avar alav
haPesach.
The second caveat is quite rel-
evant to the observant Jew buying
from the store after Pesach. There
is a safek (doubt) on every piece
of chametz in the store – did the
storekeeper purchase it before Pesach
so that it is covered by the mechiras
chametz, did he purchase it on Pesach
so that it is forbidden, or did he
purchase it after Pesach in which
case it is surely permitted? In some
cases, one can deter-
mine exactly which
products fit into
in most cases, it is
impossible to make
an exact determina-
tion, and the safek
remains unclear.
We have seen ear-
lier that there is a
disagreement as to
what to do if one
is unsure whether
a given product is
or is not chametz
she’avar alav haPe-
sach, and one should consult with
the local Rav for direction on this
matter.
At some point, the majority of
the store’s stock will not be chametz
she’avar alav haPesach, and at that
point one may purchase chametz
without any qualms. Obviously,
the determination of how long it
takes before most of each type of
chametz is permitted depends very
much upon the type of product and
the nature of the business. Fresh
bread only lasts for a few days, while
whisky, pasta, and canned goods
have a very long shelf life; 24-hour
newsstands get deliveries much less
frequently than large supermarkets.
Sometimes, the products delivered
on Pesach do not hit the shelves
until a few days after Pesach, while
in other cases they have all been sold
by that time. Clearly, local experts
and Rabbonim who are familiar with
the store, community, and people’s
shopping habits must be consulted
in making this decision.
IV. Jewish manufacturers
The status of Jewish-owned
food manufacturers and distributors
is somewhat more complicated than
that of a storekeeper. If the store-
keeper completes a mechiras chametz,
at least the chametz which he owned
from before Pesach, is permitted after
Pesach. However, if a manufacturer
(or distributor) sells chametz from
his stock to a supermarket on Pesach,
we have seen that Iggeros Moshe is
clear that that chametz is forbidden,
which means that the chametz being
sold in the supermarket is chametz
she’avar alav haPesach.
As a rule, a food manufacturer
or distributor structures his business
as a corporation, rather than as a sole
proprietorship. This led some Pos-
kim to suggest that chametz she’avar
alav haPesach does not apply to the
corporation’s chametz, because the
chametz is considered to be owned
by the corporation, as opposed to
the individual Jew.1 However, the
generally accepted opinion is that
of Iggeros Moshe2, who rules that if
a Jew owns either a very large per-
centage of the company’s stock or
enough stock to have a voice in the
management of the corporation, the
chametz owned by the corporation
is considered to be Jewish-owned.
Thus, the fact that the manufacturer
is a corporation does not necessarily
obviate concerns of chametz she’avar
alav haPesach.
As relates to the food manu-
facturer, the onus of guaranteeing
that the food is not chametz she’avar
alav haPesach generally falls upon
the Rabbis who certify the food as
kosher, and there are different opin-
ions as to how to deal with this. The
most straightforward approach is to
require that on Pesach, all Jewish-
owned companies not purchase,
produce, or distribute anything that
contains any potentially chametz
ingredients. Additionally, many
Poskim are of the opinion that if a
Jew is financially responsible for a
non-Jew’s chametz on Pesach, that
chametz is forbidden after Pesach.3
Therefore, the Jews would be even
more restricted in their dealing with
any chametz in the plant.
Others allow the use of the
items listed above as not likely to be
chametz (e.g. vinegar, fermentation
products). Furthermore, they allow
the companies to use chametz in
products that do not carry a hash-
gachah, based on Poskim4 who rule
(for different reasons) that equip-
ment used for chametz on Pesach
may be used after Pesach without
kashering. [Of course, even those
who follow this approach arrange for
the company to perform a mechiras
chametz on the chametz they own.]
This gives the Jewish-owned compa-
nies a certain degree of flexibility to
continue operating their business on
Pesach, albeit with some restrictions.
However, even those who follow this
position would have no choice but
to force a Jewish-owned all-chametz
company, such as a bakery, to be
closed for the entire Pesach.
There are those who take an
even more lenient approach. They
allow the Jewish owners of the com-
pany to sell the entire company –
not just its chametz – to a non-Jew,
using a modified mechiras chametz,
and consider the Jewish “owners”
www.crcweb.org
to be mere employees who help the
new owner manage his company for
Pesach. In this manner, the hash-
gachah considers the company no
longer “Jewish-owned,” and imposes
no restrictions as to what they can
do on Pesach.
Others disagree with this lat-
ter approach for two reasons. First,
they claim that the sale of an entire
company to an unknown buyer who
has never even seen it, has no idea
of what he is buying, does not have
the means to follow through on the
purchase, and is never given a fair
accounting of the profits he “earned”
during his week-long ownership, is
such an obvious sham as to invali-
date the entire transaction. Secondly,
there are serious halachic questions
as to whether chametz purchased
during the week of Pesach belongs
to the “buyer” (i.e. the Jew) or the
company’s “owner” (i.e. the non-
Jew); these questions are beyond
the scope of this article.
In response to these two con-
cerns, some hashgochos rely on the
sale of the “whole company” only in
cases of a Jew and non-Jew who are
partners, in which case it is some-
what more plausible that they would
sell their shares to one another. To
make the sale more real, it is struc-
tured between the partners (rather
than with an outsider), the Jew is
forced to not participate in busi-
ness operations during Pesach, and
the non-Jew is required to sell his
share to the Jew for a corresponding
number of days at some other part
of the year (often set as the time
when he would otherwise be going
on vacation). This form of mechiras
chametz is somewhat better than the
one mentioned previously, while still
allowing the company to operate
on Pesach.
As with all matters of halacha,
69
 consumers should consult with their how long it takes for their local sold to anyone on Pesach, which for
Rav as to which of these methods supermarket to deplete the supply a major distributor may amount to
they deem acceptable, and for infor- of forbidden products and restock very little of his stock.
mation as to which hashgochos follow its shelves, a distributor is one step Even according to the stricter
which standard. removed from the consumers, and approach, not all of the chametz
it is extremely difficult to get an products found in supermarkets
accurate picture of which products (owned by non-Jews) are forbidden,
V. Jewish distributors were owned on Pesach. because the supermarket itself has
In recent years, the Jewish Due to the seriousness (or as stock from before Pesach, or stock
community in the northeastern others would say, “hopelessness”) which it purchased so long after
United States has become aware of the situation, some Rabbis have Pesach that it was not owned by the
that a major distributor of food in suggested creative ways to allow the distributor on Pesach. In this case
that area is a company owned by distributor to perform a mechiras more than in those noted earlier, it
Jews. This situation is consider- chametz which will even cover the is close to impossible to figure out
ably more complicated than those chametz he purchases and sells on which chametz is or is not forbidden.
discussed above. Packaged products Pesach. While it is clear that making This brings us back to the differing
from dozens of manufacturers pass some effort to correct the situation opinions discussed above: If one is
through a distributor’s warehouse is better than doing nothing, many unsure as to whether a particular
on a daily basis, yet the distributor Rabbonim have serious reservations food is chametz she’avar alav haPe-
is not “certified” as kosher so there about the effectiveness of this sale. sach, may one eat the food or not?
is no Rav who has any real say as to As noted above, they consider the In such a case, please consult your
what he can or cannot do on Pesach. mechirah to be effective only as it local Rav for guidance.
Furthermore, whereas people can relates to chametz owned by the
attempt to figure out approximately distributor before Pesach and not
An earlier version of this article first appeared in Hamodia and the OU website and is reprinted here with permission.
(Endnotes)
1 Shulchan Aruch 448:3.
2 Mishnah Berurah 442:1 & 447:101.
3 See Gra”z, Kuntres Acharon 442:9, and Chazon Ish 116:11, 13-14.
4 Mishnah Berurah ibid.
5 Mishnah Berurah 442:27.
6 Mishnah Berurah applies the same principle to an avidah lit’amah, an ingredient that flavors the entire food.
7 See Gra”z ibid. for a possible explanation.
8 This is based on the rule of safek d’rabannan l’kulah, i.e. one may be lenient regarding doubts relating to prohibitions
which are only Rabbinic in nature.
9 Iggeros Moshe OC 4:96.
10 See Shulchan Aruch 447:11 and Mishnah Berurah 447:105.
11 Mishnah Berurah 447:105.
12 See the end of Mishnah Berurah 454:13.
13 Shulchan Aruch 442:5.
14 Mishnah Berurah 442:4.
15 For example, one large commercial vinegar company in the Midwest buys approximately 12% of their alcohol from
a supplier whose starch source is chametz.
16 Mishnah Berurah 442:1 (end).
17 This leniency applies even if the pot was ben yomo and even if the b’lios were not batel b’shishim in the food (ibid.).
18 Iggeros Moshe OC 1:149 & 2:91.
19 This would either be due to civil law’s view of a corporation or because the stockholders do not have voting rights –
see Zecher Yitzchok #8, end, and HaElef L’chah Shlomo OC 238.
20 Iggeros Moshe EH 1:7 (end). See also Minchas Yitzchok 3:1, who takes a stricter approach.
21 See Mishnah Berurah 440:5.
22 Sha’arei Teshuvah 447:2, Be’er Haitev 447:4 and Mishnah Berurah 447:4 & 451:4.

70 www.crcweb.org
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 ZEMANIM FOR P E S A C H 5776/2016
FOR UNITED ST ATES COMMUNITIES OF
MEMBERS OF THE CHICAGO R ABBINIC AL COUNCIL

Er ev Pe sac h C a nd l e L i gh t in g T i mes
Stop eating Burn
Friday Shabbos Thursday Friday
City chametz chametz
April 22 April 23 April 28 April 29
by… by…
Chicago IL 10:09 11:29 7:20 8:24 7:27 7:28
Oakland CA 10:28 11:48 7:31 8:32 7:37 7:38
Sonoma CA 10:29 11:48 7:33 8:34 7:39 7:39
Valley Village CA 10:15 11:33 7:11 8:09 7:15 7:16
Denver CO 10:18 11:38 7:25 8:27 7:31 7:32
Miami FL 10:45 12:02 7:27 8:22 7:30 7:31
Atlanta GA 10:58 12:17 7:54 8:52 7:58 7:59
Des Moines IA 10:32 11:52 7:43 8:46 7:50 7:51
Champaign IL 10:11 11:31 7:19 8:21 7:25 7:26
Chicago IL 10:09 11:29 7:20 8:24 7:26 7:28
Des Plaines IL 10:09 11:29 7:21 8:24 7:27 7:28
Evanston IL 10:08 11:28 7:20 8:24 7:26 7:28
Glenview IL 10:08 11:29 7:20 8:24 7:27 7:28
Highland Park IL 10:08 11:29 7:21 8:24 7:27 7:28
Lincolnwood IL 10:08 11:28 7:20 8:24 7:27 7:28
Northbrook IL 10:08 11:29 7:21 8:24 7:27 7:28
Peoria IL 10:16 11:36 7:25 8:28 7:32 7:33
Skokie IL 10:08 11:29 7:20 8:24 7:27 7:28
Wilmette IL 10:08 11:28 7:20 8:24 7:27 7:28
Indianapolis IN 11:03 12:23 8:10 9:12 8:16 8:17
South Bend IN 11:02 12:23 8:13 9:17 8:20 8:21
Overland Park KS 10:37 11:57 7:43 8:44 7:49 7:50
Newton Centre MA 10:02 11:22 7:14 8:18 7:21 7:22
Baltimore MD 10:25 11:45 7:31 8:33 7:37 7:38
Ann Arbor MI 10:52 12:12 8:04 9:08 8:11 8:12
Saint Paul MN 10:28 11:49 7:47 8:54 7:55 7:56
St. Louis Park MN 10:29 11:50 7:48 8:54 7:55 7:57
University City MO 10:20 11:40 7:25 8:26 7:31 7:32
Omaha NE 10:42 12:02 7:52 8:55 7:59 8:00
Elizabeth NJ 10:15 11:35 7:24 8:26 7:30 7:31
Fairlawn NJ 10:14 11:34 7:24 8:27 7:30 7:31
Teaneck NJ 10:14 11:34 7:23 8:26 7:30 7:31
Cedarhurst NY 10:13 11:33 7:22 8:24 7:28 7:29
Far Rockaway NY 10:13 11:33 7:22 8:24 7:28 7:29
Merrick NY 10:12 11:32 7:21 8:24 7:27 7:28
New Rochelle NY 10:13 11:33 7:22 8:25 7:29 7:30
New York NY 10:13 11:34 7:23 8:26 7:29 7:30
Beachwood OH 10:43 12:04 7:54 8:58 8:01 8:02
Columbus OH 10:50 12:10 7:57 8:59 8:03 8:04
Harrisburg PA 10:26 11:45 7:34 8:36 7:40 7:41
Merion Station PA 10:19 11:39 7:27 8:29 7:33 7:34
Memphis TN 10:20 11:39 7:18 8:17 7:23 7:23
Dallas TX 10:49 12:07 7:42 8:40 7:47 7:48
Houston TX 10:45 12:02 7:33 8:29 7:37 7:37
Seattle WA 10:23 11:45 7:49 8:58 7:57 7:59
Glendale WI 10:08 11:29 7:23 8:28 7:30 7:31
Mequon WI 10:08 11:29 7:23 8:28 7:30 7:31
Milwaukee WI 10:08 11:29 7:23 8:27 7:29 7:31

Candle lighting time for Motzai Shabbos (April 23) is set as 40 minutes after sunset
The cRc would like to thank Rabbi Meir Zirkind (meyoz@yahoo.com) for his assistance in preparing this table
Passover Dates
To Remember
(Times listed are for Chicago)
Thursday evening, April 21 .............................................................Search for Chametz — Bedikat Chametz
Friday, April 22................................................................................Fast of the First Born — Ta’anit Bechorim
Friday, April 22, 10:09 a.m. ...........................................................Prohibition of eating chametz begins
Friday, April 22, 11:29 a.m. ...........................................................Latest time to burn chametz
Friday and Saturday evening, April 22 & 23 ....................................First and Second Sedarim
Saturday and Sunday, April 23 & 24 ...............................................First Two Days of Yom Tov
Monday through Thursday, April 25-28...........................................Chol Hamoed (Intermediate Days)
Thursday afternoon, April 28th........................................................Eruv Tavshilin (See pages 28-29)
Thursday evening, April 28..............................................................Yom Tov begins
Friday and Saturday, April 29 & 30..................................................Last Two Days of Yom Tov
Saturday morning, April 30 .............................................................Yizkor (Memorial Service)

Candle Lighting
Times
(Chicago Area, Daylight Savings Time)
Friday, April 22 ............................................................................................................................... 7:20 p.m.
Saturday, April 23............................................................................................................................. 8:24 p.m.
Thursday, April 28............................................................................................................................ 7:27 p.m.
Friday, April 29 ............................................................................................................................... 7:28 p.m.

Guide For
Wedding Dates
D uring the Sefirah period, i.e.,
from Passover until Shavuot
(June 12-13, 2016), with
certain exceptions, weddings should
not be conducted. For information,
consult an Orthodox Rabbi.
By way of advance informa-
tion, another period in which no
weddings are to be conducted will
be Sunday, July 24, 2016 through
and including Sunday, August 14,
2016, the “Three Weeks” period of


mourning for our two Temples in
Jerusalem. The Three Weeks begin
with the Fast of the 17th of Tammuz
and culminate with the Fast of the
Ninth of Av (Tisha B’Av).

www.crcweb.org
Calendar
5776 Hoshana Raba Oct. 23, 2016

Ta’anit Esther* Mar. 23, 2016 Shmini Atzeret Oct. 24, 2016

Purim Mar. 24, 2016 Simchat Torah Oct. 25, 2016

Pesach Apr. 23 – Apr. 30, 2016 Chanuka Dec. 25 – Jan. 1, 2016

Yom Hashoah May 5, 2016 Asara B’Tevet* Jan. 8, 2017

Yom HaZikaron May 11, 2016 Tu B’Shevat Feb. 11, 2017

Yom Ha-Atzmaut May 12, 2016 Ta’anit Esther* Mar. 9, 2017

Lag B’Omer May 26, 2016 Purim Mar. 12, 2017

Yom Yerushalayim June 5, 2016 Pesach Apr. 11 – Apr. 18, 2017

Shavuot June 12-13, 2016 Yom Hashoah Apr. 24, 2017

Shiva Asar B’Tamuz* July 24, 2016 Yom HaZikaron May 1, 2017

Tisha B’Av* Aug. 14, 2016 Yom Ha’Atzmaut May 2, 2017

Lag B’Omer May 14, 2017

5777 Yom Yerushalayim May 24, 2017

Rosh Hashana Oct. 3-4, 2016 Shavuot May 31 – June 1, 2017

Tzom Gedalya* Oct. 5, 2016 Shiva Asar B’Tamuz* July 11, 2017

Yom Kippur* Oct. 12, 2016 Tisha B’Av* Aug. 1, 2017

Sukkot Oct. 17-22, 2016 * Fast Day

74 www.crcweb.org
Sefirat Ha-Omer Calendar 2016
S efira is the counting of seven
complete weeks from the sec-
ond evening of Pesach until
Shavuot. The count, which takes
place after nightfall for the follow-
ing day, is preceded by the blessing
RMWEH TRYPS LE WNWCW WYTWCMB WN$DQ R$A OLWEH VLM WNQLA ‘D HTA VWRB
only if done in the evening and no
days have been missed in the count.

rnugk sjt ouh ouhv Saturday evening, April 23

rnugk ohnh hba ouhv Sunday evening, April 24
rnugk ohnh vaka ouhv Monday evening, April 25
rnugk ohnh vgcrt ouhv Tuesday evening, April 26
rnugk ohnh vahnj ouhv Wednesday evening, April 27
rnugk ohnh vaa ouhv Thursday evening, April 28
rnugk sjt guca ova ohnh vgca ouhv Friday evening, April 29
rnugk 'sjt ouhu sjt guca ova ohnh vbuna ouhv Saturday evening, April 30
rnugk 'ohnh hbau sjt guca ova ohnh vga, ouhv Sunday evening, May 1
rnugk 'ohnh akau sjt guca ova ohnh vrag ouhv Monday evening, May 2
rnugk 'ohnh vgcrtu sjt guca ova ouh rag sjt ouhv Tuesday evening, May 3
rnugk 'ohnh vanju sjt guca ova ouh rag ohba ouhv Wednesday evening, May 4
rnugk 'ohnh vaau sjt guca ova ouh rag vaka ouhv Thursday evening, May 5
rnugk ',uguca hba ova ouh rag vgcrt ouhv Friday evening, May 6
rnugk 'sjt ouhu ,uguca hba ova ouh rag vahnj ouhv Saturday evening, May 7
rnugk 'ohnh hbau ,uguca hba ova ouh rag vaa ouhv Sunday evening, May 8
rnugk 'ohnh vakau ,uguca hba ova ouh rag vgca ouhv Monday evening, May 9
rnugk 'ohnh vgcrtu ,uguca hba ova ouh rag vbuna ouhv Tuesday evening, May 10
rnugk 'ohnh vanju ,uguca hba ova ouh rag vga, ouhv Wednesday evening, May 11
rnugk 'ohnh vaau ,uguca hba ova ouh ohrag ouhv Thursday evening, May 12
rnugk ,uguca vaka ova ouh ohragu sjt ouhv Friday evening, May 13
rnugk 'sjt ouhu ,uguca vaka ova ouh ohragu ohba ouhv Saturday evening, May 14
rnugk 'ohn hbau ,uguca vaka ova ouh ohragu vaka ouhv Sunday evening, May 15
rnugk ohnh vakau ,uguca vaka ova ouh ohragu vgcrt ouhv Monday evening, May 16
rnugk ohnh vgcrtu ,uguca vaka ova ouh ohragu vahnj ouhv Tuesday evening, May 17
rnugk ohnh vahnju ,uguca vaka ova ouh ohragu vaa ouhv Wednesday evening, May 18
rnugk ohnh vaau ,uguca vaka ova ouh ohragu vgca ouhv Thursday evening, May 19
rnugk ,uguca vgcrt ova ouh ohragu vbuna ouhv Friday evening, May 20
rnugk sjt ouhu ,uguca vgcrt ova ouh ohragu vga, ouhv Saturday evening, May 21
rnugk 'ohnh hbau ,uguca vgcrt ova ouh ohaka ouhv Sunday evening, May 22
rnugk 'ohnh vakau ,uguca vgcrt ova ouh ohakau sjt ouhv Monday evening, May 23
rnugk 'ohnh vgcrtu ,uguca vgcrt ova ouh ohakau ohba ouhv Tuesday evening, May 24
rnugk 'ohnh vanju ,uguca vgcrt ova ouh ohakau vaka ouhv Wednesday evening, May 25
rnugk 'ohnh vaau ,uguca vgcrt ova ouh ohakau vgcrt ouhv Thursday evening, May 26
rnugk ,uguca vanj ova ouh ohakau vanj ouhv Friday evening, May 27
rnugk sjt ouhu ,uguca vanj ova ouh ohakau vaa ouhv Saturday evening, May 28
rnugk 'ohnh hbau ,uguca vanj ova ouh ohakau vgca ouhv Sunday evening, May 29
rnugk 'ohnh vakau ,uguca vanj ova ouh ohakau vbuna ouhv Monday evening, May 30
rnugk 'ohnh vgcrtu ,uguca vanj ova ouh ohakau vga, ouhv Tuesday evening, May 31
rnugk 'ohnh vanju ,uguca vanj ova ouh ohgcrt ouhv Wednesday evening, June 1
rnugk 'ohnh vaau ,uguca vanj ova ouh ohgcrtu sjt ouhv Thursday evening, June 2
rnugk ,uguca vaa ova ouh ohgcrtu ohba ouhv Friday evening, June 3
rnugk 'sjt ouhu ,uguca vaa ova ouh ohgcrtu vaka ouhv Saturday evening, June 4
rnugk 'ohnh hbau ,uguca vaa ova ouh ohgcrtu vgcrt ouhv Sunday evening, June 5
rnugk 'ohnh vakau ,uguca vaa ova ouh ohgcrtu vanj ouhv Monday evening, June 6
rnugk 'ohnh vgcrtu ,uguca vaa ova ouh ohgcrtu vaa ouhv Tuesday evening, June 7
rnugk 'ohnh vanju ,uguca vaa ova ouh ohgcrtu vgca ouhv Wednesday evening, June 8
rnugk 'ohnh vaau ,uguca vaa ova ouh ohgcrtu vbuna ouhv Thursday evening, June 9
rnugk ,uguca vgca ova ouh ohgcrtu vga ouhv Friday evening, June 10

www.crcweb.org 75
Understanding the Reliability
of Kosher Agencies
Rabbi Sholem Fishbane
Kashruth Administrator
O ut of the hundreds of calls the
Chicago Rabbinical Council
(cRc) receives a week, almost
half are from kosher consumers
from around the world, with a large
portion of those trying to determine
if a specific hechsher is acceptable.
It has indeed become a daunting
task for a kashrus professional to
help properly guide a consumer
through the complex world of close
to 1,400 kashrus agencies, of which
the cRc recommends a surprisingly
low number.
Recommending certain agen-
cies is an intensely-contemplated
and most difficult decision, and
many companies and individuals
genuinely do not understand why
certain agencies do not make it
on the recommended list. Before
attempting to navigate the reader
through the ins-and-outs of kosher
certification, be assured that these
decisions are not haphazard and
certainly not politically motivated,
as that would be contradictory to the
very essence of what and to Whom
the cRc answers.
In order to further clarify this
sensitive subject, the cRc has inter-
nally categorized the kosher agencies
into three groups. The first two
groups are easily explained – recom-
mended and not recommended. The
third group is known as a “detail”
76 www.crcweb.org
agency. This agency’s products are
accepted under certain conditions,
and they are investigated on a case-
by-case basis to determine if each
final product is acceptable. Please
understand that these categories
are kept safely in the minds of the
Rabbinic Coordinators and are not
formed into a “black list” of any
kind.
To understand why the cRc
divides each kosher agency into
its respective category, one must
examine the 21st century world of
kashrus and the proper way to moni-
tor it. When examining the methods
and systems of the “recommended
agencies,” one can understand that
an agency that does not follow these
guidelines will automatically fall into
either of the two other categories.
Recommended Kosher
Agencies
The fundamental first questions
are: 1) Does the agency follow the
accepted guidelines as outlined in
the Shulchan Aruch?, and 2) Do
their qualified and trained Mashgi-
chim visit their plants on a regular
basis?
A recommended kosher agency
must keep up-to-date on the modern
and constantly changing manu-
facturing techniques. It must be
in constant contact with industry
professionals, from food scientists
to engineers and must be ready to
travel to the most remote places in
the world. Once the mashgichim
arrive in a production facility, they
must be acquainted with the intrica-
cies of production, including how
the machinery works. These mashgi-
chim are also sent by their agencies
to seminars on food technology
(for example: spray drying, cheese
making, engineering, etc.) in order
to enhance their knowledge of the
ever-changing food industry.
Nothing can be taken for
granted in the food industry, and
these reputable agencies understand
that. Since manufacturers are not
always obligated to list every addi-
tive on their label, the diligence of
a knowledgeable Rabbi is especially
necessary. For example, something
as seemingly simple as dried fruit
or natural spices might contain an
animal-derived additive to prevent
clumping.
Canned vegetables may also
present a problem. Though they may
not contain any questionable ingre-
dients, a retort, the machine they are
processed on, is quite expensive. As
such, companies look to rent out
their retorts in order to cover their
investments, and it is possible that
a non-kosher product was run on
the very same retort prior to the
kosher run.
The halacha states that flavor
can also be absorbed, even in a cold
or ambient state, simply by holding
liquid for 24 hours. For example,
if your dairy cappuccino was idle
in a mug for over one day, the soy
cappuccino you make the following
day, which also sits for 24 hours,
becomes dairy. Therefore, even if
a product has been determined to
be kosher, the supervision does not
end there. If the tanker delivering
kosher foods was previously used
for non-kosher foods, we may now
have a non-kosher product, as the
truck almost always carries its load
for more than 24 hours. Thus, the
mashgiach must keep track of truck
routes, truck wash stations, and of
course, he must develop a strong
rapport with the trucking company
to ensure its total cooperation.
Furthermore, ever since the
federal government reduced the
amounts of pesticides allowed on
fresh produce, there has been a rise
in insect infestation. The mashgiach
must now contend with this by
studying the habits of the various
insects and knowing how to check
the produce in question for these
often-camouflaged pests. Indeed
the Rabbi needs to be a “Jack of
All Trades” in order to properly do
his job.
It is important to point out
that the recommended group of
kosher agencies has a vast support
staff which handles the countless
formulas and ingredients involved
in kosher certification. Currently,
it is mandatory for kosher agencies
to have customized software, which
includes a database of hundreds of
thousands of ingredients and formu-
las. There is often a full time person
maintaining this software, as it is
not only a major expense but could
also take years to develop. Even the
most knowledgeable Rabbi in the
world would find it impossible to
run a kashrus agency without a suf-
ficient support staff and the proper
software. Many of the recommend-
ed agencies are members of AKO
(Association of Kashrus Organiza-
tions), whose goal is to strengthen
kashrus around the world. Among
AKO’s many committees, chaired
by experts in the kashrus world, is
a committee to review the latest in
ingredients, which is then shared
with the rest of the AKO members.
Equally important is the need
for a strong review department.
The recommended agency will train
select Rabbis in certain fields and
will send them around the world to
review those accounts in which they
specialize. At times, one agency will
“borrow” another agency’s expert to
be updated in a crucial area. This can
be compared to a university’s visiting
professor program, or a community’s
invitation for a scholar-in-residence.
Non-Recommended
Kosher Agencies
Of the remaining agencies,
nearly half are not recommended,
partly because they do not follow
the accepted guidelines found in the
Shulchan Aruch. Two of the most
common leniencies relied upon
concern carmine and gelatin, which
come from non-kosher animals but
are processed in a way that some
feel would be permissible for kosher
use. In addition, many times a non-
recommended agency is no more
than a “telephone supervision”. This
is never sufficient, even if the com-
pany claims that there is only one
www.crcweb.org
innocuous ingredient in the plant.
But perhaps the primary reason
for the blanket dismissal of these
agencies is that they simply do not
visit their plants on a regular basis.
Today, food production facilities can
work so quickly that an ingredient
can be in and out of the plant in
days! In this vein, it really does not
matter how kind or well- respected
a particular Rabbi or agency is. If
there is not ample coverage, the
certification is seriously doubted.
“Detail” Kosher Agencies
Agencies in this third category
may follow many of the standards of
the acceptable agencies but might be
lax in several areas. Even one miss-
ing detail can render that agency’s
symbol not universally accepted. It is
even possible for an ultra-Orthodox
agency to fall into this category, as
its Rabbinic Kashrus Supervisor
simply may not have the required
technological expertise. While it
may be more stringent than many
other agencies in areas such as yoshon
(products made from specific wheat)
and pas Yisroel (baked goods with a
Rabbi’s involvement), the downside
is the supervisor may not be ade-
quately familiar with the machinery.
An illustration of this point is
as follows: A cRc Rabbi recently
visited a plant where a health drink
is produced for and sold to kosher-
observant grocery stores throughout
the United States. The supervising
agent, not from the cRc, assumed
that the health drink was produced
in a machine that previously had
been cleaned and properly kash-
ered from non-kosher beef broth.
Records showed that the tempera-
ture of the water had reached accept-
able levels for kashering. In reality,
77
 the cRc Rabbi pointed out that only
certain parts of the machine were
reaching the temperatures necessary
for koshering, while the rest of the
machinery producing this drink
was still not kashered properly. It
was therefore still non-kosher and
had been that way for years! Once
the matter was brought to their
attention, the supervising agency
quickly remedied the situation, but
the damage had been done. By being
unfamiliar with the internal work-
ings of the machinery, the Supervi-
sor was inadvertently putting his
agency’s kosher symbol on a drink
that was definitely not kosher.
Many times, an agency may
also fit into this category if it is
solely owned and operated. As pre-
viously explained, if the agency has
many accounts, it is not possible
for one person to cover its totality
adequately, no matter how well-
meaning that person is.
There are also times when,
while the agency itself means well,
it might allow its companies to use
ingredients from non-recommended
agencies. Like almost any product
that is processed, there are many
different types of ingredients used
and therefore many different types
of hashgachos. By using ingredients
from non-recommended agencies,
the products are essentially catego-
rized into the non-recommended
category.
Another area where a recom-
mended agency will become a
“detail” agency is where they certify
78 www.crcweb.org
a lot of companies in countries that
should never be granted certification
short of hashgacha temidis. A good
example of this would be China,
where each qualified mashgiach who
spends time there has more horror
stories than the next. Only a solid
agency that has a vast network of
mashgichim who know the local
language and the financial backbone
to walk away from potential busi-
ness should be granting occasional
hashgachos in China.
In summary, a recommended
kashrus agency today must be famil-
iar with many fields in addition
to knowledge of halacha. Among
them are the fields of engineering,
entomology, metallurgy, boiler treat-
ment, food chemistry, and world
market trends. Above all is of course
yiras Shomayim. In the words of Rav
Matisyohu Solomon, Shlit”a, while
addressing the AKO members at
their annual AKO Convention, “The
first step to deciding if a someone is
qualified to work in hashgacha is to
have him hold up his hand. If it is
not shaking from yiras Shomayim,
unless he is a shochet, he is not for
the job.”
This may be overwhelming for
the average consumer, but under-
standing the amount of time and
effort that Rabbinic Kashrus Super-
visors, plant managers, and manu-
facturers dedicate to strict adherence
to the laws of kashrus creates edu-
cated, informed consumers who
come to trust and rely on all of the
professionals involved. To this end,
we at the cRc have opened up our
partial list of recommended agencies
via several electronic tools. The first
way to access this list is to visit our
website at http://www.crcweb.org/
agency_list.php. We also have a very
popular app which is available free
of charge – cRc Kosher APP – on
all Apple products, Androids, and
Blackberries. There is also a new
mobile site called www.askcrc.
org, where kosher consumers can
check the kosher status of hech-
sherim, beverages, liquors, foods,
fruits and vegetables, Slurpees,
and medicines. Finally, we print
and distribute thousands of credit
card-sized cards listing common
hechsherim found in supermarkets,
which one can reference at any time.
Although rare, there will be times
when, even while bearing a recom-
mended kashrus symbol, an item
may have been wrongly mislabeled
or worse, is non-kosher, and the cRc
has a large following on our email
alert, which is available at http://
bit.ly/GetAlerts
We at the cRc try to educate the
consumer to the best of our abilities.
We welcome the opportunity to hold
seminars or talks in any community
and, likewise, we welcome any ques-
tions about our policies. We work
hard to uphold our strict standards,
not only to maintain our customers’
confidence, but also to safeguard
our reputation as a company that
adheres to Higher standards.
About the Chicago Rabbinical Council
T he Chicago Rabbinical Coun-
cil (cRc) is an organization
of over 140 Orthodox Rab-
bis, the largest regional Orthodox
Rabbinical organization in North
America.  We are actively engaged
in creating and sustaining a thriving
and vibrant Orthodox Community
in the greater Chicago area, through-
out the Midwest, and beyond.
Jewish Ecclesiastical
Court–Beth Din Zedek
The Ecclesiastical Court hears and
resolves cases involving Jewish law
and financial disputes. It responds to
all queries related to the practice and
theory of our way of life (halacha). It
also administers Gittin (Jewish bills
of divorce), performs Gerut (con-
versions), and issues teudot ravakut
(certificates attesting to the status
of the Jewish person) which are
recognized worldwide, including
by the Israeli Chief Rabbinate.The
Rules and Procedures for Beth Din
Proceedings and the Halachic Pre-
nuptial Agreement have both been
recently added to the cRc website
and are available at www.crcweb.org.
Kashruth
As a service to the Jewish Communi-
ty, the Chicago Rabbinical Council
certifies and supervises products for
their Kashruth and Passover permis-
sibility, and endorses various cater-
ers, hotels, bakeries, and food service
establishments throughout the year.
Kashruth information is constantly
changing. The cRc, therefore, pro-
duces various publications to keep
the public informed. To regularly
receive the Passover Guide, Spotlight
on Chicago and regular mailings for
the Kosher Consumer, please send
in your annual subscription fee of
$18.00 to the following address:
Chicago Rabbinical Council
2701 W. Howard
Chicago, Illinois 60645
For Kosher Consumer updates
by e-mail (free service) send your
e-mail address to alerts@crcweb.org.
Other Publications
The following cRc books and pub-
lications are also available for pur-
chase:
Chicago Rabbis: Visionaries, Pio-
neers, and Leaders, 1847 – 1950,
by Rabbi Moshe Kushner, z”l ($35); 
Shaarei Gedulah, by Rabbi Gedalia
Dov Schwartz ($25); Sefer Zichron
Menuchah—Practical Halachos of
Yichud in the Home and in the
Workplace, by Rabbi Ephraim
Friedman ($10); and Ahavat HaGer,
by Rabbi Hertzel Hillel Yitzhak
($7.50). The cRc has also pro-
duced a wallet-sized kashrus symbol
card, listing many commonly-found
kosher agencies ($10 per pack of
10 cards).
All of these may be purchased by
calling the cRc at 773-465-3900 or
on the cRc website at www.crcweb.
org/books.php

The Following are the Many Ways

that the cRc Serves the Community
Beth Din Zedek Commissions Committees
Jewish Ecclesiastical Court
Gittin Kashruth Youth And Education
Religious Divorce
Dinei Torah Public Affairs Pastoral Concerns
Litigation, Arbitration & Mediation
Geruth Funeral Standards Young Adults
Conversions & Adoptions
Maasei Beth Din Publications
Halachic Documentations

www.crcweb.org 79
Kashruth Staff
Rabbi Sholem Fishbane Kashruth Administrator
Rabbi Dovid Cohen Administrative Rabbinic Coordinator
Rabbi Yaakov M. Eisenbach Rabbinic Coordinator
Rabbi Yosef Landa Rabbinic Coordinator
Rabbi Moshe Moscowitz Rabbinic Coordinator
Rabbi Akiva Niehaus Rabbinic Coordinator
Rabbi Dovid Oppenheimer Rabbinic Coordinator
Mr. Abe Sharp Kashruth Business Manager
Rabbi Dovid Aronin Kashruth Support/Mashgiach
Mrs. Linda Lefkowitz Kashruth Support
Mrs. Shalva Meyers Kashruth Support
Mrs. Miriam Saacks Kashruth Support

Kashruth Commission
Rabbi Dr. Ben Dov Leibenstein, Chairman Rabbi Baruch Hertz
Rabbi Alan M. Abramson Rabbi Dr. Jerold Isenberg
Rabbi Dovid Cohen Rabbi Dr. Leonard A. Matanky
Rabbi Yaakov M. Eisenbach Rabbi Levi Mostofsky
Rabbi Zvi Engel Rabbi Elisha Prero
Rabbi Sholem Fishbane Rabbi Yona Reiss
Rabbi Chaim Goldzweig Rabbi Gedalia Dov Schwartz
Rabbi Micah Greenland Rabbi Benjamin Shandalov
Rabbi Joel E. Gutstein Rabbi Chaim Twerski

Chicago Rabbinical Council Officers

President Treasurer Past Presidents
Rabbi Zvi Engel Rabbi Yosef Posner Rabbi Louis J. Lehrfield* Rabbi Isaac Mayefsky*
Rabbi Leonard C. Mishkin* Rabbi Jack D. Frank*
Rabbi Benzion C. Kaganoff* Rabbi Joseph Deitcher*
Vice Presidents Secretary Rabbi Aaron M. Rine* Rabbi Michael Azose
Rabbi Elisha Prero Rabbi Wes Kalmar Rabbi Moses Mescheloff* Rabbi Moshe Noble*
Rabbi Harold P. Smith* Rabbi Oscar Z. Fasman*
Rabbi Herman L. Davis* Rabbi Alan Abramson
Rabbi Shaanan Gelman Rabbi Moshe Litoff Rabbi Leonard Matanky
Honorary President
Rabbi Albert H. Ellison* Rabbi Harvey Well
Rabbi Dr. Oscar Z. Fasman* Rabbi Paul S. Greenman Rabbi Zev M. Shandalov
Rabbi William B. Gold* Rabbi Daniel Moscowitz*
Rabbi Alvin J. Kleinerman* Rabbi Micah Greenland
Rabbi Lawrence Montrose Rabbi Dr. Jerold Isenberg
*Of Blessed Memory Rabbi Shlomo Rapoport*

80 www.crcweb.org
cRc Executive Staff
Rosh Beth Din Executive Director
Rabbi Gedalia Dov Schwartz A”UYL$ Rabbi Levi Mostofsky

Av Beth Din Kashruth Administrator

Rabbi Yona Reiss A”UYL$ Rabbi Sholem Fishbane

Av Beth Din Emeritus Founding Av Beth Din

Rabbi Israel M. Karno L”CZ * Rabbi C. David Regensberg L”CZ *

cRc Staff
Rabbi Alan M. Abramson Menahel, Beth Din Zedek
Rabbi Ephraim Friedman Dayan
Rabbi Daniel J. Raccah Dayan

Mrs. Gavriella Bachrach Administrative Assistant

Mr. Moshe Bunin Programmer
Mrs. Sora Laya Friedman IT Coordinator
Ms. Renee Gnatt Administrative Assistant to the Beth Din Zedek
Mrs. Basya Israel Bookkeeper
Mr. Morris Loterstein Controller
Mrs. Jan Mishkin Office and IT Manager

2016 Passover Guide Committee

Rabbi Sholem Fishbane Rabbi Gedalia Dov Schwartz A”UYL$
Rabbi Levi Mostofsky Rosh Beth Din
Rabbi Daniel J. Raccah
Rabbi Yona Reiss A”UYL$
Av Beth Din
Rabbi Dovid Aronin Passover Coordinator
Mrs. Renee Meyers Passover Coordinator
Mrs. Rivkah Greenland, Maryles Graphic Design Studio Cover Design
Mrs. Cyndee Meystel, CompuServices Layout and Typography
Mrs. Biranit Cohen Editor

Some images in this guide have been purchased from http://bigstock.com and www.istockphoto.com

www.crcweb.org 81
Glossary of Hebrew Terms
Afikomen ........................ the “dessert” of matza eaten after the main meal of the Seder
Al Achilat Maror ............. the closing of the blessing on the bitter herbs
Al Achilat Matza ............. the closing of the blessing on the matza
Arba Kosot ...................... the four cups of wine we are required to drink at the Seder
Ashkenazim ..................... Jews of central and eastern European descent
Av ................................... a month on the Jewish calendar marked by tragedy
Av Beth Din .................... head of a Jewish Rabbinic court
Bedikat chametz .............. the search for leavened products before Passover
Beth Din ......................... Jewish Rabbinic court
Bitul chametz .................. nullifying leavened products and claiming them ownerless
Biur chametz ................... burning leavened products before Passover
Bracha ............................. blessing
Brit Mila ......................... ritual circumcision ceremony
Chametz .......................... leavened products, prohibited on Passover
Charoset .......................... a mixture of fruit, nuts and wine eaten at the Seder
Chol Ha-Moed ................ the “intermediate days” of Passover
Erev (Passover) ................ eve of Passover, i.e. the day of the first Seder
Eruv Tavshilin ................. “mixing of cooked foods,’ the blessing said on the eve of the holiday to
allow preparation of food on the holiday for the Sabbath
Haggadah ........................ the textual guide to the Passover Seder
Halacha ........................... Jewish law
Hashem ........................... common name for G-d
Havdalah ......................... the prayer said to separate a holy day from a weekday
Karpas ............................. vegetable dipped into salt water or vinegar during the Seder
Kashering ........................ the process of making something kosher
Kashruth ......................... the concept that foods eaten by the Jewish people must be prepared according
to Torah law
Kiddush .......................... the sanctification of a holiday, usually said over wine
Kitniyot/Kitnios .............. foods such as legumes, beans, seeds and mustard, prohibited by Ashkenazic
communities on Passover
Koraich ........................... the “Hillel Sandwich” of maror and matza eaten at the Seder
Korban Passover .............. the Pascal Lamb
K’zayit ............................. a measurement equal to the volume of an olive
Mah Nishtana ................. “Why is this night different?” the opening to a series of four questions
asked at the beginning of every Seder
Maharal ........................... acronym for Rabbi Judah Loew of 16th century Prague
Maror .............................. bitter herbs
82 www.crcweb.org
Glossary of Hebrew Terms (cont’d)
Matza/matzot .................. a “poor man’s flat bread” of flour and water, baked in less than 18 minutes
from the time the flour and water are mixed
Matza Ashira ................... matza made with fruit juice
Matza Shmurah ............... matza made from wheat that had been observed from harvest through
baking to ensure that no water came into contact with it
Mechirat chametz............. the selling of leavened products
Mikvah ............................ a ritual bath
Mishna ............................ precursor to the Talmud, represents the teachings of Jewish scholars who
lived in the first through third centuries of the Common Era
Mitzva/mitzvoth .............. commandment(s)
Nissan ............................. Jewish month in which Passover falls
Pesachim ......................... literally Passovers, this is the name of the tractate that concentrates on the
holiday of Passover
Revi’it Ha-lug .................. a fourth of a lug; a liquid measurement equal to approximately 3.3 fluid
ounces
Rov Kos........................... majority of a cup, usually applied to wine for kiddush or havdalah
Seder ............................... the Passover evening service, conducted outside of Israel on the first two
nights of Passover
Sefirah ............................. the counting of 49 days between the second night of Passover and the
holiday of Shavuot
Sephardim........................ Jews of Mediterranean, Near Eastern, or Spanish descent
Shabbat ........................... the Sabbath, celebrated from sundown Friday until about 45 minutes after
sundown on Saturday
Shavuot............................ the holiday on which we celebrate the receipt of the Torah on Mount Sinai
Shliach ............................ an agent or messenger
Shulchan Aruch ............... the Code of Jewish Law, authored by Rabbi Joseph Karo in the 15 th century
Siyum .............................. celebration of completion of a tractate of Mishna or Talmud
Taanit B’chorim .............. Fast of the First Born Sons
Tammuz .......................... Jewish month in which the “Three Weeks” begin
Tisha B’Av ....................... Ninth day of Av, the day on which both of our Temples in Jerusalem were
destroyed
Torah .............................. the Word of Hashem as given to Moshe, the Five Books of Moses
T’vilat kelim .................... immersing vessels in a kosher mikva (ritual bath)
V’hegadita l’vincha .......... the commandment to “tell your children” about the Exodus from Egypt
Yizkor ............................. memorial prayer for departed family members, said on the last day of
Passover and other holidays during the year
Yom Tov .......................... holiday
www.crcweb.org 83
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