Pesach is around the corner. It’s a wonderful festival filled with so much symbolism meaning and yes yummy food!

Some of our deepest childhood memories are associated with the sights, sounds, tastes, touches and smells of the Seder night. However it is also as important to bear in mind that there are a number of important laws connected with Pesach that are vital for a spiritually healthy festive experience.

Below is a basic outline:

The prohibitions surrounding Chometz (leavened bread) are strange. Unlike other prohibited substances that are for all-time, Chometz is only forbidden for 7 days (8 in the Diaspora) of Pesach. And yet it is one of the severest of prohibitions there is -

I.e. bad for the Jewish soul!

1) We can’t eat it.

2) Mixtures containing Chometz are also prohibited.

As the food processing today is highly complex, using derivatives of Chometz, like alcohol made from grain it is almost inevitable that processed foods will contain Chometz and hence it is highly advisable to purchase ‘processed’ food with a Kosher for Passover sign on it.

3) We can’t gain benefit from it. E.G business transactions or pet food!

4) We can’t own it or have it in our possession.

Extent of the prohibition: Although usually a prohibited substance (e.g. non-kosher meat) that falls into a kosher substance, we rule that its taste is nullified in 60 parts Kosher, Chometz can NEVER be nullified on Pesach. So if a miniscule crumb of bread dissolved into a Cholent the size of Celtic or Rangers stadium it renders the entire mixture forbidden!

Prohibitions 1-4 are all Biblical! God simply wants us to have nothing to do with Chometz - a sign of our human ego.

If we own Chometz on Pesach then the Rabbis of the Talmud fined us by not allowing us to use it after Pesach. This acts as a reminder of its seriousness.

Cleaning for Pesach

We first clean the house to remove Chometz FROM PLACES WHERE CHOMETZ has been taken. One reason for this is in order to remove Chometz that one may accidentally find and come to eat out of the habit.

Pesach cleaning IS NOT THE SAME AS SPRING CLEANING AND IT IS IMPORTANT THAT ONE DOES NOT EXHAUST ONESELF TO THE POINT THAT ONE RESENTS PESACH OR IS TOO EXHAUSTED TO ENJOY A MEANINGFUL SEDER! So men roll your sleeves up and get helping!

The Torah commands us to remove Chometz prior to the arrival of Pesach.

There are 3 mechanisms we use to completely remove Chometz from our possession on Pesach.

1. Cognitive: -We nullify it on Erev Pesach after the customary search for the Chometz (Bedikat Chometz). Nullification is essentially a cognitive mechanism where you consider the Chometz as nothing.
2. Physical :- We burn it on Erev Pesach (including another nullification formula)
3. Legal : - We sell our Chometz.

Of course we all possess valuable Chometz that we do not want to burn. Just think of all that single malt gone to waste! That knocks out mechanism 2 of removal.

The problem with nullifying items of value is that since nullification is a cognitive mechanism (and hence entirely subjective), we are concerned that a person is not sincere about the nullification of items that he deep down wishes to use after Pesach. This renders the nullification ineffective. This knocks out mechanism 1.

The solution is selling the Chometz to a Gentile. This method uses the conventional Halachic methods of acquisition to enable the Gentile full ownership of the goods over Pesach.

The good news is that selling your Chometz could not be easier. I urge you to also take this third step which enables us to enjoy Pesach in the full knowledge we own no Chometz at all.

To sell your Chometz simply fill out the form attached to the upcoming Pesach Brochure which authorises me to sell the Chometz on your behalf.

The form is also available online at: -

http://www.nmhc.org.uk/index.php/joomla-license/133-sale-of-chometz-permission-form

Wishing you a Happy Pesach

Rabbi Bergson