Volume 34 Number 32
Produced: Sun Mar 18 22:01:31 US/Eastern 2001
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Info: Lectures at Drisha
[Freda B Birnbaum]
KAJ Pessach list
[Stuart Cohnen]
Maot Hittin 5761
[Mark Steiner]
Mechiras Chametz online
[Jeff Fischer]
Pesach - motzei Shabbos
[Carl Singer]
Pesach take out
[Moshe Feldman]
A Short Guide to Erev Pesach on Shabbat
[Prof. Aryeh A. Frimer]
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From: Freda B Birnbaum <fbb6@...>
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 16:48:57 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Info: Lectures at Drisha
From Slavery to Freedom: Women and Pesach -- a three-week short course
for women, Wednesday, March 14, 21, 28, 7:45 to 9:15 p.m. Tuition: $60.
Traditionally, the holiday of Pesach has taken a toll on women in the
form of rigorous cleaning and preparation. Celebrate the intellectual
and spiritual contributions of women to the holiday in both the past and
the present. Emphasis will be placed on increasing our knowledge base
and on practical ways to make the Seder experience more meaningful for
women. Taught by Lisa Schlaff, a Wexner Graduate Fellow pursuing a
doctorate in Rabbinic Literature at NYU; BA in Psychology from the
University of Pennsylvania; studied at Drisha and Midreshet Lindenbaum.
Gender and Jewish Philosophy -- a community lecture for women and men,
Thursday, March 15, 7:00 p.m. Cost $8; $5 for students.
Discuss the role of representations of gender difference and hierarchy in
classical Jewish philosophical texts. The question of the philosophical
import of these representations as well as their social and religious
consequences will also be addressed.
Lecture by Susan Shapiro, teaches Modern Jewish Thought and Philosophy of
Religion in the Department of Religion at Columbia University; PhD from the
University of Chicago.
For information contact
Judith Tenzer
Drisha Institute for Jewish Education
131 West 86th Street
New York, NY 10024
212-595-0307 <jtenzer@...>
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From: Stuart Cohnen <Stuart.Cohnen@...>
Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2001 08:48:23 -0500
Subject: KAJ Pessach list
The KAJ (K'hal Adath Jeshurun of Washington Heights) commonly known as
Breuer's, has again made its Pessach list available to the web. It can
be found at a new home, www.kajinc.org. Chag Kosher V'soma-ach
Stuart Cohnen (<stuart.cohnen@...>)
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From: Mark Steiner <marksa@...>
Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2001 09:32:07 +0200
Subject: Maot Hittin 5761
The month of nissan, 5761
Dear friends,
Once again, the holiday of Pesach is around the corner, and with it the
moral obligation--and the opportunity--to gladden the hearts of the poor
by helping them celebrate the Yom Tov before we ourselves sit down to
the seder table. This is particularly important this year, when Israel
once again must defend itself against a military and economic onslaught
on its very existence.
The Kupat Ezer, founded by the saintly Rav Dov Eliezerov, of blessed
memory, is a good way to perform the mitzvah of maot hittim to help the
poor of Jerusalem. Our volunteers put in many hours of work before
Pesach, of course without taking a penny for themselves, to help as many
families and individuals as possible, and to screen the applicants.
Please be as generous as possible: make out your check today to the
Kupat Ezer, and mail it the address below, or to me, Mark Steiner, 23
Kovshei Katamon Street, Jerusalem, Israel. On our part, we will get
your contribution to a deserving family in time to buy the basic holiday
needs.
Pesach is a holiday which requires a great deal of preparation, but
there is no greater preparation for Yom Tov than helping the
unfortunates rejoice with us.
Yours truly,
Mark Steiner
For the Kupat Ezer
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From: Jeff Fischer <NJGabbai@...>
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 21:11:53 EST
Subject: Mechiras Chametz online
I was thinking of doing Mechiras Chametz for my shul online meaning that
the people would input their name, address and all other relevant
information needed for the mechiras chametz form, it would be inserted
into the form and then emailed to the rabbi involved.
Are there any halachic problems with this?
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From: Carl Singer <CARLSINGER@...>
Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 07:53:13 EST
Subject: Pesach - motzei Shabbos
There are several good publications / pamphlets that deal with this
including doing bedikatz chumetz a day "early", Sale of Chumetz - which
can't ordinarily take place on Shabbos, etc. Perhaps it would be
worthwhile for someone to provide generally accepted overview of the
major differences.
Kol Tov
Carl Singer
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From: Moshe Feldman <MFeldman@...>
Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 15:37:17 -0500
Subject: Pesach take out
My wife will be mekayem me'avdus l'cherus this year by relying a lot on
take out (primarily for side dishes). Could anyone recommend (on or off
line, as appropriate) a good Pesach take out place in Brooklyn or New
Jersey? Also, has anyone tasted Pesach take out catered by Mauzone
(from Queens)?
Kol tuv,
Moshe
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From: Prof. Aryeh A. Frimer <frimea@...>
Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 08:33:52 +0200
Subject: A Short Guide to Erev Pesach on Shabbat
Attached is an updated version of a sheet I distributed to our
congregants in Rehovot. As noted below, times are for Rehovot, Israel.
What to Do when Erev Pesach Falls on Shabbat (5761): A Short Guide by
Rabbi Aryeh A. Frimer
(Note: For clarity, references have been kept to an absolute minimum.
Abbreviations - OH: Shulkhan Arukh Orah Hayyim; MB: Mishnah Berurah; IM:
Resp. Igrot Moshe. Times are for Rehovot Israel, and following the
general custom in Israel, are le-humra: Magen Avraham before noon and
Gra after noon.)
I. General: Ta'anit bechorot is pushed up to Thursday morning. Bedikat
hametz is performed Thursday evening. All hametz, not needed for
Shabbat meals, should be sold, removed or burned before Friday morning
10:23 AM (End of 5 sha'ot zemaniyot; same she^Ņat bi^Ņur time as in a
regular year). By Friday afternoon, the house should be entirely
Pesachdig and only kasher le-Pesach foods and utensils should be used -
with perhaps the only exception, bread for lehem mishneh. All
preparations for the Seder (removing challah from the matzot, preparing
the maror, haroset, salt water, roasting the shankbone and egg) should
have been completed. No preparations for the Seder or Yom Tov may be
done on Shabbat.
II. Basic Principles:
A) Matzah
1) It is Rabbinically forbidden to eat matzah on erev pesach (OH
471:2). The majority of Poskim maintain that this prohibition starts
only from the morning [alot ha-shahar] (ibid., MB no. 13). The minority
view maintains that one should be stringent from the night before. (IM,
OH, I, 154). Some have the custom of not eating matzah from Purim or
Rosh Hodesh.
2) According to most authorities, this prohibition includes items baked
with matzah mehl (e.g., cakes and cookies), but not those cooked (e.g.,
Kneidelach - kufta'ot) [OH 444, MB no. 8] or fried (matzah brei,
chremzelach) [Erev Pesach she-Hal be-Shabbat, R. Zvi Cohen, chap. 21,
parag. 5 and note 10].
3) In order to assure that matzah will be eaten with a zest Seder night,
Haza"l forbad eating cooked or fried matzah or matzah ashira (see
section II.C below) products starting from mid-afternoon (samuch
le-mincha ketanah; 3 sha'ot zemaniyot before sunset), which is 2:53 PM.
B) Bread (Hametz)
1) Rabbinically, it is forbidden to consume hametz on erev Pesach (which
this year falls on Shabbat) after 9:04 AM (End of 4 sha'ot zemaniyot).
2) All hametz must be removed and "Kol Chamira" recited by 10:23 AM (End
of 5 sha'ot zemaniyot).
3) Hametz may be removed by flushing it down the toilet.
C) Matzah Ashirah (Matzah made without water using fruit juice or
eggs)
1) Sefaradim use matzah ashirah on Pesach. The custom of Ashkenazic
Jewry is to refrain from eating it, unless one is elderly or ill (OH
462:4). Matzah ashirah is not hametz, and may be stored in the house
(ibid., MB no. 16).
2) There are three views regarding the time from which this Ashkenazic
stringency begins: a) From the same time as it is Rabbinically
forbidden to eat Hametz [i.e., 9:04 AM] (IM, OH, I, 154, 155); b) from
noontime [11:42 AM], which is the time it is Biblically forbidden to eat
Hametz (Resp. Nodah be-Yehudah 28); c) from samuch le-mincha ketanah
[i.e., 2:53 PM; sec. II.A.3] (Derekh ha-Chaim, Hilkhot Pesah; Arukh
ha-Shulkhan OH 444:5; Yehaveh Da'at, I sec. 91, no. 12). d) Children
may eat it all erev pesach. (R. M. Feinstein quoted by R. S. Weissman)
3) Normally one makes a mezonot before and al ha-Mihyah after eating
matzah ashirah. However, when it is used as bread - particularly for a
seudat mitzvah (like a Shabbat meal) - and is eaten together with other
foods, one recites ha-motzi and birkhat ha-mazon. [IM, OH, I, 154;
Yehaveh Da'at, I sec. 91, no. 12; Erev Pesach she-chal be-Shabbat, chap.
15, note 17]. A minimum of a kezayit (~29.6 cc or approximately 1/3 of
a Matzah) is required for birkat ha-Mazon [OH 184:6]; however, one
should preferably eat at least the volume of a ke-beitzah (~59 cc or
approximately 2/3 matzah) to fulfill the obligation of seudat shabbat
[OH 291:1, MB no. 2; Shiurim de-Rabbanan based on "Halachos of Pesach"
R. S. Eider, sec. XXI.D.7].
D) Kitniyot (The custom of Ashkenazim not to eat rice or lentils on
Pesach).
As to the possibility of eating Kitniyot on Erev Pesach, Pri Migadim
(Eshel Avraham, OH 444, no.2) indicates that the custom is only on
Pesach proper. Nevertheless, Hok Yaakov (OH 471 no. 2) forbids it on
Erev Pesach as well, and this seems to be the custom (Resp. Shevet
HaLevi, III, end of sec 31; Nitei Gavriel, Hag HaPesach, II, Chapter 38,
no. 14). Kitniyot may be eaten Friday night. Kitniyot are not hametz,
and may be stored in the house.
III. Options for Three Meals:
A) Friday Night: use Bread (Challah or pita ^Ö the latter makes less
crumbs), Matzah (if your custom permits it) or matzah ashirah. If bread
is used: Make ha-Motzi over two hametz challot AWAY from the table. Eat
the Challot over a paper towel or hametz plate, collect all crumbs and
dispose of them by flushing them down the toilet. Wash plate in
bathroom sink and put it with the hametz dishes. Wash out your mouth
and hands and continue with your Kasher le-Pesach meal.
B) Shabbat Morning: use bread or matzah ashirah.
1) If you intend to use bread (Challot) - daven at the early minyan
Shabbat morning and finish eating your challot and washing out your
mouth before 9:04 AM. Continue with you Kasher le-Pesach meal. Finish
the clean up and recite kol chamira before 10:23 AM.
2) If you intend to use matzah ashirah: a) If you follow the most
stringent position (see section II.C.2.a) then attend the first minyan,
and finish eating the matzah ashirah before 9:04 AM. b) If you hold
like either of the two more lenient positions (section II.C.2.b or c),
you can attend the regular minyan and finish eating the matzah ashirah
by 11:42 AM or 2:53 PM, respectively. c) In all cases, BE SURE TO SAY
KOL CHAMIRA BEFORE 10:23 AM. It can be said Shabbat morning before
Shul. If you have no intention of using hametz at all on Shabbat, kol
chamira can be said already on Friday after you have removed all your
hametz.
C) Seudah Shlishit:
1) One approach is to eat two meals in the morning, separated by a
period of interruption (go for a walk, read a book etc.). If you are
using hametz or matzah ashirah [and you follow the most stringent
position (sec. II.C.2.a)], then both meals must be finished before 9:04
AM. If you hold the middle position in matzah ashirah (section
II.C.2.b) you have to 11:42 AM.
2) A second approach is to eat products made from cooked or fried matzah
pieces or matzah mehl (section II.A.2) or matzah ashirah [if you hold
the most lenient position (section II.C.2.c)]. Make mezonot and al
ha-michyah - unless you eat ~236 cc (ca 2.7 matzot), in which case you
make ha-Motzi. Use them before 2:53 PM. (Yehaveh Da'at, I, sec. 91, no.
12)
3) Use fruit, meat, fish or potato starch cakes and macaroons, even
after 2:53 PM. Be sure not to fill yourself up, so you will have an
appetite by the evening.
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End of Volume 34 Issue 32
