Temple Emanu-El

Rabbi Scott Hausman-Weiss
"What is Chametz? What is not? And when does it end?"

Year in and year out, Jews of all stripes, including Reform Jews, tend to get a bit confused about the observance of Passover as regards the dietary restrictions. We all know the story that the Israelites didn’t have time to let the dough rise and thus it baked into thin crackers we call Matzah. And that from this story reams of rules blossom. Rules and their observance which is made more complicated by the Rabbinic dictum that one cannot be too strict in one’s observance of the mitzvah (commandment) to rid oneself of chametz during the seven days of the holiday.

So in order to make things a bit more clear, let me offer up a few clarifications:
Chametz: anything made from Oats, Barley, Rye, Spelt or Wheat that was in contact with water or yeast longer than 18 minutes prior to it’s baking. So, for example, everyone understands why challah is chametz, but why is a cracker? Technically, it is because its preparation allowed the flour to be in contact with a leavening agent longer than 18 minutes prior to being baked. And oh, by the way, also because it wasn’t prepared specifically for Passover.
Now what about corn, peas, rice and beans? What’s the story with them? According to Ashkenazic tradition, corn, peas, rice, and the like are products that can be ground to a flour and thus, at least in days gone by when packages were not nearly as clearly marked as they are today, were easily confused with other kinds of flour such as wheat, oat, etc. So, our sainted ancestors decided to rule these out as well. However, today, in an age of clear labeling, one can choose to eat of rice, beans, legumes and corn, without being at risk of proscribing the tradition’s rules. And if one still feels the traditional pull to not consume these, please do note that CORN SYRUP IS MOST DEFINITELY NOT CHAMETZ. It is a distant derivative of corn and thus the need for KOSHER FOR PASSOVER soda pop is truly unnecessary.
And while we’re at it, when does Passover end? The Torah commands that we observe the rites and rituals of Passover for a week. However, over the course of time, growing originally out of a concern for the maintenance of the calendar remaining in the hands of the leadership of the ancient temple in Jerusalem, Jews living outside the land of Israel came to add a day to the observance to ensure that they were keeping the holiday correctly. However, with our computers, PDA’s etc, there is no mystery as to when Passover begins and when it ends, this year and in 2056. Thus the reason why your clergy are eating Pizza after seven days of Passover and not eight!

This may sound like a lot of “easy ways out” of a strict observance. And for some, that is exactly what it is. For me, however, as a Reform Jew committed to both my tradition as well as a modern day awareness that keeps me aware of the roots of Jewish ritual, it is important to keep in mind the meaning of Passover- to feel and connect with the true meaning of freedom that carries with it both responsibilities as well as a dislodging of the burdens of life.

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