Pesach 5773 - Clanton Park Synagogue
Transcription
Pesach 5773 - Clanton Park Synagogue
PESACH 2013/5773 בס"ד פסח תשע"ג Rabbi: Rabbi Yehoshua Weber Rabbi Emeritus: Rabbi Yitzchok Kerzner President: Howard Lyons The Executive Board Wishes the Rabbi, Rebbetzin & family and the entire Clanton Park community a Chag Kasher v’Sameach ! ! חג פסח כשר ושמח HILCHOS PESACH 5773 Rabbi Weber has prepared a halachic summary of hilchos Pesach that should help answer your questions. The summary is included in this bulletin. As well, a “searchable” version is available on the Clanton Park website www.clantonpark.com. THOUGHTS FROM THE RAV ON ANTI-ANTI SEMITISM How could I avoid those eyes? Those eyes spoke to me from the other side of the hospital elevator, even before the mouth articulated. “Are you a Rabbi?” the owner of those eyes asked. “Yes, I am.” I replied. “My husband is very sick and I would like you visit him before he dies. There is a Catholic pastor on staff, but we are Anglicans and your Jewish belief is much closer to ours than the pastor’s Catholicism. Will you visit my husband?” It was not the time for theological discussions about the similarities or the dissimilarities of our respective belief systems. It was a time for action and so I followed her to her husband’s bedside. I stood there and I spoke to the two of them about nachas (I used the word posterity), shalom bayis (enduring love) the eternality of mitzvos (lasting deeds) and olam ha-ba’ah (the soul). They thanked me for my time, I thanked them for the opportunity and I left with a heightened realization of a blessed reality in which Anglicans respect and find religious comfort in a rav and in Judaism. Rabbi Yehoshua Weber I encounter this respect for Judaism, on a regular basis, when I sit as dayan on Toronto’s beis din for geirus. The dayanim warn potential converts of the scourge of antisemitism. But to most of these converting non-Jews who live, as they do, in our cosseted reality, that scourge is foreign. I make a point of asking them if their conversion is causing upset to their relationships with parents, siblings and friends. They respond, by and large, by noting that their religious choices are causing no upset and that their relatives are happy with their conversion choice. Yes, ours is a period not only of exceptionally muted antisemitism but even of significant philo-Semitism. Yes, ours is an exceptional period, but large sections of our community have not internalized that exceptionality. I have been to simchas, as I am sure you have, where speakers launch into intricate discussions about Jewish superiority and nonJewish inferiority, all with non-Jewish guests and non-Jewish staff in attendance. I regularly hear the terms shegetz and shikse being used as monikers for non-Jews. Shegetz and shikse are the grammatical derivatives of sheketz, which is the Hebrew term for repulsive. They are the hard words from a hard time, in a world that denigrated Jews in every conceivable way. Such terms of antiantisemitism might have been appropriate in a world of unceasing antisemitism, but using them today is expressing an antiantisemitism that is, quite frequently, more virulent than the prevailing antisemitism. Rabbi Yehoshua Weber Hashem must look at our community and wonder, for the Torah demands respect for non-Jews even during periods of gut wrenching antisemitism. Look, by way of example, at those heroes that the Torah highlights during יציאת מצרים. There must have been endless sacrifices by an endless number of unsung heroes while that river of tears flowed, but it is a non-Jewish princess, Pharaoh's daughter, whose self-sacrifice the Torah highlights. And not only is her story highlighted, it is the name that she chose, the name that recalls “for from the water I have extracted him" (Shemos 2, 10), that is memorialized forevermore. Moshe must have had a name before he was wrenched from his parental home. And indeed, the Midrash (Vayikra Rabba 1, 3) lists nine names: Yered, Chever, Yikusiel, Avigdor, Avi Socho, Avi Zenoach, Tuviah, Ben Nesenel and Levi, but the Torah only uses the name Moshe. "This is the reward of those who do kindness, even though Moshe had many names, the only name used by the Torah is the one that Pharaoh's daughter called him, even though Hashem called him a different name" (Shemos Rabba 1, 26). Let Moshe's name be a testament of thanks to this extraordinary non-Jewish woman. Pharaoh's daughter is not the only non-Jewish hero we meet in this week's portion. According to the Abarbanel, at least, the brave midwives who saved the Jewish babies from execution were not Jewish, but Egyptian. The Abarbanel assumes that the midwives are non-Jewish both because the names Shifra and Puah sound Egyptian and because he finds it highly improbable that Pharaoh would expect Jewish midwives to murder Jewish children. And these midwives risked their lives "because they feared Hashem." Hashem reciprocated and they were rewarded. "And it was, because the midwives feared Hashem that he established houses for them" (Shemos 1, 21). Our Torah emphasizes that even in the darkness of Jew-hating ancient Egypt, moral non-Jews were to be found. And the Torah makes a point of sharing their stories, of according them respect and of telling us about their divine reward. If such respect towards decent non-Jews was demanded in ancient Egypt should not privileged North American Jews be at least as respectful towards their non-Jewish neighbours. But are they? Unfortunately, the answer is not an If such respect towards decent non-Jews was demanded in ancient Egypt should not privileged North American Jews be at least as respectful towards their nonJewish neighbours. But are they? Unfortunately, the answer is not an unequivocal yes. Let us make sure that we do not descend into anti-anti Semitism at a time and in a place in which others are rising above antisemitism. A kasheren, zissen Pesach. This article is being concurrently published in the Jewish Tribune. Sponsored by: “May we only meet b’simcha” (416) 633-4941 (416) 633-5936 Mazel Tov Irwin & Ruth Diamond and Moti & Millie Ziskind on the birth of a granddaughter, Avery Simone, to Jeremy & Sandra Diamond. Mazel Tov to the great- grandmothers Mrs. Miriam Ziskind and Mrs. Rose Diamond. Mazel Tov to the uncles & aunts David, Debbie, Jim & Florence Diamond, Limor & Ike Ziskind, Terry & Jack Herscu, Uzi & Kayla Diamond, Debbie & Helene Bauer, Alex Kramer, and Tiffany & Seth Lebowitz . Mazel Tov to Jeremy & Susie Weitz on th eengagement of their daughter, Laya Weitz to Shaya Spitzer. Mazel Tov to the grandparents Harry and Sally Weitz. Mazel Tov to Harry and Sally Weitz on the birth of a great grandson, Ariel Mordechai, to Refael and Odeya Weinberger. Mazal Tov to Zack and Yael Rosen on the marriage of their son Kobi to Yardena, daughter of Judge Abraham and Mary Davis. Mazal Tov to Kobi's grandmother Mrs. Frances Kopstick & to all of Kobi's and Yardena's siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins. May Kobi and Yardena be Zocheh to build a Bayis Ne'eman B'Yisrael. Mazel Tov to Yechiel & Lisa Colman on the engagement of their daughter, Miriam, to Joshua Gornitsky, son of Richard and Marcelle Gornitsky of Boca Raton, Florida. Mazel Tov to the proud grandparents, Carl & Reta Goldstein, and to Josh's grandparents - Leonard and Esther Melunsky of Toronto and to Mervyn and Rena Gornitsky of Montreal. May the wedding take place b'sha'ah tovah umutzlachas and may they be zocheh to build a bayis ne'eman b'Yisrael. Mazel Tov to Eisig and Ethel Bergman on the birh of a great-granddaughter, born in Jeruselm to Chavi and Eli Scheller. Mazel Tov to the grandparents, Pessy and Peretz Feder of Brooklyn, N.Y. PREPARING FOR PESACH SHABBOS HAGADOL DRASHA שבת הגדול תשע"ג The Rav will be giving the Shabbos Hagadol drasha rd on Shabbos March 23 , Parsha Tzav, at 6:05 PM. There will be flyers available in the shul foyer shortly identifying the topic and content of the drasha. References for the drasha will be posted on the bulletin boards upstairs and downstairs as well as being available on the shul website. All men and women (members and non-members) . are invited to attend. Babysitting services will be available MECHIRAS CHAMETZ Rabbi Weber commenced buying chametz from the community on Tuesday, March 12th. He will be available after all three shacharis minyanim as well as after Mincha and Maariv. The Mechiras Chametz form can be found on the next page or will be available in the foyer of the shul or from the Rav. CHAMETZ TIMES Bedikas Chametz th Sunday, March 24 after 7:47 PM End Time for Eating Chametz th Monday, March 25 11:20 AM Biur Chametz th Monday, March 25 12:22 PM Ta’anis Bechorim on Erev Pesach th There will be a siyum following each of the 3 shacharis minyanim on Monday, March 25 . Following each siyum there will be a Kiddush. The Shul extends a warm welcome to : our members who have returned home after spending the winter months in warmer climates our youth who have returned home from their studies to spend Pesach with their families and friends members’ relatives and friends who will be celebrating Pesach with them. SHAIMOS COLLECTION ALERT When doing your pre-Pesach cleanup, shul members are requested NOT to bring their shaimos to the shul as it will not be disposed of by the shul. There will be a city-wide shaimos collection taking place prior to Pesach at the following 2 dropoff locations: Parking lot of Bais Yaakov High School - 400 Lawrence Ave., Toronto Monday March 18th and Tuesday March 19th 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (prompt) Parking lot of BAYT – 613 Clark Ave., Thornhill Sunday March 17th 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (prompt) Do not leave any bag in the parking lots before or after hours of collection - IT WILL NOT BE COLLECTED. There is a nominal fee of $10/bag to pay for the cemetery charges to bury the shaimos. כל דכפין ייתי ויכול It is a mitzvah (the act of tzedakah) to provide assistance to the underprivileged at all times, but particularly as one approaches a Yom Tov. Contributions to those in need provide them with the opportunity to adequately prepare for and enjoy the Yom Tov. Your contribution can help make the Yom Tov a joyous one for those in need. The Gemilas Chesed Committee of Clanton Park has started its Maos Chitin campaign for Pesach. Funds collected will be distributed to those in need within our shul – should funds remain thereafter they will be distributed within our local community. With the cost of food items traditionally increasing for Pesach, there is an even greater need to assist. Don’t wait for the Gemilas Chesed canvassers to approach you – take the initiative and approach them first and donate generously so that a disadvantaged individual or family can have an enjoyable Pesach ! Donations should be given to Irwin Diamond, Bobby Silberstein or Mordechai Grunwald. Cheques should be made payable to Gemilas Chesed of Clanton Park. SHUL REMINDERS The Pirkei Avos shiurim with the Rav will commence the first Shabbos following Pesach. They will take place in the main shul, on Shabbos afternoons 45 minutes prior to mincha davening. Men and women are encouraged to attend these shiurim. Rosh Chodesh Davening on Weekdays Please remember that the Rosh Chodesh shacharis times for the 1st and 2nd minyanim, on weekdays, is now 5 minutes earlier, i.e. 6:40 am and 7:00 am respectively. The 3rd minyan remains at 8:00 am. CHOL HAMOED PESACH MINCHAH / MAARIV PESACH NOTES Davening for minchah and maariv will be held in the main shul during Chol Hamoed instead of in the the Bais Hamidrash. . CLANTON PARK YOUTH CHOL HAMOED PESACH 2013 Sunday March 31st (4th day chol hamoed) Drop off at Shul 12:15 pm Pick up at Shul 3:30 pm The bus will leave the shul at 12:30 sharp and will head to Sky Zone where we will have 60 minutes of jumping fun. Open to youth of all ages. Please dress comfortably and bring water. Lunch will not be served. PRICE: $16.50 per jumper member $21.00 per jumper non member LIMITED SPACE IS AVAILABLE Please RSVP: [email protected] EVERY jumper MUST fill out their own waiver form from SkyZone. Thank you to all the women/families who helped organize this year’s mishloach manos: aaaaaa aaaaa Renee Rubinstein Ahuva Edell Haviva Diena, Yonit Rothenstien Bev Herzig Naomi and Sarah Rechnitz Rochelle Socken , Deanna Caro Edna Milevsky Manuel Kanner , Naomi Levi and kids Hartley and Isaac Bressler. A special thank you to those that organized the most elegant wine tasting event. The decor was spectacular and the food, catered by, the chosson and noted chef Shmuel Kanner did a superb job. Thank you to, in no special order, Ahuva Edell, Faige Grunwald, Immanuel Greenberg and Yitzchak Kaplan. Yosher Kochachem!!!!! WINE TASTING EVENT CLANTON PARK YOUTH the Latest & Greatest from the Clanton Park Youth Department [email protected] The Shul’s annual Purim party was a booming success! While the adults enjoyed an illusionist show by Bobby Motta, the kids had an amazing carnival in the basement. Everyone enjoyed pizza, falafel, popcorn, cotton candy, and a lot more. Many thanks to everyone who set up right after Shabbos and to everyone who helped clean up. A special thanks to Yitzchak Kaplan and Immanuel Greenberg for all their efforts in organizing the event. From the entire youth and social committees we want to wish everyone a…… CHAG KASHER V’SAMEACH Photos of the Annual Purim Party, courtesy of our photographer, Yitzchak Kaplan, can be found on the following 3 pages of the bulletin. הרב אברהם אהרון פרייס זללה"ה A seuda to commemorate the memory of הרב אברהם אהרון פרייס זללה"ה will take place on Sunday April 14, 2013 at Clanton Park Synagogue Minchah is at 6:00 pm with the seuda following Women are invited. There will be separate seating. THE SAGES - CHARACTER, CONTEXT & CREATIVITY VOLUME 1 - THE SECOND TEMPLE PERIOD by RABBI BINYAMIN LAU, PHD MAGGID BOOKS 2010 Book Review by Morris Sosnovitch There are a number of leaders in the Israeli Rabbinic world who stand out in their outspoken advocacy of bridging the religious chasms in Israeli society. One of the leading figures of this new generation is Rav Benny Lau. Rav Lau has quite the yichus. He is the grandson of Rav Moshe Chaim Lau and the nephew of Chief Rabbi Israel Meir Lau. His father Naftali Lau -Lavie was an Israeli career diplomat but is well known by those who have read the Chief Rabbi’s biography as the brother responsible for saving his life as a five year old child in Treblinka. Rav Benny Lau is a child of Medinat Yisrael having been educated in the Dati Leumi (National religious) yeshiva world, served in the Golani brigade, and obtaining a PhD in Talmud . He established the Beit Midrash for Social Justice together with the organization B’Maaglei Tzedek, a non-profit organization that he helped establish, with the goal of involving secular Israeli society in Torah learning. He is the Rav of the Ramban shul in Katamon as well as a teacher in a number of schools. He is passionate in the crucial goal of uniting Israeli society by rebuilding the relationship between the religious and secular and has locked horns with the Haredi dominated religious establishment for their non inclusive attitude to society as a whole and their extreme conservatism. He is quoted as saying “We allowed the rabbinate to become the preserve of political interests and rabbis who are taking orders from the Lithuanian leadership, which has no stake in the national interest.” His shiurim attract a huge following and his series of shiurim on Hazal is now being translated into English in a three volume set of which two have been released. The first volume deals with the Sages during the Second Beit Midrash starting with the Anshei Knesset Hagdolah and ending with the destruction and is based on Pirkei Avot. His goal, which he brilliantly achieves, is to combine the tools of modern academic research and fuse them with the world of learning to bring Hazal to life and to reveal the roots of the philosophy and ideology behind the disputes of the Talmud. Rav Lau in his forward explains the purpose of his shiurim. He is attempting to decipher the teaching of the Sages and their philosophy through the broader context of the historical events they lived through, the spirit of their times as revealed through traditional sources and outside sources. They are “ lessons in Talmud with a historical background.” His goal is to draw closer to the worlds of the sages and from understanding their world try to better understand and improve the Jewish world of today. His shiurim are very text oriented and analyze sayings and incidents discussed in the mishna and gemara and commentaries. Rav Lau starts with the first mishna of Avot that many of us can quote by heart “ Moshe kibbel Hatorah m’sinai...” that traces the chain of the teaching of the Torah from Har Sinai to the Anshei Kenest Hagadola. But then he stops and describes the historical and political background. Thus he illuminates his methodology. By understanding the fabric of the society and the problems they faced we can better understand the teachings of the Mishna. Rav Lau notes in his commentary on this first Mishna that something is missing. Nowhere in the chain of transmission of Torah do the Cohanim appear . Once pointed out, it is glaring. The Torah gives the Cohanim the mission of teaching the Torah. Why are they left out? Rav Lau uses this as a springboard to discussing the corruption and the failure of the priesthood as moral leaders. This volume starts with the transition from prophecy to Halacha. The next part is the period of the great Pairs, the rise of the sects of the Tzadukim and Parushim, Hillel and Shammai, and then to the period of fragmentation and the destruction. Rav Lau takes us on a journey that is both deep in his elucidation of the meaning of the text and unique in its blend of modern scholarship and tradition. Rav Lau’s underlying message is his view of the role of Rabbinic leadership. He obviously does not view the role of the Rabbinic leadership being limited to teaching to the choir. His view is that our Rabbinic leaders must be leaders on a national scale . Rabbonim must be sensitive to society’s needs and be creative in their application of halacha in order to preserve the relevance of the Torah to all segments of the Jewish people. mj PROUD TO BE JEWISH! The following article was suggested by Morris Sosnovitch (forwarded to him by Moshe Goldstein) as an inspiring message, especially for young people. Original article was on www.Aish.com. Permission to reprint article was granted by the Aish.com editorial board. Rabbi Blech has also granted his permission to have it reprinted in the bulletin. Ed Koch by Rabbi Benjamin Blech With the words he chose to be inscribed on his tombstone, Ed Koch, the iconic New York Mayor who passed away Friday, February 1st, made it very clear how he wanted most to be remembered. And they reminded me of a family disagreement in which I had to acknowledge that I was wrong and my daughter was right. It was a number of years ago when my daughter Tamar was making plans to apply to law school. Having gotten a perfect score on her LSAT exam, the highest mark in the country, she wasn’t nervous about getting accepted at one of the top universities. But she knew that an important element that would be considered by the very best schools was the essay she had to submit explaining why she had chosen law as a career and defining herself as a person. When she told me she had finished writing it, I asked if I might see it. As I began to read it I found myself filled with apprehension. Her opening words were “I am an Orthodox Jew.” She continued by linking the Jewish love for law with its divine origin at Sinai. She explained that her love for Torah made her seek a way to seek the betterment of the world through a commitment to legal redress for the innocent and lawful punishment for the criminal. Her presentation was masterful, yet I was afraid. Afraid because I was part of a generation that still bore the emotional scars of centuries of anti-Semitism. Afraid because I had lived through the years of the Holocaust and been forced to leave the land of my birth when a Nazi takeover threatened. Afraid because even though I now live in “the land of the free” I still didn't feel free enough to believe that my daughter could openly identify herself as an Orthodox Jew without subjecting herself to prejudiced repercussions. “I don't think you should send the essay in the way it is,” I advised my daughter. Tamar thought about what I said. Respectfully she concluded she had to be true to herself. She decided that if by identifying herself through her faith she was closing the door to professional advancement, she would rather not enter those portals. “And who knows,” she added, “perhaps the fact that I take pride in my heritage will be viewed as a positive.” Yes, my daughter did get accepted to every one of the top law schools in the country. Now fast forward a decade to learn the real end of the story. I was teaching a class at Yeshiva University when a young man knocked on the door. I immediately recognized him as a former student. Out of breath, he told me he rushed up from Columbia University Law School because he had to share the story of what had just happened in one of his classes. The conversation had turned into a discussion about the required essays. Someone asked the professor, “Now that we’re in the school, can you tell us what exactly you were looking for in those essays?” The professor responded that he couldn’t really put it into words but he could only give a general guideline by referencing what he felt was the best essay they had ever received. He recalled that it was written by some girl with a strange last name that’s difficult to pronounce – “something like Blech.” “If this is your daughter,” my former student said, “I knew you’d love to hear the story.” I assured him that indeed it was my daughter, and that I was so grateful to him for sharing it with me. I also confessed how I almost messed it up by suggesting to my daughter that it was too dangerous to be submitted as written! If taking pride in one’s identity proved to be helpful rather than hindrance to Tamar, it is certainly instructive to learn how much this trait meant to the former Mayor of New York City. As the eulogies are offered and the tributes pour in with a lengthy list of Ed Koch’s accomplishments, there are so many things the mayor could have been proud of. Yet what Koch chose to stand in perpetuity as a summary of his life’s meaning were the last words of Daniel Pearl before he was brutally murdered by Pakistani terrorists: My father is Jewish, my mother is Jewish, I am Jewish. Two years before his death, in his personal blog in the Huffington Post, What’s On My Tombstone And Why, Koch told his readers that this was what he had prepared to be inscribed as his epitaph. So strongly did he feel about the importance of this recognition for every Jew that he added, “I believe those words should be part of the annual services on the Jewish High Holiday of Yom Kippur, and should be repeated by the congregants.” Beneath this powerful expression of identity, Koch commissioned the inscription of the Shema in Hebrew and English followed by these words: "He was fiercely proud of his Jewish faith. He fiercely defended the City of New York and he fiercely defended its people. Above all, he loved his country, the United States of America , in whose armed forces he served in World War II." Koch did not hesitate to define himself in this sequence – a proud Jew, a loving New Yorker and a patriotic American. In accord with his wishes, the words by his grave express with pride the last words of Daniel Pearl. Is it merely coincidence then that Ed Koch died on the first day of February, the very day on which Daniel Pearl was murdered exactly 11 years ago? HALACHIC ISSUES FOR PESACH 2013/5773 קהל מחזיקי הדת- CLANTON PARK, TORONTO RABBI YEHOSHUA WEBER Please note that this compendium is available and searchable at the shul website http://www.clantonpark.com. CLEANING We clean our homes of all chametz products because, on Pesach, even the ownership of chametz is forbidden. The prime contemporary reason for chametz eradication is that, accustomed as we are to eating chametz year round, we might, in an act of forgetfulness, consume chametz 1on Pesach. We therefore eradicate only the accessible, “consumable” chametz, that could be eaten. Inaccessible chametz is dealt with through bittul, i.e., the nullification that is read after the bedika and before the burning of the chametz; ripping out car seats to find inaccessible chametz crumbs is thus unnecessary. Strictly speaking, all grain products, e.g., liquor, beer etc., ought to be disposed of before Pesach. Nevertheless, elimination of the sort, in a world in which people have large quantities of preserved chametz would entail hardship. And so, for many years now, broad swaths of the community 2 have relied on sources that permit the sale of chametz to a non-Jew.3 The chametz that will be sold is set aside in a segregated area and then legally transferred to non-Jewish ownership. Some people opt not to rely on this leniency and discard rather than sell their chametz. ALCOHOL & INEDIBLE CHAMETZ Grain alcohol, a fermentation product, is chametz, according to most contemporary authorities.4 Edible items containing grain alcohol such as whisky, liquor or liquid medications are certainly forbidden. We are stringent with perfumes and with other liquid inedibles containing ethyl alcohol because that alcohol might be grain based. 5 Such alcohol, even if it is currently denatured, i.e., inedible, can, conceptually, be reconstituted and might, therefore, be considered chametz. Inedible solid products containing grain alcohol (or any other chametz, for that matter), e.g., lotions, soaps and items such as shampoo, shoe polish, ink, pure talc powder, cleansers, shaving lotions, paints, floor waxes etc. are permissible for Pesach use. Nevertheless, here too, given chumras Pesach, even totally inedible items that have a clear chametz base, i.e., wheat & oat based soaps, are best avoided. BEDIKAS CHAMETZ Although the house has been thoroughly cleaned, we are still obligated to perform the rabbinic mitzva of searching for chametz on the night that precedes Pesach. The search this year occurs on Sunday night, March 24. The beracha, al bi’ur chametz is recited prior to beginning the search. The beracha introduces both the search and the bittul, i.e., the nullification that is read immediately after 1 Talmud Bavli, Pesachim 4b Bach, OC, 448, Vi’im 3 Tosefta, Pesachim, 2, 6 4 Sedei Chemed, Chamtez u’Matzah, 8, 28 5 Levushai Mordechai, 86 2 the search. The nullification is a halachic dissociation from any chametz that was overlooked during the search.6 It is forbidden to talk at all between the beracha and the beginning of the bedika. It is best not to discuss matters extraneous to the bedika from the moment that the beracha is made until the bedika and the subsequent nullification are complete.7 The search is carried out with a single-wick candle or a flashlight.8 The traditional feel of a candle and the safety and ease of a flashlight can be melded. Make the beracha, begin the bedika with a candle and, for the finer parts of the bedika and for the children who are assisting, use a flashlight. Many rationales are offered for the minhag of some to place 10 pieces9 of bread before the search begins: a) to add a level of excitement to the search.10 b) to ensure that some bread is found so that the bedika beracha should thereby be validated.11 c) to ascertain that chametz will remain for the burning / bittul ceremony the following morning.12 Some find this tradition disconcerting13 because bandying chametz around the home right before Pesach is a dangerous thing indeed. Try to limit the potential problem of an unfound piece of chametz by limiting the 10 pieces of chametz to less than a ke’zayis14 (27 grams) each. As in other arenas of conflicting halachic opinion, follow your family’s tradition. If you are unsure as to what that your tradition is, place the bread. The pieces are gathered during the course of the search. Upon concluding the search, the bittul (nullification) is read. The text of the bittul is found in most Haggados. Understanding the text is imperative. People who find Aramaic difficult to understand should familiarize themselves with the meaning of the text or recite the nullification in a comprehensible language. 15 A free translation of the nullification follows: "All leaven that may be in my possession, whether or not I have seen it and whether or not I have I have removed it, should be considered void and I relinquish my ownership of it. It should be considered as the dust of the ground." There is considerable debate as to when to do bedikas chametz. Although the bedika is meant to take place at night, some would begin the checking process right after sunset (well before halachic night which begins with tzais ha'kochavim, the appearance of three stars in the night sky.16) The more common tradition is to do the bedika after tzais ha'kochavim.17 Although defining tzais ha’kochavim is also a matter of considerable debate, here, according to most, it is unnecessary to wait until Rabbainu Tam’s later tzais ha’kochavim; begin to check from 7:47, at the early end of the halachic nightfall range.18 ` 6 Rashi & Tosafos, Pesachim 4b, Rambam, Chametz u’Matzah, 2, 2 Shulchan Arukh, OC, 432, 1 8 She’arim Metzuyanim bi’Halacha, 11, 4 who notes that incandescent electric light is considered “flame” in other halachic arenas as well. Responsa Be’er Moshe who prefers a flashlights where it allows for a more effective bedika 9 Arizal based on Bavli, Pesachim 10a 10 Chok Ya’akov, OC, 432, 14 11 Rema, OC, 432, 2 12 Mahari Weil, 193 13 Taz, OC, 432, 4 14 Sha’arei Teshuva, 433, 3 15 Mahari Weil, 193, Mishneh Berurah, 434, 9 16 Magen Avraham, OC, 431, 4 17 Arukh ha'Shulchan, OC, 431, 25, Mishneh Berurah 431, 1 18 Mo’adim u’Zemanin, 3, 286 7 BEDIKAS CHAMETZ OUTSIDE THE HOME Individuals who are leaving for Pesach and who will, therefore, not be home the night before Pesach, perform the bedika in their homes without a beracha on the night before they leave.19 (Individuals who will not be home for the entire Pesach have the option of “selling” large swaths of their home and cleaning and doing a bedika on the “unsold part.” (Apprise your rav of the details to ensure the appropriate handling of particulars.) Individuals who will be in a hotel room the night before Pesach do the bedika in their hotel room with a beracha, just as they would at home.20 Those who are spending Pesach at friends’ or relatives’ homes and will be at those homes the night before Pesach should listen to the beracha of the owner of the house and perform the bedika in the room in which they are staying.21 (Although these individuals will later be reading the nullification, a verbal nullification is not reason enough to require a personal beracha.) KASHERING It is best to have special Pesach utensils. Earthenware and synthetic22 utensils are nonkasherable. If need be, certain metal and glass (not Pyrex or other types of glass that are used in the oven) utensils may be kashered. Silverware, metal pots in which items are cooked via a liquid medium and metal table cutlery, can be kashered through the standard hagalah process, i.e., immersion in a keli rishon, a Pesach or a chametzdik pot that first goes through its own kashering prices. To kasher the pot, first ascertain that the pot has not been used in the past 24 hours. Then, fill the pot with water. Bring that water to a boil, allowing the water to boil over the pot’s rim. The pot has now been kashered. Fill the pot with water again and bring that water to a boil. Make sure that all rust and dirt have been removed from the utensils that you are kashering. Drop the utensils/cutlery (which should not have been used with anything hot for 24 hours), one by one, into the boiling water. Make sure to rinse the utensils/cutlery with cold water after the hagalah process has been completed. Knives with serrated edges or with attached handles or silverware with grooves that cannot be well cleaned are more difficult to kasher. Standard glass used for hot foods is a matter of debate, with Ashkenazim veering towards stringency and equating glass with earthenware and Sephardim veering towards leniency. 23 Drinking glasses that were not used for hot chametz can, in cases of necessity, be kashered through a milui ve’irui process, i.e., filling glasses with water for three 24-hour periods and changing the water for each one of those periods. Sinks, stovetops and all surfaces normally used for food should be readied for Pesach use. Metallic sink surfaces can be kashered. These surfaces must first be thoroughly cleaned and then dried. The sink should then remain unused for 24 hours. Take a chametzdik pot that had not been used in the past 24 hours and kasher it. Then fill the pot with water again and bring that water to a boil. The boiling water should then be poured on all parts of the sink, including the faucet. The faucet should be swiveled to ensure that the boiling water reaches all of it, in its entirety. Sink filters with small mesh holes should be replaced; filters with large holes can be kashered with hot water. Enamel and Formica must be covered. Chametzdik dish racks, sink racks, washbasins and blechs should not be used. Self-cleaning ovens should be thoroughly cleaned and kashered by running a self-clean cycle. Make sure to clean the areas of the oven which are not reached by the self cleaning process, i.e., the edges and the sides of the door. Regular ovens should be cleaned thoroughly with an “Easy Off” type cleaner and set on the highest setting for an hour and a half. Continuous clean ovens, 19 Shulchan Arukh, OC, 436, 1 Siddur Pesach ke’Hilkhaso, 12, 8 21 Shibolai ha’Leket, 4, 44 22 Iggeros Moshe, OC, 2, 92. Although this is a debatable matter, for Pesach we are stringent. 23 Shulchan Arukh, OC, 451, 26 20 which cannot tolerate abrasive “Easy Off” type cleaners, are trickier. Begin the cleaning action with the application of non-abrasive cleaner. Put the oven on 450°F for an hour, so that the continuous clean properties deep clean. If spots remain even after all this, then the oven should be left on the highest temperature for a few hours. Follow this process with a one hour broil cycle. Some claim that regular / continuous clean ovens do not become hot enough to effect a thorough kashering. Those following these opinions would require these ovens to either (a) be blowtorched (something that should only be done by people well acquainted with activity of the sort) or (b) have special inserts.24 These stricter opinions would also require that the regular / continuous clean oven racks be placed in a self-clean oven for a cycle, be changed, be blowtorched or be covered with aluminum foil. Perforate the aluminum foil to allow for appropriate circulation. In this area, as in most areas, follow your family minhag. If you do not have a clear minhag, the fact that food is not placed directly on the oven racks is reason enough to allow yourself to follow the more lenient opinion. Stovetop grates should be placed in a self-clean oven for a cycle (be careful-they might become discoloured in the process) or burnt out on top of the stove by covering them with a kettle, blech or a layering of aluminum foil and turning on the flame full force for ten minutes. Ensure that the hot aluminum foil does not extend beyond the stovetop where it can touch, and possibly melt, the plastic knobs. Between-the-grates stovetop areas that are stainless steel can be kashered by having the entire area covered with aluminum foil during the burning out process. If the area is enamel, it should be covered for Pesach. Kashering /covering this area is necessary because a trickling overflow might connect the pot to chametzdik stovetop. If the grates lift the pot off the stove and will prevent this scenario from arising and you also never slide the pot onto that stovetop area (and you are also habituated not to eat food that falls onto that area), then such stovetop kashering /covering, where difficult (as for instance with the glass stovetops that we will soon discuss), is unnecessary. Glass stovetops are trickier because keeping them covered with a blech or with aluminum foil can cause small cracks in the glass. Kashering should, therefore, occur in one of the following ways. (a) After kashering the burners as previously outlined, run a blowtorch over the surface of the glass. Cracks can be avoided by quickly moving the torch back and forth over the entire surface so that there is a uniform rise in temperature. (b) Kasher the burner area only. Do this by turning on the burners, full force, for 10 minutes. The outlying areas of the stove will, nevertheless, not be kashered because the heat does not extend beyond the burner area. Given that the outlying area have not been kashered, it is important that the cooking pots do not extend beyond the kashered burner area. In addition, upon conclusion of cooking, place hot pots on trivets rather than onto the non-kashered outlying areas. Last, but certainly not least, be careful that spills do not extend from the pot down onto the burner area and from there onto the non-kashered stovetop areas because spills of the sort connect the food in the pot to non-kashered stove top. One way of addressing all of these issues is to place a disc on the burner area. This disc lifts the pot off the stove top and creates a break between the pot and the stovetop. . Microwave ovens can be kashered, after a thorough cleaning, by boiling water from a Pyrex dish inside the microwave until a thick steam permeates the entire microwave. Turntables should nevertheless be changed / covered (a sheet of Styrofoam works well here). Given the affordability of small microwave units, and the difficulty of cleaning the fan area, consider buying a special Pesach unit. Follow standard oven kashering procedures for convection microwave ovens that are also used in the convection mode. Follow microwave kashering procedures for convection microwaves that are never used in convection mode. As mentioned, all utensils should remain 24 She'arim Metzuyanim be’Halakha, 116, 2 unused for the twenty four-hour period that precedes their kashering. Warming drawers should not be kashered because the heat settings do not go high enough to effect kashering. The warming drawer should be cleaned, sealed, and not used for Pesach. Broilers, barbecues and griddles which have food broiled or roasted directly on them must to be heated to a glow in order to effect kashering. This requires blowtorching (something that should only be done by people well acquainted with activity of the sort). Or you can replace the broiler pan and/or the barbeque grates. The empty broiler space must still be kashered by cleaning it and setting it to broil for an hour. The part of the barbecue which the food can touch (the part that is level with the grate) must also be kashered by heating it to a glow. If you do not intend to use the broiler, your can still use your oven - just thoroughly clean the broiler as you would anything else. KITNIYOS Ashkenazim do not eat legumes (kitniyos) - beans, corn, peas, rice, etc. and products containing them as ingredients, throughout Pesach. Some include peanuts in the ban; some also include kitniyos derivatives such as peanut oil. Follow your tradition. If you are unsure as to what your tradition is, you may be lenient with peanuts, peanut oil and the like.25 The kitniyos tradition arose because kitniyos were frequently stored together with grain.26 Alternatively, kitniyos were banned because flour and bread like items can be produced from legumes.27 Potatoes (from which potato starch is made) while included in the initial ban according to some, were permitted because of famine.28 Others claim that potatoes were not banned simply because they were unknown in Europe at the time the ban’s promulgation.29 Sephardic, Yemenite and Oriental Jewish customs vary from community to community. Please note that imported Israeli foods containing kitniyos may nevertheless be labelled Kosher for Pesach. MEDICATIONS A troubling issue that I confront, Pesach after Pesach, (and for that matter, Yom Kippur after Yom Kippur) is the spectre of ill people refusing their medications because of that medication’s alleged chametz component(s). To reiterate a point that I have repeatedly made, few, if any non-chewable pills, contain chametz in their ingredient base. Even if they do contain chametz, non-chewable pills are swallowed; they are not eaten, and if they do not have a pleasant tasting coating, they offer no pleasure to the palate. All non-chewable, solid medications that do not have a pleasant tasting coating (most pills and all capsules) are permissible on Pesach, for any and all illnesses, for any and all people. They need no certification and channelling effort into researching the ingredient base of these pills exacerbates a climate in which ill people endanger their lives in a mistaken attempt at halachic observance. Most adult medications fall within the framework of this leniency. Vitamins are not to be included within the scope of this leniency, but I would permit vitamins ingested because of a clear medical need, e.g., prenatal pills. Liquid or chewable medications are a wholly different matter. Such medications that contain chametz, are considered bona fide chametz because of their pleasant taste. Chametz liquid and chewable medications may nevertheless be used if medically necessary and if no adequate substitutes can be found. One needing such medications should purchase them before Pesach and consult a rav about how to store and how to consume such medications over the course of Pesach. Liquid and chewable medications that contain kitniyos but no chametz may be consumed by an ill person (ill to the point that one would be recuperating in bed) or by a young child who is 25 Iggeros Moshe, OC, 3, 63 Bais Yosef, OC, 453 27 Mordechai, Pesachim, 2, 688 28 Nishmas Adam 29 Tiferes Shelomo 26 facing even slight discomfort. The published Pesach lists are valuable in ascertaining the status of these medications. Please remember that there are additional issues involving the consumption of medicines on Shabbos and Yom Tov that require discussion with a competent halachic authority. EGG MATZAH AND WHITE GRAPE MATZAH Matzah made with fruit juice or eggs, including Egg Matzah, Chocolate Covered Egg Matzah, and White Grape Matzah are not permitted on Pesach according to the European tradition. Although there is room for leniency for the ill and for those who cannot digest regular matzah, you would be hard pressed to rely on this leniency when there is a plethora of other food available. 30 Matzah made with fruit juice or eggs certainly does not qualify for the seder. SEDER MATZAH The three matzos are placed on the seder table to: a) represent the three kinds of Jews: Kohen, Levi and Yisroel. b) represent our three avos, our forefathers. c) remind us that there are three times during the course of the seder when matzah must be eaten - at the beginning of the seder meal, when the beracha over matzah is made, for the korech (Hillel Sandwich) when the matzah is eaten together with the maror, and at the end of the meal, for the afikoman. At the beginning of the seder, the middle matzah is broken in two. The larger part31, the afikoman, is hidden. The afikoman is eaten as a remembrance for the non-extant korban Pesach. The korban Pesach was eaten at the end of the meal. The afikoman is, therefore, also eaten at the end of the meal. MATZAH SHEMURA Matzah is prepared from the flour of grains that have not been washed, and have been processed under supervision, completely protected from any contact with water. Matzah must be made with mayim shelanu, water that has been stored overnight. The matzah can be manufactured either by hand or by machine. The dough must be pummeled constantly. If it is left idle for longer than 18 minutes it becomes chametz. It is rolled into thin sheets and then baked. All equipment used in the preparation of matzah must be constantly cleaned of dough crumbs, and the oven in which matzah is baked must be set at the proper baking temperature. Properly certified matzos are manufactured with care and are absolutely kosher. Nevertheless it is important to use matzah shemura, which is “guarded matzah” for the seder. This is because there are opinions requiring the seder matzos to be produced lishmah, for the sake of the mitzva that is to be done with them. Matzah shemura can be either machine or hand baked. German Jews generally favour machine matzos; most other Jews favour the hand baked version. GEBROCKTS Once matzah has been baked properly, leavening can no longer occur, and the product can no longer become chametz. Therefore, matzah products such as ground matzah meal, flour or farfel may be cooked in hot water, baked or blended with any variety of Pesach ingredients. People who do not eat Gebrockts (they do not allow their matzah to come in contact with water) are concerned that there might be a small bit of raw flour that will become chametz if we expose it to water now.32 MAROR Maror is a reminder of bitter Jewish suffering at the hands of the Egyptians. Many people use grated horseradish. Many recommend grating the maror before the Yom Tov begins, because of 31 32 Mishneh Berurah 473, 58 Sha’arei Teshuvah 460, 10 Yom Tov grinding issues. 33 If you follow that point of view, and did not have a chance to grate the maror before Yom Tov, grate your maror on Yom Tov with a shinui, i.e., a change in normal routine. The shinui can be achieved by holding the grater upside down or grating onto a piece of paper rather than onto a dish. 34 Others would actually grate their maror on Yom Tov as they would all year. Either way, if you do grate your maror on Yom Tov, prepare the amount that is needed for that night only. Preparing extra for the following night would be a violation of hachana, i.e. preparing on Yom Tov for the next day. Maror that has soaked in liquid of any sort for more than 24 hours has its bitterness muted during the soaking process and is, therefore, disqualified. Commercially prepared horseradish that has water or vinegar added to it is unacceptable. 35 Many people use Romaine lettuce which should be cleaned thoroughly. Here too, do not allow the lettuce to soak in liquid for more than 24 hours. Therefore, if the second day maror supply was cleaned before Yom Tov do not allow it to soak over the first day and into the second. Wrap the washed maror in damp paper towels instead. Romaine lettuce, while not bitter, is soft at the edges and has a hard stalk in the middle. This situation is a perfect metaphor for the Egyptian exile. The Egyptian exile, comfortable at first, gradually grew harder and harder.36 ROASTED MEATBONE This is a symbol for the Pesach lamb, which we brought as a korban on the eve of Pesach. This offering needed to be roasted. One explanation for the required roasting is that poor people insist on boiling rather than roasting their meat because they want to make a broth out of the meat as well. They extract as much as they can from every piece of meat. Only wealthy people can afford to roast their meats, thereby wasting the broth. On Pesach we are all “wealthy” and so the offering was roast. Today, given that we have no bais ha’mikdash, and consequentially no Pesach offering, we refrain from eating roast meat or fowl at the seder lest someone think that we are eating some sort of mock Pesach offering.37 ROASTED EGG This symbolizes the festival offering, the chagiga. In the time of the bais ha'mikdash, the chagiga was brought on all holidays. The round egg, which can roll on and on, symbolizes the continuous circle of life, the constant flux from pain to joy and the reverse. The egg is therefore also an appropriate sign of mourning. This small symbol of mourning reminds us of the bais ha’mikdash and of the Pesach offering, both of which we sorely miss. CHAROSES This is a mixture of nuts, cinnamon, apples and wine. It is a reminder of the clay the Jews used to make bricks to build for Pharaoh. The red wine reminds us of the spilled blood, the cinnamon sticks tell us about the straw Jews gathered for these bricks. The maror is dipped in the charoses to somewhat temper the maror’s bitterness. We then shake the charoses off the maror so that the charoses does not totally negate the maror’s bitterness.38 It is better to grate the fruits or nuts that will be added to the charoses mixture before Yom Tov and place them in the refrigerator. If you did not have a chance to grate the maror before Yom Tov and are grating the charoses on the first night of Yom Tov, only prepare the amount that you need for that night. Preparing extra for the following night would be a violation of hachana, i.e. preparing on Yom Tov for the next day. 33 Mishneh Berurah 473, 19 Rema, OC, 504,1 35 Shulchan Arukh, OC, 473, 5 36 Arukh ha’Shulchan, OC, 473, 16 37 Shulchan Arukh, OC, 476 38 Shulchan Arukh, OC, 475, 1 34 KARPAS A vegetable dipped into salt water. Some recommend preparing the salt water before Yom Tov.39 If your minhag is to abide by this stringency, but you forgot to prepare it before Yom Tov, then, if preparing on Yom Tov, reverse the preparation process, i.e., if the salt is usually placed in the bowl first, place the water first.40 Also, if preparing the salt water on the first night, only prepare the amount that you need for that night. Preparing extra for the following night would be a violation of hachana, i.e. preparing on Yom Tov for the next day. The vegetable dipped in saltwater might symbolize the Jewish people who were “down and out” like a vegetable which is near the ground being immersed in the tears of Egyptian slavery. Alternatively it might remind us of the Jews’ passing through the salt water of the Sea of Reeds. A primary reason for the karpas is that there is a question as to whether we make the ha’adama beracha on the maror. The doubt revolves around the fact that the maror is eaten during the meal, after we have already partaken of the matzah. Matzah exempts most items eaten during the course of a normal meal. Items that are not part of a normal meal, i.e., wine, certain desserts, would require their own beracha. The maror can be viewed as normal, akin to a salad vegetable or unusual, i.e., a mitzvah item. And so, there is doubt as to whether you make a ha-adama on the maror. The ha-adama beracha that is made on the karpas, if it is used to exempt the maror of its beracha obligation, helps us resolve this issue. It is imperative, therefore, to have the maror in mind when the ha’adama beracha is made on the karpas.41 FOUR CUPS The first cup of wine is the Kiddush. The second cup is taken at the end of the first of the three parts of the Seder. The third cup follows the bentching. The fourth cup is drunk at the end of the second part of the seder. The number four is used because Hashem used four different verbs, all of which signify redemption, when Moshe was sent to free the Jews. The number four also talks to us about our four imahos, our four matriarchs, and reminds us of feminine strength. We are being reminded about the extraordinary role that women (Pharaoh’s daughter who saved Moshe, the midwives who saved the Jewish children, Miriam who was responsible for Moshe’s birth) played in our redemption from Egypt. CUP OF ELIYAHU Some authorities believe that there should be five rather than four cups of wine at the seder table. The fifth cup came to be known as the Cup of Eliyahu because the rabbonim of old left the resolution of all unresolved questions to await the coming of the prophet Eliyahu and the Messianic era that he will bring. All of our halachic questions, including our debate as to whether we do or don’t need the fifth cup, will be resolved during that Messianic period. The custom of setting up a cup for Eliyahu led to the custom of opening the door during the seder for the entrance of this great prophet. RECLINING In ancient times it was customary for royalty to recline during meals. On Pesach night, we are all royalty. It is obligatory to eat the joyous, critical parts of the seder, i.e. the four cups and the matzah, while reclining to the left. The maror, on the other hand, because of its connotations of slavery, is not eaten in a reclining position. Ashkenazic women generally do not recline, Sephardic women generally do.42 39 Chayai Adam Kitzur Shulchan Arukh, 118, 4. The Mishneh Berurah seems to restrict this stringency to Shabbos. 41 Peri Megadim, Aishel Avraham, 473, 4 42 Shulchan Arukh, OC, 472, 4 40 MEASUREMENTS FOR THE PESACH SEDORIM MINIMUM SIZE OF WINE CUPS For the arba kosos and for Kiddush, the cup should hold at least 98 millilitres (3.3 oz.), of which you must drink the majority of the cup, 49 millilitres (1.7 oz.) from each of the arba kosos. If even 98 millilitres is too much, use a cup that contains 86 millilitres (2.9 oz.). Here too, you would be required to drink at least the majority of each cup, i.e. 43 millilitres (1.5 oz.). One who is using a cup that is larger than the minimum shiur can, if need be, still address his obligation by drinking most of the shiur, i.e., the same 49 or 43 millilitres (1.7 or 1.5 oz.), rather than drinking most of the actual cup, even if that cup is a large cup. It is better, though, to drink most of the actual cup, i.e., 4 ozs. from an 8 oz. cup, and better yet to drink the entire cup, which would mean drinking all 8 ozs. from an 8 oz. cup for each of the arba kosos. Consuming such amounts of wine can be quite taxing. It is therefore best to use smaller cups. 100 millilitre or, if need be, 90 millilitre sherry glasses qualify and are readily available. These smaller cups allow you to comfortably drink the entire cup for each of the arba kosos. If you opt for large cups, please remember that the recommendation to drink most of the cup or, ideally, the entire cup, still stands. WINE 1. Undiluted wine is best for the arba kosos. The great variety of delicious, low alcohol wines that are now available allows you to drink the arba kosos without becoming intoxicated in the process. (There are those who are halachically stringent and use unsweetened red wines that are not mevushal for the four cups. Those choosing to follow this stringency should be aware that the rationale for this stringency is applicable to year round kiddush as well). 2. If need be, you may mix the wine with grape juice. 3. If need be, Ashkenazim may dilute wine with water but make sure to have a bit more than 1/4cup wine to 3/4 cup water. Sephardim should never dilute the mixture with more than 1/4 water. 4. If need be, you may use grape juice instead of wine. Wine is preferred, though, because intoxicating wine more aptly captures the “freedom” idea of Pesach.43 (NOTE - The beracha upon all these mixtures is hagafen.) MINIMUM AMOUNT OF MATZAH SHEMURAH Everyone must eat the minimum amount of matzah shemura the following three times during the seder: 1) After the beracha al achilas matzah. This is the primary eating of matzah; e.g., this is when we perform the Torah commandment. You should attempt to eat 2/3 of a machine matzah or 1/2 of a hand-baked matzah. One may be lenient and use 1/3 of a machine matzah or 1/4 of a hand-baked matzah. The matzah should be eaten within a two minute or, if need be, a four minute time span. 2) For korech, when we eat matzah and maror together in a sandwich, 1/3 of a machine matzah or 1/4 of a hand-baked matzah suffices. 3) The afikoman is also considered very important and it is therefore best to eat 2/3 of a machine matzah or 1/2 of a hand-baked matzah. If you cannot eat matzah, then matzah shemura meal (upon which you are permitted to recite ha’motzi) may be substituted as follows: 1 & 3) After reciting the beracha, al achilas matzah and afikoman - an amount of meal that can be compacted into a vessel measuring 1.5 oz. 2) For korech - an amount of meal that can be compacted into a vessel holding 0.75 oz. 43 Peri Megadim, Meshbetzos Zahav, OC, 472 MINIMUM AMOUNT OF MAROR A minimum amount of maror is eaten twice during the seder. Once after the beracha, al achilas maror, and once for korech. If using pure, grated horseradish, use the following amounts: 1. After reciting the beracha, al achilas maror - an amount that can be compacted into a vessel measuring 1.1 oz. 2. For Korech - an amount that can be compacted into a vessel measuring 0.7 oz. If using Romaine Lettuce: 1. After reciting the beracha, al achilas maror enough stalks to cover an area of 3 by 5 inches. MAGGID, TELLING THE STORY OF THE REDEMPTION FROM EGYPT The seder is a time to bring our yiddishkeit alive. We do this by rereading and re-enacting the Exodus story. Seder participants should discuss all aspects of the Exodus in detail. One should not limit oneself to the text of the Haggadah. Discussion allows a person to re-examine his or her connection with yiddishkeit and Hashem. We focus especially on the young children. This might be because the evil Egyptian decrees (such as the killing of newborn boys) were suffered inordinately by innocent children. Children should participate in the seder to the extent of their ability. It is important that they nap beforehand so that they (and we) can enjoy the seder. In addition to the Four Questions, children should be encouraged to drink the Four Cups, eat the maror and matzah, and ask questions about Jewish life. CHAMETZ AFTER PESACH Chametz that was in a Jew’s possession during any part of Pesach may not be eaten nor may you derive any benefit from this chametz after Pesach. Care should be therefore taken when purchasing chametz after Pesach that this chametz should not have been in a Jew’s possession during Pesach. Many stores have signs saying that they sold their chametz and yet they continue doing chametz business on Pesach. Even if we accept the validity of the sale we may not buy chametz there after Pesach because of the Pesach chametz deliveries. 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