Along with the good-deed of searching for chametz, there is
a second, more time-consuming aspect of cleaning for Passover.
And that revolves around the Torah prohibition of eating any
chametz on Passover. In fact, if you intentionally eat even
one molecule of chametz on Passover, you're breaking a Torah
prohibition.
Furthermore, when it came to Passover, the Sages built
"fence around fence." They prohibited things on
Passover that we would not otherwise dream of.
Case number one: The Sages said that if one crumb of chametz
falls into a huge pot of chicken soup, then -- even if the
crumb was removed -- that negligible bit of "bread
taste" will still render the whole mixture "chametz."
Case number two: All year long, we know that you're not
supposed to use non-kosher dishes or pots. But what if you
accidentally use a dish that was used for non-kosher food
a long time ago (i.e. not within 24 hours)? The Jewish law
is that your food is still kosher. There are some exceptions,
but generally speaking, an "old taste" absorbed
into a pot will not ruin your food. However, on Passover,
the Sages said that if a dish or pot was ever once used
for chametz in its whole long history, and then was used
on Passover, the old chametz taste absorbed in the pot will
wake up again and give your food the status of chametz.
This rule applies during Passover itself. But if case #2
occurred before Passover -- i.e. if the pot was used ages
ago for chametz and you mistakenly cook food in it before
Passover -- then the Jewish law is that your food remains
kosher.
With regard to case #1, however, the Sages said that if
there may be the tiniest trace of chametz still in your
food -- even if it happened before Passover -- the Jewish
law is that your food is considered chametz. (Note: This
applies for Ashkenazim.)
As a result, we need special "Kosher for Passover"
everything -- pots, pans and even all the ingredients we
cook with. Plus, we have to be extremely careful with what's
around the house, particularly in the kitchen. If we have
any little bit of chametz that may make its way into our
food, then we've got to get rid of that. And unlike the
rules of searching for chametz, it makes no difference whether
there is more or less than a kezayit (about 30 grams). Plus
we have to make sure that any place that "hot"
Passover food will touch (like a countertop) doesn't even
have an absorbed chametz taste.
One exception to this rule: Totally non-edible chametz
that makes its way into your food is not called chametz
and will not ruin your food -- unless you purposely eat
it. If it accidentally falls into your food that's not a
problem. (However, as we said, if it's edible chametz, then
even the tiniest drop in your food will ruin everything.)
A QUICK REVIEW
When we do the search
for chametz, what are we looking for? One crumb of edible
chametz -- you can't have it in your house and you've got
to destroy it. With regard to anything that contains ethyl
alcohol, since that can be distilled, we call that "edible
chametz" and you have to get rid of it, too.
We are also looking for something that is more than a kezayit
(about 30 grams) -- regardless of whether you would consider
it food or not. If it's less than a kezayit of non-edible
chametz, you don't have to get rid of it because you consider
it dirt. Also, if it's something even a dog wouldn't eat,
then even more than a kezayit is not problematic.
When you're cleaning for Passover, all the goodies in your
freezer and cabinets -- bread, cakes, hallah -- all of that
is chametz. You have to get rid of it one way or another.
But aside from that, you probably won't find so much edible
food in your house. The search for chametz, therefore, is
not so difficult. In the bedrooms, for example, you don't
have to sit there with a pin scraping the corners!
Even further: Let's say you have gook stuck to your chametz
dishes. If the stuff is non-edible, then you can forget
about it -- as long as it does not total a kezayit of gook.
But there is no need sit there and steel-wool the dishes.
Just make sure there is no edible stuff on them, and no
kezayit of gook -- and put them away.
BREAD CRUMBS
Bread crumbs on your floor. There
are various opinions in Jewish law, but I'm going to present
one in particular that is easier to understand.
We established that the third category -- "garbage"
-- is defined as anything that cannot ferment another dough,
and is so non-edible that even a dog wouldn't eat it.
According to most Jewish law authorities, there is one
more substance that is defined as "garbage: Chametz
that is smaller than a kezayit(about 30 grams) and you would
not use it for anything. This is something most people call
"garbage." It's something you would easily throw
away and in your mind it's nothing. Crumbs fit into this
category.
The only kind of crumb that's problematic is one you'd
pick up with your finger and put on your tongue. So leftover
crumbs from the table are in fact "chametz." Leftover
crumbs on the floor, which you wouldn't eat, are garbage.
Therefore, any crumb that you would consider dirt (and is
smaller than a kezayit) does not have to be gotten rid of.
(The fact that a baby eats it does not turn it into chametz.
Because when a baby decides to eat something, it is not
a conscious decision, "this is food." If you have
no food around, a baby will eat that, too!)
KITCHEN BASICS
Many surfaces in
the kitchen that will not touch your food, but may come
in contact with the food indirectly -- because you will
be touching them while you make food. Examples include doorknobs,
doors, windows, cabinet covers, radio, and especially the
telephone. These surfaces must be perfectly clean, or at
least nothing edible should be left on it. Use ammonia or
a strong cleanser. (Window cleaner contains ammonia.) If
you can unscrew part of the telephone, it's a good idea,
because you never know how many crumbs are in there. Some
items in your kitchen are on even a lower level. This is
the category of things that you are going to put away in
storage -- e.g. your chametz dishes. All you have to do
is make sure there's no edible chametz and no kezayit of
gook -- then put them away in a cabinet which is closed
shut, then taped, locked or labeled. This way you won't
accidentally take it out during Passover.
What about chametz dishes that are used only for special
occasions -- e.g. a breakfront where you have china and
crystal on display? These you can continue having on display.
Since you don't take these out regularly, there's no danger
of you accidentally taking it out during Passover. (Additionally,
there is no problem of owning the "taste" of chametz
absorbed in the plate.) People may feel uncomfortable about
leaving these dishes on display, and of course it's perfectly
acceptable to put them away. But the Jewish law is you are
allowed to leave them out.
Speaking of discomfort... Some people will cover up on
Passover a piece of artwork hanging that shows bread. Certainly
there's no requirement to do so, but you can appreciate
that Jews don't want to have a picture of hallah hanging
next to their Passover table!
KITCHEN COUNTER-TOPS
Counters that are stainless
steel can be kashered. First, make sure they've not been
used for hot chametz in the past 24 hours. Then, clean them
well. And finally, pour boiling water from a kettle all
over them. The problem is this is a really messy job and
you may have to fill up lots of kettles. So one alternative
is to put cold water all over your counter (put something
on the side so the water doesn't spill over), then take
an electric steam iron, and go over the entire countertop.
This will make the water "sizzle," which is the
Jewish law equivalent of using a red-hot stone -- eh'ven
meluban. Don't worry, a steam iron is waterproof and this
will not ruin your iron. But remember this only works on
stainless steel counters.
What about stone or marble counters? That depends on the
type of stone. In Israel, most people have what is called
shayish. This is a combination of stone and epoxy -- and
cannot be kashered for Passover. You have to cover it with
something waterproof. And although it's not required, some
people pour boiling water over it before covering it properly.
If you have what they call "granite," that is
real stone and can be kashered for Passover. (Use the methods
described above for stainless steel.) The only problem spot
is the seams where you have a little crack filled with plaster.
Some people put rubber mats over their granite (even if
they do kasher it) just to cover these seams. But according
to Jewish law, if you pour boiling water there, it should
be sufficient.
What about the wall behind the countertops? Since your
pots touch the wall during the year, make sure to cover
it. It doesn't make a difference what the wall is made of,
still cover the wall behind the counter.
Additionally, you should cover the underside of the upper
cabinets that overhang the counter. Why? Because some Passover
food may touch it. But beyond this, there is steam that
can go up and absorb the taste of chametz steam that was
absorbed there. Not everyone agrees with me, but I believe
that surface should be covered.
As for the outside of the cabinets themselves, we assume
that food will not touch there directly. But make sure you
clean them well.
As for the kitchen table, it is the same as we said for
the dining room table: You must cover it with something
waterproof. If your tabletop is made of wood, metal or stone,
you could pour boiling water from a kettle directly onto
your table, and that would actually enable you to use the
table without any covering. This method does not work for
formica.
THE OVEN
If your oven has
self-cleaning, put it through the self-cleaning cycle and
that will make your oven "Kosher for Passover."
In a self-cleaning oven, if you have any interior parts
that are rubber -- or other substances which according To
Jewish law cannot be kashered -- then you should cover those
pieces with aluminum foil, and make sure they stay covered
whenever you use your oven. If you do not plan to use your
oven during Passover, all you have to do is open it up and
see: If there is no edible food inside and no kezayit of
gook, just close the door, tape it shut, and that's all.
If you want to be stringent, spray some oven cleaner inside,
wait the three minutes, wipe it off, and close the door.
According To Jewish law, if you're not using your oven on
Passover, it does not have to shine. Please don't make anyone
scrub your oven for hours because of a stringency! Simply
make sure there's no edible chametz and no kezayit of gook.
If you never used your oven for chametz and you want to
use it for Passover, you still have to kasher it. However,
here you can rely on turning on the thermostat to the highest
setting and waiting until it reaches its highest temperature.
What about the top of the stove, where the burners sit?
We already discussed how to kasher the stove grates -- they
need "libun kal," which means they get hot enough
to turn a piece of paper brown. The same rule applies to
the burners that the fire comes out of -- just clean them
well, and then turn them on to make sure you burn out any
food.
The top of the stove, however, is a different story. In
reality, that surface is always non-kosher, because it gets
splashings of milk and splashings of meat. During the year,
this is not a problem. Why? Because first of all, you're
careful that those splashings don't touch what you're cooking.
And if it does, then it all depends on whether the splashings
are "edible food," and what the proportions are,
etc. Furthermore, if your stovetop is cleaned, then the
only problem is that it has absorbed milk and meat "taste"
-- which we assume happened more than 24 hours ago. So during
the year, it's very unlikely that these splashings can render
your food "non-kosher."
On Passover, however, the 24-hour leniency doesn't apply.
Something that was used for chametz a year ago is still
chametz. Consequently, Passover food cannot touch your stovetop
and it must be covered. The easiest way is to take aluminum
foil and cover the whole stove top. Use the heavy-duty kind
so it doesn't tear.
The most problematic part of your stove is a part you may
have never seen: under the top platform. If you remove that,
you will find remnants of all the different cereals and
soups you cooked during the year. There may likely be some
edible crumbs there, as well as a kezayit of gook. So you
have to remove the entire stovetop. Hopefully, you have
one that's removable (perhaps with screws), otherwise it
means getting under there with your fingers. That is very
difficult, and the only advice is to pry it open and then
spray some ammonia detergent to make everything non-edible.
Assuming you've removed the stovetop, the first thing to
do is get a vacuum cleaner and get rid of all the crumbs.
This way, you won't have crumbs flying all over the place.
If you don't have access to a vacuum, then take a damp cloth
and go over the area. The crumbs will stick to the cloth.
Don't make the cloth wet, because that will make a mess
of your whole oven. This is necessary even if you're not
going to use your stove on Passover.
If your stove is built into the counter, the top is generally
not a problem, because spills have no place to fall into.
Other stoves are more problematic. If you have one big
glass or porcelain top with heating elements under it, then
kashering that for Passover (because of the material) is
not possible. The only thing you could do is to cover it
with aluminum foil, but the problem is that when you cover
these things, they don't work as well. Unless you can find
a way of covering it without losing efficiency or ruining
your food, the best solution may simply be to get a different
stove for Passover.
If you have electric elements that are exposed, then the
elements have to be cleaned but not kashered.
An electric warming tray (plata) should be cleaned as well
as possible, and if you want to use it for Passover, cover
it over with heavy-duty aluminum foil that won't tear. As
for a metal burner cover (blech), that either has to be
kashered or totally covered. It makes more sense to buy
a thin blech especially for Passover; otherwise heavy-duty
aluminum foil should suffice although it may emit harmful
and unpleasant fumes.
Some stoves have a cover that you can put down when not
using your stovetop. Since this gets splashed all year long,
you must clean and cover it (or else detach it completely).
Similarly, the wall behind your stove has definitely absorbed
some chametz -- so either move the stove away from the wall
so no pots will touch it, or cover the wall.
If you have a ventilator above your oven, you've got a
problem. That's a breeding ground for chametz steam and
particles. The best thing is to simply cover the vent and
don't use it during Passover. Additionally, if there's anything
edible in there (or a kezayit of gook), you have to clean
it out.
STOVE GRATES
You don't really
have to kasher stove grates. This applies all year as well.
For example, if some meat juice spills on your stove grate,
and then some milk spills there -- it's still kosher. Why?
Because since the grate is constantly over the fire, we
imagine that any spill gets burned up before the taste can
become absorbed into the grate.
For Passover, we make the same assumption -- i.e. any chametz
was burned up before it's taste became absorbed. However,
the Ashkenazi custom is still to kasher the grates. We use
a "light" form of "burning out" called
libun kal. Practically speaking, you heat up the grate until
it is so hot that if a piece of paper touched it, it would
turn brown. The easiest way to do this is to heat up your
oven's grill, stick in the grates, and that will be sufficient.
Or, you can turn on a few burners, and put your sabbath
blech right on top of the grates. (Don't turn on all four
burners, because with the blech there is not enough oxygen
and the fires will go out. Instead, turn on two diagonal
ones, then do the other two on the other side.) In either
case, you have to get the grate hot enough so that a piece
of paper touching it would turn brown.
KITCHEN CABINETS
What about the
inside shelves? Since you normally don't put hot food there,
you don't have to use boiling water -- just clean it very
well with detergent and make sure there's nothing edible
left. Still, many people feel uncomfortable putting Passover
dishes and food down on surfaces that are used for chametz
all year long. This is the source of the "ancient Jewish
custom" of shelf paper. Many people put shelf paper
on the bottom of drawers and cabinets, and some put it on
the sides as well.
KITCHEN SINK
The sink obviously
has to be kosher for Passover. A stainless steel sink can
be kashered by dousing it with boiling water. However, the
drain itself has a seam that you can't really get perfectly
clean. One solution is to clean the stainless steel sink
with a blowtorch and blasting it. However, most Jewish law
authorities maintain that blowtorching is not necessary,
and it is sufficient to pour strong detergent down your
drain. This way, anything that is stuck -- either on the
seam of the drain or in the drain pipe itself -- will be
rendered totally non-edible. If you have plastic pipes,
drain cleaner may disintegrate plastic pipes -- so strong
detergent is good enough. Additionally (although this is
not really necessary), some people put a plastic insert
or rubber mat in the sink so that nothing touches the sink
itself. A porcelain sink cannot be kashered. You must clean
that sink thoroughly and then put a plastic insert. But
sometimes your sink can back up with water, and you can
end up getting drain water coming onto the plastic insert!
This obviously defeats the whole purpose of the insert.
So the key is to remove the strainer from the drain in your
sink, and instead to put a strainer securely in the insert.
This way, all the dirt will get stuck on top, which you
can clean out, and if anything goes through, it will go
all the way down and not stay in the sink.
Furthermore, the insert should be slightly raised, not
sitting directly on top of the sink. You can put two little
pieces of wood in the sink, which the insert will sit on
-- as long as it's slightly removed and not touching directly.
What about lining a sink with contact paper? The problem
is that you may get a water bubble inside it, and then that
water would transmit taste from your non-Passover sink.
If you can be sure that there is no water under the contact
paper, then contact paper is okay.
While we're on the subject of the sink, don't forget the
faucet itself! The handles should be cleaned perfectly.
Some people actually have different handles for Passover.
If you don't feel like unscrewing them, at least wash them
in detergent to render any particles non-edible. With regard
to the faucet itself, you have to pour boiling water on
it because it comes in contact with chametz steam all the
time. A plastic faucet is a very big problem because it
cannot be kashered. What you will have to do during Passover
is keep the faucet moved to the side, keep it away from
your pots, and make sure that no steam comes up onto it.
MICROWAVE
A microwave itself
can be kashered for Passover, providing that the inside
is metal (or even painted metal). Simply insert a bowl of
water and have it make a lot of steam for 20 minutes. It's
preferable that you get a new glass plate for Passover,
or at least cover it. If you have different parts in the
microwave -- like little rubber pieces -- this is a big
problem. First of all, rubber is a substance that can't
be kashered. And secondly, since this is a microwave, the
pieces obviously can't be covered with tinfoil. The best
solution is to get replacement parts and save those for
Passover only. Otherwise, you can't use your microwave for
Passover. A microwave with a plastic interior cannot be
kashered for Passover.
SMALL KITCHEN APPLIANCES
There are other appliances
that we do not use on Passover. These include a toaster,
toaster oven, and mixer -- things that you use for bread
and cake all year long. Although it may be possible to kasher
these things, it's just going a little too far and we don't
do so. So what do you do? First of all, if you think there's
anything edible, clean it. Take the crumbs out of your toaster
and toaster oven. Do the best job you can, but don't go
crazy. You don't have to take apart your toaster, toaster
oven or mixer.
The reason you don't have to be as careful cleaning these
items is that you're going to include them in your sale
of chametz anyway. So even though we have a custom not to
sell chametz gamur (i.e. bread and cake), there is no problem
of selling a toaster that has some crumbs left in it. Just
remove whatever chametz you can, and for whatever you can't
reach, rely on the sale.
As for your mixer: If you're afraid that you have a bunch
of dough sitting around, it's probably not edible. In which
case just make sure you don't have a kezayit. The best way
to solve all this is just wash it with detergent to make
it totally non-edible.
DISHWASHING ON PASSOVER
One word of advice. In order
to avoid all sorts of problems in your sink, don't wash
dishes in very hot water on Passover. This will avoid getting
any residual chametz to a point where it can cook. (The
Jewish law cooking point is called yad soledet Bo -- literally
"too hot to the touch" -- which is 45 degrees
Celsius, 112 degrees Fahrenheit.) It's not forbidden to
wash with very hot water, but avoiding it is a way to avoid
many problems. You can get your dishes just as clean by
using very warm water that's not too hot. This caution is
only necessary on Passover.
REFRIGERATOR
Generally most
people don't put hot food directly into the refrigerator.
But if you do during the year, don't do it on Passover!
The basic rule with a refrigerator is the same as doorknobs.
That means it must be cleaned spotlessly. First take out
the shelves, then clean the entire inside very well with
something that renders food non-edible. It may be a little
difficult to bend in there, but the surface itself is smooth
and not too hard to clean. What about the shelves themselves?
If you try to go over every surface by hand -- in between
the little slats -- it's going to take forever. So the best
thing is to fill the bathtub about halfway with water, add
some ammonia, and put all the shelves in there. Wash them
off under pressure, and make sure that nothing edible remains.
Although this is sufficient, some people still feel uncomfortable
putting Passover food directly down onto the shelves. You
can cover the shelves, but be careful: If you cover them
with something that the air cannot go through, then there
will be no circulation in the refrigerator, the thermostat
will get confused and the motor will run forever. You can
kill your fridge that way! Instead, cover the shelves with
something that air can go through. Paper towels are okay
for this, or poke holes in aluminum foil.
As for the freezer, defrost it and clean it out thoroughly.
If you have a self-defrosting freezer, make sure to pull
out the water pan at the bottom. If you haven't cleaned
that pan out lately, there could easily be a kezayit of
crumbs down there!
Next: the rubber gasket around your refrigerator door.
Obviously clean it well with a cloth. But far more important,
you need to clean the accordion folds. The most effective
way is take a Q-tip, dip it into ammonia (or windex), and
run it quickly through the folds. The Q-tip will do a great
job of picking up all the dirt.
What about food that you want to leave in your refrigerator
(or freezer) and include in the sale of chametz? You should
wrap it up, put it in a corner of your refrigerator (or
freezer) and then cover it so that you avoid contact with
it on Passover.
As far as the outside of the refrigerator, make sure to
clean the door and handles, because you're going to be touching
that frequently during Passover. Also check on top of the
refrigerator, especially if there are kids in the house.
Who knows what may have gotten tossed up there! As for the
exterior sides, just clean them well. Some people like to
cover them, but the Jewish law does not require it.
UTENSILS USED IN COOKING
Pots and pans. Of these, the most severe category is those
things used
on the fire without liquid -- e.g. a frying pan. If you
want to use this pan for Passover, you'll have to burn the
chametz out of there. This is called libun, literally getting
the metal red-hot. You basically have two choices: use a
blowtorch, or a self-cleaning oven. (Just be careful that
the plastic handle doesn't disintegrate.) What about pots
that are used on the fire with water -- e.g. your spaghetti
pot, or utensils that were used with hot food -- e.g. silverware?
If you want to use this for Passover, then you have to boil
it completely. This is called haggalah.
How do you do haggalah? First, make sure the item is completely
clean. Then, fill up a big, big pot with water. Get it boiling,
and then completely immerse whatever you want to kasher
in the water. Since the item will cool the water somewhat,
you have to leave it in there long enough so that the water
reaches a boil again. The optimum time is to leave it in
30 seconds, and then remove the item. If you leave it in
any longer, there's a problem of re-absorbing some of the
chametz. Thirty seconds is ideal.
Haggalah becomes a bit more complicated if the item you
want to kasher is a big pot. What can you immerse that in?!
One option is to fill the pot to the very top with water,
then bring it to a boil, and finally throw something in
so the water boils over the sides.
The other option is to call your local synagogue and see
if they offer a "kashering day." This is where
they prepare a huge public vat of boiling water. Just make
sure that whoever is dipping your pots is patient enough
to leave it in there for the requisite 30 seconds. The custom
is not to kasher anything that was used for chametz within
24 hours. And generally speaking, people today anyway try
to have a separate set of pots and silverware for Passover.
If you can afford it, it certainly simplifies things.
DINING ROOM - LIVING ROOM
The table itself will need to be
kosher because you put hot food down on it. Of course, this
is not always so practical to clean -- even though you can
kasher wood by dousing it in boiling water, you don't want
to do that to your fine wood table. Besides, tables usually
have hard-to-reach crevasses that can be filled with crumbs.
What should you do? Cover the table. The rule is that all
coverings must be waterproof. Because otherwise, if you
put a hot dish down on your table, then the moisture will
penetrate your table cloth, and you'll have a direct line
of moisture going from the table to your food -- making
your food chametz! So the table must have a waterproof layer.
It doesn't make a difference whether you have plastic over
the tablecloth, or the tablecloth over plastic. If you prefer,
corrugated cardboard works, too, because it's so thick that
we assume there will not be a direct line of moisture going
from your food all the way down to the table. Of course
you also have to clean the entire table. You don't have
to sit there with a toothpick picking out chametz stuck
in a crevasse of the legs. But make sure there's nothing
loose that can fall onto the floor and eventually make its
way back onto your table on Passover.
What about chairs? If you have upholstery, you have to
clean that very well. It's best to shampoo your furniture
if you can do so without ruining it. If there is a removable
part to your chair, check there and you're certain to find
lots of crumbs. You have to be careful because chairs get
moved up and down, and some crumbs may come off onto someone's
clothing and then into the food on Passover.
With regard to the couch itself, remove the cushions and
check there. It is common to find a kezayit of chametz stuck
inside the couch. Also clean in any cracks or crevasses.
A vacuum cleaner works best for this.
Since you often touch light switches during the meal, make
sure they're perfectly clean. It is sufficient to dampen
a cloth with ammonia or any strong cleanser, and go over
the switch once so that nothing edible is left there.
You should do the same thing to your doorknobs. However,
a damp cloth is not enough if you've got a fancy doorknob
with crevasses. In that case you should use a cloth that's
more saturated. This way, any chametz that may remain will
be totally non-edible.
THE FLOOR
Crumbs on the
floor, assuming they're less than a kezayit, are regarded
as dirt. The problem, however, is that clothes fall on the
floor, children play on the floor, etc. So to minimize problems
in general, try to keep the floors fairly tidy during the
days you're cleaning for Passover. And then, as the final
step when everything else in the house has been kashered
for Passover, wash the floors very well. (You don't have
to use ammonia.) What about during Passover itself? Realize
that every time anyone enters the house from the outside,
they're carrying with them many potential chametz particles
on their clothes, and particularly their shoes. You can
keep sweeping your house, but that won't do a perfect job.
So the rule is: Anything that falls on the floor during
Passover does not go back on the table. The original custom
was that it didn't go back on the table at all for the duration
of Passover. Today, we're lenient to permit washing it off.
For instance, if a piece of silverware falls on the floor,
just wash it off and then you can use it again. The same
with toys -- if a child wants to bring it to the table,
it must first be washed off.
What about rugs? They're full of crumbs -- even edible
crumbs - and they're very difficult to clean. The best option
is to shampoo the carpet before Passover, which will eliminate
anything edible. Otherwise, many people just roll their
carpets up, put them away, and sell them for Passover. This
is not required, but it certainly is advisable (unless you're
shampooing).
One crucial thing to remember: You spend your whole time
cleaning for Passover, and where does all your chametz go?
It gets stuck in the broom, goes into the garbage can, and
into the vacuum cleaner bag. You must clean your broom well,
so that there's nothing edible left in it. Or preferably
have a special broom for Passover that you put away from
year to year. Make sure your garbage can is cleaned well.
And above all, make sure to throw out the vacuum cleaner
bag. That's one instance where you're likely to have a whole
kezayit
DEODORANTS AND COSMETICS
Deodorants and
cosmetics which may very well contain some grain products.
Of course, you're not going to eat it. Is it therefore automatically
disqualified from the category of chametz? And what about
se'or? Can deodorant be used to ferment another dough? It
cannot, and consequently should not be se'or either. Some
years ago, Rabbi Feinstein came up with a unique approach
to chametz that revolutionized the practical applications.
He said that even if something in its present state is not
edible, but if you can possibly distill it and produce edible
chametz, then we would call that "chametz." As
a result, he ruled that anything containing grain alcohol
(ethyl alcohol) is considered chametz. Even though you would
never dream of eating it, nevertheless if you distill it,
it would turn into drinkable alcohol. (By the way, ask any
alcoholic. In desperation, they may take something poisonous
like after-shave, and distill it to get something drinkable.)
Therefore, any liquid cosmetic that has any form of grain
alcohol is considered chametz and must be gotten rid of
for Passover.
This idea only applies to liquids -- because you can't
distill a solid. Therefore, any solid substance like stick
deodorant or soap which is inedible (i.e. not chametz),
and could not ferment a dough (i.e. not se'or), and cannot
be distilled -- the Jewish law is you can own these solid
substances on Passover, and you don't have to put them away.
Technically, you could even use it on Passover, though the
custom is not to use any stuff that has chametz in it as
a cosmetic. That's why people buy soaps that are special
"Kosher for Passover."
How about a liquid deodorant which contains no grain alcohol,
but has wheat germ in it. Or how about beer shampoo? Is
that chametz? No, because you wouldn't eat it. Can it ferment
another dough? No. Can you distill it? No. (It's only alcohol
that you can get by distilling; you won't get wheat germ
vapor by distilling your deodorant.) Consequently, these
things are not a problem. You're allowed to keep them around
during Passover -- though again the custom is not to use
them.
THE CANDLESTICKS STRINGENCY
The Ashkenazi custom is that
anything that came to the table during the year cannot be
brought to the Passover table unless you kasher it first.
That includes items that have only come in contact with
cold chametz during the year, like a Kiddush cup. Generally
there's no "chametz taste" absorbed in that, because
the medium of heat is necessary to infuse a taste. Nevertheless,
if you want to use the Kiddush cup on Passover, you must
kasher it in boiling water. The same applies to candlesticks
if they've been brought to the table. There is one leniency
here, though, and that is it's enough to just pour boiling
water over them (as opposed to the regular immersion). But
don't forget -- if it's fancy silver with a lot of crevasses,
you have to clean it well first before kashering. Use silver
polish, and if you can't get it fully clean, then it's best
to use a different one for Passover.
To review: Anything that you cook in needs to be immersed
in boiling water. (Though the custom is to have a separate
set for Passover anyway.) Whereas anything that you do not
cook in -- but came to your table during the year -- needs
to have boiling water poured over it.
BOOKS
Big or small books
that will be brought to the table during Passover must be
percent cleaned. How do you do that? It is almost impossible.
That's why any books you are going to bring to the Passover
table -- like a Haggadah -- should be kept wrapped up in
plastic or put away all year long so that it is 100 percent
chametz-free. If you want to study the Haggadah before Passover,
then get a different one which will be your "chametz
Haggadah." As for books that will not be brought to
the Passover table, all you have to do is make sure they
have no edible chametz or a kezayit of gook. You may have
some edible crumbs there. So turn each book upside down
and bang it out, or put it in the wind to be blown out.
That's sufficient to assume that no edible chametz remains.
CLOTHES
Clothing that you're going
to wear to the Passover table, if it has a speck of chametz
that may fall into your food, then you've got to get that
speck off your clothes before coming to the table. Hence,
when cleaning your clothes closets for Passover, you should
select the clothing you plan to wear for Passover -- and
these clothes have to be 100 percent clean. Put them in
the laundry, send them to the dry cleaners, or at the very
least brush them out well to make sure there is no chametz
whatsoever.
What about the clothes you're not going to wear for Passover?
Just take a quick look, empty the pockets to make sure there's
no edible chametz, and put them away. Don't worry about
specks.
With regard to closets, try to keep your Passover clothes
off the closet floor. And with regard to bed linens, be
aware that during Passover you may get up in the middle
of the night and walk to the kitchen. So make sure to change
the sheets and blanket covers as close to Passover as possible.
CHILDREN'S
TOYS
Try avoiding toys at
the table during Passover. But that's wishful thinking.
In reality, you never know when toys are going to come in
contact with food. As a result, we do the following: First,
take the toys that are complicated to clean and put them
away. Don't even attempt to clean them for Passover. Just
make sure there's no edible chametz on it, or a kezayit
of non-edible chametz. That should take a total of two minutes.
As far as selling the toys is concerned, the text of the
sale document includes any chametz you've got around the
house, so you don't need to specify toys; it's covered by
the contract anyway. Toys that are going to be used on Passover,
make sure they are washable. For small pieces, fill up a
pillow case and put it in the washing machine. (Make sure
to tie it tight or you may ruin your washing machine.) Another
option is to put the toys in the bathtub. Let them soak,
and give them a quick rinse under pressure. You don't need
anything more than that. It's not necessary to wash the
toys with ammonia. What about a bicycle? Make sure there's
no real chametz on it, and then it can be used during Passover.
But the bike should not be ridden around the house on Passover
-- because once it's been ridden outside, there's little
chametz all over the street that will get caught on the
tires.
Some people have special Passover toys, and this is good
practical advice. Children are fascinated by playing with
toys they haven't seen in a year. Even if you have some
other toys that you wash, breaking out new toys is a great
way to keep children occupied in those days just before
Passover when you're busy cooking and preparing.
PET FOOD
Is Fido getting hungry as Passover approaches?
Find out what Jewish law says you can -- and can't -- feed
your family pet.
Jews around the world are perplexed by what to feed the
family pet during Passover. The Talmud states that not only
is it forbidden for a Jew to eat chametz on Passover, but
it is also forbidden to own chametz or to have any benefit
from it.
Additionally, it is forbidden to have a non-Jew give your
pet chametz since we are not to derive any benefit from
chametz on Passover -- and feeding your pet is regarded
as "deriving benefit."
Yet... if the dog is not properly fed, he will chew the
furniture instead! What to do?
You simply have to feed your pet human food that is kosher
for Passover. Alternatively, there are stores which sell
pet foods that are kosher for Passover, and may even ship
nationally. Call your local rabbi for advice, or check out
http://www.kosherpets.com/.
Also, it is permitted to feed pets kitniyot -- rice, corn,
soy beans, etc. -- which Ashkenazi Jews do not eat on Passover.
If this becomes unusually difficult, there is a leniency
to buy regular pet food and rely on the fact that humans
wouldn't eat these foods. However you must read the ingredients
and be sure it does not contain any wheat, oats or other
grains (nor meat and milk together, which is a separate,
non-Passover problem). Also it should not include "by-products"
of these. Furthermore, you must purchase the pet food before
Passover begins.
Even aquarium foods must not contain chametz. Most flake
or pellet fish foods contain wheat products. This includes
the most popular name brands such as Wardley's and Tetra-min.
Alternative foods for your fish on Passover are the various
freeze-dried worms, live foods, or frozen foods. (Freeze-dried
blood worms are commonly available -- the icky name is only
because of the red color.) Be sure to check the labels of
any commercial foods.
SALE OF CHAMETZ
The Jewish custom
is not to sell real edible chametz such as bread, crackers,
whiskey, etc. The exception is when getting rid of it will
involve a hardship -- i.e. you've got a large quantity of
it, it's difficult to obtain, or it's expensive. Certainly
you can include a half-bottle of scotch in the sale. Otherwise,
you can give the food away to a non-Jewish acquaintance.
Some cities specifically host food drives for poor people
in the days before Passover.
But what about food that's not "real" chametz
-- i.e. a can of tuna fish that's not labeled "Kosher
for Passover," or food that was cooked in a chametz
pot? These things you can sell and just not use them during
Passover. Put them away in a cabinet, or at least cover
them. Taping the cabinet closed is only necessary if out
of habit you may open it on Passover. By the way, even chametz
of a non-Jew must be put away and covered.
Have a happy Passover - and an easy cleaning!
