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!
