EREV PESACH WHICH OCCURS ON A SHABBAT

These are the special procedures which should be followed this year since Passover begins on a Saturday night.

1. Ta'anit Bekhorim (Thursday Morning) - The fast of the first-born takes place on Thursday morning. A service will be held at the Huntington Jewish Center on Thursday morning, April 17, 2008 at 7:00 A.M. and will be followed by a siyyum, a light breakfast sponsored by the Men's Club.

2. Bedikat Chametz (Thursday Evening) - The search for Chametz takes place Thursday evening, Enough chametz should be left over for the Shabbat meals. The kol hamira formula for nullifying unseen chametz is not recited at this time so that the chametz set aside for Shabbat is not nullified.

3. Be'ur Chametz (Friday morning) - The nullification of Chametz takes place on Friday morning. In general Friday should be treated as an ordinary evev Pesach in regard to burning the chametz and kashering the kitchen including the stove. Food for Shabbat and for the first Seder should be prepared in Passover utensils.

4. Shabbat - There are two traditional practices that present complications when the first Seder is held on Saturday night.
   A. It is customary to refrain from eating matzoh on the day before Pesach, so that no one will eat the matzoh with appetite at the Seder.

   B. It is customary to eat three meals on Shabbat. At least two of these meals should include food over which the motzi is recited.

   One chametz dish should be set aside for the challot. Preferably, disposable plastic or paper dishes and cutlery should be used at the Friday evening and the Shabbat morning meal. Extreme care should be taken to prevent any crumbs from coming in contact with the Passover utensils.

   Chametz may not be eaten on Shabbat beyond late morning, and thus after the meal, the residue of the chametz should be disposed of since burning the chametz cannot take place on Shabbat. The tablecloth should be well shaken out outside the house and stored with the other chametz utensils. Then the formula of kol hamira (at the beginning of the Haggadah) is to be recited.

   Subsequent Shabbat meals should not include chametz or matzah. The seudah shlishit may consist of a snack of fruit, fish or eggs.

   No food should be taken from one and one half hours before sundown until the Seder. This custom will insure a hearty appetite for the enjoyment of the Seder meal.

5. Matzah Ashirah (Egg Matzah) - If there is difficulty in following these instructions, matzah ashirah may be used for the two Shabbat meals.

The Passover home atmosphere is created by the practice of cleansing the home of all traces of Chametz, or leaven, and by the careful avoidance of its use throughout the holiday, both at home and away.

The term "Chametz" is applied not only to foods, but also to the dishes and utensils in which foods are prepared or served during the year. These may not be used during Pesach, except as indicated.

Kashering Appliances, Dishes and Utensils

1. Only dishes and utensils specially reserved for Passover should be used, with the following exceptions.
   1. Silverware, knives, forks and spoons made wholly of metal can be kashered by a thorough scouring and immersing in boiling water. Any utensil which is to be kashered should not be used for a period of 24 hours between the cleansing and the actual kashering by immersion.

      Metal baking utensils cannot be kashered.

   2. Authorities disagree as to the method for kashering drinking utensils. One opinion requires soaking in water for three days, changing the water every 24 hours. The other opinion requires only thorough scrubbing before Pesach, or putting them through a dishwasher.

2. Utensils used for baking during the year cannot be used during Passover.

3. Chinaware, enamelware, earthenware, porcelain and plastic cannot be kashered.
4. Pyrex used for baking cannot be kashered. All other Pyrex can be kashered as glassware.
5. Refrigerators should be defrosted, cleaned and scoured including the metal shelves. It is desirable that all shelves be covered with shelf paper or foil during Passover.

6. Ovens and ranges can be kashered by thoroughly scrubbing and cleaning every part that comes in contact with food. Oven and range should then be heated as hot as possible for a half hour. If there is a broil setting, use it. Self-cleaning ovens should be scrubbed and cleaned and then put through the self-cleaning cycle. Continuous cleaning ovens must be kashered in the same manner as regular ovens.

7. A microwave oven can be kashered by thorough scrubbing and then placing a glass of water in the oven and running the oven on high for a few minutes until the cavity fills with steam and the water disappears. A microwave oven that has a browning element cannot be kashered for Passover.

8. The dishwasher may be kashered for Pesach by thorough scouring, not using the machine for 24 hours, and then running through a full wash cycle.

9. Surfaces: All table tops, shelves and pantry or kitchen surfaces which are used during the year should be thoroughly cleaned and scoured before placing Pesach utensils upon them. It is highly preferable that all such surfaces be covered during the entire week of Passover, especially if you place hot utensils, pots, or pans upon them. To make your Pesach kitchen attractive you can use heavy shelf paper, heavy foil, or ornamented plastic cloth to cover all surfaces. Shelves for Passover dishes should be thoroughly cleaned or relined.

10. Electrical Appliances - If the parts that come into contact with Chametz are removable they can be kashered in the appropriate way (if metal, follow the rules for metal utensils). If the parts are not removable, the appliance cannot be kashered. (All exposed parts should be thoroughly cleaned.)

11. Kitchen Sink - A metal sink can be kashered by a thorough cleaning and by pouring boiling water over it. A porcelain sink should be cleaned and a sink rack used. If, however, dishes are to be soaked in a porcelain sink, a dish basin must be used.

12. Chametz and Non-Passover Utensils - Non-Passover dishes, pots and Chametz whose ownership has been transferred, should be separated, locked up or covered and marked so as to prevent accidental use.

PERMITTED AND FORBIDDEN FOODS

What follows is a general guideline. However, the Rabbi should be consulted when any doubt arises.

Prohibited foods include the following:
leavened bread, cakes, biscuits, crackers, cereal, coffee with cereal derivatives in them, wheat, barley, oats, spelt, rye, and all liquids containing ingredients or flavors made from grain alcohol.

Most Ashkenazic authorities have added the following foods (kitniyot) to the above list:
rice, corn, millet, legumes (beans, peas; however, string beans are permitted). The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards has ruled unanimously that peanuts and peanut oil are permissible, as peanuts are not actually legumes. Some Ashkenazic authorities permit, while others forbid the use of legumes in a form other than its natural state, for example, corn sweeteners, corn oil, soy oil. Sephardic authorities permit the use of all of the above.
Consult the Rabbi for guidance in the use of of these products.

Permitted Foods

1. The following foods require no kosher le-Pesah label if purchased prior to Pesah: unopened packages or containers of natural coffee without cereal additives (However, be aware that coffees produced by General Foods are not kosher for Passover unless marked KP); sugar, pure tea; salt (not iodized); pepper, natural spices; frozen fruit juices with no additives; frozen (uncooked) vegetables (for legumes see above); milk, butter, cottage cheese, cream cheese; ripened cheeses such as cheddar (hard), Muenster (semi-soft) and Camembert (soft); frozen (uncooked) fruit (with no additives); baking soda; canned tuna fish packed in water (with or without salt) but with no other additives.

2. The following foods require no kosher le-Pesah label if purchased before or during Pesah: Fresh fruits and vegetables (for legumes see above), eggs, fresh fish and fresh meat.

3. The following foods require a kosher le-Pesah label if purchased before or during Pesah: All baked products (matzah, cakes, matzah flour, farfel, matzah meal, and any products containing matzah); canned or bottled fruit juices (These juices are often clarified with kitniyot which are not listed among the ingredients. However, if one knows there are no such agents, the juice may be purchased prior to Pesah without a kosher le-Pesah label); canned tuna (since tuna, even when packed in water, has often been processed in vegetable broth and/or hydrolyzed protein- however, if it is known that the tuna is packed exclusively in water, without any additional ingredients or additives, it may be purchased without a kosher le-Pesah label before Passover); wine, vinegar, liquor, oils; dried fruits; candy; chocolate flavored milk; ice cream; yogurt and soda.

4. The following processed foods (canned, bottled or frozen), require a kosher le-Pesah label if purchased during Pesah; milk, butter, juices, vegetables, fruit, milk products, spices, coffee, tea, and fish, as well as all foods listed in the previous section.

Medicine
Since Chametz binders are used in many pills, the following guidelines should be followed: If the medicine is required for life-sustaining therapy, it may be used on Pesach. If it is not for life-sustaining therapy, some authorities permit, while others prohibit. Consult the Rabbi. If available, capsules are preferable.

Passover Labels
No product can be used on Passover unless it is accompanied by a reliable heksher, an endorsement by a Rabbi whose name and location are clearly stated. A label reading simply "For Passover" and adorned with Jewish Symbols is not reliable especially if not integral to the package. Baked products are a particular problem and their preparation by a bakery under Jewish ownership is not a guarantee of kashrut. (See my letter.) It is also important to note that Jewish law forbids the purchase of bread immediately after Passover, which has been baked during Passover.

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