Source: https://www.toratemet.org/passover.html
Timestamp: 2020-07-09 01:00:24
Document Index: 456209217

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 1', 'art 2', 'art 1', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 2']

Passover - Congregation Torat Emet
Sale of Chametz Explanation
RCA: Pesach in the Period of Coronavirus
​​​​​​​More tips from Rabbi Zack
​​​​​​​Kashering Resources
6:20 PM Mincha & L'Chayim *
Passover Information & Tips from Rabbi Zack
How is this Passover different from every other Passover?
As we struggle to prepare for Passover this year under abnormal, challenging and limiting circumstances, I want to take advantage of some of the educational opportunities that this provides. My first topic is Mechirat Chametz, the sale of chametz to a non-Jew over Passover.
The Torah commands us to remove all chametz from our possession prior to Passover. We are forbidden to eat any chametz that was found to be in our possession during Passover. The penalty for this is most severe. Therefore, we rely on our sale of chametz to a non-Jew for the duration of Passover.
Mechirat Chametz – The sale of chametz for Passover is a legitimate legal transaction that takes place in two stages. In the first stage, the sellers (you) give the Rabbi (me) power of attorney to sell your chametz to a non-Jew (Jorge). The second stage is the sale of the chametz itself by me to Jorge. In order to make sure that both of these stages are halachically valid our sages utilized a system of redundant forms of acquisition known as kinyanim (or kinyan in the singular). The halacha utilizes these kinyanim to transfer ownership and/or to assume responsibility, liability and commitment from one person to another. Since owning chametz on Pesach is biblical prohibition with severe spiritual consequences, the rabbis utilize overlapping forms of kinyan so that if one is invalid or invalidated, there are others to fall back on. Generally when a person authorizes the rabbi to be their agent to sell their chametz at least three forms of kinyan are utilized. One is the use of a document (shtar) which is the Power of Attorney form that lists the kinds of chametz being sold, its location and its approximate value. The second is a verbal statement or acknowledgement that one wishes to appoint the rabbi as their agent. The third, is what is known as kinyan sudar, which entails the seller taking hold of a personal item from the buyer and raising it up. This action, in and of itself, is sufficient to transfer ownership of an object or of agency. When selling the actual chametz to a non-Jew nine different kinyanim are used.
This year, due to the serious health risks involved, the rabbis have decided that it is okay to rely on a reduced number of kinyanim. Therefore, it is recommended that you either fill out your authorization for power of attorney form online HERE or download a hard copy HERE to fill out and fax or email to the office. You should also do your best to call me and give verbal authorization. This year we cannot easily make a kinyan sudar as passing a personal object between us would violate physical distancing rules, etc. However, there is a work around for this if you wish. If you are housed with other family members (or other people) you can audio or visual call me and I can appoint another adult in your home to serve as my agent (shaliach) to make a kinyan sudar with you on my behalf.
Similar adjustments will be made in the actual sale of chametz to Jorge this year as well.
See Below for a series of important halachic adjustments
You can find every passover guide and a lot of koshering information at www.kashrut.com/Passover/
Rabbi Eliezer Eidlitz of kosherquest.org has made a home video this year in place of his annual market tours where he shares information about all of the products that are available without special certification, etc. I have known Rabbi Eidlitz since entering the rabbinate in Oakland, CA. He has been my kashrut rebbe and guru. You can watch his presentation HERE
Rabbi Hershel Schachter has declared this year a sha'at hadchak an emergency situation and therefore halachot that are usually bedieved, are now considered even a l'chatchitla [Laws that are usually only approved as "ok after the fact" are now fully permitted]. In particular the use of boxed machine matza instead of hand shmura matza is allowed as long as it was made l'sham matza [With the intent to fulfill the mitzvah of eating matza. Rabbi Genack of the OU has affirmed that all OU matza fulfills this requirement.
You may use any unopened passover products from last year.
Many poskim have written that this year, even if your minhag (custom) is not to sell real chametz, you may and even should do so to ensure that you have food for after pesach and to save money.
Click HERE for our online Sale of Chametz form.
What do I do about toveling (immersing in the mikva) new pots and pans for Passover this year?
Rav Hershel Schachter has written the following ruling if one cannot tovel (immerse) new vessels in the mikva for this Passover.
“Since we are facing a unique situation of great need and limited options, it is permitted to use utensils that have not been immersed after renouncing ownership of the utensils (mafkir keilim).
This doesn’t have to be done in front of 3 people. It can be declared over email or social media to 3 people.
Because the above approach is due to the difficult and pressing circumstances that we are currently facing, once a Mivkah, or an opportunity for immersing the utensils, becomes available the individual must take the items to be immersed without a blessing before using them again.”
Resources Regarding Kashering for Pesach from the RCA
DIY How to Kasher a Kitchen for Pesach or Year Round featuring Rav Yaakov Eisenbach
Star-K Video on How to Kasher for Pesach featuring Rav Avrohom Mushell, Rav Zvi Holland and Rav Sholom Tendler
Kosher Passover Kitchen in 2 Minutes Minhag Sephardi
How to Have a Kosher Pesach featuring Rav Chaim Brovender
Pesach - Kashering Countertops featuring Rav Yosef Zvi Rimon
Pesach Prep: Kashering Your Kitchen featuring Rav Daniel Korobkin
How to Make Your Kitchen Kosher featuring Rav Elchanan Poupko
How to Make Your Microwave Kosher in 5 Easy Steps by the Vaad HaRabbonim of Queens
Kashering your Kitchen for Pesach, part 1 featuring Rav Elan Segelman
Kashering your Kitchen for Pesach, part 2 featuring Rav Chaim Schwartz
Top 3 Pesach Cleaning Hacks featuring Allison Josephs of Jew in the City
Pesach for Dummies featuring Rav Joel Finkelstein
Preparing for Pesach in the 21st Century featuring Rav Moshe Elefant
OU Kosher Passover Laws featuring Rav Belsky and Rav Schachter
Passover Laws featuring Rav Schachter and Rav Belsky
What Foods Don't Require Specific Passover Certification by the OU
Chag haPesach featuring Rav Yosef Zvi Rimon
Pesach - Kashering a Stovetop featuring Rav Yosef Zvi Rimon
Pesach - Kashering an Oven for Pesach featuring Rav Yosef Zvi Rimon
The Structure of the Haggadah featuring Rav Yosef Zvi Rimon
OU Kosher Pre-Pesach Guide to Keeping a Kosher Passover featuring Rav Moshe Elefant and Naomi Nachman
How to Kasher a Kitchen featuring Rav Yaakov Eisenbach
Hag'alah - Kashering with Boiling Water featuring Rav Dovid Cohen
Tzav 5778 - Hagala, Merikah u'Shtifa, Shabbos HaGadol featuring Rav Hershel Schachter
Kashering Your Kitchen for Pesach featuring Rav Netanel Weiderblank
Yoreh De'ah 5778 (69): Hechsher Keilim Part 1 featuring Rav Baruch Simon
Yoreh De'ah 5778 (70): Hechsher Keilim Part 2 featuring Rav Baruch Simon
Yoreh De'ah 5778 (71): Hechsher Keilim Part 3 featuring Rav Baruch Simon
Preparing for Pesach with Seichel & Sanity featuring Rav Michael Bleicher
Understanding Pesach Cleaning featuring Rav Yaacov Haber
Which Items Can & Can Not Be Koshered featuring Rav Moshe Sokoloff
Kashering Ovens, Knives, and Platas for Pesach, Hagalas Kelim #8 featuring Rav Yonah Gross
Kashering Pots, Pans, and Handles for Pesach, Hagalas Keilim #10 featuring Rav Yonah Gross
Heksher Keilim 1 featuring Rav Daniel Stein
Kashering Keilim and Kitchens for Pesach featuring Rav Daniel Stein
Introduction to Kashering Kelim for Pesach featuring Rav Azarya Berzon
Laws of Kashering Keilim featuring Rav Azarya Berzon
Kashering Keilim for Pesach, part 2 featuring Rav Azarya Berzon
Avodah Zarah 114: Kashering Kelim Nowadays featuring Rav Jonathan Ziring
Rav Soloveitchik on Kashering Utensils for Pesach featuring Rav Moshe Kurtz
Hilchos Hecsher Keilim 1 featuring Rav Dovid Miller
Making Pesach Made Easy: Simple Solutions in a Complicated Year featuring Rav Efrem Goldberg
Halachos of Cleaning a House & Kashering a Kitchen for Pesach featuring Rav Uri Orlian
An Introduction to Kashering Pots and Pans for Pesach featuring Rav Uri Orlian
Kashering Ovens for Pesach featuring Rav Uri Orlian
"Pesach Preparation Made Easy" Cleaning, Kashering, Seder & Your Questionsfeaturing Rav Shlomo Hochberg
Contemporary Halacha: Kashering for Pesach featuring Rav Josh Flug
Halacha for Pesach: Preparing the Kitchen for Pesach featuring Rav Azarya Berzon
Cleaning & Kashering for Pesach (5779) featuring Rav Ephraim Polakoff