Q: Why is Kosher for Passover, different than all other Koshers?

A: The obvious difference is that we cannot eat leavened products (chometz) such as bread, cake, bagels etc. Also Passover is the only holiday where the kosher laws start before the actual holiday starts. This year we have to stop eating chometz 9:32 AM, and burn our chometz by 10:38 AM. A third difference is that on Passover, we not only must refrain from eating chometz, we also must refrain from getting any benefit from chometz, such as selling chometz or feeding chometz to our animals. There is though, another huge difference, namely that the concept of bitul (Halacha of the Month Tishrei-5760 and Halacha of the Month Shvat 5761) does not apply on Passover.

Q: What is bitul? ?

A: An example of bitul (nullification) is when 1 oz. of pork accidentally falls into 60 oz. of kosher meat stew. This is deemed kosher to eat because the pork is nullified. BUT if 1 oz of chometz falls into 60 oz of Kosher for Passover food, during the week of Passover, we do not apply the leniency of bitul, hence the mixture is not Kosher for Passover.

A: If a chometz type food falls into a mixture before the afternoon of the St Passover Seder it will be batul (nullified). That is why we may drink milk without a Passover certification if it was bought before Passover. That is also why we may kosherize utensils with boiling water beforehand but not after the morning of the 1st Passover Seder.

Questions? You can contact Rabbi Lederman at (858) 613-0222 or RBL@kehillastorah.org