Where Have You Bean All My Life?
Tazria 5776/9 April 2016
On December 24, 2015, the Conservative Movement’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards approved two teshuvot[1] (Jewish legal opinions) dealing with the question of whether contemporary American Conservative Jews may eat kitniyot (rice, beans, and other legumes) on Pesah (a dissenting opinion[2] was published January 2016). The sources in this packet are arepresentative sampling of the sources cited in the CJLS teshuvot; in translating the texts, I have omitted lengthy citations in the interests of comprehension. Key sentences in the longer passages have been highlighted in bold, and italicized passages throughout give an overview of the key points for each set of sources.
Three points to bear in mind throughout:
- Kitniyot are not hametz, and even people who do not eat kitniyot may still eat in the homes of those who do.
- The fundamental issue in this discussion is our latitude in changing customs of Jewish practice; because custom carries an emotional power, there will always be people who choose not to change an established custom even when our rabbis have permitted the change.
- Although kitniyot are not hametz, one must still exercise care when purchasing kitniyot for use on Pesah. Specifically:
- Fresh (not dried, cooked, or frozen) corn, beans (e.g., lima beans in the pod), and other kitniyot may be purchased before or during Pesah without kosher supervision.
- Items that may be purchased before Pesah, but not during Pesah, without kosher supervision:
- Dried kitniyot: These should be purchased in bags or boxes, not from bulk bins, to reduce the likelihood of cross-contamination with the five species of grain. Dried kitniyot should be sifted or sorted before Pesah to remove any hametz that may have become mixed in.
- Frozen raw kitniyot (e.g., corn, edamame): You should determine that no shared equipment was used to package the kitniyot, or sift or sort the contents before Pesah to remove any hametz that may have become mixed in.
- In either case, if hametz is discovered among the kitniyot during Pesah, you may dispose of the hametz and continue using the kitniyot.
- Items that require kosher supervision at all times, even if no hametz is listed on the label:
- Canned kitniyot
- Processed foods (e.g., tofu, frozen cooked edamame)
I encourage anyone in the BZBI community to contact me or Rabbi Goldman with any specific questions related to Pesah.
Kitniyot Are Not Hametz!
The Mishnah (source 1) establishes an intrinsic relationship between hametz (leaven) and matzah: valid matzah can only be produced using grains that, if their flour was left soaking in water, would become hametz.
א. משנה פסחים פ”ב מ”ה
אֵלּוּ דְבָרִים שֶׁאָדָם יוֹצֵא בָהֶן יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ בַפֶּסַח: בַּחִטִּים, בַּשְּעוֹרִים, בַּכֻּסְּמִין וּבַשִּׁיפוֹן וּבְשִׁבֹּלֶת שׁוּעָל…
1. Mishnah, Pesahim 2.5
Israel, 2nd century
These are the things by which a person can fulfill the obligation [to eat matzah] on Pesah: with wheat, barley, spelt, rye, or oats…
ב. בבלי פסחים לה ע”א
הני – אין, אורז ודוחן – לא. מנהני מילי? אמר רבי שמעון בן לקיש, וכן תנא דבי רבי ישמעאל, וכן תנא דבי רבי אליעזר בן יעקב: אמר קרא (דברים טז, ג) לא תאכל עליו חמץ שבעת ימים תאכל עליו מצות, דברים הבאים לידי חימוץ – אדם יוצא בהן ידי חובתו במצה, יצאו אלו שאין באין לידי חימוץ אלא לידי סירחון. מתניתין דלא כרבי יוחנן בן נורי… דתניא, אמר רבי יוחנן בן נורי: אורז מין דגן הוא, וחייבין על חימוצו כרת, ואדם יוצא בו ידי חובתו בפסח.
2. Babylonian Talmud, Pesahim 35a
Babylonia, 7th century
These [five] — yes; but rice or millet, no. What is the source for this rule? Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says, and it was taught likewise in the House of Rabbi Ishmael, and it was taught likewise in the House of Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov: The verse states, You shall eat no leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat it with unleavened bread (Deut. 16:3) — things that could become leavened may be used to fulfill the obligation of matzah, which excludes those things that do not become leavened but merely sprout.[3] Our mishnah (see above, source #1) contradicts Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri… as it is taught: Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri said: rice is a species of grain, and if one ate its leaven [on Pesah] one would be liable, and one can use it to fulfill the obligation [of matzah] on Pesah.
ג. ירושלמי (ונציה) פסחים פ”ב ה”ג [כט ע”ב]
אמר רבי מנא… בדקו ומצאו שאין לך בא לידי מצה וחמץ אלא חמשת המינין בלבד ושאר כל המינין אינן באין לידי מצה וחמץ אלא לידי סירחון…
3. Jerusalem Talmud (Venice ed.), Pesahim 2.3 [29b]
Israel, 4th century
Rabbi Mana says… they checked and found that nothing could become matzah or hametz aside from the five species [of grain], and all other species do not become matzah or hametz, but sprout…[4]
The Talmud (source 2) restricts hametz (leaven) to the five species of grain listed in the Mishnah (source 1), and explicitly excludes rice and millet. Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri’s lone dissenting opinion actually buttresses the Talmud’s argument: only one Talmudic sage believed rice to be hametz, while the rest agreed it was not. The Jerusalem Talmud (source 3) indicates that this distinction was based on experimental data as well as reasoning.
Because kitniyot can not become hametz, even those people who avoid kitniyot on Pesah do not need to sell their kitniyot before Pesah and may use dishes that have come into contact with kitniyot.
ד. משנה פסחים פ”י מ”ג
…הֵבִיאוּ לְפָנָיו מַצָּה וַחֲזֶרֶת וַחֲרֹסֶת וּשְׁנֵי תַבְשִׁילִין…
4. Mishnah, Pesahim 10.3
Israel, 2nd century
…They bring before him matzah, lettuce, haroset, and two cooked dishes…
ה. בבלי פסחים קיד ע”ב
מאי שני תבשילין? אמר רב הונא: סילקא וארוזא. רבא הוה מיהדר אסילקא וארוזא, הואיל ונפיק מפומיה דרב הונא. אמר רב אשי: שמע מינה דרב הונא: לית דחייש להא דרבי יוחנן בן נורי…
5. Babylonian Talmud, Pesahim 114b
Babylonia, 7th century
What are the two cooked dishes? Rav Huna says: beets and rice. Rava made a point of procuring beets and rice, since that was what Rav Huna specified. Rav Ashi says: We infer from Rav Huna that there is no reason to be concerned about the opinion of Rabbi Yohanan benNuri (see above, source 2)…
In describing the Seder, the Mishnah (source 4) mentions two cooked dishes that are served with the matzah, lettuce, and haroset. The Talmud (source 5) records that two of the most prominent Talmudic Sages, Rav Huna (Persia, 3rd century) and Rava (Persia, 3rd-4th century) served rice. Rav Ashi, the leading authority of the last generation of Talmudic Sages (Persia, 4th-5th century), views their actions as further rejection of Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri (source 2).
Ashkenazim Avoid Kitniyot…
ו. ספר מצוות קטן, הגהות רבינו פרץ מצוה רכב סימן יב
ועל הקטניות כגון פויי”ש ופול”י ורי”ש ועדשים וכיוצא בהם רבותינו נוהגים בהם איסור שלא לאוכלם בפסח כלל… וגדולים נוהגים בהם היתר, ומורי רבינו יחיאל היה נוהג לאכול בפסח פול הלבן שקורין פוויי”ש וגם היה אומר כן בשם גדולים…
מיהו קשה הדבר מאד להתיר דבר שנוהגין בו העולם איסור מימי חכמים הקדמונים דמסתמא לא נהגו בו איסור מחמת חימוץ עצמו דלא טעו בדבר שהתינוקות של בית רבן שלמדו ההלכה יודעין דאיכא בהדיא בפסחים דאין בא לידי חימוץ כ”א מה’ המינין, ולכך נראה לקיים המנהג ולאסור כל קטנית בפסח, ולא מחמת חימוץ עצמו (כי טעות הוא לומר כן) אלא מטעם:
- גזירה הוא דכיון דקטנית מעשה קדרה הוא, ודגן נמי מעשה קדרה הוא כדייסא אי הוי שרינן קטנית אולי אתי לאיחלופי ולהתיר דייסא, כיון דאידי ואידי מעשה קדרה הוא.
- וגם מידי דמידגן הוא כמו חמשת המינים.
- וגם יש מקומות שרגילים לעשות מהם פת כמו מחמשת המינים ולכך אתי לאיחלופי לאותן שאינן בני תורה.
ולא דמי למיני ירקות כגון כרוב וכרשין וכיוצא בהן דהנהו לא דמי כלל לדגן ולא אתי לאיחלופי. ומנהג הגון הוא ליזהר מכל קטנית כדפריש, ואפילו מחרדל משום דהוי מידי דמידגן, אף על גב דתלמודא שרי אורז זהו דוקא בימיהם שהיו כולם בקיאים בהלכות איסור והיתר, אבל עכשיו בדורות אחרונות ודאי יש לגזור כדפריש…
6. Sefer Mitzvot Katan, Commentary of Rabbenu Peretz, 222.12
Rabbenu Peretz of Corbeil [France, d. 1295][5]
Regarding kitniyot, such as chickpeas, fava beans, rice, lentils, and similar things, our Rabbis treated them as forbidden to eat on Pesah at all… and Great Rabbis treated them as permitted, and my teacher and rabbi Rabbenu Yehiel [of Paris (d. c. 1260-1264; see also below, source 8)] was accustomed to eat white beans on Pesah, and he attributed this to Great Rabbis…
However, it is a very difficult matter to permit something that the community treated as forbidden since the days of the Early Sages. We assume they did not treat [kitniyot] as forbidden on account of actual leavening, as they would not make a mistake about a halakhah that even schoolchildren know — for it is stated explicitly in [Talmud] Pesahim that only the five species [of grain] can become hametz. Therefore it seems appropriate to uphold the custom and forbid all kitniyot on Pesah, not because of actual leavening (for that is a mistake) but because:
- It is a decree on account of kitniyot being something cooked in a pot like porridge, and grains also being cooked in a pot as porridge, if we permitted kitniyot they might come to mix them up and permit porridge, since both things are cooked in a pot.
- Additionally, [kitniyot] are stored in heaps just like the five species [of grain].
- Additionally, there are places where they regularly make bread out of kitniyot just like the five species [of grain], and therefore they might come to mix them up because they are not learned in Torah.
And this is different than varieties of vegetable, like cabbage, leeks, and similar things, which are not at all similar to grain and will not get mixed up. And it is a sensible custom to avoid all kitniyot as we have explained, and even mustard since it is stored in heaps; even though the Talmud permitted rice, that was specifically in their time when everyone was expert in the halakhah of what is permitted and what is forbidden, whereas now, in the later generations, we should certainly decree as we have explained…
Rabbenu Peretz (source 6) betrays some uncertainty about the custom of avoiding kitniyot on Pesah, which he believed dated to a much earlier time. He strongly supports the band, although he acknowledges that at least one of his teachers ate kitniyot. His suggestion of three different rationales, moreover, hints that he was not certain about the origin or basis of the custom. Rabbenu Peretz justifies the departure from what seems to be an obvious Talmudic ruling by arguing that the earlier generations, who had a more sophisticated understanding of halakhah, could more easily differentiate between permitted kitniyot and forbidden grains.
ז. ספר המנוחה, הלכות חמץ ומצה פ”ה ה”א
…ולא מסתבר לומר שיהיה המנהג תלוי באיסור כלל שאין בשום קטניות בעולם שום חימוץ אלא מפני שאין דרך לאכול קטניות במועד שהרי כתוב (דברים טז, יד) ושמחת בחגך ואין שמחה באכילת תבשיל קטנית… ואין ספק שאם רצה לאכול זרעונים בפסח וכיוצא בו משאר מיני קטניות מותר ואין בזה חשש איסור כלל…
אחר זה מצאתי כתוב שיש מין אחד הנקרא ויצאש והם מגרגרים של חטה שמשתנים בארץ בתבניתם וטבעם כמין הזונין שבשנה שאינה של ברכה יוצאת התבואה מדרך היושר וחוזרת זונין מלשון “כי זנה תזנה הארץ”. ובשנה גשומה חוזרת התבואה ויצאש וקורין אותה ויצאש פורמנטלש, ועל כן אסרו כל קטניות, וזה הטעם יש לו:
7. Sefer HaMenuhah, Hametz and Matzah 5.1
Rabbenu Manoah ben Yaakov [Provence, late 13th century]
It makes no sense to say that the custom [of avoiding kitniyot] should rest on any prohibition at all, for no kitniyot in the world could become leavened. Rather, [the reason for the custom] is because it is not appropriate to eat kitniyot on the festival, since the verse states, you shall be joyous on your festival (Deut. 16:14) and there is no joy in eating a meal of kitniyot… and no doubt if a person wanted to eat seeds on Pesah, or any other similar kitniyot, it is permitted, and there is no concern for this prohibition whatsoever…
And later I found it written that there is one species called vetch, which are wheat kernels that change their form and nature in the earth, so that in a year of drought the grain abandons the normal way of growing and comes out crooked [resembling a bean], and in a rainy year the vetch grain returns [to its normal form] and is called “fermented vetch,” and for this reason they forbade kitniyot.
Rabbenu Manoah (source 7) offers a completely different rationale for the ban on kitniyot: originally, there was a custom to avoid kitniyot on any holiday, because it was not considered sufficiently festive; at some point this custom fell out of practice, but a vestige remained around Pesah, perhaps because the general food restrictions provided an anchor for the ban on kitniyot.
He also suggests that the ban may have arisen because of vetch, a species of wheat that, in years of drought, can grow kernels that resemble kitniyot even though they are actually wheat, raising the concern that people might inadvertently eat vetch believing it to be kitniyot.
…Most Ashkenazim, Anyway…
ח. מרדכי, פסחים אות תקפח
(רמב”ם, חמץ ומצה פ”ה ה”א) “קטנית כגון אורז ודוחן ופולין ועדשים וכיוצא בהם אין בהם משום חימוץ”… ועל כ”נ להתיר מאכל שמוכרין מוכרי הבשמים שקורין רי”ז, ופירש בערוך שהוא אורז, ואנו אומרים בפרק ערבי פסחים [דף קיד ע”ב] “שמע מינה לית דחש להא דא”ר יוחנן בן נורי דאמר אורז מין דגן הוא,” ואפילו לדברי רש”י שפי’ אורז מיליי”ו מכל מקום אינו מחמשת המינין…
אמנם גיסי ה”ר יצחק מקורבויל כתב בספר המצות הקצר אשר יסד נראה לי לקיים המנהג ולאסור כל קטניות בפסח ולא מטעם חימוץ כי טעות הוא בידם כדפרישית אלא משום גזירה הוא… ורבינו ברוך ורבינו שמשון מאויירא לא היו אוכלין מיני קטניות בפסח, אבל ה”ר יחיאל מפרי”ז היה רגיל לאכול פול הלבן שקורין פיי”ש.
8. Mordechai, Pesahim #588
Rabbi Mordechai ben Hillel HaKohen [Germany, 1250-1298]
“Kitniyot, such as rice, millet, fava beans, lentils, and similar things, can not become leavened” (Maimonides, Hametz and Matzah 5.1)… and therefore it seems to me that we can permit the food sold by the spice merchants called “rice;” for in the Talmud (see above, source 5) we say, “We infer that there is no reason to be concerned about the opinion of Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri, who said rice is a grain, and even according to Rashi, who explained this as referring to millet, still it is not one of the five species [of grain]…
However, my brother-in-law Rabbi Yitzhak of Corbeil wrote in his Sefer Mitzvot Katan: it seems appropriate to me to uphold the custom and forbid all kitniyot on Pesah, not on account of actual leavening, for that would be a mistake, but on account of a decree (see above, source 6 and n.2)…Rabbenu Baruch and Rabbenu Shimshon of Évreux would not eat species of kitniyot on Pesah, but Rabbi Yehiel of Paris (d. c. 1260-1264; see also above, source 6) was accustomed to eat white beans [on Pesah].
ט. טור אורח חיים הלכות פסח סימן תנג
אלו דברים שיוצאים בהן ידי חובת מצה בחטין ובשעורים ובכוסמין ובשבולת שועל ושיפון אבל לא באורז ושאר מינים וגם אינן באין לידי חימוץ ומותר לעשות מהן תבשיל וכן בכל מיני קטניות ויש אוסרין לאכול אורז וכל מיני קטניות בתבשיל לפי שמיני חטין מתערבין בהן וחומרא יתירא היא זו ולא נהגו כן…
9. Arba’ah Turim, Orah Hayyim 453
Rabbi Yaakov ben Asher [Spain (b. Germany), 1269-1343]
These are the things through which one can fulfill the obligation of matzah: Wheat, barley, spelt, oats, and rye; but not with rice or other species, which also do not become leavened and therefore one is permitted to cook with them. And the same holds true for all species of kitniyot; and there are those who forbid eating rice and all species of kitniyot in cooked dishes because some grains of wheat mix in with them, but this is an excessive stringency and we don’t do this…
Several prominent Ashkenazi authorities betray some ambivalence about the ban on kitniyot.
Mordechai (source 8) initially reiterates the Talmud’s permission to eat kitniyot but then quotes extensively from Sefer Mitzvot Katan (source 6) in support of the ban; finally, he cites evidence that the rabbis of Évreux avoided kitniyot while Rabbi Yehiel of Paris ate them.
Rabbi Yaakov ben Asher, author of Arba’ah Turim (source 9), mentions the ban but rejects it out of hand, calling it “an excessive stringency.” The significance of this ruling is open to interpretation: Rabbi Yaakov was born and educated in Germany, but in 1303/4 he fled with his father to Spain, and it is not clear whether his opinion here reflects the Ashkenazi practice of his youth or the Sephardi practice he encountered in Spain. At least one commentary, however, believed he was describing Ashkenazi practice when he rejected the custom (source 15).
…But Sefardim Will Eat Them!
י. בית יוסף אורח חיים סימן תנג ס”ק א
ויש אוסרין לאכול אורז וכל מיני קטניות וכו’ וחומרא יתירה היא זו. גם רבינו ירוחם (נ”ה ח”ג מא.) כתב: אותם שנהגו שלא לאכול אורז ומיני קטניות מבושל בפסח, מנהג שטות הוא זולתי אם הם עושים להחמיר על עצמם, ולא ידעתי למה, עכ”ל… ולית דחש לדברים הללו זולתי האשכנזים:
10. Beit Yosef, Orah Hayyim 453.1
Rabbi Yosef Karo [Spain and Israel, 1488-1575]
There are those who forbid eating rice and all species of kitniyot… but this is an excessive stringency. Rabbenu Yeruham (Provence, 1290-1350) also wrote: “Those whose custom is not to eat rice or species of cooked kitniyot on Pesah — this is a nonsense custom, unless they do it just to be strict with themselves, but I can’t understand why” … and no one needs to pay attention to these things except the Ashkenazim.
Beit Yosef (source 10), a commentary on Arba’ah Turim, quotes Rabbenu Yeruham’s description of the ban on kitniyot as a “nonsense custom,” and concludes that only Ashkenazim, who by now have an established custom to avoid kitniyot, need to worry about this; other groups, in particular Sephardi Jews, are free to eat any kitniyot.
יא. שולחן ערוך אורח חיים הלכות פסח סימן תנג סעיף א
הגה: ויש אוסרים (טור והגהות מיימוני פ”ה ומרדכי פ’ כל שעה). והמנהג באשכנז להחמיר, ואין לשנות…
11. Rema, Shulhan Arukh, Orah Hayyim 453.1
Rabbi Moshe Isserles [Poland, 1520-1572]
There are those who forbid [kitniyot], and the custom in Ashkenaz is strict, and one should not change it…
יב. ט”ז אורח חיים סימן תנג ס”ק א
וכ”ז איננה אלא חומרא בעלמא ואין לשנות מפני שנהגו כך. ועני”ס ואליינד”ר צריך בדיקה רבה שלא יהיה בהם א’ מה’ מינים… ובסי’ תס”ד כ’ רמ”א שחרדל אין אוכלין בפסח ואיני יודע למה ישתנה מעניס…
12. Taz, Orah Hayyim 453.1
Rabbi David ha-Levi Segal [Poland, 1586-1667]
All of this is merely a stringency, but should not be changed because of the custom. Anise and oleander must be checked to ensure that none of the five species [of grain] are mixed with them… and [elsewhere] Rabbi Moshe Isserles wrote that we should not eat mustard on Pesah, but I can’t understand why it is any different than anise…
יג. משנה ברורה סימן תנג ס”ק ו
ויש אוסרים – לא מעיקר הדין הוא אלא חומרא שהחמירו עליהם…
13. Mishneh Berurah, Orah Hayyim 453.6
Rabbi Yisrael Meir HaKohen Kagan [Poland, 1838-1933]
There are those who forbid — Not because of the essential law but because of a stringency they took upon themselves…
Rabbi Moshe Isserles (source 11) notes all the places where Ashkenazi custom differs from the (default) Sephardi positions in Shulhan Arukh. Although he advoctes for a “strict” ban on kitniyot, note that he describes it as “custom” and not halakhah. Taz (source 12) and Mishneh Berurah (source 13), despite insisting on the ban, use similar language of “custom” and “stringency;” Mishneh Berurah even explicitly distinguishes “stringency” from “essential law.”
The ongoing debate about mustard suggests that even in this period the extent of the ban on kitniyot was not firmly defined.
יד. פרי חדש, אורח חיים סימן תנג ס”ק א
אעפ”י שהדבר פשוט בש”ס להתיר מ”מ אסרום משום דדגן מעשה קדרה וקטנית מעשה קדרה, גזירה הא אטו הא. וזה תימה שאחר שנסתם התלמוד שנגזר גזרות מדעתינו… והאידנא שאין הדורות מתוקנים כמו הדורות ראשונים… לפיכך יש לתפוס לאסור כל מידי דדמי לדגן משום דמחלף להו בדגן אבל אין כן מנהגנו (וע’ במ”ש ס”ס תס”ג בס”ד) זולתי באורז ששנה אחד אחר שנבדק ג’ פעמים יפה נמצא בו גרעין חטה, ומאותו יום והלאה לא אכלנוהו בפסח:
14. Pri Hadash, Orah Hayyim 453.1
Rabbi Hizkiah da Silva [Israel (b. Italy), 1656-1695]
Even though [kitniyot] are obviously permitted by the Talmud, nevertheless [Ashkenazim] prohibited them because grain is cooked in a pot as porridge and kitniyot are cooked in a pot like porridge, decreeing against one because of the other. And it is strange that after the Talmud was completed, that we would enact these decrees of our own accord… In our day, when the generation is not as worthy as the early generations… there is reason to suggest prohibiting anything that is similar to grain because it might become mixed up with grain — but that is not our custom, except with respect to rice: for one year, after thoroughly checking three times, a grain of wheat was found [in the rice], and from that day on we do not eat [rice] on Pesah.
Pri Hadash (source 14), writing in a Sephardi context, rejects the ban on kitniyot in general but records his personal ban on rice in particular following an incident in which, despite having checked the rice thoroughly, he later found wheat grains mixed in. His specifying rice, however, underscores his generally permissive attitude toward kitniyot.
טו. מור וקציעה סימן תנג
מיני זרעים, כשבת וקצח וכוסבר ודכוותייהו מיני תבלין, אף על גב דדמו קצת למין דגן, מ”מ משונים הם בתואר וידועים לכל, ניכרים בשמם וטעמם וצורתם. לכן אין לחוש למנעם מלאכלם בפסח אפילו למנהג אשכנזים המחמירים ביותר בדברים כאלו. ואצ”ל שמותר גם להם קאפ”ע, שהוא פרי האילן, וטע שהוא עלה ירק דלא שייכא בהו שום חומרא.
ובשעת הדחק ודאי יש להתיר גם כל הקטניות באכילה, שהרי אפילו רבינו בעל הטורים שהיה אשכנזי, ובימיו כבר התחיל מנהג חומרא זו, לא השגיח בה וכתב וחומרא יתרה היא ולא נהגו בה. מכלל שלא קבלוה אבותינו האשכנזים ז”ל בימיו… ולא נתפשטה ביניהם וכמה פוסקים חושבים אותה לשטות ומנהג טעות, שא”צ אפי’ חרטה והתרה…
ומעידני על אמ”ה זצ”ל, כמה צער נצטער אותו צדיק על זאת, כל חג המצות היה מתרעם ואומר אי איישר חילי אבטליניה למנהג גרוע הלז שהיא חומרא דאתיא לידי קולא ונפק מנה חורבא ומכשול… באיסור חמץ גמור! כי מתוך שאין מיני קטניות מצויים להמון לאכול ולשבוע, צריכין לאפות לחם מצה הרבה, בפרטות העניים ומי שבני ביתו מרובים ולא יספיקו להם תבשילים הרבה לשבר רעבונם… מתוך כך אינם נזהרים בעסה כראוי וכחובה, עושים אותה גדולה הרבה ושוהים עליה מאד. קרוב הדבר שנכשלים באיסור כרת ר”ל. גם המצות עומדים להם ביוקר ואין יד כל אדם משגת לעשותם די הצורך לבני ביתו, ולא ימצא להם אפי’ די שבעם אף בלחם חמץ כל השנה, וקטניות נמצאים בזול בלי טורח ובהתר, ואתו לאמנועי משמחת יום טוב, בסבת חומרא שאין לה טעם וריח, לכן אשרי שיאחז צדיק דרכו, יתן אוכל למכביר ונפץ את עלולי החומרות הזרות אל הסלע…
על כן אני אומר בטח, המבטל מנהג זה של מניעת אכילת קטניות (והדומה לו ממנהגים גרועים כאלה) יהי חלקי עמו, הלואי יסכימו עמדי גדולי הדור במחוז הלז… וכל ימי הייתי עומד ומצפה מתי יבוא לידי ואפרסם דעת אמ”ה להפקיע חבל חומרות כאלו שאין רוב הצבור יכולין לעמוד בהן…
15. Mor u-K’tziyah, Orah Hayyim 453
Rabbi Yaakov Emden [Germany, 1698-1776]
Species of seeds, such as dill, nigella, coriander, and others, are spices; and although they are a little similar to grain, nevertheless they are distinct in appearance and known to all, recognizable by their name, taste, and appearance. Therefore there is no concern of refraining from eating them on Pesah even according to the Ashkenazi custom, who are excessively strict about these things. And it goes without saying that they are permitted [to drink] coffee, since it grows on trees, as well as tea, which is a green leaf and has no relationship to any stringency.
In a time of urgent need one can certainly permit all kitniyot to be eaten, since even our rabbi, author of the Turim (see above, source 9), who was Ashkenazi, and in whose day this custom had already taken hold, paid no attention to it and wrote, “this is an excessive stringency and we don’t do this,” suggesting that our Ashkenazi ancestors of blessed memory had not universally accepted [the prohibition of kitniyot] in his time… and it was not widespread among them, and many important authorities considered it nonsense and a mistaken custom, which one can abandon even without a formal expression of regret…
And I bear witness that my father and teacher (Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Ashkenazi [“Hakham Tzvi”], Germany, 1658-1718), of righteous blessed memory, suffered much agony over this: every Pesah he would rage and say: If I had the power I would cancel this awful custom, which is a stringency that causes unintended leniency, and from which comes catastrophe and impediments… with respect to the prohibition of outright leaven! For because the masses do not have kitniyot to eat and be satisfied, they must bake a lot of matzah, and especially the poor and those with large families will not have enough food to satisfy their hunger… as a result they are not as careful as necessary with the dough, making too much and taking too long [to bake it], until they are close to violating the prohibition [of leaven], God forbid. Also, matzah becomes expensive and not everyone has the means to make enough for the whole family, when they can’t even manage to satisfy themselves with leavened bread during the rest of the year — while kitniyot are available cheaply and without trouble, and permissible; and [the ban on kitniyot] ends up diminishing the joy of the festival, on account of a custom without sense or meaning. Therefore praised be the tzaddik who will stand his ground, give abundant sustenance and smash the bizarre stringencies on the rock…
Therefore I say with certainty that one who would cancel this custom of avoiding kitniyot (and any similarly awful customs) — I will support him, if only the great leaders of the generation in this region would agree with me… and all my days I have stood waiting and hoping for the opportunity to publicize my father’s opinion, to uproot these harmful stringencies that most of the community can not tolerate…
Rabbi Yaakov Emden (source 15), one of the most respected German rabbis of the 18th century, argues strongly against the ban on kitniyot and relates that his father, also a leading German rabbinic authority, was vehemently opposed to the ban. Neither rabbi, however, was willing to stake his reputation on overturning the practice unilaterally.
Note as well his arguments in favor of spice, coffee, and tea, which, like the controversy over mustard, suggest that the boundaries of the Ashkenazi custom continued shifting over time.
16. A Teshuvah Permitting Ashkenazim to Eat Kitniyot on Pesah
Rabbi Amy Levin and Rabbi Avram Israel Reisner [USA, contemporary]
As a rule we seek to maintain the customs of our ancestors even when the original reasons lapse… But custom can and does change. Much of that is through the operation of cultural and social drift. It proceeds unremarked…The American Jewish community is not that of medieval Ashkenaz, not in territory, time nor tenor. Yet we are bidden to be cautious about changing custom, particularly signature custom, particularly custom as hard won as this custom appears to be, which was the point made again and again by Ashkenazic sages. There must be a justification to abandon entrenched custom…
The argument that the joy of the holiday suffers is much more powerful today when we are lessening our consumption of meat than it was in Emden’s day (see above, source 15). And in particular, the positive mitzvah of joy on the holiday will not be well expressed on the depleted table of those who do not eat fish or meat, or even cheese and eggs…
In the tone of Isserles’ “one should not diverge,” even more so in Sha’arei Teshuvah’s praise of the sages who “stood in the breach” one hears the all too human voice of reaction to change… We have called ourselves a movement of tradition and change. Understanding when to pursue one and when the other is our great challenge. If resistance to change is the sole reason not to consider a change in custom, as it seems to be here, and all else points to the permissibility and desirability of change — then we need not be as concerned as the Hakham Tzvi about being labeled a “lenient court.” Indeed, we more often cite the Talmudic adage, “The strength of leniency is to be preferred.”
Rabbis Levin and Reisner (source 16) argue that, throughout history, custom has evolved with changing circumstances, and the contemporary American Jewish context is different in almost every way from the conditions in medieval and early-modern Europe. They suggest that most of the arguments in favor of the ban, from Rabbenu Peretz through to the 18th century, amount to a fear of change; as Conservative Jews, who are willing to change halakhah when the circumstances warrant, we should be all the more open to changing customs — which generally hold less weight than halakhah — in order to enhance the enjoyment of Pesah.
17. Dissenting Opinion — Kitniyot on Pesah
Rabbi Miriam Berkowitz [Israel (b. Canada), contemporary], Rabbi Micah Peltz,Rabbi Baruch Frydman-Kohl, Rabbi David Hoffman, and Rabbi Noah Bickart [USA, contemporary]
The observance of Passover enables us to identify with the original Exodus story… Many people observe Pesah strictly even though they may not keep kosher during the year, and their attachment to the holiday traditions may be deeply ingrained in their emotional and spiritual psyche, not only a product of book learning…
The teshuvot of Rabbis Levin and Reisner and Rabbi Golinkin seek to erase the Ashkenazi minhag, to permit eating of actual kitniyot as well as their derivatives… In our opinion, these reasons are not strong or plausible enough to justify the ruling, and do not take into account possible side effects of such an abrupt change.
The main reason to change law or custom is to address an ethical dissonance between halakha and the prevailing values of our generation. We do not see such a compelling reason in this case… Compared to slaves in Egypt… avoiding kitniyot for a week seems a small symbolic way to identify with the Passover message…
This is one of the challenges of minhag – its staying power is not always rational, rather it maintains because its practice is something that one feels in their gut. For this reason, many practices we take for granted today were once labeled as “foolish” or “mistaken” customs. The best example of this is Kol Nidre… Customs endure because religion is not always rational; visceral, emotional attachments to practice are an important part of the religious experience. Not eating kitniyot on Pesah may indeed be a foolish custom, but it has been part of Pesah observance for Ashkenazi Jews for centuries. It allows them to identify in the smallest measure with the Hebrew slaves, connects them to their ancestors, and makes Passover very different from all other times of year. Without a compelling ethical reason to change it, we think this practice should continue.
The dissenting rabbis (source 17) point out that customs often have a deep emotional foundation, and many people will not want to deviate from the Pesah customs they grew up with. They further argue that while there is precedent for Conservative rabbis changing halakhah (and custom), the change should be rooted in ethical values (as was the case with the shift toward egalitarian prayer and marriage equality) and not the practical considerations indicated by Rabbis Levin, Reisner, and Golinkin.
[1] Rabbi Amy Levin and Rabbi Avram Israel Reisner, “A Teshuvah Permitting Ashkenazim to Eat Kitniyot on Pesah;” Rabbi David Golinkin, “Rice, Beans and Kitniyot on Pesah — Are They Really Forbidden?”
[2] Rabbi Miriam Berkowitz, et. al., “Dissenting Opinion — Kitniyot on Pesah.”
[3] The authors of the CJLS responsa translate סירחון as “decay;” although this captures the literal sense of the word, I believe “sprout” more accurately conveys the relevant difference between kitniyot and grain.
[4] See note 3 above.
[5] Rabbi David Golinkin (p.7 n.6; cited above, n.1) suggests that the passage here may in fact be the opinion of Rabbi Yitzhak of Corbeil (France, d. 1280), Rabbenu Peretz’s teacher and author of Sefer Mitzvot Katan. See also below, source 8.
