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Kitniyot | Kitniyot are a category of foods which Ashkenazi Jews refrain from eating during Pesach. | ||
== Definition == | == Definition == | ||
*The Torah (Exodus 13:3) prohibits Jews from eating leaven (chametz) during Passover. Technically, chametz is only leaven made from the "five grains": wheat, spelt, barley, oats, or rye, although there are additional rabbinic prohibitions against eating these grains in any form other than matzo. | |||
*The Torah (Exodus 13:3) prohibits Jews from eating leaven (chametz) during Passover. Technically, chametz is only leaven made from the "five grains": wheat, spelt, barley, | |||
*The earlier Poskim mention that rice, buckwheat/kasha, millet, beans, lentils, peas, sesame seeds and mustard are included in the minhag <ref> Beis Yosef O.C. 453, Rema 453:1 & 464:1 and Mishnah Berurah 453:4, 7 & 11 </ref> | *The earlier Poskim mention that rice, buckwheat/kasha, millet, beans, lentils, peas, sesame seeds and mustard are included in the minhag <ref> Beis Yosef O.C. 453, Rema 453:1 & 464:1 and Mishnah Berurah 453:4, 7 & 11 </ref> | ||
*On the other hand, potatoes (see below), coffee, tea, garlic, nuts, radishes and olives and not treated as kitnios <ref> Sha’arei Teshuvah 453:1, Chayei Adam 127:7. Pri Megadim Eshel Avraham 464:1 writes that he doesn't understand why some people don't eat garlic on Pesach but nevertheless one should be stringent. </ref> | *On the other hand, potatoes (see below), coffee, tea, garlic, nuts, radishes and olives and not treated as kitnios <ref> Sha’arei Teshuvah 453:1, Chayei Adam 127:7. Pri Megadim Eshel Avraham 464:1 writes that he doesn't understand why some people don't eat garlic on Pesach but nevertheless one should be stringent. </ref> | ||
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*The Smak (Rabbi Yitzchak of Korbol) explains that products of kitniyot appear like chametz products. For example, it can be hard to distinguish between rice flour (kitniyot) and wheat flour (chametz). Therefore, to prevent confusion, all kitniyot was prohibited. | *The Smak (Rabbi Yitzchak of Korbol) explains that products of kitniyot appear like chametz products. For example, it can be hard to distinguish between rice flour (kitniyot) and wheat flour (chametz). Therefore, to prevent confusion, all kitniyot was prohibited. | ||
*The Beit Yosef (Rabbi Yosef Karo, 16th century, Israel) notes that since regular grains may become mixed together with kitniyot (apparently due to changes in crop cycles), one may inadvertently come to eat actual chametz. | *The Beit Yosef (Rabbi Yosef Karo, 16th century, Israel) notes that since regular grains may become mixed together with kitniyot (apparently due to changes in crop cycles), one may inadvertently come to eat actual chametz. | ||
*The origins of this practice are not clear, though two common theories are that these items are often made into products resembling chametz (e.g. cornbread), or that these items were normally stored in the same sacks as the five grains and people worried that they might become contaminated with chametz. It was also possible that crop rotations would result in the forbidden chametz grains growing in the same fields, and being mixed in with the kitniyot. Those authorities concerned with these three issues suggested that by avoiding eating kitniyot, people would be better able to avoid chametz. The Vilna Gaon (Hagaos HaGra, ibid.) indeed actually cites a novel source for this custom. The Gemorrah in Pesachim (40b) notes that Rava objected to the workers of the Raish Gelusa (the Exilarch) cooking a food called chasisi on Pesach, since it was wont to be confused with chametz. The Tosefos explain that, according to the Aruch, chasisi are lentils, and thus, argues the Gra, establishes the basis for the concern of kitniyot | *The origins of this practice are not clear, though two common theories are that these items are often made into products resembling chametz (e.g. cornbread), or that these items were normally stored in the same sacks as the five grains and people worried that they might become contaminated with chametz. It was also possible that crop rotations would result in the forbidden chametz grains growing in the same fields, and being mixed in with the kitniyot. Those authorities concerned with these three issues suggested that by avoiding eating kitniyot, people would be better able to avoid chametz. The Vilna Gaon (Hagaos HaGra, ibid.) indeed actually cites a novel source for this custom. The Gemorrah in Pesachim (40b) notes that Rava objected to the workers of the Raish Gelusa (the Exilarch) cooking a food called chasisi on Pesach, since it was wont to be confused with chametz. The Tosefos explain that, according to the Aruch, chasisi are lentils, and thus, argues the Gra, establishes the basis for the concern of kitniyot. | ||
== Halachot of kitniyot == | == Halachot of kitniyot == | ||
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*Kitnios is batel b’rov, which means that if someone accidentally put kitnios into their Pesach food, the food is b’dieved permitted assuming the food contains more non-kitnios than kitnios <ref> Rema 453:1 as per Mishnah Berurah 453:9 </ref>. This means that although the food may have a pronounced taste of kitnios, the food is permitted (unless there are recognizable pieces of kitnios which haven’t been removed). Therefore, if a beverage is sweetened with aspartame made of kitnios shenishtaneh, even those people who hold that aspartame is forbidden (as explained above) may drink the beverage because the aspartame is batel b’rov in the other ingredients. Similarly, we have seen that there is a disagreement as to whether fenugreek is kitnios. Nonetheless, even those who follow the strict approach may consume maple syrup which is flavored with fenugreek (as it often is) because it is batel b’rov. Thus, although we’ve seen a number of disagreements as to whether certain foods are or aren’t kitnios, those disagreements are limited to one who wants to consume the actual item (or a hashgachah certifying someone else who is intentionally putting the ingredient into a food), but these disagreements rarely affect consumers. <ref> http://www.kashrut.com/Passover/Kitniyot/</ref> | *Kitnios is batel b’rov, which means that if someone accidentally put kitnios into their Pesach food, the food is b’dieved permitted assuming the food contains more non-kitnios than kitnios <ref> Rema 453:1 as per Mishnah Berurah 453:9 </ref>. This means that although the food may have a pronounced taste of kitnios, the food is permitted (unless there are recognizable pieces of kitnios which haven’t been removed). Therefore, if a beverage is sweetened with aspartame made of kitnios shenishtaneh, even those people who hold that aspartame is forbidden (as explained above) may drink the beverage because the aspartame is batel b’rov in the other ingredients. Similarly, we have seen that there is a disagreement as to whether fenugreek is kitnios. Nonetheless, even those who follow the strict approach may consume maple syrup which is flavored with fenugreek (as it often is) because it is batel b’rov. Thus, although we’ve seen a number of disagreements as to whether certain foods are or aren’t kitnios, those disagreements are limited to one who wants to consume the actual item (or a hashgachah certifying someone else who is intentionally putting the ingredient into a food), but these disagreements rarely affect consumers. <ref> http://www.kashrut.com/Passover/Kitniyot/</ref> | ||
* | * Rav Moshe Feinstein did not advocate abandoning the custom, but he certainly opposed the tendency to expand the list of forbidden kitniyot (see Igrot Moshe, Orah Hayyim 3. 63). | ||
# Some say that quinoa is kitniyot, however, if there's a medical issue one may be lenient to use it on Pesach. <ref> Rav Yisrael Belsky on [http://www.ou.org/community_services/video/67558 OU Pre-Pesach Webcast 5769] between minutes 23 and 24 and on [http://www.ou.org/torah/article/oukosher_pre-pesach_webcast_5771 OU Pre-Pesach Webcast 5771] between minutes 101:30 and 103:30 </ref> </ref> | # Some say that quinoa is kitniyot, however, if there's a medical issue one may be lenient to use it on Pesach. <ref> Rav Yisrael Belsky on [http://www.ou.org/community_services/video/67558 OU Pre-Pesach Webcast 5769] between minutes 23 and 24 and on [http://www.ou.org/torah/article/oukosher_pre-pesach_webcast_5771 OU Pre-Pesach Webcast 5771] between minutes 101:30 and 103:30 </ref> </ref> | ||
==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
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