Pas Yisroel By: Rabbi Dovid Cohen Administrative Rabbinic Coordinator, cRc

Background However, the time of year when most people are In the times of the , and possible even machmir regarding pas Yisroel is during the days earlier, Chazal forbade us from eating bread-like between Rosh Hashanah and (Aseres items that were baked exclusively by non-Jews. Y’mei Teshuvah), based on 603:1 [The bread-like items are referred to as pas and who records such a custom. During those 10 that term will be defined more clearly below]. If days, Jews who otherwise rely on the lenient however, a Jew baked the pas, or even opinion that permits pas paltar in all cases, are participated in some small way in the baking careful to only eat pas Yisroel when it reasonably process, the food items are permitted and are available. It is worth noting that in this context, known as pas Yisroel. In later years, Chazal Mishnah Berurah’s (603:1) defines “reasonably partially retracted this prohibition because the available” as requiring less than 72 minutes of baking ovens were controlled and/or owned by travel to obtain. non-Jews, and the aforementioned restriction made it overly difficult for Jews to obtain “kosher” Which foods are pas pas. As noted, the term “pas” refers to bread-like

foods, and to qualify as pas the food must meet In partially retracting the prohibition, Chazal the following criteria: created a new class of pas – pas paltar, whose literal translation is “Baker’s pas”. Whereas pas 1. It must contain one or more of the 5 major baked by a non-Jew in his home remained grains – wheat, barley, rye, oats or spelt. Thus, forbidden, pas sold in a bakery or other rice cakes, corn flakes, and most corn tortillas commercial setting where the non-Jewish baker cannot possibly require pas Yisroel as they and the Jewish customer don’t have personal aren’t made from these grains. Although contact was now permitted even if no Jew had granola bars are made from oats, most hold a hand in the baking. However, there are two that they do not qualify as pas (and the opinions in the Rishonim as to how this retraction bracha rishona is ha’adamah) due to was structured. technicalities regarding how they are produced which are beyond the scope of this − Some say that since the prohibition was only summary. On the other hand, breads made retracted due to the difficulty in obtaining pas from “sprouted wheat” are most definitely pas. Yisroel, pas paltar is only permitted when pas Yisroel isn’t readily available. However, in 2. It must have tzuras hapas / the “form” of situations where pas Yisroel can be purchased, bread. There is much discussion as to how to the original rules apply and pas paltar remains define this term, but it is clear that all bread, forbidden. bagels, cake, crackers, cookies, pies, pizza, soft pretzels and most hard pretzels have tzuras − Others hold that the retraction applies to all hapas, and that pasta does not. There are cases, and pas paltar is permitted even when differences of opinion as to whether very small pas Yisroel is readily available. hard-pretzels, blintzes, mandel-type soup

croutons, very thin wafers and wraps have The accepted practice is to follow the latter, tzuras hapas. It is generally accepted that more lenient, opinion but there are those who Cheerios-like cereals do not have tzuras have the commendable practice of following hapas, and Rav Schwartz has confirmed that the stricter approach (and some do so on he accepts this opinion. [They may also not Shabbos – see Mishnah Berurah 242:6). To help be pas based on criteria #3]. these consumers, the cRc strives to guarantee that all of bread products that it certifies are pas 3. Shulchan Aruch (O.C. 168:13) cites two Yisroel year round. Consumers who choose to be opinions as to whether pas is limited to items careful about this halacha should be cautioned which are baked (or fried in a minimal amount to not assume that all foods sold by Jewish of oil) or even includes doughnuts and similar companies with “heimishe” sounding names are items that are made with a bread-like batter pas Yisroel, and should rather check the but are cooked or deep-fried. packaging and/or speak to the Rav HaMachshir.

Page 2 Pas Yisroel

The following chart summarizes the information presented above: Requires pas Requires pas Food Yisroel? Food Yisroel? Bagel Yes Granola bars No Difference of Blintzes Yes opinion Hard pretzels Some say very small hard pretzels don’t Bread Yes Matzah Yes Breakfast cereals Difference of − Cheerios No Pancakes opinion − Corn flakes No Pies Yes − Rice Krispies No Pita Yes − Others ƒ With 5 grains Depends on Pizza Yes cereal ƒ Without 5 grains No Pretzels Yes Some say very small Cake Yes (soft & hard) hard pretzels don’t Challah Yes Rice cakes No Cheerios No Rice Krispies No Cookie Yes Soft pretzels Yes Corn flakes No Sprouted-wheat bread Yes

No Tortillas Corn tortillas Assuming they don’t Difference of contain wheat flour; if − With wheat flour opinion they do, see wraps − Without flour No Crackers Yes Difference of Wafers (thin) Croutons opinion − Bread crouton Yes Wraps Difference of Difference of − − Mandel type With wheat flour opinion opinion − Without flour No Difference of Doughnuts opinion Ezekiel Bread Yes Flour Tortillas Yes

This article is reprinted from Sappirim, a publication of the cRc Kashrus Department