Not Eating out on Pesach

Understanding an Unfriendly Minhag: Not Eating Out on Pesach esach is a time of great exultation and exuberance. It is both a festival of freedom Rabbi Yona Reiss Pcommemorating the Exodus from Rosh Yeshiva, RIETS Egypt, and a springtime celebration that brings together families and Av Beit Din, Chicago Rabbinical Council communities for a renewal of bonds and revitalization of relationships. It is also, however, a time of heightened chametz is perhaps best captured in other person keeps their chumros. “chumrah” — of exceptional the standard holiday wish for Pesach. At first glance, this custom appears stringency — based on the severe Unlike the other shalosh regalim not merely strict, but downright Torah prohibition against eating or festivals of Sukkot and Shavuot, in unfriendly. owning chametz (leavened foods from which community members typically By contrast, the Yerushalmi (Chagigah wheat, rye, barley, oats, or spelt), and greet each other by saying “chag 3:6; see also TB Chagigah 26a) the principle that even the slightest bit sameach” — have a joyous holiday — derives from the verse k’ir shechubrah of chametz does not become nullified on Pesach the greeting is “chag kasher lah yachdav )Tehillim 122:3) that in any mixture of food. ve’sameach” — have a kosher and Jerusalem became the central and joyous holiday. The clear implication The halakhic imperative to eradicate unifying place of gathering for the is that the simcha is secondary and all chametz ushers in a season of entirety of the Jewish people during subordinate to the scrupulous and intense cleaning and searching for any the holidays because even an “am amplified observances of kashrus traces of chametz, culminating with ha’aretz” (someone not generally during this time period. the night of bedikat chametz on the eve presumed to be careful about ritual th of the 14 of Nissan. Therabbonim In fact, many practices have emerged matters) was treated like a chaver“ ” of each community balance their over the years to reflect the special (reliable person and literally “friend”) responsibility to instruct congregants stringency of chametz, including the in terms of being trusted to prepare about the detailed kashering and Ashkenazic practice of not eating his food with the requisite purity food preparation requirements for kitniyot (legumes) and the practice during the holiday period. The Pesach, with the need to warn the of refraining from gebrochts (matzah Maharitz Chiyus (Nida 34a, s.v. most punctilious practitioners of faith soaked in water). TheChayei Adam “Hakatuv”), commenting on this not to lapse into obsessive-compulsive )klal 127) devotes an entire chapter of passage, quotes from the Rambam behavior in the process. It is often his book to special Pesach stringencies in the Moreh Nevuchim (3:43) that necessary to emphasize that the and the nature of their binding force the purpose of this spirit of trust religious responsibilities of the holiday according to halakha. was to increase social gatherings are not intended to supersede the But perhaps the most intriguing of and brotherly love among all Jews Biblical mandate of simchat ha’chag — during the holidays, and notes that rejoicing in the festival. Pesach stringencies is the widespread minhag not to eat anyone else’s food the ultimate sharing of common The tension between being joyous during the Pesach holiday, even if the bonds is through eating together, and being scrupulous about avoiding based on the principle of gedolah 22 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Pesach 5776 legimah shemekarevet et harechokim Israel where Rava and Rav Nachman eat gebrochts to relax that stringency — breaking bread draws disparate lived, and surely Rav Nachman would on the last day of Pesach )see Pri people closer (Sanhedrin 103b). By not have authorized the purchase of Hasadeh 3:31). While some have contrast, he notes that the opposite chametz on the eighth day of Pesach. questioned this practice as internally Therefore, the Rashash suggests that inconsistent or disrespectful to the — גדול הפירוד במה שאדם is also true the reference to the timing of the holiness of the second day of Yom — מונע עצמו לאכול אצל ישראל חבירו that the refusal of one Jew to eat from ruling of Rav Nachman is inexact, Tov (see, e.g., Pri Chadash O”C siman another Jew’s food creates a terrible since it more likely took place after 447:5, s.v. “U’mah shekatav aval b’yom schism between them. He cites a the eighth day when both chametz and tov”), there does appear to be a basis parallel passage in the Yerushalmi commerce would have been permitted. in terms of enabling all Jews to eat at ) 7:7), which similarly each other’s homes on the final day Bava Kamma However Rav Yisocher Dov Babad, derives from the same verse in of Pesach in fulfillment of the notion Tehillim the Av Beth Din of Buska (see that Jerusalem unites the hearts of of asa’an kulan chaveirim )Chagigah Nitei Gavriel, Pesach 3:117-118), the Jewish people ( 26a) — of all Jews uniting together at mechaberet et suggests that perhaps the reference ), a statement that least at some point during the festival, Yisrael zeh lazeh to Rava’s visit following the seventh he understands to allude as well to in accordance with the words of the day is quite deliberate. According the heightened spirit of trust and Maharitz Chiyus. to his interpretation of the Gemora togetherness during the holiday (according to which the comma in The late Belzer Rebbe (Rav Aharon season. Based on this increased trust, the first sentence of the preceding Rokeach zt”l) brings a different all Jews will be able to eat together in paragraph would belong after the source for the custom of not eating friendship — veyitchabru halevavot zeh word “Pesach” rather than after the in others’ homes on Pesach, noting — resulting in a unity of heart lazeh word “Nachman”), Rava did not visit that only with respect to Shavuot and spirit among all Jews. Accordingly, Rav Nachman altogether until after and Sukkot does the Torah mention it would appear that on Pesach, as well the first seven days of Pesach were the notion of rejoicing together with as the other holidays, there should over. Thus the Gemora is emphasizing others (Devorim 16:11, 16:14), but ideally be a greater degree of trust for that Rava did not want to eat in Rav not with respect to Pesach. Therefore the kashrus standards of others. Nachman’s home until the eighth the scriptural implication is that on Where then does this seemingly day, which is only Rabbinic in nature. Pesach there may be a basis for parties unfriendly practice come from? Until that time, Rava observed the to refrain from joining each other for Interestingly, it is mentioned in a practice of not eating in anyone’s their meals. variety of places, mostly of Chassidic home, including Rav Nachman, who However, while these sources have origin, based upon both Rabbinic was actually his Rebbe. However, merit, it would appear that there is and Biblical sources. One source is a according to this explanation, the a strong argument for a contrary Talmudic passage in Pesachim and the extra level of leniency for the eighth approach. First, the seder feast, second source is based on scriptural day requires further elucidation. which is the most prominent Pesach verses in Devorim. Rav Naftoli Zvi Horowitz Zera( meal, is predicated upon different The Gemora inPesachim (30a), Kodesh, volume 2, Le’acharon Shel individuals joining together to form a quotes Rava as recounting that when Pesach, s.v. “Yom Tov Ha’acharon”) chaburah — an organic group — for he and his colleagues visited with explains that the stringent practice purposes of partaking in the Pesach Rav Nachman, after the seventh day not to eat in the home of others sacrifice. In fact, while the original of Pesach Rav Nachman instructed does not include the eighth day Pesach was focused upon familial them to go out and purchase chametz of Pesach because the final day of units joining in the bringing of the from the local non-Jewish soldiers. Pesach epitomizes the unity of the Pesach sacrifice (Shmot 12:3-seh l’veit The Rashash ad( locum) points out Jewish people, and therefore is a avot seh labayit), Rashi notes (Shmot that this passage is difficult. Even after day in which all stringencies are set 12:47) that for all subsequent Pesach seven days, there is an eighth day of aside. This would also help explain observances, the group unit was Pesach that is observed outside of the common practice for people who expanded beyond the family to enable 23 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Pesach 5776 different families to join with each nowadays, when we are not privileged for a relaxation of any heightened other for the seder night. It is difficult to have a Beit Hamikdash, the custom stringencies which would create a to account for a minhag to eat with of abstaining from the food of others distance between fellow Jews. others only on the seder night, the makes more sense as an additional This may also explain why, according to most important meal of the Pesach Pesach stringency, particularly given Rav Babad’s innovative understanding holiday, but not for any other meals. that many families observe different of the Gemora, Rava waited until stringencies, whether in terms of Second, while the eighth day may the eighth day to visit his Rebbe, Rav or other special restrictions stand for the notion of unity, surely as gebrochts Nachman )see Mo’ed Katan 28a).

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