Selling 'Chametz'
What is Chametz?
Chametz is "leaven" - any food that's made of grain and water that have been allowed to ferment and "rise." Bread, cereal, cake, cookies, pizza, pasta, and beer are blatant examples of chametz; but any food that contains grain or grain derivatives can be, and often is, chametz. Practically speaking, any processed food that is not certified "Kosher for Passover" may potentially include chametz ingredients.
Chametz is the antithesis of matzah, the unleavened bread we eat on Passover to recall the haste in which we left Egypt, and the humble faith by which we merited redemption. Matzah is the symbol of the Exodus, a central component of the Seder rituals, and the heart of the "Festival of Matzot" (as Passover is called in the Torah). And the flip-side of eating matzah is getting rid of chametz -- and the egotism and spiritual coarseness it represents.
Since it is prohibited to possess chametz on Passover, any chametz left un-disposed must be sold to a non-Jew for the duration of Passover.
All such chametz, as well as all chametz utensils that were not thoroughly cleaned, should be stored away. The storage area should be locked or taped shut for the duration of the holiday.
Since there are many legal intricacies involved in this sale, a rabbi acts as our agent both to sell the chametz to the non-Jew on the morning before Passover and also to buy it back the evening after Passover ends.
Please use the Chabad internationals service to authorize a Rabbi to sell your Chametz by clicking here.
Chametz is "leaven" - any food that's made of grain and water that have been allowed to ferment and "rise." Bread, cereal, cake, cookies, pizza, pasta, and beer are blatant examples of chametz; but any food that contains grain or grain derivatives can be, and often is, chametz. Practically speaking, any processed food that is not certified "Kosher for Passover" may potentially include chametz ingredients.
Chametz is the antithesis of matzah, the unleavened bread we eat on Passover to recall the haste in which we left Egypt, and the humble faith by which we merited redemption. Matzah is the symbol of the Exodus, a central component of the Seder rituals, and the heart of the "Festival of Matzot" (as Passover is called in the Torah). And the flip-side of eating matzah is getting rid of chametz -- and the egotism and spiritual coarseness it represents.
Since it is prohibited to possess chametz on Passover, any chametz left un-disposed must be sold to a non-Jew for the duration of Passover.
All such chametz, as well as all chametz utensils that were not thoroughly cleaned, should be stored away. The storage area should be locked or taped shut for the duration of the holiday.
Since there are many legal intricacies involved in this sale, a rabbi acts as our agent both to sell the chametz to the non-Jew on the morning before Passover and also to buy it back the evening after Passover ends.
Please use the Chabad internationals service to authorize a Rabbi to sell your Chametz by clicking here.
