public service announcement

[cellio]

When Streit's writes, on the package of egg matzah (which is much tastier than the plain sort), "egg matzos may be eaten only by the infirm, aged or children according to Shulchan Aruch", what they mean is "...in order to fulfill the obligation at the seder specifically". Why they don't say that is beyond me. It confused me the first year I was paying attention (so I asked), and I was just reminded of it by the box of matzah sitting on my desk here at work. (The rest of the week you don't have to eat matzah at all if you don't want to; you just have to not eat chametz.)

Comments

[cellio]

Sorry for the confusion. I know that kitniyot is a special category between chametz and ok (for Ashkenazim, as you point out). Egg matzah doesn't seem to be a member of that category, and I hadn't previously heard of another in-between category that applies broadly. (There's also the no-matzah-and-liquid restriction, which I've forgotten the name of, but that's a small minority, I'm told.)

Our associate rabbi actually argues that today we should not restrict kitniyot, and he eats it personally. I haven't asked my rabbi (who is the senior rabbi) for his opinion. I currently take the approach of keeping kitniyot out of my kitchen (so I'm not limited in who I can feed) but not personally worrying if someone else feeds it to me. Maybe I'm just a wuss, trying to walk a middle ground like that. I mean really, I tend to agree that kitniyot is an unnecessary restriction, but on the other hand, it's only a week and is it really a big deal?

[miz-hatbox.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I, too, had heard that the kitniyot restriction was because of resembling leavening.

I'm still avoiding kitniyot this year except for peanuts and soy products, because I am a wreck without my morning protein shake and I need to be firing on all burners for my early morning classes. But I've been feeling a tad guilty about it, because I always assumed that if you're going to personally feel like you were delivered from a difficult situation, then Pesach has to be a little difficult (and if it bugs you, you're supposed to remind yourself that at least you're not in slavery--to put your troubles in perspective). So by that logic I'm *supposed* to have trouble finding an alternate breakfast so I can feel happier after Pesach is over.

[estherchaya.livejournal.com]

There's also the no-matzah-and-liquid restriction, which I've forgotten the name of, but that's a small minority, I'm told

It's called gebrachts. I don't know that I'd call it a "small" minority, aside from the fact that it's slightly redundant to say. I think that the Chasiddische community is a substantial enough population to avoid stressing "small".

[cellio]

I thought it was a subset of the Chassidic community, but apparently I erred. I apologize. Certainly the word "small" is inappropriate for the Chassidic community in general.

[estherchaya.livejournal.com]

I think that a large majority of Chassidim (and at least a few Orthodox sects) hold to no gebrachts.
It's a large enough minority that there are plenty of products labeled as "non-gebrachts", which is telling, I think.

Lubavitchers are the most commonly known for not eating gebrachts, I think (though they will on the eighth night).

[cellio]

It's a large enough minority that there are plenty of products labeled as "non-gebrachts", which is telling, I think.

Yes, that is telling. I don't think I've ever seen that notation, though it's probably a function of the kinds of food I buy. (I don't buy a lot of matzah-based products like cakes, cookies, and cereals.)