Beit Or ~ The House Of Light

Jason writes...

I have a question regarding what is and is not chametz. According to most sources that I have read, chametz is leaven, not just yeast. During the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, we are not to have any chametz in our homes or eat it or even own it. Sodium Bicarbonate (aka - Baking Soda) is a leavening agent and, therefore, we should not eat or own it.

So here's my confusion: Manischewitz Matzo Ball Mix has sodium bicarbonate in it and yet it claims to be Kosher for Passover.

How is this possible?

Todah v'Shalom,

Jason

Rabbi Isaac Levy responds...

Exodus 12:15 5 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.

In Exodus 12:15 the Hebrew word for "houses" is "Bateichem", which also means "homes", "households", or "families".

Exodus 13:7 7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters.

Exodus 13:7 expands on this saying matzah or unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days and no leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all your quarters or territories. Quarters or territories In the Hebrew the is "Gvul", which means "borders", "coasts", and "region".  It speaks of the bread, or what is in the bread. There are two main Hebrew words for "leaven" in Exodus 12 and 13. "Seor" means "leaven" or "swelling by fermentation"; "chametz" can mean "leaven", "leavened bread", "fermented", and interestingly- in regard to leaven's symbolism—"cruel," "grieved", "sour", "embittered", "oppress", and "ruthless".

1 Corinthians 5:8 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

From Exodus 12:15 we learn that the word "seor" implies chametz or sour. The scripture is clear that the Israelites were in a hurry to get out of Egypt and did not have time to allow the yeast to rise, since the bible is not clear about the definition of yeast, and God allowed us to make that judgment, it is evident that the dough had leaven in it they just did not let it rise. If you read the whole story you find that they each carried their own dough cooked it once they were out of Egypt.

I would say that since yeast is a product that has to take time and right temperature for it to rise and while baking soda  is not temperamental does not require time or the right temperature to rise than my ruling is that it is okay and "kasher lamhadrin", that kosher for Passover.

For those of you who feel like you should not use or eat the baking soda on Passover, I say there is no sin in that.

Shalom,

Rabbi Isaac Levy