Toothbrush holders should be washed well and not used with the old toothbrushes. Every year at Pesach time, the old toothbrushes get thrown out, and every member of the family gets a new one. Some people pour boiling water over their toothbrush holders.
Parakeets, gerbils, and the like, or rather their food and cages, present a problem at Pesach time. These pets live on a grain diet, which is chametz. While the law against eating chametz does not apply to gerbils, the law against deriving any pleasure or benefit from chametz does apply to Jews of all ages. Therefore, cages of pets must be thoroughly cleaned out. The pet can be “sold” to a non-Jewish friend, who will care for it during the holiday. The other alternative, which is an easier and more popular solution, is to alter the diet. Most large pet-food companies, such as Hartz Mountain, will send, on request, a pet Passover diet. Some pet lovers wisely begin by feeding their pets a mixture of the regular diet and the new Passover diet, so that by the time Pesach arrives, the change won’t be too abrupt. This business of Passover parakeet food always seemed a bit exaggerated, but that is the law. Moreover, it certainly does firmly implant in a child’s mind the concept of ridding the house of chametz.
One important task in cleaning the closets is to check out the pockets of clothing. All members of the family should do this. To observe life on another planet, try to be nonchalantly standing about when a ten-year-old boy empties the pockets of his down jacket. Besides the usual cracker crumbs and gum wrappers, you will be treated to an array of objects and folded papers to which adults are not often privy. Those pocket gleanings hold the keys to the mysteries of the universe; they also provide a clue to the incredible fantasies that ten-year-olds carry around with them.
A liquor cabinet must be locked, its key removed and set aside in a safe place; or bottles of liquor should be stored in a carton which is sealed and put out of sight. Most whiskeys are made of grain alcohol and are therefore not kosher for Pesach. Technically this is pure chametz, but because of the economic loss that would otherwise be involved, most people get rid of it through mechirah (selling it to a non-Jew) rather than biur (permanently ridding oneself of it).
There are different customs regarding what to destroy (biur) and what to sell (mechirah). We store, seal away, and then sell all products that are ta’arovet chametz, admixtures of chametz such as cream of mushroom soup (contains flour) or sauces thickened with grain substance. We also store all dry grains that have not been mixed with water: for example, flour, rice, barley, and so forth. As long as there is no chance that these items have been mixed with water, they could not possibly be considered leavened. These items remain in our house but not in our possession. They stay sealed in our cupboard and we don’t set eyes on them for the duration of the holiday.
However, with the exception of liquor, we do get rid of whatever pure chametz—chametz gamur—might be left as we near countdown: breads, spaghettis, dry cereals, pastries. We give away our pure chametz as a gift to a non-Jewish friend rather than sell it as we do with foods of ta’arovet chametz. What little is left of pure chametz on the last evening before Pesach we set aside for the next morning’s biur, burning it so as to destroy it completely.
Some Orthodox Jews, however, have the custom of including items of pure chametz in the mechirah—sealing it away and selling possession. They leave out only a minute amount of pure chametz in order to fulfill the mitzvah of biur chametz.
“Some Orthodox Jews do this, some Orthodox Jews do that.” Probably nowhere else in the tradition is there a range of custom and interpretation of law as there is regarding the laws of Pesach. Nor is it a matter of one-upmanship in piety. The myriad of details, many of which are themselves a refinement of the basic laws, simply allow for different weightings and interpretations. The thought of having a loaf of bread wrapped and then sealed in a brown bag in the freezer for the duration of Pesach is most strange to me, in fact, a bit revolting, I know not why. And yet, people more careful and more knowledgeable in halacha than I, do permit the practice. *
Our family eats g’bruck the first night of Pesach, but my sister’s family does not. G’bruck is matzah products cooked with water, such as matzah balls. (Some fear that unintentionally it may become chametz.) Some people kasher their dishwashers; others follow rabbinic opinion that forbids it. In our community, two of the learned Orthodox rabbis, good friends, both ordained in the same yeshiva, have come out each with different p’sak—religious decision—in several areas. Rabbi A. says Formica must be covered for Pesach, and Rabbi M. says it need not be; Rabbi A. says Pyrex can be kashered; Rabbi M. says no. And each has perfectly legitimate halachic explanations for his decisions.
Thus, I shall proceed to explain the procedures according to the majority ruling, but on each matter one should consult his/her local rabbi. One should not hesitate to call a rabbi with any question, no matter how ridiculous it may seem. The rabbi will never laugh or think it foolish. He has probably answered it before.
THE KITCHEN
The kitchen is where most of the work lies, for the entire kitchen must be made Pesachdik (fit for Passover). In addition to biur and bitul of chametz, there is also an issue of utensils that have been used for chametz all year. These cannot be used as is for Pesach. They must either be sealed away or, where possible, transformed from chametz to nonchametz status. This process of transformation is called kashering for Pesach.
The whole project is no small matter. All dishes, cutlery, utensils, pots and pans, serving pieces, trays, sink racks, drainboards, kitchen gadgets, storage areas, freezer, refrigerator, stove top, oven, dishwasher, blender, food processor, toaster, electric mixer, spice rack, in sum, everything we use all year long, may not be used as is for Pesach, because they have been used with chametz all year and, as a result, have absorbed chametz.
STORAGE AREAS
All cabinets, cupboards, and drawers should be thoroughly cleaned out and wiped with a damp cloth to pick up any bits of chametz lurking there. If these spaces are now to be used for Pesach utensils and foods, as they are in most contemporary kitchens of limited cabinet space, they should be first lined with fresh lining paper. For those who line their cupboards only for Pesach, a perfect, cost-free, flexible size, temporary shelving is discarded IBM printout, reverse side.
Most of the year-round utensils cannot be kashered for Pesach, and if they are to be stored in their regular cabinets or drawers, these storing places should be locked or tied so that one would not inadvertently open them during the holiday. We tape our non-Pesach cupboards closed with a colorful strip of Mystik tape as a reminder that these cabinets are off limits. Labeling the cupboards PESACHDIK or CHAMETZDIK is also helpful during the preliminary transition—especially when there are a number of people in the household who have not participated directly in transforming the kitchen.
REFRIGERATORS
Refrigerators or freezers, like other storage areas, should be emptied, washed thoroughly, with special attention given to the racks and the rubber gasket linings, whose folds can collect food. The shelves should be lined with paper or aluminum foil. To ensure circulation of cool air, slits or holes should be made in the paper or foil.
KASHERING
Some of the appliances we use year round with chametz can be kashered for Pesach. Here, too, however, there is some variation in rabbinic opinion, which is why, in all instances, one should consult a rabbi. The broadest principle is this: any item that can be thoroughly cleaned of chametz can be kashered. This basic principle, however, like all basic principles, has more exceptions than inclusions. A utensil that is made of one solid piece, such as a seamless pot with no folded lip, or a stainless-steel serving dish, or a set of flatware with no joints can be kashered, while a set of fine bone china cannot be. Under the broadest principle of perfect cleaning, it would seem that a set of fine china would qualify, but regrettably this is not so. China, earthenware, and porcelain are all considered porous materials. Having absorbed through heat the taste of chametz all year long, t
hey would require hagalah, immersion in boiling water, to be kashered. But they could not withstand such high heat without breaking. Therefore, no kashering is permitted of these items. So, into brief storage goes our china, and out come the Pesach dishes that, for all the bother, still feel like an old friend returning once a year.
Some rabbis permit hard but not soft plastic to be kashered through hagalah—boiling water—which would misshape soft plastics. Pyrex and Corelle are considered as glass, and indeed, they simply are hardened glass. Thus, in a similar rabbinic view, they need only be kashered in the manner of any utensil that has been used with heat. Enamel is considered a porous substance, yet it can withstand the heat required to kasher it. Nevertheless, for other reasons (largely because it cracks and chips easily), it is put into the same category as china, and cannot be kashered. On the other hand, a refrigerator whose insides are enamel can be kashered simply by washing it clean. The reason: it hasn’t absorbed chametz through heat.
And so it goes. Intricate, seemingly arbitrary, and yet quite logical when one relates each item to the general principles of law.
There are four alternate methods of kashering for Pesach: (1) hagalah—immersion in boiling water; (2) libun—purification by flame; (3) irui—pouring boiling water over the surface; (4) milui v’irui—soaking in cold water.
The general principle of which method to choose is known as k’vol’o kach polto, as it absorbs, so it sheds. The same means by which chametz was absorbed into the utensil, so it should be expelled. For example, an oven can be kashered by the heat from a fire (its own or a blowtorch); a pot that absorbed chametz in the cooking process, that is, with water, can be kashered by immersion in boiling water.
It goes without saying that all items to be kashered should first be thoroughly cleaned. If hagalah is to be the method of kashering, the utensil must be set aside after cleaning for twenty-four hours without use and then kashered. As a result of this twenty-four-hour hiatus, one must plan ahead very carefully. Finally, all kashering must be completed before ten in the morning on erev Pesach.
Hagalah. Hagalah requires total immersion in boiling water.* STEP ONE: To kasher the pot in which other items will be immersed, fill a very large pot with water to within one inch of the top rim. Heat until the water comes to a rolling boil. Then, to make sure that this entire pot is “immersed” in water, add to it a stone, or a solid piece of nonrusting metal, that has been superheated directly over an open flame. When it is very hot, lift it with a large pliers and drop it into the boiling water. This hot rock or metal will cause the boiling water to overflow the sides. It is considered as if the entire pot was immersed in water.
This whole process can be quite messy, although it does have some novelty to it. If you have a large enough pot that is already Pesachdik and can be used for kashering smaller utensils, you need not do this. Skip to step two. Meanwhile, here are some suggestions to minimize the mess in your own kitchen:
Put plenty of newspapers on the floor near the stove, and underneath it, to absorb the overflow. Also place a nice thick towel between you and the stove. Place a lit candle nearby, so that when your light and pilot go out as a result of the water overflowing, you can relight safely without gas smelling up the house. Instead of a rock, I use a very large hammer. I heat up its metal head superhot. The wooden handle gives me a cool, long-arm’s reach so that I can insert and retrieve the metal head with ease. Some people use a knife sharpener; it has the same advantages.
STEP TWO: Into this large pot of boiling water we can now immerse other smaller utensils for kashering. The ratio of item to water must be one to sixty. A utensil need not be kept in water for any length of time. Immerse it completely in the boiling water—even for an instant—and then you can take it out. Add a hot rock or metal head if the water has stopped boiling. Rinse the utensil under cold water, and it can now be used for Pesach. If the entire utensil cannot be submerged all at once, then do half first and then rotate it so that every part is submerged consecutively. A large net or a perforated basket is useful for putting smaller items into a large pot for kashering. I have neither of these, so I find a nylon net lingerie bag to serve my purposes quite well.
STEP THREE: After the smaller items have been kashered, the large pot should be rekashered, that is, water boiled, hot stone, boil over the sides, rinse in cold water.
Libun. Libun is a flame kashering process. Teenage children and other pyros will happily do this job. It requires the use of a blowtorch, a medium-sized tool that can be purchased in any hardware store quite inexpensively.
In contrast to hagalah, where boiling water forces out the chametz, libun destroys it by burning it up. Libun is generally used to kasher items that acquire chametz through direct contact with the source of heat. Baking utensils, oven interiors, and stove burners fall into this category. Interestingly, libun can be used in place of hagalah, but not vice versa. A roasting pan cannot be kashered through hagalah, but a stainless-steel sink can be kashered either by libun or hagalah.
One of the advantages of libun is that it can be applied immediately after washing the item clean. One need not set the item aside for twenty-four hours before kashering it. The process is very simple: pass the blowtorch over every inch of the surface until the surface is heated to a glow. You can tell when you’ve hit upon a crusted food particle; you actually hear it sizzle.
Irui. Irui is a boiling-water process, but in this case it involves pouring water rather than immersion. Irui is useful for vessels and utensils that are too large to submerge or too stationary. A stainless-steel sink, for example, is kashered through irui. Boil a large kettle of water, or kettles, if the item’s surface is very large. Pour the boiling water over the entire surface; rinse with cold water. In irui, as in hagalah, the item to be kashered has to be set aside for twenty-four hours prior to the boiled-water treatment.
Milui v’irui. Milui v’irui is the easiest, but also the lengthiest form of kashering. It is used to kasher glassware that has been used primarily for cold food or drink. It is a soaking process, and it requires three days minimum, in advance of Pesach.
Take a large vessel that was cleaned and not used for twenty-four hours. Fill it with water and put the glassware in completely submerged. After twenty-four hours, drain the water and refill. Again, after the next twenty-four hours, drain and refill. When this third twenty-four-hour soak has been completed, the glassware is usable for Pesach. Before we had a second bathtub, which is what I now use to kasher glassware, I used a large plastic laundry basin.
A friend of mine came up with an ingenious device for milui v’irui. On her apartment terrace she placed a large, clean, plastic trash barrel. Approximately one inch from the bottom of the barrel, she cut a small hole, which she then plugged up with a cork. After each twenty-four-hour period, she pulled the plug, let the water drain, and then refilled it by running a line of plastic tubing from her kitchen faucet. The whole thing looked pretty primitive, with rubber bands and corks, but none of her glassware ever broke. I always have at least one glass casualty.
Here is how the following items may be kashered:
Gas stoves. The stove top should be thoroughly scoured, including the jets and the area below the jets where food spills over. This bottom area should be lined with aluminum foil. The grates can be kashered through libun, either using a blowtorch or using the gas jet itself as a flame source. The grates should be red-hot. I always kasher the grates after nightfall. I turn the grates upside down on the burners, so that they will be closer to the flame, and I turn the jets on full blast. After fifteen minutes, we are ready to test for libun. We turn out the kitchen lights, and then each child quickly turns off a jet and announces whether or not the grate is glowing red-hot. After fifteen minutes, it never fails to glow, even if only for two or three seconds.
The enamel or stainless steel top frame should be covered with a Pesach blech, a tin or copper sheet that has cutouts for the burners. Or, the entire top of the stove can be covered wit
h aluminum foil; openings for the burners are easily cut out with a knife.
Electric stoves. An electric stove top is cleaned thoroughly. The electric burners must be kept on at maximum heat for only five minutes, which is safely longer than it takes to get them glowing.
Ovens and broilers. The oven and broiler should be cleaned with a chemical oven cleaner and steel wool. After the oven has been inspected and pronounced perfectly clean—some examine the insides with a flashlight—it can be kashered in two ways. One is to kasher it with a blowtorch, including the walls and floor and racks of the oven. The second way requires that the cleaned oven not be used for twenty-four hours. After this hiatus, the heating unit is set at its maximum heat for the time period of its normal longest use. The broiler is treated exactly the same way. Immediately after this kashering process, the oven can be used for Pesach.
A self-cleaning oven is a wonderful thing to own, for the self-cleaning cycle kashers it perfectly. It should be cleaned thoroughly on the self-clean cycle, residue ash wiped out, not used for twenty-four hours, and then self-cleaned again, this time for kashering.
A continuous-cleaning oven is treated like a regular oven, kashered with blowtorch or its own heat.
A microwave oven is kashered through autoclave. It is cleaned, not used for twenty-four hours, and then a pot of boiling water is set inside and heated further until a dense steam fills the entire oven.
Dishwashers. There are different opinions concerning dishwashers. A number of authorities agree that dishwashers with stainless-steel interiors can be kashered through their own auto-claving. The plastic or rubber racks, however, cannot be kashered and must be replaced with special Pesach racks. (Many people will order an extra set of racks when purchasing the dishwasher.)
How to Run a Traditional Jewish Household Page 41