Passover Freedom & Kitniyot (Legumes) For All!
In 1989 the Law Committee of the Rabbinical Assembly of Israel issued a responsum to the question Ashkenazi Jews ask every Passover: “Why are we not permitted to eat kitniyot (legumes), while Sephardic Jews are?” The Rabbinical Assembly concluded that this is a “mistaken custom” and that Ashkenazi Jews are permitted to consume kitniyot as well.
Introduction
If we go back to the source, the Torah has the following to say about chametz: First, we are told not to eat unleavened bread during the seven days of Passover, and to remove all leavened bread from our homes. Jews living in the diaspora added an additional day to make sure they complied with the observance of Passover on the right days of the Hebrew Calendar.
Then the Torah instructs us not to have any leavened bread on our property or temporary place of residence during the seven (or eight in the diaspora) days of Passover.
The rabbis who wrote the Mishnah (10-220 CE) ruled that five types of grain were permitted for baking matzah. These are wheat, barley, spelt, rye, and oats. When these grains are mixed with water they ferment very quickly. They instructed that the dough must be mixed and baked in eighteen minutes or the matzah would not be considered “unleavened bread.” When analyzing rice and sesame seeds, these rabbis noted that when these were combined with water, they decayed, they did not ferment. Therefore, they were not considered chametz.
In the thirteenth century, the rabbis of Provence prohibited the consumption of rice and kitniyot during Passover. This custom spread throughout Europe. No clear reason for this new prohibition was ever provided. Some rabbis in other cities objected to this ruling, saying that it was a mistaken custom, a foolish custom, and an unnecessary stringency.
The question facing the rabbis today is, may they change a mistaken custom? They concluded that they may and they must. Doing away with this custom will return the focus of Passover to the original intent of the Torah. It will enhance the enjoyment of Passover by offering a greater variety of foods. The new ruling will make the celebration more affordable. One of the best results of this initiative is that it will lessen friction between the Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews, who will finally be able to enjoy the same foods together at the Seder.
Photo by Miansari66 [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Miansari66]
