More ideas for the Pesah Seder

והגדת לבנך היום ההוא לאמור
MATERIAL FOR PASSOVER 
√ To find many educational games for children, including a huge list of questions for Pesah you can visit this website.
√ For a beautiful idea to cross the sea at the Seder, and other creative way to make your children enjoy the most special night of the year, see here what Mr Raymond Kassin emailed me yesterday. Thank you.
√ Rabbi David Sutton of New York, sent me his Hagada companion in English, which emphasizes our duty to strengthen our Emuna .  See here
√ For more advanced students, I recommend this fantastic commentary on the Haggadah written by Rabbi Don Ytsjaq Abarbanel (1437-1508). See here . This Haggadah begins with 100 questions, or discussion topics (she’arim), which are solved or addressed throughout his commentary. Do not miss the introduction, where Rabbi Abarbanel tells his incredible (and tragic) personal history.
An IDEA for a DEBATE at the SEDER
As we explained yesterday, our mission in the Seder night is to “teach” the Hagada, not only “read” it. To teach the Hagada, among other things, we must make the Hagada relevant, even for those of our guest that might be unfamiliar with Jewish history. We must show that the story of the Hagada is not part of a forgotten past, but surprisingly contemporary. With this idea in mind, we will analyze now a short passage from the Haggadah. This four words paragraph describe the strategy the Egyptians used to enslave us without any internal opposition.
The pasuq says: וירעו אותנו המצרים ויענונו (Deut. 26: 6). Usually this verse is usually translated as “the Egyptians did bad to us”, in the sense of “they treated us badly”. But you should notice that this word yare’u is written in the Hif’il, a transitive verbal construction. When understood in this way this word means: “And the Egyptians did US bad” , in other words, “they made us look bad”, or in just one word” They “demonized” us.  As my son Ya’aqob writes in his commentary to the Hagada, Pharaoh “the dictator, singles out the People of Israel as an irrationally evil entity, who is to blame for all the misfortunes of this dictator’s subjects. The propaganda of Pharaoh is nonsensical. Basically, he tells his people: “The other, this People of Israel, is very cunning. We must be more cunning than they are. If not, then if and when we are attacked, the Israelites will join our enemies, out of sheer malice. Their goal in joining our enemies will be to harm us, nothing more. In fact, after they attack us, they will leave the land! “. ‘The Jews are bad’. They are irrationally bad, repeated Pharaoh numberless times… Pharaoh succeeded in eradicating the positive impression Joseph had left on Egypt just a few years ago. Without Joseph, Egyptians would have perished in the worst famine to have ever affected them. At the time, they acknowledged it: “you have saved our lives!”-they admitted to Joseph. But Jewish contributions to society can be forgotten as swiftly as the time it takes for an irrational message of hatred to reach the ears of subjects in a dictatorial system. “
This phenomenon, demonization> anti-Semitism, was initiated by Pharaoh, but was repeated countless times. In 1492 Queen Isabella of Spain expelled the Jews , who had been so  instrumental in making Spain prosperous, and who even helped the Queen in the war against the Mores. Before expelling the Jews, we were demonized throughout Europe, not only as “deicide” (murderers of a god) but also as poisoners of wells, usurers, and murderers of gentile children for ritual purposes, i.e. baking Matsot with gentile blood …
In 1506, in Lisbon, Portugal there was a great drought. And the crowd blamed the Jews fro the drought. More than 2,000 Jews were tortured and massacred “for causing the drought.” Unfortunately, the list of episodes of this sort is very, very long. And unfortunately, it did not end there in the Sixteenth Century. Just look at the website: www.memritv.org , and you will see that in the Arab world, Jews are still demonized and accused of all the world’s ills. Here is an example.
Today, this demonization is systematically applied against the State of Israel, which is the “Jew” among the nations of the earth”. Israel is vilified, and falsely accused of all imaginary evils. The rise of anti-Zionism in the world is not, as is often rationalized, the consequence of the “demonic” actions of the State of Israel, rather, anti-Semitism is the cause of the systematic demonization of the State of Israel.
As the reader will appreciate, the subjects and ideas of the Hagada, besides describing our history, are absolutely current and relevant. This was just one example.
Now, when you explain the Hagada and its historical events, do not forget that the main message of Pesah, as we will explain BH tomorrow,  is to strengthen our faith in HaShem (Emuna). Despite the demonization, slavery and tortures we suffered, HaShem protected us, saved us from enemies more powerful than us, and rescued us  with great miracles.
We must not forget that HaShem is “the main protagonist” of the Seder night. And that’s why the Hagada does not mention Moshe, lest anyone think that a human being saved us and freed us from Egypt. Let us not forget that in every historical event mentioned in the Hagada, the final reference is recognizing and thanking “HaShem”.


How to have a successful Pesah Seder?

והגדת לבנך היום ההוא לאמור
THE MISSION
Friday April 22 at night, and Saturday night April 23, will probably be the two most important nights of the year. During those nights we will fulfill a very special Mitsva: והגדת לבנך, teach our children the story of Pesah.
I think we need to define first our true role in the Pesah Seder. If I had to sum up this idea in one sentence, I would say: “In the Pesah Seder we are not going to read the Hagada, we are going to teach it.” In those two nights, we parents become educators. In the following lines we will explore what can we do to capture the attention of our audience, and teach the Hagada at the Pesah Seder.
DIVIDE AND CONQUER
My first recommendation is to divide the Hagada, so that everyone, children, family members and guests, participate of the Seder.
For that, we must do our homework NOW.
1. First we have to divide the Hagada into sections or texts, like, “Abadim hayinu”, “The 4 sons,” “The 10 Plagues”, etc.
2. Once you divide the Hagada, you have to decide who can be the best candidate for each part of the Hagada. “Ma Nishtana” for example, is obviously a must for the kids. “The 4 sons” can be read, translated and / or explained by an adult. “The 10 plagues” can be played, etc.
3. Once we are clear about our strategy for the Seder we have to send an email, text or whatsapp to each family member and guests, and assign them each part of the Hagada we want them to read or explain.
For the adults, for example, you may want to ask them to prepare a paragraph of the Hagada in Hebrew and English, and briefly discuss some of the ideas of the text. We should recommend them to search material for these texts, asking Rabbis, Tora scholars, and / or searching ONLINE (BH tomorrow I will mention some recommended links). Apart from preparing the texts, adults can also present some interesting subjects such as “Why do drink 4 glasses of wine?, Why do we eat reclined? What does the Haroset represent” ?. etc.
Young children should be asked to sing (and perhaps explain) parts of the Hagada that are usually sung as “Ma nishtana” or “Had Gadya”, etc. A good idea is to ask younger children, from 3 to 7 years old, to draw (before Pesah) some parts of the Hagada, bring their drawings to the Seder, and explain to their audience the significance of their artwork. This will make them feel very important.
THE SEDER MUST NOT BE BORING
Let us not forget the most important premise of tonight THAT CHILDREN SHOULD REMAIN AWAKE UNTIL THE END. We can ask older children to act and play certain parts of the Hagada, for example, the ten plagues. To make “visible” the 10 plagues we can bring plastic frogs, animal masks for beber, ping pong balls for “hail”, black sunglasses for “darkness”, etc.
We can also organize educational games for children, apart from Afiqoman, like a Pesah treasure hunt. But the game has to be brief and limited to the place where the Seder is taking place. I also recommend, especially when there are many children in the Seder, to have 20 simple questions and answers ready, with 20 small prizes, to reward the correct answers. Each time the Seder is about to spin out of control, or is getting bored, or when everyone’s attention is needed, you can ask one of those questions, showing the prize first. In that way you will regain control over the Seder whenever necessary. Examples of questions: “Who can say the 10 plagues? What was the name Moshe Rabbenu’s grandfather?  Who can mention 3 foods that are Hamets?”
THE SECRET 
I don’t think I need to tell you now what the secret of a successful Seder is. But, just in case you did not notice it, here it goes: anticipation and preparation. We cannot improvise and divide the texts at the Seder night, or expect our guests to participate in an intelligent way, spontaneously, without giving them time to prepare.
Start TODAY, divide the Seder, knowing in advance who will be your guests, divide the roles, organize the plays, the texts, the songs, ask the children to do the drawings, buy the ping-pong balls, etc. and write an email to your guests and family, describing their specific mission.
BH, we will continue tomorrow
If any readers has any other ideas to share, or a link with good educational materials on the Seder, please send it to “rabbibitton@yahoo.com” 
Past articles
THE EIGHT MITSVOT OF PESAH
WHAT IS AND WHAT IS NOT HAMETS?
RICE on PESAH
NON EDIBLE HAMETS
REGULAR MATSA vs MATSA SHEMURA

 



PESAH: Preparing our kitchen for Pesah. Part 1: “Invisible Hamets”

הגעלת כלים
Today, we return to the subject: “Hamets”. During Pesah, we do not use the same utensils or the same dishes we use throughout the year for Hamets. Why? Because although the utensils in which we cook, might be completely clean, without any visible remaining food, the pores and the surface of these utensils absorb the flavor of the foods cooked in them. Thus, if for example I cook meat in a pot, and then in the same pot, after I clean it, I boil eggs, the eggs will absorb some of the taste of the meat. Likewise, when we cook something in utensils used for cooking Hamets, some Hamets flavor will be reabsorbed in the food we prepare for or during Pesah.
It is customary, therefore (and it is the most recommended) having a set of dishes, plates and utensils to be used exclusively for Pesah.
Now, when this is not possible, we can use for Pesah the same utensils we have used throughout the year for cooking or serving Hamets food, after they go through a process known as hag’ala, (a kind of sterilization) to remove residual Hamets that may be absorbed within the walls and pores of these utensils.
Before making the Hag’ala we need to make sure that those utensils are thoroughly cleaned of any visible of Hamets (חמץ בעין). The Hag’ala then would eject the invisible Hamets (בלוע) absorbed in the walls of the utensil. Eliminating these absorbed particles will take place under the same conditions the absorption of these substances occurred (כבולעו כך פולטו). The pores of a metallic surface open up when exposed to heat, and that is when absorption occurs. And the expulsion of these particles would also occur by exposing these utensils to heat.
Examples of hag’ala:
Metal: Metal cutlery such as forks, spoons or knives, must be first cleaned of all visible residue of Hamets. Then, they must be immersed in a pot of boiling water. Then we wash them with cold water, and thus, they may be used for Pesah. Hot water opens the metal pores, allowing the ejection of any absorbed Hamets. The cold water closes the pores again.
Utensils used in cold: Since absorption only takes place at high temperatures, if a utensil was used during the rest of the year to prepare or serve cold food, it can be used during Pesah after cleaning it thoroughly from any visible rest of Hamets. And you will not need to subject it to the Hag’ala process.
Glass: According to the Sephardic tradition, glassware, cups, plates, etc, used throughout the year for Hamets, should be washed thoroughly and then can be used for Pesah without having to submit them to Hag’ala. Why? Because glass is sterile, it does not absorb  (does not get impregnated with) any food substance through its pores, and therefore there is no Hamets to remove from its walls. This applies even for those glass utensils that have been used at high temperatures to cook or to serve hot Hamets food.
Notice that this Halakha is very different for the Ashkenazi custom. Some Ashkenazi rabbis as Rama think that since glass is made from sand, glass utensils should be regarded as clay utensils, which are not susceptible to Hag’ala, and therefore cannot be used on Pesah (see below ). Other Ashkenazi Rabbis are more flexible, and allow an Hag’ala process for glassware.Please refer to the rabbi of your community.
Clay utensils, pottery and porcelain (Kele Heres): If these items were used for Hamets they cannot be used for Pesah, because they are not susceptible to Hag’ala. Why? Because the Rabbis of the Talmud considered that clay utensils (there was no porcelain then) eliminate the substances absorbed on their walls in an erratic (= not consistent) way. That is, sometimes it would expel an absorbed flavor, sometimes it will not. And so, they are not susceptible to Hag’ala, and cannot be used for Pesah. Contemporary rabbis believe that regular porcelain  utensils should be considered of the same category as clay utensils. (There are other considerations to take into account, for example, if these utensils were used for cooking or for serving food; the temperature of the food served; if the china was not used for a long time; if it is common porcelain or glass coated ,  etc, etc.).
In all these cases and in cases that have not been explained here, please consult with your community Rabbi for a final verdict.
In the coming days BH we will explain how to make Kasher for Pesah the kitchen (oven, dishwasher, etc).

 



PESAH: Regular Matsa vs. Matsa Shemura

מצות אכילת מצה
Matsa (in English “Matzah”) is a special unleavened bread made of a flat dough. The dough is prepared with flour and water, without yeast. The flour normally comes from wheat, but technically, the Matsa could also be made from barley, oats, rye or spelt’s flour. The whole elaboration process from the time the flour gets in contact with water until the Matsa is baked must take less than 18 minutes.
There are different types of Matsot.
Today we will learn the differences between regular Matsa and Matsa Shemura
The difference between these two Matsot has to do with the level of supervision (shemira), more specifically, the point at which the supervision begins.
REGULAR MATSA
The supervision of the processing of this Matsa begins from the moment the flour is produced. It is necessary to ensure that the flour which will be used for the Matsot be kept in a dry place (humidity makes the flour Hamets). Furthermore, the water to be used to bake the dough should be at room temperature level. Warmer water, for example, would accelerate the process of fermentation. No dough, even a small piece, might be left unattended while baking the Matsot. Any piece of dough left for 18 minutes is Hamets mixed into the Matsot might affect the validity of the Matsot. The machines should be cleaned after each production from residues of dough, water, etc. These are some examples of the supervision of the Regular Matsa.
MATSA SHEMURA
In addition to all the rules for regular Matsa, in the elaboration of Matsa Shemura the grain is supervised from the time of harvesting. For example: the wheat kernels are carefully examined to make sure that there are no grains with a split or grains that are sprouting. In those cases the process of Himuts would be triggered by a minimum moisture.  The grain is also supervised when it is stored and transported, making sure that is not affected by humidity.
All this extra supervision process involves an increased need for labor, and this is why the Matsa Shemura is substantially more expensive than regular Matsa.
Certainly, both Matsot are Kasher for Pesah. But the use of Matsa Shemura is indicated particularly for the first two nights of Pesah (in Israel, the first night), when we say the Berakha ‘al akhilat Matsa. Why? Because having Matsa Shemura during the nights of the Seder is a practice that we do following the pasuq (Ex 12:17)  ושמרתם את המצות “and you shall guard (=supervise) the unleavened bread”.
During the other days of Pesah, technically, there is no obligation to eat Matsa Shemura, because during the rest of Pesah there is no formal commandment to eat Matsa, but only to refrain from eating Hamets

 

 

 



NON-EDIBLE HAMETS: Cosmetic, medication, pet food.

For Sephardim, it is allowed to keep in their possession or use during Pesah any product that is not edible, i.e., which is not normally consumed by humans or animals, even though these products may contain Hamets. For example: cosmetics, glues, shampoo, deodorants, soaps, detergents or other cleaning products, etc. In all these cases it will not be necessary to check the absence of Hamets on these products, nor need to have a special supervision for Pesah (Rabbi Obadia Yosef, Yosef Yalqut, 360 p. 31, 361: 68).
It is also allowed the use of medications that come in capsule or non-chewable tablets, that is,  pills or capsules that are swallowed with water. Why? Because when a medication comes in the form of a hard pill is considered “inedible”. Therefore, even if such medication had a Hamets element (which today is highly unlikely, as we will explain), it may be taken during Pesah (Yalqut Yosef Mo’adim, 362 p. 40).
It is advisable then, when necessary and possible, to ask your doctor to prescribe medication for Pesah in a form of non-chewable pill (obviously, in case of a serious medical condition, take any medications needed).
Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, a recognized Ashkenazi rabbinical authority in Israel and author of the popular book Penine Halakha, says that today many Ashkenazi rabbis also follow a Halakhic criteria similar to Rabbi Obadia Yosef’s (see this, what Rabbi Melamed wrote on cosmetics, medicines, etc. Hebrew). On the subject of the non-chewable pills, Rabbi Melamed makes an important practical observation, noting that at present, virtually all medical hard pills are made with potato starch or corn starch, whose consumption would be allowed even to the strictest opinions, and not with wheat starch, among other reasons because the grain protein, gluten, is harmful to celiac patients.
 
STRICTER OPINIONS 
Rabbi Gedaliah Schwartz who chairs the Bet Din of Chicago, (CRC), a respected Halakhic authority of the Ashkenazi community, also says that any non-chewable medication would be permitted for Pesah. However, he clarifies that vitamins are not part of this category. In other words, in his opinion vitamins, even in the form of a capsule or a non chewable tablet, cannot be used on Pesah unless one verifies first that it does not contain Hamets. Some Sephardic Rabbis (Rabbi Eliyahu Ben Hayim, for example) also agree with this view. Consult your community Rabbi.
There are some other differences between Sephardim and Ashkenazim. Rabbi Schwartz and many other Ashkenazi rabbis adopt a stricter stance also on the consumption of non-edible Hamets (perfumes made from denatured alcohol, for example). See this  letter written by Rabbi Schwartz.
LIQUID OR CHEWABLE VITAMINS or MEDICATIONS
Chewable tablets, medical syrups, nutritional supplements, vitamins powders or any other medicines or vitamins with pleasant flavor, and/or drinkable must bear a “kosher for Pesah” certification, or one should make sure that they do not contain any Hamets ingredient in their composition.
According to many Ashkenazi and Sephardic rabbis, the same criteria should be applied to some personal hygiene articles (usually oral hygiene) which have a pleasant taste: for example, toothpaste, or flavored lip balms, etc. In these cases, one should also verify that they do not contain any Hamets element.
As the reader will appreciate, in all these Halakhot there are different customs and criteria. For your final verdict (pesaq), consult your community Rabbi.
PET FOOD
You may not use or keep for Pesah animal food containing Hamets. Most dogs, cats, birds and fish food DO contain Hamets. If you have an animal or pet, you should look for animal food products which contain no Hamets. Read here a list with food products for pets approved for Pesah.

 



PESAH: What is (and what is NOT) Hamets, and what is seor or natural yeast?

 איסור החמץ ואיסור השאור שבו מחמצין, אחד הוא
מ”ת הלכות חמץ ומצה א: ב
Out of the eight Mitsvot of Pesah we mentioned yesterday (see below), six relate to Hamets. During Pesah we are  not allowed to eat, benefit from or even possess Hamets.
Today we will explain what is Hamets and what is seor.
THE FIVE GRAINS
Hamets (aka chametz) is any fermented substance, solid or liquid, which comes from one of the following five grains: wheat, rye, spelt, barley and oats. These are also the five grains which are generally used to make bread. Our sages established that only for a bread made from one of these five grains we say the berakha “HaMotzi” and  “Birkat Hamazon”. If a bread is made, for example, from soy flour or rice or corn, it is not considered real “bread”.
The fermentation process does not only occur with flour that comes from these grains. Beer for example, is made from barley grains, which are soaked and then fermented. Beer (like whiskey) is Hamets, although the grain was never converted into flour.
A fermented food which does not come from or does not contain any of these five grains cannot become Hamets, even if it underwent a fermentation process. For example, wine goes through a fermentation process, but it is made from grapes. The same applies to other alcoholic beverages such as sake, which is made from fermented rice.
Not everything that comes from these five grains is hamets. In fact Matsa can only be made from one of these five grains. Matsa is also a kind of “bread”. In Hebrew it is called the bread of poverty or לחם עוני, and in English is called “unleavened bread”
What is the difference then between bread and Matsa?
TIME
The fundamental difference between bread and Matsa is time.
Bread and Matsa are made with the same basic ingredients: flour and water. The difference is: when preparing Matsa, once the flour is mixed with water, you cannot leave the dough to rest. The dough must be kneaded and baked in less than 18 minutes. Because if left idle for 18 minutes or more, from the time the flour got in contact with water, that dough is considered fermented. This fermentation is called in Hebrew “Himuts”, and the product of this fermentation is called “Hamets”.
Normal bread is made with flour and water, but the dough is deliberately left to rest. When fermented, the dough is enlarged and the bread crumb, i.e., the soft, inner part of bread, is formed.
WATER
If the flour from one of the five grains is mixed “exclusively” with fruit juice, or honey or eggs without any water, the fermentation or Himuts will not take place. Technically, if I make a dough by mixing wheat flour with pure fruit juice, with no water, and I bake the dough after it rested for more than 18 minutes, this will be called Matsa Ashira, and it is not considered Hamets.
SEOR
In all these examples, we have not talked yet about yeast, or שאור in Hebrew.
The prohibition of Hamets includes also the banning of the use of yeast. Yeast is not an edible element, but an additive. Until a century ago yeast was produced at home. How was yeast prepared? Flour and water are mixed and kept for a period of four days. That sour dough, which smells like alcohol, is known as  “natural yeast” (or”sourdough”) and it is used as a catalyst in the process of fermentation. In other words, once flour and water are mixed, if we introduce some yeast into the dough, the fermentation process will accelerate, the dough will grow bigger and produce a spongious and tasty bread.
All Hamets restrictions (use, possession, benefit) also apply to se-or, natural or commercial yeast


PESAH 5776: The eight Mitsvot of Pesah

Pesah is less than a month away. The first Pesah Seder will be held B’H Friday night, April 22, 2016. The laws and customs of Pesah are so many and diverse that our rabbis indicated that 30 days before Pesah we should start studying the laws and customs of Pesah.  So, we’re already a little bit behind schedule
Today we are going to review the “Biblical” Mitsvot of Pesah. That is, the seminal laws of this festival, from which all other details and Halakhot of Pesah emerge.
In his introduction to Hilkhot Pesah, Maimonides describes one by one the commandments of the festival, listing a total of 8 biblical Mitsvot related to Pesah. It is important to note that this list does NOT include the Mitsvot related to the Pesah sacrifice (qorban Pesah).
There are 3 positive commandments and five prohibitions related to Pesah.
THE THREE POSITIVE COMMANDMENTS
אכילת מצה 1. Eating matsa on the first night of Pesah (in the Diaspora, it automatically becomes the obligation to eat matsa during the first two nights of the festival). For the rest of Pesah, it is forbidden to eat hamets, but there is no formal obligation to eat matsa.
2 והגדת לבנך. Tell our children during the first night of Pesah (in the Diaspora, the first two nights) the story of our slavery in Egypt and our miraculous redemption. This story is narrated in the Haggada of Pesah. This Mitsva includes many other Mitsvot and traditions, such as drinking the four cups of wine, eating the maror, etc.
3 השבתת חמץ. Renounce to the possession of our hamets on the eve of Passover, that is the 14th of Nisan  (Friday April 22nd) before noon. In the coming days we will explain this Mitsva in detail.
THE FIVE PROHIBITIONS OF PESAH
4 איסור אכילת חמץ. The prohibition of eating hamets during Pesah. This prohibition also includes se-or, or natural yeast.
5 איסור אכילת תערובת חמץ. The prohibition against eating any food containing hamets during Pesah. The Gemara cites as examples of food containing hamets the Kutah haBabli, a type of cottage cheese (cottage= כותח?) which contained bits of bread, and shekhar haMadi, an alcoholic beverage made from grain, possibly beer.
6 בל-יראה. The prohibition of owning hamets during Pesah, regardless of where that hamets is found.
7 בל -ימצא. The prohibition of owning hamets during Pesah. As the reader can see, these two Mitsvot, 6 and 7 are in fact identical, there is no difference between them and they apply exactly in the same way. This is an exceptional case in the entire Tora.
8 איסור אכילת חמץ ערב פסח אחר חצות היום. The prohibition of eating hamets on Pesah eve from noon. The rabbis extended this prohibition to two hours before noon. So on Friday, April 22nd hamets can be consumed only until the end of the fourth hour of the day. It is important mentioning that these “hours” are not fixed 60 minutes hours, but “daylight hours” which are obtained by dividing by twelve the daylight period of the day (from dawn to dusk).
In the coming days B’H we will have the opportunity to define and explain in depth each one of the eight Mitsvot of Pesah