Pesach Questions

I assume my plastic Soda Stream dispenser can be surface cleaned and used on Pesach. Is this correct? I am planning to get new bottles. I usually remove the water deposits on the Soda Stream with a vinegar wash. Is this a problem? Come to think of it, I also clean my urn with a vinegar wash (cold). Problem? 

A cleaned Soda Stream dispenser is a Kosher l'Pesach Soda Stream dispenser, as the dispenser typically does not come into contact with hot chametz food. Even the vinegar was, I assume, not heated when you used it as a cleaning agent. An urn would in principle follow the same rule regarding the use of vinegar-as-cleanser, but it is our practice in any case to kasher urns, with "hag'alah". This is because the urn itself becomes quite hot, and typically sits in our kitchens in close proximity to - and sometimes even in direct contact with - chametz food. The specific instructions as to how to do "hag'alah" on an urn, are found in the Halacha How-To about kashering applicances, which you can access at www.bnaidavid.com/pesach (scroll down) .

RYK

I have more new boxes of pasta in my pantry than I can possibly get rid of before Pesach. Is it OK to sell it, or do I need to toss it/give it away?

Some people have the custom to not include in their chametz sale, food that is "outright chamtez" (as opposed to foods in which chametz is merely one ingredient). However, if this is not your custom, be assured that the sale of chametz is just as halachikly binding for foods that are "outright chametz" (such as pasta), as for anything else. 

RYK

My stove-top grates extend over the whole range, and there are large parts that will not be touched by flames if I kasher on the stove-tops . Placing them in a self-cleaning oven cycle will damage the grates and can also cause a fire (too much metal generating too much heat in the oven, according to what I read). Can I kasher the grates at 500 for an hour (or something like that) rather than self-cleaning? Other recommendations or thoughts? 

Typically, stove-top grates are assumed to instantaneously self-kasher, as drippings from the pots above, burn up immediately. We extend this assumption to the entire area of the grate where a pot would typically sit.  (Note: we have nonetheless developed the proper custom of cleaning and burning the grates for 10 - 15 minutes for Pesach. ) If your grates extend beyond the circle where a pot would typically sit, and you do not want to put them into a self-cleaning oven, I'd recommend covering just those parts of the grates with tin foil, in the same way that we cover other parts of the stove top that are beyond the area where the flames burn. 

RYK

Rabbi Eidlitz' guide says something the following about tea: "Regular teabags that are unflavored and not decaffeinated and have no fillers such as chicory may be used for Pesach without special certification." So if the only ingredient in a tea bag is "chamomile flowers" or "green tea leaves" that seems fine, but what about teas that have more ingredients? 

I believe that Rabbi Eidlitz is referring to teabags whose only ingredient is tea. These (if not decaffeinated and unflavored) need no special Hashgacha for Peach. Herbal teas on the other hand, should have hashgacha for Pesach. 

RYK

I see the way you have listed how to kasher drinking glasses for pesach is as follows: "Drinking glasses that were never used with hot liquids at all simply need to be carefully washed for Pesach use, though the prevalent custom is to use the filling/soaking method anyway." But what if the glasses were washed in a dishwasher - which gets very hot? Or what if the glasses were used for hot things? I usually fill/soak but I just realized that I sometimes use a glass to heat up milk in the microwave to use in my coffee...can I not use them for Pesach?

Is there a problem with egg matzah? 

Egg matzah requires a Kosher Le’Pesach hashgacha and unfortunately will not fulfill the mitzvah of matzah. Matzah must be lechem oni, poor man’s bread. Egg matzah is considered to be matzah ashirah, rich man’s bread. This is because it contains ingredients other than flour and water. If you are able to eat another kind of matzah (wheat, spelt, or even oat) that is just flour and water, even just a kazayit at the seder, you will be able to fulfill the mitzvah. We generally only suggest people eat egg matzah on Pesach if they are ill or infirm. The bracha for egg matzah when it is a snack is mezonot and when it is a meal, motzi. MATN

May I have freshly squeezed orange juice bought before Pesach without a Kosher Le'Pesach certification?

Fresh orange juice requires Kosher Le'Pesach certification. My understanding is that the issue with juices on Pesach is that enzymes derived from chametz are used to increase the juice yield or remove pectin or other unwanted things from the juice. Orange juice is not generally processed with enzymes, but it may have been on equipment that had chametz on it since it can be bottled along with other chametz-containing liquids. OU-supervised unsweetened orange juice concentrate may be used without Pesach certification. Simply Orange Juice High Pulp and Simple Orange Juice Pulp Free are supervised for Pesach by the OU. MATN

This question is more about chag in general than pesach in particular: are there ways to turn off a gas stove halachically on chag? Because of a machlochet in our household about safety of leaving the stove on over a multi-day period, we have not been cooking on chag at all for many years (we also won't leave the oven running), but that is rather burdensome avoid. I heard from some friends who "transfer" the flame to a candle while turning off the gas on the stove. Is that acceptable?

While the prevailing practice is not to turn off the gas flame on Yom Tov, there is a Halachikly acceptable lenient position that is cited in the name of Rav Moshe Feinstein zt"l (and which reflects my personal practice as well). In short, cutting off the gas while it is still en route to the flame is not considered a direct act of extinguishing, rather an act of "causing an extinguishing", something which the Talmud permits on Yom Tov (but NOT on Shabbat). In addition, since extinguishing a gas flame does not - and cannot - produce a coal, even directly extinguishing it would only be rabbinically forbidden, further buttressing the permissibility (on Yom Tov) of merely causing it to extinguish. 

Your friend's suggestion does not appear to me make any sense...

RYK

Is packaged peeled garlic OK?

Packaged peeled garlic requires reliable Kosher LePesach certification. This is because many companies that use vacuum packed bags put citric acid in the wash water in order to prevent browning. MATN

Combining 2 questions:

(1) So we can use our dishwashers once we've taken the steps you've outlined using our regular racks( nonmetal racks)? (2) I saw on the site that there are instructions for kashering the dishwasher. If it's not a stainless steel dishwasher, does this still apply? What about the racks? Is this an exceptionally lenient ruling, or have things loosened up over the years?

The advice re: kashering the dishwasher applies to both plastic and stainless steel dishwashers. The racks, like the walls, need to be cleaned absolutely thoroughly and meticulously, and once 24 hours have passed since the dishwasher’s previous use, the kashering can be done by running the dishwasher with soap for its longest cycle. In my opinion, this is not a lenient ruling at all. It is grounded in the basic principles of kashering.  Being machmir remains stylish of course, but let the machmir be machmir for himself only.

RYK

What are my obligations regarding chametz if I am housesitting for someone throughout Pesach?

You only need to sell chametz that you yourself own. You are not responsible for the chametz in the house you are housesitting, but the owners of c​ourse are. You should still make sure to do bedikat chametz in your own home. When doing so, you should say the bittul but not the bracha. Then on Erev Pesach when you are in the home in which you are housesitting, you can say the final bittul. If you are using any of the kitchen utensils in the housesitting home, you would need to make sure they are kashered for Pesach. If you (or the owners) are not kashering the kitchen for Pesach, and you choose to eat kosher lePesach cereal or something that does not need to be cooked, you may use disposable plates/bowls/cutlery/etc. Just make sure the surface you eat on (table, etc) is thoroughly cleaned so no chametz can get into your food. MATN

I know Trader Joes' dry roasted almonds are ok but what about their dry toasted sliced almonds? Thanks 

 (from Rabbi Eidlitz' mag)" All raw, whole, or chopped almonds without BHA, BHT, or other preservatives are OK for Pesach use." I'm gathering that toasted may not be included.

RYK