The mitzvah of shmurah matza TB Pesakhim 40

We have to remember that wheat kernels are not hametz. The fermentation process of hametz only begins when water and flour are combined. Today as soon water is introduced to the flour, the baker only has 18 minutes to knead the dough, roll it, pierce it with a fork so the matza will bake through and through, and remove the finished matza from the oven. Any matza that takes longer than 18 minutes is no longer kosher for Passover. Interesting though, today’s Gemara presents us with a much more lenient position. The fermentation process only takes place when the wheat and the water are combined, but are inactive. Any type of activity inhibits the fermentation process. Rabbi Yosei gives an example of this type of activity. “It was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Yehuda, says: In the case of flour into which water is dripping, even if the water drips the entire day the flour will not come to a state of leavening, as the ceaseless dripping prevents fermentation. Rav Pappa said: And that is the case only if one drop drips into the other, i.e., the dripping is continuous, preventing the mixture from settling.” (TB Pesakhim 39b, Sefaria.org translation)

Much of today’s daf TB Pesakhim 40 deals with the issue of soaking (לְתִיתָה) the grain facilitating the removal of the bran in order to produce refined flour. In the course of the discussion Rava introduces the mitzvah of shmurah mitzva. He holds that this soaking is obligatory in order to fulfill a matza mitzvah. “Rava reconsidered and then said: It is not only permitted to soak the grains; it is actually a mitzva to soak them, as it is stated: “And you shall guard the matzot” (Exodus 12:17). The Gemara explains this statement: If it is not the case that grain requires soaking, for what purpose is guarding necessary? If you claim that this verse is referring to guarding when kneading, that cannot be the case, as guarding grain while kneading is not considered guarding. If one failed to protect the wheat from becoming leavened up to that point, it is of no use to be careful while kneading it. Consequently, this mitzva to guard the dough cannot be referring to the kneading stage.”  (Sefaria.org translation)

Rav Huna adds the mitzvah of the eating of an olive size portion shmurah matza to the afikomen. “As Rav Huna said: In the case of dough (meaning matza-gg) prepared by gentiles, if one knows that it has not become leavened, a person may fill his stomach with them on Passover night, provided that he eats an olive-bulk of matza in the end, to fulfill the obligation to eat matza.” (Sefaria.org translation)

Rava insisted the guarding process begins even before the kneading of the dough. It begins when the grain is first harvested in the field. “Rava did not retract his statement that guarding grain must begin before kneading. For he would say to those who cut and tied the stalks [kifei] of grain in the field: When you cut the grain, cut it for the purpose of the mitzva. Apparently, Rava maintains that it is necessary to guard the grain from the outset, i.e., from the beginning of its preparation until its end.” (Sefaria.org translation 

Most authorities are of the opinion that the flour from which the matza is prepared should be specially supervised from the time that the wheat is milled שמורה משעת התחינה. However, some authorities require that the flour be specially supervised from the time that the wheat is cut שמורה משעת הקצירה. To differentiate between them, the name matza refers to the matza which was made from the flour from the time of the milling, while shmurah matza refers to the matza made from the flour supervised from the time of the cutting.

Even though the Gemara seems to permit and Rava makes it obligatory to soak the grain (לְתִיתָה), the Goanim forbade it lest the dough rises and becomes hametz inadvertently. (Shulkhan Arukh, Orekh Hayyim, 453:5)

 

 

 

Horseradish versus romaine lettuce at the Seder table TB Pesakhim 39

Remember the mishna was memorized. To aid in the memorization, mishnayot were structured the same way. The mishna back on daf TB Pesakhim 35a list five kinds of grains that one can fulfill his obligation of matzah. The mishna at the very top of today’s daf TB Pesakhim lists five different vegetables that can fulfill the mitzvah of maror, the bitter herb.

“And these are the vegetables with which a person can fulfill his obligation to eat bitter herbs on Passover: One can fulfill his obligation with ḥazeret[1], with chervil [tamkha][2], and with field eryngo[3] [ḥarḥavina], and with endives[4] [olashin], and with maror. One fulfills his obligation with them whether they are fresh or whether they are dry. However, one does not fulfill his obligation if they are pickled in water or vinegar, nor if they are over-boiled [shaluk] in hot water, nor if they are boiled [mevushal].” (Sefaria. org translation)

The listing of grains used to make matzah is exhaustive. Only those five grains may be used to make matzah. The list of bitter vegetables is not limited to those mentioned in the Mishna because the fifth one, maror, comes to teach us that any bitter vegetable is permitted.

Of course, everybody knows why we eat bitter herbs. It’s based on the verse “(The Egyptians) made life bitter (וַיְמָרְר֨וּ אֶת־חַיֵּיהֶ֜ם) for them with harsh labor” (Exodus 1:14). The bitter herb was eaten in conjunction with the Paschal Lamb sacrifice and the matzah. Since we can no longer partake of the Passover sacrifice because the Temple no longer stands, the eating of the bitter herb is only a rabbinic decree.

Horseradish is nowhere to be found on today’s daf that speaks exclusively about maror! Why? The answer is simple. Horseradish isn’t bitter; it’s hot or sharp (חָרִיף). When and why did horseradish become “maror?” Elon Gilod writes:

“The earliest reference of horseradish being related to the festive meal as a bitter herb can be found in “Haggahot Maimuniyyot,” a commentary on Maimonides written by Meir HaKohen, a 13th-century German rabbinic scholar. But it is likely that this term was cited as part of an explanation later added by a copyist; none of the other scholars in HaKohen’s milieu mentions it.

Bottom of Form”It seems, then, that the first real reference to horseradish being consumed as the bitter herb during the seder is in “Sefer Ha'Aguddah,” by Rabbi Alexander Suslin HaKohen (d. 1349). In it, Suslin, one of the greatest Talmudic scholars of his day, writes that when lettuce is not obtainable it may be substituted with horseradish. Since lettuce grows in the spring, as one travels eastward and northward in Europe and the winters get colder and longer – lettuce becomes more and more difficult to come by on Passover, especially when it falls early do to the irregular nature of the Hebrew calendar.

“And indeed, during the late Middle Ages more and more Jews  were moving from Central Europe to Eastern Europe and had trouble finding lettuce on the holiday. As they moved east they gradually dropped the German word for horseradish and picked up the Slavic word chrein from their Russian and Polish neighbors – the Yiddish word for horseradish to this day.

“At first horseradish was only seen as a substitute for the preferred lettuce, but over time, as the tradition took hold, Ashkenazi Jews took to eating horseradish even when lettuce was available. To justify this practice, a number of rabbis identified the tamcha – the third in the list of five bitter herbs cited in the Mishnah (which we rendered here as cardoon, although the actual identity of the plant is uncertain and disputed) as horseradish. This association, however, is surely incorrect since horseradish didn’t even grow in the Middle East until recently.

“Over time, horseradish became so commonly accepted by Ashkenazi Jews as the traditional Passover bitter herb, that when they moved to Palestine and started growing it, they referred to it by using the ancient Hebrew word for lettuce, which appears first in the Mishnaic list of bitter herbs: hazeret. It then became the modern Hebrew word for horseradish as well, used to this very day.

“So, in a twist of fate, while Sephardic Jews have preserved the original Mishnaic bitter herb, they call it by its Aramaic name khasa, while Ashkenazi Jews use the original Hebrew word that appears in the Mishnah, but consume an altogether different vegetable: hazeret, horseradish. Unless they refer to it by the Yiddish word chrein, as my family does” https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/how-did-horseradish-become-passover-s-bitter-herb-1.5435093

Just as matzah symbolizes both slavery and freedom because it was the bread of affliction that Pharaoh fed the slaves and it was the first bread we ate as free people, maror symbolizes more than just the bitterness of slavery. It also symbolizes God’s compassion upon the Jewish people based on a word play. “What is the meaning of lettuce [ḥassa- חַסָּא ]? It refers to the fact that God has mercy [ḥas- חַס] on us” (Sefaria. org translation)

Concerning the battle between horseradish and romaine lettuce, the Gemara concludes that the best bitter herb of all is the romaine lettuce.

 

 

 

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[1] romaine lettuce

[2] Chervil is a delicate green spring herb that's perfect for salads and particularly delicious in omelets and other egg dishes. 

Taste

Chervil's taste is perhaps best described as a toned-down, fine and delicate version of a cross between tarragon and parsley with just a teeny tiny back-note hint of a bit of anise or mint, without either of those flavors really coming through at all. 

Appearance

Chervil looks like a slightly paler, more delicate, and more finely shaped flat-leaf parsley, but with frillier, thinner looking leaves. Sometimes bunches of chervil will have leaves that are quite tightly closed, almost flower-like. Avoid chervil with actual blossoms attached to it—that usually means the herb will have turned a bit bitter. https://www.thespruceeats.com/all-about-chervil-4114753

 

[3] The roots have been used as vegetables or sweetmeats. Young shoots and leaves are sometimes used as vegetables like asparagus. E. foetidum is used in parts of the Americas and Asia as a culinary herb. It is similar to coriander or cilantro, and is sometimes mistaken for it https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eryngium

 

[4] Endive (/ˈɛndaɪv, -dɪv, ˈɑːndiːv/)^[1] is a leaf vegetable belonging to the genus Cichorium, which includes several similar, bitter, leafed vegetables. Species include Cichorium endivia (also called endive), Cichorium pumilum (also called wild endive), and Cichorium intybus (also called common chicory). Common chicory includes types such as radicchio, puntarelle, and Belgian endive. Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endive

 

Multitasking doesn’t work for matzot TB Pesakhim 38

The Mishna back on daf TB Pesakhim 35a concludes with “However, one may not fulfill one’s obligation to eat matza made with …prepared loaves of matza that are brought with a thanks-offering, or to the wafers brought by a nazirite[1]…” (Sefaria.org translation) The second half of today’s daf TB Pesakhim 38 analyzes why a person cannot fulfill the mitzvah of eating matzah on Passover with the matzah brought in conjunction with the Thanksgiving sacrifice (קרבן תודה). Just as a reminder, 40 loaves of bread were brought in conjunction with the Thanksgiving sacrifice. 30 loaves were matzot and 10 were hametz.

Rabba and Rav Yosef each bring a scriptural proof why a person cannot fulfill the mitzvah of eating matzah on Passover with the matzah brought in conjunction with the Thanksgiving sacrifice. I just want to focus on Rabba’s reasoning. “The Gemara asks: From where are these matters derived? Rabba said: As the verse states: “And you shall guard the matzot” (Exodus 12:17). This verse teaches that one may use only matza that has been guarded from becoming leavened for the purpose of matza, i.e., with the intention of fulfilling one’s obligation of matza with it. This explanation excludes this matza, which was prepared for a nazirite or a thanks-offering and which was not guarded for the purpose of matza but for the purpose of a sacrifice.”

I think Rabba is teaching us how hard it is to divide our intention and attention. Better we should focus on one mitzvah at a time. I think this is a very important lesson for us who try to multitask. Gregg Krech writes:

“Well, David Meyer and his colleagues at the University of Michigan set out to measure the effects of multitasking and found that switching from one task to another actually makes you less efficient, not more efficient. In related research, Prof. Marcel Just of Carnegie Mellon University used a brain-imaging machine to evaluate the effects of multitasking. He found that when two different parts of the brain are working on two different tasks, the brain works less efficiently, meaning that less brain power in total was directed at both tasks than would have been used if only one task was done at a time…

“I am a realist. I’m not suggesting that you should abandon multitasking. For many of us this may not be realistic given the demands of our life and our schedule. But if you do too much of it, you begin to lose the ability to concentrate on one thing at a time. You’ll find that it is harder to become absorbed in what you’re doing and experience the state of ‘flow’ that Mihaly Csikszentmihialyi describes in his book Finding Flow…

“Retraining your mind may not be easy. But you may find that there are benefits at the spiritual and psychological level. Computers may be capable of multitasking 24 hours per day. But the human soul may need to do things differently.

“In the kitchen, when you are cutting vegetables, cut vegetables. Don’t talk, and don’t look here and there. If somebody tries to get your attention, stop cutting and give her your full attention or ask her politely to let you finish first. You can avoid many kitchen accidents by this simple practice, but more than that, you are teaching your mind to make one-pointed attention a habit in everything you do.-Eknath Easweraw, meditation teacher”[2]

 

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[1] [1] A nazarite is a person was taken a vow not to cut his hair, pear his nails, nor drink any product made from grapes for at least 30 days. Samson is the most famous nazirite in the Bible. We shall begin studying the tractate Nazir on January 25, 2023. So stay tuned.

[2] For full article, follow this link: http://www.todoinstitute.com/library/working_with_your_attention/multitasking_madness.php#more

Would dough baked in a wonder pot, סיר פלא, have the status of bread? TB Pesakhim 37

Starting the Mishna on daf TB Pesakhim 35a our attention has been focused on the laws of matzah. We learned that only the five grains mentioned in the Torah may be used to make matzah. Yesterday we discussed the disagreement over which liquids may be used to knead the dough. Today’s daf TB Pesakhim 37 discusses which baked goods have the status of bread. Of course we have to make sure that matzah has to have the status of bread because it is described as the “bread of affliction-lekhem oni, לֶחֶם עָנִי)

For a baked good to have the status of bread it needs to fill two crucial criteria. First of all we have to say the blessing “hamotzi lekhem min ha-aretz (הַמּֽוֹצִיא לֶֽחֶם מִן הָאָֽרֶץ)” and not “borai minai mezanot (בּוֹרֵא מִינֵי מְזוֹנוֹת). Secondly, ḥalla must be separated from the dough, (הפרשת חלה). When the Temple stood this separated dough was given to the kohanim, priests, who ate it in ritual readiness. Today since the Temple no longer stands and no kohan is ritually ready, we remove a portion of the dough and burn it saying the blessing, “לְהַפְרִישׁ חַלָּה מִין הָעִסּה.”

Everybody agrees that dough baked in an oven has the status of bread while dough baked by the sun doesn’t. But what about dough that is baked in a pot? To set up the argument the Gemara begins “The Sages taught: Sponge-like cakes, honey cakes, spiced cakes [eskeritin], pan-fried bread [ḥallat hamasret], and bread prepared from a mixture of permitted grain and teruma, their owners are all exempt from ḥalla. The Gemara clarifies these obscure terms. What is pan-fried bread? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: This is boiled bread baked by ordinary homeowners in a deep frying pan.” (Sefaria.org translation)

Now we have the disagreement between Reish Lakish and Rabbi Yoḥanan. “Reish Lakish said: These dishes are pot-boiled stew [ilpas], not bread. Since this food is prepared in a pot and not in an oven, it has been boiled rather than baked, and its owner is therefore exempt from ḥalla. And Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Even the owner of bread prepared like a pot-boiled stew is obligated in ḥalla, but the owners of these pan-fried breads and the other baked goods listed are exempt, as these breads were baked in the sun. Since they were not baked over a fire, they are not classified as bread with regard to the mitzva of ḥalla.

(Now the Gemara qualifies what Reish Lakish meant.-gg) “The Gemara raises an objection to the statement of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish statement from a baraita: With regard to sponge-cakes, honey cakes, or spiced cakes, if one prepared them in a pot, he is obligated to separate ḥalla. However, if he prepared them in the sun, he is exempt from this mitzva. This is a conclusive refutation of the opinion of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish. Ulla said: Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish could have said to you: With what are we dealing here? We are dealing with a case where one heated the pot over the fire and afterward pasted the dough to the sides of the hot pot. This is considered like baking in an oven, and one is therefore obligated to separate ḥalla from the dough.” (Sefaria.org translation) In other words, if the pot is used like an oven, heated first and then the dough is placed on the side of the wall which was their method of making bread like pita, ḥalla must be separated. If the dough was placed on the walls of the pot and then the pot was heated, this dough does not have the status of bread and ḥalla doesn’t need to be separated.

The Shulkan Arukh poskins that one can fulfill his mitzvah of eating matzah with matzah that is baked in a heated pot (meaning the pot was heated first and then the dough was affixed to the side). However, a priori one should be careful and not affix the dough to the pot first and then heat the pot up. (Orekh Hayyim, 461:2)

This discussion reminded me of a wonder pot- סיר פלא, “sír péle, Hebrew pronunciation: [siʁ ˈpele]) is an Israeli invention for baking on top of a gas stove rather than in an oven. It consists of three parts: an aluminium pot shaped like a Bundt pan except smooth-sided rather than fluted, a hooded cover perforated with venting holes, and a thick, round, slightly domed metal disc with a center hole that is placed between the pot and the flame.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonder_Pot) Back in the early years of the State of Israel when many people did not have an oven, people use this wonder pot as their oven.

Although baking matzah in it seems to me an impossible task, if the wonder pot was first put on the stove to be heated, and then the dough was put in the pot, the baked good would have the status of bread. This is all rather theoretical today because “The Wonder Pot retained its popularity through the 1970s, especially among new immigrants who did not have ovens. During its heyday, the Wonder Pot spawned its own bestselling cookbook. The introduction of the microwave oven and a national desire to dissociate with the austerity mentality put an end to its widespread use.^[3] However, the Wonder Pot is still used by Israeli Haredi families for baking kugels, and it is also popular in this sector on the holiday of Passover for those who do not have a kosher-for-Passover oven.^[1][4]” (ibid.)

What about egg matzah? Pesakhim 36

Matzah, unleavened bread, consisting only of flour and water is called lekhem oni (לֶחֶם עוֹנִי) or bread of affliction. Everybody agrees that only this kind of matzah fulfills the mitzvah of eating matzah on the first night of Passover. Are we allowed to eat matzah (מַצָּה עֲשִׁירָה-matzah ashira) that has been kneaded with fruit juices and other liquids during the rest of the holiday? BTW, did you know that egg matzah uses apple juice?

Yesterday we learned on Tb Pesakhim 35a-b that kneading dough with fruit juices does not leavened and we would be permitted to eat what we call egg matzah. “Rabba bar bar Ḥana said that Reish Lakish said: With regard to dough that was kneaded with wine, oil, or honey, one is not liable to receive karet for eating it in its leavened state, since these liquids will not cause the dough to be leavened…At this point Rav Idi bar Avin woke up, due to their discussion, and said to them: Children, this is the reasoning of Reish Lakish: One is not liable to receive karet for eating dough kneaded with oil or honey, because oil and honey are considered fruit juices, and fruit juice does not cause dough to be leavened. Therefore, dough prepared with these liquids is not considered full-fledged leavened bread.” (Sefaria.org translation)

But today’s daf TB Pesakhim 36 contradicts what we learned yesterday. The Rabbis forbid the baking of matzah ashira. “The Gemara asks: And does Rabbi Akiva maintain with regard to dough that was kneaded with wine, oil, or honey, that it may not be used for matza? But wasn’t it taught in a baraita: One may not knead dough on Passover with wine, oil, or honey? And if one kneaded dough in this manner, Rabban Gamliel says: The dough must be burned immediately, as it is leavened faster than other types of dough. And the Rabbis say that although it is leavened quickly, one can still prevent it from being leavened, and if he does so it may be eaten. And Rabbi Akiva said: It was my Shabbat to serve before Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua during Passover (Rav Yehuda ben Rav Binyamin HaRofeh), and I kneaded for them dough with wine, oil, and honey, and they said nothing to me by way of objection.

“The baraita continues: And although one may not knead dough with these ingredients, one may spread these substances on the surface of the dough. The Gemara comments: With regard to this latter statement, we have come back to the opinion of the first tanna, who said that one may not knead bread with wine, oil, or honey. And the Rabbis say: With regard to dough into which one may knead wine, oil, or honey, one may likewise spread them on the dough, whereas concerning dough into which one may not knead these ingredients, one may not spread them on the dough either. And everyone agrees that one may not knead the dough with warm water, as this will cause it to be leavened quickly. In any case, it is evident from here that Rabbi Akiva himself prepared matza with wine, oil, and honey.” (Sefaria.org translation)

Rashi and his grandson Rebeinu Tam disagree on the practical halakha. Rashi (ד"ה אין לשין את העיסה) comments the reason why one does not knead oil or honey into the flour because these ingredients make the dough quickly leaven and a person is unable to make sure it doesn’t rise to the level of hametz. And when the Gemara talks about fruit juice not being a leavening agent it is not difficult because there they only talking about the punishment of karet. It doesn’t leavened the dough completely however makes these liquids make the dough hametz nuksha (חָמץ נוּקְשָה) or rigid hametz.  “Rigid chametz is chametz that is made not for the purpose of eating and is not even fit to be eaten except at the time of distress. In this chametz the souring operation began but was not completed. Most arbitrators believe that it is not forbidden by the Torah but sages forbade it to prevent mistakes in actually eating or delaying Chametz.” (https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%97%D7%9E%D7%A5_%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%A7%D7%A9%D7%94) 

Rebbeinu Tam (ד"ה ומי פרות אין מחמיצין) disagrees that the prohibition of using these liquids is only when water is mixed in with them. However unadulterated fruit juices are completely permitted.

The Shulkhan Arukh poskins that one should not a priori make matzah ashira that uses fruit juices and water as its ingredients, but if these ingredients are used the dough should be baked immediately so that it will not leaven. (Orekh Hayyim, 462:2) May you eat matzah ashira like egg matzah? On the box written in Hebrew (so most Americans will not understand) is the sentence that only the sick and the elderly should eat these matzot. Nevertheless, as long as you don’t use the matzah ashira for the mitzvah on the Seder plate, you have Rebbeinu Tam allowing you to enjoy it during the rest of the holiday.

            

Reason for those on a gluten-free diet to rejoice TB 35

today’s daf  TB Pesakhim 35 returns to discuss the laws of Passover, explicitly the laws of matzah. Although most people buy as many boxes of matzah as they need from a store, some people still bake their own. If memory serves me correctly my children’s teachers, shelikhim from Israel, the Tzaidis, would bake their own matzah back at home in Rekhovot. Back in 1977 I was sent on a mission by the Jewish Agency to the Soviet Union to meet with refuseniks. I visited a Bucharan family who served me left over homemade matzah. Store bought matzah was unavailable back then as you can imagine.

The mishna teaches only these five grains may be used as flour to bake matzah and fulfill our obligation of eating matzah on the first night of Passover. “These are the types of grain with which a person fulfills his obligation to eat matza on the first night of Passover: With wheat, with barley, with spelt [kusmin], with rye [shifon], and with oats [shibbolet shu’al].” (Sefaria.org translation) 

"The Gemara explains why. “From where are these matters, that matza cannot be prepared from rice or millet, derived? Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said, and likewise a Sage of the school of Rabbi Yishmael taught, and likewise a Sage of the school of Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov taught that the verse states: “You shall eat no leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat with it matza, the bread of affliction” (Deuteronomy 16:3). This verse indicates that only with substances which will come to a state of leavening, a person fulfills his obligation to eat matza with them, provided he prevents them from becoming leavened. This excludes these foods, i.e., rice, millet (some identify this grain with buckwheat-gg), and similar grains, which, even if flour is prepared from them and water is added to their flour, do not come to a state of leavening but to a state of decay [siraḥon]. ”

Grains like rice and millet are classified along with legumes, kitniyot. There is an Ashkenazic tradition to refrain from eating kitniyot on Passover. My friend, colleague, and teacher Dr. Rabbi David Golinkin has proven to my satisfaction that this is a mistaken tradition and should not be observed. He writes:

“It also contradicts the theory and practice of the Amoraim both in Babylonia and in Israel (Pesachim 114b and other sources), the Geonim (Seiltot, Halakhot Pesukot, Halakhot Gedolot, etc.), and most of the early medieval authorities in all countries (altogether more than 50 Rishonim!).

“This custom is mentioned for the first time in France and Provence in the beginning of the 13^th century by R. Asher of Luniel, R. Samuel of Falaise, and R. Peretz of Corbeil-from there it spread to various countries and the list of prohibited foods continued to expand. Nevertheless, the reason for the custom was unknown and as a result many sages invented at least 11 different explanations for the custom. As a result, R. Samuel of Falaise, one of the first to mention it, refer to it as a ‘mistaken custom’ and R. Yerucham called it a ‘foolish custom.’” (English summary of “Eating Kitniyot (Legumes) on Pesach Responsa of the Va’ad Halacha of the Rabbinical Assembly, volume 3, 5748-5749, page ix-x)

This is certainly good news to everybody who observes a gluten-free diet. Now the gluten-free person has more choices of food to enjoy at the Passover Seder. Everybody should be able to enjoy kitniyot (legumes) on Passover with one proviso. The ban on eating, owning, and deriving benefit from hametz during Passover is absolute. There should be no problem buying raw legumes and then using them on Passover. All items like beans and rice that need inspecting for impurities during the entire year should be inspected before Passover for hametz or purchase them with Sephardic rabbinical supervision. Any processed food needs the Sephardic rabbinical supervision to make sure that no hametz was included during the process.