When hametz loses its status of hametz TB Pesakhim 45

We have reach a milestone by studying today’s daf TB Pesakhim 45. Yesterday we completed our first year of a 7 ½ year cycle of studying a daf of Talmud every day. I think we all can say חֲזַק חֲזַק וְנִתְחַזֵק (Be strong, be strong, and let us summon up our strength!) as we continue our journey into the second year.

Can hametz ever lose its status of hametz so that one will not violate the prohibition of seeing and owning hametz on Passover (בל יראה ובל ימצה) is the topic of discussion of today’s daf.

Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar holds that hametz can be repurposed as a non-edible object that doesn’t have to be destroyed before Passover. “Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: In what case is this statement said? In a case where the bread was maintained for consumption; however, a mass of hardened leaven that one designated for the purpose of sitting upon it, not for consumption, is nullified.” (Sefaria.org translation)

A lengthy discussion reconciling different baraitot concerning a kneading bowl according to Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar understanding ensues. Ultimately, the bowl is divided into three different sections. If one plugs a hole on the bottom of the bowl with an olive- bulk size of dough that hardens, that dough becomes part of the bowl and doesn’t need to be removed and destroyed. Dough less than an olive-bulk size on this side of the bowl plugging up a crack doesn’t have to be removed and destroyed. Any amount of dough on the top of the bowl must be removed and destroyed. The Shulkan Arukh poskins any dough the size of an olive-bulk no matter where it is found must be removed and destroyed. If less than an olive-bulk size dough plugs up a hole on the bottom of the bowl, it is an annulled it doesn’t have to be removed. (Orekh Hayyim, 442:7)

When does moldy bread loses status of hametz and doesn’t need to be destroyed? “The Sages taught: With regard to bread that grew moldy and was rendered inedible for consumption by a person, but a dog can eat it, it can become impure with the ritual impurity of foods in the measure of an egg-bulk in size, as it is still considered food. If the moldy bread was ritually pure teruma, it may be burned with ritually impure teruma on Passover. Once the bread is no longer fit for human consumption, the prohibition against actively rendering it impure no longer applies. They said in the name of Rabbi Natan: It cannot become ritually impure.” (Sefaria.org translation)

I’ve never been a dog owner, but I’m under the supposition that dogs are not very discriminating eaters. The sages teach as long as a dog is willing to eat the moldy bread we consider it hametz and it must be destroyed. Rabbi Natan holds a more lenient view that once humans are unwilling to eat it, the moldy bread loses its status as hametz. The halakha follows the sages. (Shulkan Arukh, Orekh Hayyim, 442:9) Consequently in my house, we compost all moldy bread before it needs to be destroyed erev Passover.