{"id":5550,"date":"2011-03-04T06:03:11","date_gmt":"2011-03-04T04:03:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/?p=5550"},"modified":"2021-03-21T09:32:11","modified_gmt":"2021-03-21T07:32:11","slug":"04-06-03","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/04-06-03\/","title":{"rendered":"03.\u00a0For Whom Is the \u1e24ametz<\/strong> Sale Intended Today?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In recent generations, new storage methods have been introduced that allow us to preserve food products for long periods of time. As a result, food manufacturers and dealers are in constant possession of large inventories of food, and they need to sell their \u1e25ametz<\/strong> before Pesa\u1e25 in order not to lose the value of their stock. Moreover, if food manufacturers were to make a point of exhausting their entire inventory before Pesa\u1e25, it would take days and even weeks to restock and market their products. In addition to the loss it would cause to manufacturers and merchants, it would cause inconvenience to those unable to purchase \u1e25ametz<\/strong> foods during the weeks after Pesa\u1e25. Therefore, factory owners, food chains, and stores sell all of their \u1e25ametz<\/strong> to a gentile before Pesa\u1e25, and as soon as Pesa\u1e25 passes, they buy it back again and remarket it.<\/p>\n

In principle, anyone may sell his \u1e25ametz<\/strong> to a gentile via the mekhirat<\/strong> \u1e25ametz<\/strong> organized by his local rabbis. He may do so even if he only wishes to sell a small amount of \u1e25ametz<\/strong> \u2013 for example, a package of pasta \u2013 because once it has been sold, the Jew no longer violates the prohibitions relating to \u1e25ametz<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Some are stringent and prefer not to rely on mekhirat<\/strong> \u1e25ametz <\/strong>since it appears fictitious: the \u1e25ametz<\/strong> remains in the Jew\u2019s house, the gentile will almost certainly not come to take it, and the Jew resumes eating the very same \u1e25ametz<\/strong> as soon as Pesa\u1e25 is over. According to these poskim<\/strong>, it is only proper to sell \u1e25ametz<\/strong> in order to prevent a great loss; concerning a small loss, one should not sell his \u1e25ametz<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Nowadays, all are advised to participate in mekhirat \u1e25ametz<\/strong>, because some food products and flavored medicines may contain small amounts of \u1e25ametz<\/strong>, and they should not be destroyed just because of this possibility. On the other hand, these must not be kept because they may actually contain \u1e25ametz<\/strong>. Therefore, the proper thing is to sell them and thus avoid all doubt. In addition, some maintain that people who have stock in companies that own \u1e25ametz <\/strong>must sell their shares; the shares are sold with the rest of the \u1e25ametz<\/strong>.[3]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Concerning \u1e25ametz gamur<\/strong>, it is customary to advise people not to sell insignificant amounts of \u1e25ametz<\/strong>, so as not to use the sale for minor needs. However, when significant loss is involved, it is permitted le-khat\u1e25ila<\/strong> to sell the \u1e25ametz<\/strong>. Each person should decide for himself what he considers a significant or small loss. There is no reason to ask a rabbi about this, and there is no reason to ask what is \u1e25ametz gamur<\/strong> and what is uncertain, as the basic halakha <\/strong>is that even the sale of real \u1e25ametz <\/strong>of little value is permissible, for the sale is valid even le-khat\u1e25ila<\/strong>, and one may rely without concerns or questions on the rabbis conducting the sale.[4]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Because the sold \u1e25ametz<\/strong> remains in the Jew\u2019s house, there is a risk that he will forget that it is prohibited and eat it during Pesa\u1e25. Therefore, one must set up a partition at least ten tefa\u1e25im<\/strong> high (c. 80 cm) to act as a barrier between himself and the \u1e25ametz<\/strong> or lock the \u1e25ametz<\/strong> in a cupboard and hide the key. One may also tape up the cupboard. It is best to write \u201csold \u1e25ametz<\/strong>\u201d on it so that one does not accidentally open it on Pesa\u1e25 (see SA 440:2).<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n[3]<\/a>. See above, 3:3, n. 5, where I write that in my opinion, the mainstream view is that one who has no decision-making capacity in the company is considered a creditor, not a partner, and he would not be required to sell his shares. However, some are stringent, and in this respect, too, it is best to participate in the sale of \u1e25ametz<\/strong>. See above, 4:11, where we cited a dispute between poskim<\/strong> regarding whether or not one can exempt himself from bedikat \u1e25ametz<\/strong> by selling his home to a gentile. According to all opinions, however, if the Jewish owner leaves one room in the house for himself, he can perform bedikat \u1e25ametz<\/strong> in that room and exempt himself from bedikat \u1e25ametz<\/strong> in the rest of the house.<\/p>\n

Bedikat \u1e24ametz U-vi\u2019uro<\/strong> 8:17; 22, states that in addition to bitul<\/strong>, one should sell all of the \u1e25ametz<\/strong> in his possession, since if he was unaware of a piece of \u1e25ametz<\/strong> during the time of nullification and did not nullify it properly, the \u1e25ametz<\/strong> sale will protect him from violating any prohibition. In my opinion, however, this is not the proper course of action, because such a sale looks like a fiction, and it has no value (as opposed to stocks, which have value). Regarding \u1e25ametz<\/strong> that one forgot about, the Sages instituted bitul<\/strong>, not sale.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a>. Some rule that the sale should only be done for the great needs of owners of large businesses, but individuals must take care, as much as possible, to only sell uncertain \u1e25ametz<\/strong>, not \u1e25ametz gamur<\/strong> (Bedikat \u1e24ametz U-vi\u2019uro<\/strong> 8:9; Sidur Pesa\u1e25 Ke-hilkhato<\/strong> 11:16 inclines toward this as well; but see Piskei Teshuvot<\/strong> 448:10). According to the letter of the law, anyone may rely on the sale, since the sale is valid according to the majority of poskim<\/strong>. Even if the seller feels that the sale is somewhat fictitious, if the gentile wishes to do so, he could take the seller to court and legally claim the purchased \u1e25ametz<\/strong>, which proves that the \u1e25ametz<\/strong> indeed belongs to the gentile. Additionally, some say that since every person nullifies his \u1e25ametz<\/strong>, and subsequently there is no Torah prohibition on this \u1e25ametz<\/strong> (there is only a rabbinic injunction that requires destroying or selling the \u1e25ametz<\/strong> in addition to bitul<\/strong>), the \u1e25ametz<\/strong> assumes the status of a safek de-rabanan <\/strong>(an uncertainly about a rabbinic prohibition). Thus, one may certainly rely on the lenient opinions that permit the sale.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In recent generations, new storage methods have been introduced that allow us to preserve food products for long periods of time. As a result, food manufacturers and dealers are in constant possession of large inventories of food, and they need to sell their \u1e25ametz before Pesa\u1e25 in order not to lose the value of their […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[57],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5550","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-06-mekhirat-hametz-the-sale-of-hametz"],"yoast_head":"\n03.\u00a0For Whom Is the \u1e24ametz Sale Intended Today? - Peninei Halakha<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/04-06-03\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"03.\u00a0For Whom Is the \u1e24ametz Sale Intended Today? - Peninei Halakha\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In recent generations, new storage methods have been introduced that allow us to preserve food products for long periods of time. 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