DailyHalacha.com for Mobile Devices Now Available

Halacha is In Memory of
 Yitzchak ben Rina

Dedicated By
His loving family

Click Here to Sponsor Daily Halacha
      
(File size: 816 KB)
Pesah – If a Gentile Bring Hametz Into One’s Home

The Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 440; listen to audio recording for precise citation) writes that if a gentile enters a Jew’s home during Pesah with Hametz, the Jew is not required to force the gentile to leave. He adds that even if the Jew sees the gentile’s Hametz, the gentile may remain in the home with the Hametz, and no violation is entailed. The Mishna Berura (commentary by Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin, 1839-1933), in Se’if Katan 16 (listen to audio recording for precise citation), explains that the Torah prohibition of "Lo Yera’eh" forbids seeing one’s own Hametz during Pesah, but not seeing the Hametz belonging to somebody else. And, the Sages were not concerned in such a case that the Jew may mistakenly eat the Hametz, since the Hametz is in the gentile’s possession, and the Jew would certainly not try to steal the Hametz from the gentile. Therefore, if a non-Jew visits a Jew’s home on Pesah and has Hametz with him, the Jew may allow him to remain. However, the Mishna Berura adds that after the gentile leaves, the Jew must ensure that the gentile takes all his Hametz with him. If, for example, the gentile had come in with a bag of pretzels, the Jews should make sure that he takes all the pretzels with him when he leaves.

The Shulhan Aruch notes in this context that although a Jew may allow a non-Jew with Hametz in his home during Pesah, he may not eat together with a non-Jew at the same table if the non-Jew is eating Hametz. Even if they make a "Hefsek" ("separation") by eating on separate tablecloths or placemats, the Jew may not eat together with a non-Jew who eats Hametz. When it comes to a Jew who eats meat and another who eats dairy foods, Halacha permits them to eat together with separate mats. When it comes to eating on Pesah with a gentile who eats Hametz, however, this is forbidden. The Mishna Berura explains this Halacha based on the principle that Hametz is forbidden even "Be’mashehu," meaning, in the smallest quantity. When two people eat together, even using separate mats or cloths, it is nearly impossible to ensure that no crumbs from one person’s food end up on the other’s plate. Therefore, it is forbidden on Pesah to eat together with a gentile who eats Hametz, even using separate mats.

However, the Mishna Berura adds, if a gentile ate Hametz at a table, the Jew may eat at that table after the gentile finishes eating, provided, of course, that he cleans the table very thoroughly before he eats to ensure there are no crumbs or residue left over from the Hametz. Thus, for example, if a coworker ate his sandwich on a table in the office, the Jew may then eat his "kosher for Passover" lunch after thoroughly cleaning the table.

Summary: It is permitted to have a gentile enter one’s home with Hametz during Pesah, but he must ensure that the gentile brings all his Hametz with him when he leaves. It is forbidden on Pesah to eat together with a gentile who eats Hametz, but one may eat on the table where a gentile ate Hametz after he finished eating, assuming he cleans it very well to ensure that no particles of Hametz remain.

 


Recent Daily Halachot...
Reciting Birkat Ha'gomel After Childbirth
Reciting Birkat Ha'gomel in Cases of a Recurring Illness, After Fainting, and After a Failed Suicide Attempt
Leaving a Sefer Open After One Finishes Learning
Adding "U'le'chaparat Pesha" in Musaf on Rosh Hodesh During a Leap Year
Birkat Ha'ilanot- Reciting Birkat Ha'ilanot Over the Same Person's Tree Each Year
Wearing A Kippa (Yarmulke)
Extending a Greeting of "Shalom" with One's Head Uncovered
Leaving a Portion of One's Home Unfinished to Commemorate the Temple's Destruction
Hallel: When During the Day May it be Recited, and May One Interrupt to Answer "Amen"?
May a Woman Kiss a Rabbi's Hand When She Approaches for a Blessing?
Employing the Medical Remedies Mentioned in the Talmud
Allowing a Child or Woman to Affix the Sisit Strings Onto a Tallit
When Is It Required and When Is It Not Required To Allow A Kohen To Bypass Waiting On A Line
Affixing the Sisit Strings to the Tallit with the Specific Intent for the Misva
Can A Teacher Punish and Can A Teacher Demand Of Their Students To Divulge A Culprit
Page of 239
3585 Halachot found