I have always envied my Sephardi friends. For one thing, they have a custom of throwing the challah after cutting it on Shabbat. But really, the best thing is they can expand their Pesach food repertoire and eat rice and other kitniyot for the 8 days.
On Pesach, Jews are forbidden to eat five grains (unless in the form of Matzah) – wheat, oats, rye, spelt or barley. But what of rice, millet, corn, seeds or legumes? These food are considered kitniyot, and traditionally not eaten by Ashkenazi Jews.
Today, many disgruntled Ashkenazi Jews are fighting back for their food freedom. There is a group called the Kitniyot Liberation Front on Facebook which generates a following and posts articles in favour for eating kitniyot. Many restaurants in Israel that are Kosher for Pesach will specify if their menu items contain kitniyot. And then there’s quinoa, the super grain, causing more debate and chaos. Quinoa, originating in South America, wasn’t around in the 13th Century to get confused with chametz, or even kitniyot. Even then, some people rinse the grain 3 times to ensure there is no morsel of chametz hiding amongst the quinoa.
On Pesach, Jews are forbidden to eat five grains (unless in the form of Matzah) – wheat, oats, rye, spelt or barley. But what of rice, millet, corn, seeds or legumes? These food are considered kitniyot, and traditionally not eaten by Ashkenazi Jews.
In the medieval ages in France, it was feared that these grains could resemble chametz, or they might have been stored in the sacks next to the chametz. Or a bird might have cross pollinated the sacks, or something like that. To avoid all confusions and make life more difficult for ourselves, these kitniyot were prohibited from being eaten as well as chametz.
Today, many disgruntled Ashkenazi Jews are fighting back for their food freedom. There is a group called the Kitniyot Liberation Front on Facebook which generates a following and posts articles in favour for eating kitniyot. Many restaurants in Israel that are Kosher for Pesach will specify if their menu items contain kitniyot. And then there’s quinoa, the super grain, causing more debate and chaos. Quinoa, originating in South America, wasn’t around in the 13th Century to get confused with chametz, or even kitniyot. Even then, some people rinse the grain 3 times to ensure there is no morsel of chametz hiding amongst the quinoa.
But there are plenty of Ashkenazi Jews, including the cooks, that despite wishing they would eat kitniyot, will not go against the tradition. As a friend succinctly posted on Facebook, "Of course it’s illogical, of course it’s absurd, but social customs do not need to be logical. It makes no difference why kitniyot were originally banned, nor why the ban has been maintained. The only thing that matters is that abstaining from kitniyot is an Ashkenazi custom, and Ashkenazi Jews can feel all the more Ashkenazi by observing it!"
The kitniyot debate is a great example of a Limmud principle "arguments for the sake of heaven". Limmud encourages vigorous debate as well as respect and avoids religious or political conflict. So whether you eat kitniyot, or don’t eat kitniyot, or your dog eats kitniyot, you are welcome at Yom Limmud Sydney.
Will you eat kitniyot this Pesach?
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Save the date: 3 July 2016
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