Ḥameẓ

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ḤAMEẒ

ḤAMEẒ (Heb. חָמֵץ; "fermented dough"; cf. Ex. 12:39). Ḥameẓ is prohibited in Jewish religious usage in two instances, one of which has a purely theoretical application at the present day, while the other is of topical application. The first was the prohibition against offering up ḥameẓ of any kind (or honey) on the altar as a concomitant of sacrifices (Lev. 2:11, where it is referred to as se'or). Se'or and ḥameẓ are by no means synonymous. Se'or refers to the leavening agent, while ḥameẓ is the new dough to which the se'or is added, and it is expressly called leḥem ḥameẓ ("leavened bread"; Lev. 7: 13). This distinction is clearly shown by Exodus 12: 15: "Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread (maẓẓot); on the first day you shall remove leaven (se'or) from your houses, for whoever eats leavened bread (ḥameẓ) from the first day to the seventh day that person shall be cut off from Israel." Further corroboration of this distinction is furnished by a linguistic criterion: se'or is never used with the verb akhal ("eat"), since it is too sour to be edible. The leavened bread mentioned with regard to the sacrifices is given directly to the priest or is consumed by the worshiper (cf. Lev. 2: 12, 7: 13; 23: 17, 20). The instructions for the making of shewbread contain no prohibition of the use of leaven (Lev. 24:5–9) since it was not consumed but merely displayed. Post-biblical tradition, however, prohibits it (Jos., Ant. 3: 142, 255ff.; cf. Men. 5:1). It was permitted, however, as part of the sacrificial meal (Lev. 7: 13). The other is the complete prohibition of ḥameẓ (or anything containing it) during *Passover, which includes its consumption, deriving any benefit from it, and retaining it in one's possession (Ex. 12: 19). To this the rabbis added the prohibition after Passover of leaven which had been in one's possession during the festival (Pes. 2:2; 28b; Sh. Ar., oḤ 448). However, the author of the "Pass-over Papyrus" of Elephantine (Cowley, Aramaic, 21, p. 60ff.) felt that it sufficed to keep the leaven out of sight, i.e., stored away. Nonetheless he did follow the halakhah, in opposition to the stricter Samaritan view (a restored text), in maintaining that only fermented grain but not fermented fruit (wine) was included under the definition of leaven (H.L. Ginsberg, in: Pritchard, Texts, 491, esp. n. 6).

The criterion for rendering grain ḥameẓ is that on decomposition it ferments. This characteristic was stated to apply only to the five species of grain, usually translated as "wheat, barley, spelt, rye, and oats" (but see *Five Species). Other grains which, instead of fermenting, "rotted," were not regarded as coming within the prohibition of ḥameẓ; in this class, as is specifically stated, belong rice and millet (Pes. 35a). Despite this fact, Ashkenazi authorities, in contrast to Sephardi, not only forbid the use of rice (and millet) on Passover, but extend the prohibition to include a whole additional range of products which they regard as belonging to the category of kitniyyot ("pulse") or even "doubtful kitniyyot," including such foods as beans, peas, maize, and peanuts, since flour is made from them and thus people might come to use ordinary flour in such a way as to make it ḥameẓ. In practice, among Ashkenazi Jews the only flour used on Passover is "mazzah meal" (i.e., ground maẓẓah) and potato flour, while the Sephardim use rice.

Prohibited ḥameẓ is divided into three categories of descending stringency: ḥameẓ gamur, that which is "completely" ḥameẓ, i.e., one of the above fermented doughs and such derivatives as whisky; ta'arovet ḥameẓ, that which has in it an admixture of even the smallest amount of ḥameẓ; and ḥameẓ nuksheh, roughly, ḥameẓ which is unsuitable for food, such as writer's paste (Pes. 3:1). It is only for the first that the penalty of *karet is involved, although Maimonides (Yad, introd., negative commandment no. 198) regards the word maḥmeḥet (Ex. 12:19) as referring to ta'arovet which is therefore, according to him, forbidden by the Bible. The penalty of karet is involved, and the minimum amount for which liability is incurred is an olive's bulk.

Whereas the prohibition of most forbidden food is nullified if it is accidentally mixed in more than 60 times its volume of permitted food and this applies even to leaven mixed in permitted food being prepared for Passover prior to the festival – during Passover ḥameẓ can never be nullified in this way; the most minute admixture renders everything with which it has been mixed forbidden as ta'arovet. As a result, practically every food product which has not been specially prepared under supervision in order to ensure the complete absence of ḥameẓ is regarded as belonging to this category. For the same reason all vessels which have been used during the year are forbidden for use during the festival, unless they have been cleansed in accordance with halakhic requirements (see *Passover).

The period which it takes for flour mixed with water to begin fermenting is stated as the time it takes to walk a (Roman) mile (Pes. 46a); the authorities have established this as 18 minutes. This, however, applies to normal conditions and varies according to the circumstances. Thus, on the one hand, if the temperature of the water is above normal the process is accelerated; on the other hand, the continuous manipulation of the dough delays, and even prevents, fermentation (oḤ 459; for details see *Maẓẓah).

Ḥasidim, believing that there is a possibility that some of the flour in the maẓẓah may have remained unbaked, take up the extreme attitude of not eating maẓẓah or maẓẓah meal which has been soaked in water during the whole of the seven days of Passover; they permit it only on the eighth day (which obtains in the Diaspora).

The prohibition of ḥameẓ commences from the time that the paschal sacrifice used to be offered, at midday on the 14^th of Nisan, but the period has been extended to two hours earlier (Pes. 28b).

Leaven in Jewish Thought

Leaven is regarded as the symbol of corruption and impurity. The "yeast in the dough" is one of the things which "prevents us from performing the will of God" (Ber. 17a). The idea was greatly developed in the Kabbalah. The New Testament also refers to "the leaven of malice and wickedness" which is contrasted with "the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (i Cor. 5:8). Similarly the word is applied to what was regarded as the corrupt doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matt. 16: 12; Mark 8: 15).

It was applied particularly to the admixture of elements of impure descent in a family. (Fermented) "dough" was contrasted in this context with "pure sifted flour." Thus, with regard to purity of family descent, "All the countries are regarded as dough compared to Ereẓ Israel, while Ereẓ Israel is regarded as dough compared to Babylonia" (Kid. 71a). Ezra did not leave Babylonia until he had made its "Jewish population pure sifted flour" (by bringing up those of doubtful descent to Ereẓ Israel, ibid. 69b). The widow of a man of doubtful descent is referred to as a "dough widow" (Ket. 14b).