Passover 5779/2019
Sale of Hametz and Gift of Ma'ot Hittim
Sale of Hametz
This year Passover begins on Friday evening, April 19th. One of the Passover rituals is to remove hametz (leaven) from our homes in accordance with the verse, “No leaven shall be found in your houses for seven days” (Exodus 12:19). Products considered hametz include: leavened bread, cakes, biscuits, crackers, cereal, coffees containing cereal derivatives, wheat, barley, oats, spelt, rye, and all liquids containing ingredients or flavors made from grain alcohol. Ideally these products should be discarded prior to the start of Passover. Nonetheless, Judaism also recognizes that one should not incur undue financial loss in observance of the mitzvot. Therefore, if after thoroughly cleaning for Passover you still have hametz products to store during the holiday, you may perform the ritual of “selling your hametz.”
To sell your hametz through Rabbi Greenspoon, please reply to this email with your name and address. By doing so, you affirm the following:
I hereby authorize Rabbi David Greenspoon to act as my agent to sell in my name and on my behalf all hametz owned and possessed by me, knowingly or unknowingly, wherever it may be – at home, place of business, or elsewhere; and any such products that I may yet acquire between now and 12:10 PM on Friday, April 19, 2019, except for hametz I designate to be consumed by my family on or before April 19, 2019; and all kinds of live animals that have been eating hametz or mixtures thereof, and to lease all places wherein the hametz owned by me may be found, especially located in the premise as listed below – all in accordance with the requirements and provisions of Jewish law.
Ma'ot Hittim – a special mitzvah for tzedekah
Before Passover, it is customary to give Ma'ot Hittim, charity for the Passover needs of the poor. For your convenience, you can send in your donation at the time that you authorize Rabbi Greenspoon to sell your hametz. Rabbi Greenspoon is collecting money for special Passover disbursements at home and overseas.
You may make your contribution via credit card by clicking the button below, or using the Donation button on the
Sha'are Shalom website
. Please indicate the donation is for Passover. If you prefer, you may give via chieck to the Rabbi's Descretionary Fund, noting "Passover" in the memo line.
