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The Jewish Home | APRIL 7, 2022
Delving into the Daf
Pesach Questions for Rav Chaim, zt”l by rabbi Avrohom Sebrow
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OctOber 29, 2015 | the Jewish Home
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he following questions were posed to Sar HaTorah Rav Chaim, zt”l. Rav Chaim wrote a letter regarding the publication of questions posed to him. He wrote that he answered off the cuff and does not accept halachic responsibility for the answers. Here, in particular, these questions were translated from Hebrew and may have lost some nuances in translation. They were originally published under the titles: Divrei Siach and Moedi HaGaon Rav Chaim. Therefore, the point of this article is to engender discussion. Some have the custom to refrain from eating matzah from Rosh Chodesh Nissan. May someone with that custom eat matzah that is not kosher l’Pesach? There are those that say it is permissible. May one eat kosher l’Pesach matzah meal cake on Erev Pesach? Yes.
If someone accidentally recited a blessing on matzah on Erev Pesach, may he take a bite? No. He should recite, “Baruch shem k’vod malchuso l’olam ved.” My son, who is not yet 13 years old, finished learning a mesechta. Does his siyum permit a bechor to eat on Erev Pesach? If he understands what he learned, it seems so. Does one have to learn a mesechta with Rashi to make a siyum? No, as long as he understands what he learned. A group of people finished learning a mesechta; each participant learned a different perek. Does that siyum help for Erev Pesach? Possibly. Does a siyum on Mesechta Tamid (a very short mesechta) count for Erev
Pesach? No. (Elsewhere, Rav Chaim said in time of need, it does.) Should one use a candle for bedikas chametz? Yes. In a time of need, it is possible to use a flashlight.
I eat machine matzah and gebrochts. My wife’s family does not. Does she have to follow my custom? There are some customs of her husband that a wife must adopt. These aren’t them.
Can the person himself who is performing the bedika place the ten pieces of bread? Yes.
A person has a limited quantity of mehudar matzah that is set aside for the night of the seder. Is that matzah muktzeh machmas chisaron kis on Shabbas HaGadol? It seems that one should be stringent.
Should one be careful not to burn milk and meat together? Some say that one should be careful.
Does hataras nedarim work for the custom not to eat gebrochts? Yes
The Rashash in Shabbos (66) says that one should use wood to burn chometz. Do we follow this? It is a mitzvah to do so.
There are two people eating at a table who only eat handmade matzah on Pesach. There is another person eating at the same table who only eats machine matzah on Pesach. Do they combine for a zimun for bentching? It seems that they do not combine. If it is a mere chumra not to eat the other type
Should one brush his teeth on Erev Pesach to clean them from chometz? Certainly.
