Gebrokts
There is a well- known Pesach custom in some communities, mainly Chassidic ones, known as "gebrokts" or "sheruya."[1] Those who observe this custom do not eat any matza or matza product that came into contact with water, and in many cases, any liquid whatsoever. The gebrokts custom was instituted due to the concern that there might be some flour within the matza that did not get fully kneaded into the dough or did not get fully baked. If this were so, any subsequent contact with water could cause such matza to become chametz.[2]
It is also explained that the gebrokts custom was instituted as a safeguard in order to ensure that one does not come to accidentally mix matza meal "flour" with real chametz flour. As the story goes, there was once a rebbetzin who was frying fish on Pesach. In order to ensure that the fish wouldn’t stick to the pan, it was customary to coat the fish in some type of breading.[3] The rebbetzin took some matza and ground it into matza meal to use as “breading” to coat the fish. A neighbor happened to see the rebbetzin frying the fish with the matza meal and assumed that it was real flour and, by extension, that it was permitted to use real flour for frying fish on Pesach! And so the neighbor did. When the rabbis heard what happened, they instituted the custom of gebrokts.
While some are unforgivingly strict in their observance of the gebrokts custom, there are a number of variations of it, as well. For example, in some communities, matza is not allowed to come into contact with water, but it is permitted to come into contact with other liquids, such as fruit juice or wine. This was the practice of Rabbi Shneur Zalman and Rabbi Sholom Dov Bear of Lubavitch[4] along with other great Chassidic leaders.[5] There are also those who differentiate between whole matza and ground matza (“matza meal”) with regard to the gebrokts restrictions.[6] Some people who do not eat gebrokts on Pesach will nevertheless eat gebrokts mixtures on Erev Pesach.[7]
In some communities, dramatic precautions are taken in order to ensure that matza does not come into contact with water. For example, some keep any matza that is on the table covered at all times. There are also those who only eat their matza directly from a plastic bag, at the edge of the table, and as quickly as possible. So too, some will not pour any drinks or liquids before any surrounding matza crumbs are removed.[8]
Nevertheless, the premise of the gebrokts custom, and the concern that fully baked matza can subsequently become chametz, is somewhat far-fetched and was never accepted as halacha. In fact, the Talmud explicitly states that once matza has been baked, there is nothing that can cause it to become chametz.[9] The Shulchan Aruch even rules that one is allowed to wet matza, and even re-bake matza.[10] Indeed, one who has difficulty chewing matza is advised to wet the matza in water in order to soften it, and this even includes the matza that is eaten at the Seder.[11] It is also noted that, historically, it was always permitted to bake, cook, or otherwise allow matza to come into contact with water.[12]
The Raavan rules that matza that is fully immersed and boiled in water may be eaten; there is no concern that it might become chametz. He also writes that the original custom to refrain from dipping matza into soup on Pesach was not due to any gebrokts-related concerns, but it was merely intended to ensure that people would enjoy the natural taste of the matza![13] There are those who have argued that the gebrokts custom conflicts with the requirement to enjoy Yom Tov as it severely limits one’s Pesach food options, and should therefore be ignored.[14]
The Vilna Gaon was known to cook matza on Pesach[15] and it is reported that the Chatam Sofer would use matza balls for his kiddush bamakom seuda requirement.[16] In the Chazon Ish’s home, there was a unique method for making matza balls. The matza balls would be prepared by mixing matza meal and eggs, since eggs do not cause flour to rise.[17] They would then be placed into boiling hot water, which is also a method cited to prevent dough from possibly rising. As such, the Chazon Ish managed to enjoy matza balls on Pesach while still complying with the restriction of gebrokts![18]
Although the custom of not eating gebrokts is primarily a Chassidic custom, it is interesting to note that the Ba'al Shem Tov never observed this custom and would eat matza that had been wetted or recooked. It seems that the custom only first began with the Ba'al Shem Tov's disciple, Rabbi Dov Ber, known as the Maggid of Mezeritch.[19] Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, a great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, recommends that anyone whose family custom is not to eat gebrokts on Pesach should be sure to observe it, but that there is no reason for anyone to take this custom upon himself.[20]
It is likely that the gebrokts custom originated at a time when matzot were made much thicker than they are today. As such, there may have been a legitimate concern that the insides of some of these matzot may not have been fully baked. In our day, however, the matzot are so thin, and so fully baked, that there is no room for this concern any more.[21] It is also noted that even if there were such a concern, there would be no problem wetting one's matza (i.e. dipping it into soup) as long as one is careful to consume it within eighteen minutes.[22] Even the most stringent will concede that it is permitted to chew matza on Pesach notwithstanding the water content of saliva.[23]
Nevertheless, there are a number of passages within classical halachic sources that lend support to observing the custom of gebrokts even today. For example, the Shulchan Aruch rules that one who made a matza dough, but feels that the dough is too loose, should not simply add flour to the mixture in order to thicken its consistency. Rather, one should make a new, thicker dough which should then be combined with the loose dough in order to thicken it up. This is because if one were to simply add flour to the existing loose dough, it is possible that the newly added flour may not get fully mixed into the dough, and not fully bake. If this were to happen, it is certainly conceivable that such matza could become actual chametz if it were to be dipped into hot soup.[24]
In many communities in the Diaspora, the custom of not eating gebrokts is suspended on the last day of Pesach. This is in order to differentiate between the first seven days of the holiday which are of Torah origin, and the last day of Pesach, which is of rabbinic origin. So too, eating gebrokts on the last day of Pesach demonstrates that the custom is only a stringency and that one should never suggest that those who do not follow it are guilty of eating chametz on Pesach. Similarly, it is said that the Chafetz Chaim would arrange for a large boiling pot to be set up in the Radin town square every year on the eighth day of Pesach. Every Jewish family would bring matza balls that they made at home and put them in the pot. Each family would then randomly take some matza balls from the pot and eat them.
The custom of gebrokts is an example of something that began as a stringency, but essentially evolved into a custom. Therefore, as mentioned, one whose family custom is not to eat gebrokts on Pesach should continue to observe the custom.[25] On a related note, there is no real reason for those who do not eat gebrokts to refrain from eating off of dishes and utensils that are used for gebrokts.[26]
[1] “Gebrokts” is Yiddish for “broken”, as in “broken in order to rebake.” “Sheruya” means “soaked”.
[2] Shulchan Aruch Harav, Teshuvot 6; Shaarei Teshuva 460:10; Mishna Berura 458:4; Chatam Sofer, YD 222.
[3] Based on Pesachim 40b; Tur, OC 463; Shaarei Teshuva 460:10.
[4]Sefer Hasichot 5700 p. 37. See also Shu"t Shulchan Aruch Harav at the end of Choshen Mishpat.
[5]Piskei Teshuvot 458 note 23.
[6] See Chochmat Shlomo 463:3.
[7]Chayei Adam 129:13; She'arim Metzuyanim B'halacha 115:7.
[8]Shaarei Halacha U’minhag Vol. 2:203.
[9] Pesachim 39b, Rashi s.v. "afui".
[12] Pri Chadash, YD 87:6; Chok Yaakov, OC 460:16.
[13] Raavan, Pesachim 39b.
[14] Sheilat Ya'avetz 2:65.
[15] Ma'aseh Rav 183.
[16] Minhagei Chatam Sofer 10:25; Chatam Sofer, OC 138; Maharshag 56:2; Divrei Yisrael 1:122.
[18] Orchot Rabbeinu II p. 52. See also Maaseh Rav 187; Chazon Ish, OC 121:19; Mishna Berura 454:13, 458:4.
[19] Kitvei R"i Shu"b p.54.
[20] Siach Sarfei Kodesh Breslov 20 p.18; Sichot Haran 235.
[21] See: Chatam Sofer, OC 138; Kaf Hachaim, OC 459:82; She'arim Metzuyanim B'halacha 108:8; Yechaveh Daat 1:21.
[22]Shaarei Teshuva 460:10.
[23]Shaarei Teshuva 460:9.
[24] OC 459:6; Magen Avraham 459:16.
[25] Beit Yosef, OC 461 s.v. katav Harambam. But see Dvar Chevron 2:508 for an alternative approach.
[26] Nitei Gavriel, Pesach 3:37:13; Radbaz 4:296.