Buying Chametz After Pesach from a Jewish-Owned Store That Did Not Sell Their Chametz

May I buy chametz after Pesach from a Jewish-owned store that did not sell their chametz? What about pet food? How long should I wait until I can purchase chametz again?

Chazal instituted a k’nas (penalty) on any Jew who owned chametz during Pesach. Not only does this chametz become forbidden to eat, but one may also not derive any benefit from it (Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 448:3). This is true, even if the Jew is non-observant and was completely unaware of the prohibition against owning chametz on Pesach (see Mishnah Berurah 448:11). Therefore, one may not even buy chametz pet food, from a store owned by Jews who did not sell their chametz. Rav Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe Orach Chaim 4:96) writes that one must wait to purchase chametz from such a store until most of the inventory has turned over, and the majority of the chametz is no longer subject to this prohibition. For products that have a long shelf life, this can take a few weeks. In general, regarding chametz at supermarkets, one can assume that by Lag B’omer (approximately four weeks after Pesach) most of the inventory has changed over, even if the supermarket is supplied by a Jewish-owned distributor as well.

The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt”l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.