Siman - Pesachim Daf 40
- Activities that might result in chimutz
Beginning at the bottom of Daf 39b the Gemara brings several activities to avoid since they might result in the chimutz of grain:
- Mar Zutra said that one should not thicken a pot of food even with flour of oven-dried grain, for perhaps it did not bake properly and it will come to chimutz at the beginning of the cooking process.
- Rav Yosef said that one should not scald in boiling water two kernels of wheat together, for one kernel will perhaps shift and settle in the cleft of the other, and the bubbling boiling water will not get to them on all four sides and it will come to chimutz.
- Abaye said one should not singe two stalks of grain together, for moisture will perhaps seep out of one stalk and the other will absorb it and come to chimutz. Rava said that this is not a concern since the moisture is the juice of the fruit and מי פרות אין מחמיצין – fruit juice does not cause leavening. Abaye retracted his ruling, but for a different reason. He said that as long as a liquid is flowing it does not cause leavening.
- אין לותתין שעורין בפסח
It was taught in a Baraisa, אין לותתין שעורין בפסח – We may not soak barley grains in water on Pesach. Slightly soaking whole grain in water, makes it possible to remove the bran completely by pounding the grain, and thereby produce a finer flour. This should be permitted because the grain was only soaked briefly and did not absorb water before being dried in the sun. The Rabbanon prohibited it out of concern that people will not be careful enough and the grain will become chametz. The Baraisa continues, ואם לתת נתקבעו אסורות לא נתבקעו מותרות – If one did soak the barley on Pesach, if the grains split, they are forbidden because they leaven quickly, if they did not split, they are permitted since they do not leaven quickly. Rebbe Yose says, if he wants to inhibit the leavening process, שורן בחומץ וחומץ צומתן – He should soak them in vinegar and the vinegar will contract them. Shmuel said that the halachah is not like Rebbe Yose.
- Putting flour in charoses and mustard
The next Mishnah states, אין נותנין קמח לתוך חרוסת או לתוך החרדל – One may not add flour to charoses, which was a dip containing vinegar made for use with meat , or to mustard, ואם נתן יאכל מיד ורבי מאיר אוסר – and if he did add flour it must be eaten immediately. Rebbe Meir forbids one to eat it. Rav Kahana said, מחלוקת לתוך החרדל – The machlokes only applies in the case of flour put in mustard, אבל לתוך חרוסת דברי הכל ישרף מיד – but in the case of flour put into charoses, all agree that it must be burned immediately. Rashi explains that the pungency of mustard delays the leavening process.
