Chametz Checklist - Repairers of the Breach

1 Chametz Checklist Se or: leavening agents Chametz : product made from leavening agents Five species considered able to turn into Chametz are wheat, spelt, barley, oats, and rye. Yeast When looking for yeast in products also look for hydrolyzed yeast and autolyzed yeast. Also look out for brewer s yeast extract. These are forms of yeast and are forbidden on Passover. Many manufacturers use these as flavor enhancers in their products. Baking powder This includes phosphate, anhydrous phosphate and sodium aluminum sulfatephosphate. Self-rising flour Maltodextrin Products containing maltodextrin may or may not be kosher for Passover. Maltodextrin is a form of fermented grains.

2 The grain could be anything including barley, corn, rice, or potatoes. If the maltodextrin is from corn, rice, or potatoes it is kosher for Passover. If however it is from barley or any of the other five species that can become leaven it must be thrown out. Sometimes the ingredients list does not specify the type of maltodextrin. In this case it is always best to throw it out instead of hoping for the best. Malt Vinegar This vinegar is made from fermented barley. It is not permissible for Passover. Vegemite This is made from leftover brewer s yeast extract. Again, not permissible for Passover. Malted Beverages This constitutes beers. Beer manufacturers use fermented grains in their beer, specifically fermented or malted barley.

3 Since beer can be used to leaven bread it is something that should be removed from your homes. Any liquor that contains fermented grains (if from the five species) should be considered when removing leaven from one s home. Baking Soda??? Baking soda is a product that is a chemical leavening agent. Technically this does not meet the Scriptural criteria of being se or which is yeast or a fermented starter (from fermented grains). This is something entirely up to you. I have kept baking soda for the last three years. When I was growing up it was always something we removed from our home. Three years ago someone brought a box of matzo ball soup mix to my attention which contained baking soda on the ingredients list.

4 I was shocked! Here I had been told to get rid of it my whole life but the Rabbis called it kosher for Passover when it came to making a profit off of matzo ball soup mix. I did a thorough study and came to the conclusion that since it doesn t meet the criteria of a se or or of Chametz that I would keep it. So, it is entirely up to you if you want to keep it or throw it away. Beans? No, you do not have to get rid of beans. It is a European Jewry tradition to get rid of beans and rice during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. However, beans and rice do not ferment but rather stink. Beans do not constitute se or or Chametz . Rice? See the above information for beans. Wine Vinegar and Apple Cider Vinegar and other vinegars made from fruit.

5 Vinegar made from wine is entirely acceptable for Passover. It is from grapes, which is a fruit. Fermented fruit is not used as a se or and it is not classified as Chametz since it is not made from one of the five grains. Fermented fruit does not cause dough to rise. What should we do to prepare? Remove all leavening agents (yeast, self-rising flour, and examples from above) and leavened products. Remove beer and any other malted liquors. Thoroughly inspect and clean your house for any leaven. This includes bedrooms where you may have eaten. The entire house should be cleaned and inspected since we are to make sure that there is no leaven within our borders for these seven days.

6 Check for crumbs in between sofa cushions, under sofas, around dining room chairs. Every year I take a toothbrush and scrub the chairs to ensure that I have removed leaven. Clean your dishes. Every year I boil water and dip my dishes in it. Why? It removes additional crumbs or other residual stuffs that haven t been removed during normal washing. The stuffs that are in the bottom of the pot, even if not Chametz , makes me glad that I went through this long process before Passsover. If you have a dishwasher you wouldn t need to do this step. If you have a dishwasher you will need to clean it and remove any crumbs that may have collected in its drain. Clean your car especially if you ever eat in it.

7 Remember that as you are doing this you are fulfilling a commandment. There is a spiritual aspect to the removal of leavens from our homes. Our bodies are a temporary dwelling place for our spirits. Leaven represents sin. YHVH gave us something physical to do once a year (remove leaven from our homes) in order to teach us the importance of removing sin from our beings. Hopefully we examine ourselves more than just once a year. Vacuum bags need to be emptied as they will definitely contain Chametz .