Passover is a very different holiday than most in the Jewish calendar. The first reason is that we are required to remove all leavened products from our home, or to sell it to a non-Jew. This is done by a Rabbi who acts as our “agent” and knows how to do the “selling and the rebuying” of the Chometz (Leavened products) after Passover. Within every community, there is one Rabbi who is in charge of this. For those of you who don’t have a Rabbi, Chabad provides this service at no charge.

Leaven comes from flour of any of the Five Species (Wheat, Oat, Rye, Spelt, and Barley) that comes into contact with water for more than 18 minutes. This is why Matza baking must be done from the second that the flour comes into contact with the water and the mixing and kneading and rolling of the dough and baking the Matza in less than 18 minutes total. At the same time, the equipment must be changed every so often to make sure that nothing has had a chance to become leaven.

We have a special set of pots and pans and dishes, tableware and, etc., that is only used for Passover and put away for the rest of the year in a special place. At the same time, other products within our home have to be cleaned and put away such as the regular dishes that we use all year round since we eat bread on them and other leavened products. Things like toothpaste, and toothbrushes need to be changed to brand new ones or those that are put away from year to year to be used only for Passover in a Passover designated spot which can be in the basement, attic, storage room or special cabinets that are locked up the rest of the year. Shampoos and cosmetics are a big problem in general. Many of them are made with wheat or wheat by products and alcohol which is can either be made from synthetics or grain. Paper goods are another thing that needs to be checked out each year since the materials used change from year to year. There are a few agencies that publish a reliable Passover guide every year that is updated and current.

Examples of foods that are leavened and not allowed for Passover are bread, crackers, cake, cereal, spaghetti, liquors that are made with grain alcohol and etc. Within the Ashkenazic (Eastern European origin) community, we also accepted upon ourselves not to eat foods made from corn, beans, rice, legumes. This was because of the custom to grow these kinds of foods near the wheat and since they could be mistaken for grains when they were ground up, it became the custom not to eat them. Among the Sephardic community, it is customary to eat products from these foods depending on the family’s personal custom. So it is very common to see many products made from soy and corn or rice labeled as “Kosher for Passover for those that eat Kitniyos” in Israel. However, the Ashkenazic community doesn’t accept this as being okay for Passover.

The reason why the Laws of Passover are so strict is because Chometz is not nullified like other products are. One cannot have 1/60th or less during Passover in their possession. Normally, if a piece of meat fell into a dairy pot by accident, as long as the meat was less than 1/60th of the contents of the pot, then it is still Kosher. How ever, if it is more than that, the entire pot is Treife or NOT Kosher. Then one has to ask a Rabbi how to make the pot Kosher again. There are very specific things one has to do and each case is different based on the circumstances in which the “accident” happened. However with Passover, these laws do NOT apply. If one finds Chometz in their possession during Passover, they have to ask the Rabbi what to do and burn it.

Clothes have to be checked along with furniture, toys, books, and etc. For those people who don’t have time to check all of the books or toys, you can put them away and sell them to the non-Jew along with the rest of the Chometz stuff.

On the day before Passover, it is the custom for the Firstborn son to fast or to attend a Siyum (a Special finishing of a portion of learning of the Torah). If the son is not yet Bar-Mitzvah, then the father fasts for him. The reason for this is that the First-born sons were killed in the last plague before the Jews left Egypt. In gratitude to G-d for sparing the First-born among the Jewish people and in remembrance of this great miracle, we have the custom of doing this.