Q:
What Halachos apply to Chometz owned by a non Jew over Pesach?
A:
Chametz, a grain product made with a leavening agent, is forbidden for a Jew to own, benefit from, or eat on Pesach. There are certain laws that guide how a Jew who has interactions with a non-Jew who owns Chametz should proceed on Pesach.
If a non-Jew brings his own Chametz into one’s property as long as the non-Jew is holding onto the Chametz the Jew doesn’t have to get rid of the Chametz – Shulchan Aruch O.C. 440:3,
Whether or not one is home for Pesach, having a non-Jewish worker eat Chametz (which belongs to the non-Jew) in one’s property on Pesach is problematic if it is one’s responsibility to feed one’s worker or if one usually feeds him (such as a house maid in the house), however, if one never provides them with food it’s permissible for the non-Jew to eat Chametz in one’s house.
One may not provide Chametz for workers to eat nor should one bring one’s workers to a Chametz restaurant even if one isn’t paying for the food. However, if the non-Jewish worker goes to the restaurant to eat it’s permissible to pay for his bill as long as one didn’t order the food for him.
It is permitted for a Jewish insurance company to offer insurance to a non-Jew even if they include chametz in that insurance policy. The reason it is permitted is because the Jew does not really own the chametz. Even though it is forbidden for a Jew to accept the responsibility for a non-Jew’s chametz that is only true when it is in the Jew’s domain. However, there is no halachic issue with a Jew taking responsibility for chametz of a non-Jew in that non-Jew’s property.
It is permitted for a Jewish insurance company to offer insurance to a Jew even if that Jew includes chametz on Pesach in that policy since that merely entails paying for its loss or theft monetarily. It does not involve any responsibility to actually watch or guard the chametz. Therefore it is not similar to the prohibition for a Jew to take responsibility for chametz on Pesach.
If a non-Jew gives a Jew a present containing Chametz one may not accept such a gift on Pesach. It is forbidden to smell chametz of a non-Jew or Jew on Pesach to derive pleasure.
One shouldn’t go out of one’s way to derive pleasure by smelling Chametz but if one is minding his own business one doesn’t have to leave the area where there is a smell of Chametz. If someone is in the street and there’s a chametz restaurant he doesn’t need to go around not to smell the chametz food.One may eat at the same table as someone who is eating non-kosher if one puts down something which will serve as a designation that the two aren’t eating together (a placement or table cloth on one person’s area), however, one may not eat food at the same table as someone who is eating Chametz.
A person travelling on an airplane on Chol Hamoed Pesach should be careful to tell them that he doesn’t want to order the meals since they have chametz in them and it is forbidden to own chametz on pesach or he should order a kosher meal.A person sitting next to a non-Jew eating Chametz at his seat he shouldn’t eat his meal at the same time on his tray since the trays are so close to one another.A person shouldn’t eat kosher l’pesach food directly on the airplane trays, rather they should put down some cloth and the food on top of that. |