Kitnios – A Deeper Look

The custom of abstaining from Kitniyos is one that is far older than many religions, including both
Protestant Christianity and even Islam. Below is a history and a deeper look at it.
HISTORY
The origins of the minhag to not eat kitniyos (often defined as “legumes”) on Pesach dates back,
according to some, to the times of the Geonim (see SMaK 222). During the time of the Gemara,
however, the prohibition did not exist. Indeed, the Gemara tells us that Rabbah ate rice in front of Rav
Huna (Pesachim 114b). Rav Ashi also rules that rice may be eaten on Pesach. But, clearly, in the time of
the Geonim things changed.
REASONS
The reason why kitniyos were forbidden, of course, was as a protective measure. The Mishnah Berurah
(O.C. 453:6, 464:5) provides a few explanations:

• Kitniyos are harvested and processed in the same way that chametz is. The masses would confuse the two and come to permit grains for themselves.
• Kitniyos can also be ground and baked, just like chametz, and people might come to permit chametz grains.
• The Kitniyos themselves may have actual chametz mixed in. All three reasons are therefore protective in nature. The prohibition was strictly limited to consumption; one may own and derive benefit from kitniyos on Pesach.

WHAT IS INCLUDED?
Just what is included in kitniyos? The term “legumes” is a misnomer, as that word simply means a plant
in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the edible fruit or seeds of such plants, such as beans and
peas. The prohibition extended beyond just legumes, however. Rice, mustard, and corn (see M.B. 453:4)
are also included. So are buckwheat, lentils, and sesame seeds.
What about Quinoa? The Badatz of the Eida Chareidis (Madrich HaKashrus 5772, Ch. 15, pg. 47) views it
like corn which came to be included in the prohibition, while Rav Heineman from the Star K rules that it
is permissible. The OU initially forbade it, with a printed response by Rav Yisroel Belsky zt”l (Ve’Kasher
HaDavar (July 2012, pg. 9) explaining that Quinoa fit every criterion for Kitniyos. Rav Hershel Schachter
l’havdil bain chaim l’chaim had disagreed with Rabbi Belsky from the outset on this issue and in
December of 2013, Rabbi Genack announced that Quinoa is not to be considered Kitniyos. They did this,
according to the announcement, after investigating issues of cross-contamination in several countries. In
addition to quinoa, OU Kosher has concluded that related canihua, kiwicha and maca seeds would also
not be considered Kitniyos.
The TaZ writes that it is simply impossible to clearly define and quantify what is included in the category.
What about coffee? Is that a bean? The Shaarei Teshuvah forbids coffee as kitniyos. The prevalent
Minhag is not to follow the Shaarei Teshuvah and to permit it. (This was true even before Maxwell
House sponsored the English language Haggadahs).

And what about peanuts? Some say yes, some say no. Many of our older readers will remember the
peanut oil with a Pesach hechsher that used to dominate our kitchen cabinets. No longer.

WHY THE STRINGENCIES?
And why are we so stringent regarding derivatives of kitniyos? This comes from a halachah found in the
Rama: the Rama indicates that oil made from kitniyos is forbidden just like the kitniyos themselves.
Cottonseed oil is perplexing, because some say yes and some say no. Canola oil is kitniyos, too.

FROM WHEN IS IT FORBIDDEN?
When are kitniyos forbidden? The Sheivet HaLevi (Vol. III, No. 31) rules that the time we can no longer
eat them is the same time as for chametz itself. The Maharsham (Daas Torah 453) permits it, until the
evening of Pesach itself. The minhag is to be stringent, but for those direct descendents of the
Maharsham (quite a few of whom live in Lawrence), it would be okay to eat kitniyos on erev Pesach.

THE LENIENCIES
There is also a leniency. Kitniyos is battul b’rov if mixed in accidentally with other (kosher l’Pesach) food
(see Mishnah Berurah 453:9). In other words, even if the taste is distinguishable, as long as the kitniyos
constitutes less than half of the final mixture and is not removable, the food remains kosher! The Rav
Shulchan Aruch says that this doesn’t work if it is the main part of the dish – even when less than half.
Sick people may also eat kitniyos on Pesach, and it is permitted to feed kitniyos to infants or to animals.
The Chasam Sofer writes (O.C. 122) not to let it cook a long time in the pot, but rather to heat up the
water first and then put in the kitniyos (which is what we do anyway, except when using a rice cooker).
Ideally, if one is feeding someone kitniyos, a separate pot should be kept for that use (P’ri Chadash 453).
There is no need to kasher, though, if an error was made.

OTHER HALACHOS
Are Kitniyos Muktzah on Shabbos? No, rules Rav Asher Weiss. Why not? Because they may be given to a
Sephardic Jew on Yom Tov. Indeed Rav Elyashiv zt”l ruled that on Isru Chag that falls on a Shabbos, one
may have kitniyos because of a combination of factors including that it is permissible to Sefardim and
therefore did not become Muktzah the previous bein hashmashos.
When a couple gets married, the wife follows the customs of the husband. So a Sephardic girl who
marries an Ashkenazic boy cannot have kitniyos, while an Ashkenazic girl who marries a Sephardic boy
may have kitniyos. This is true for a second marriage, as well.
Rav Elyashiv zt”l had ruled that the minhag is that one should avoid vessels that had kitniyos cooked in
them even if the vessels were used more than 24 hours ago. He did rule, however, that if it could insult
someone heaven forbide, there is room to be lenient (page 14 of the Rav Elyashiv Hagaddah).

WILL IT BE CHANGED?
Another question: Is the prohibition of kitniyos here to stay? The Teshuvah MeAhavah (No. 259) seems
to indicate that it is. He writes that even if the beis din of Shmuel HaRamasi or Eliyahu HaNavi were to
reconvene, they would not have the ability to permit kitniyos. And, at least according to some poskim, it is a pretty serious prohibition; the Maharil (Hilchos Pesach 25) writes that violating the minhag can
cause one to be put to death!

A PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH
But why all the stringencies? Why do we forbid so many things and their derivatives, as well? Why on
erev Pesach, too? Perhaps a philosophical approach to kitniyos can answer a lot of our questions. One
reason, given by the father of Koznitz Hagaddah’s publisher (found in the Nuta Gavriel), is that the word
alludes to a notion that means small, while Pesach is associated with things that are great.
To elaborate a bit, kitniyos represents something which is the antithesis of Pesach. Of all the holidays on
the Jewish calendar, Pesach connotes greatness”a realization of who we are as a nation, and a
concomitant recognition that Hashem had great purpose in redeeming us from the hand of Pharaoh.
Within the small nation of Israel lies cosmic significance with a national spiritual destiny that can affect
the world. Pesach connotes geulah, redemption, with all the overtones implied in the word.
Kitniyos, on the other hand, alludes to smallness. The word conjures up thoughts of a myopic, small-
mindedness of sorts, where the cosmic significance and the national destiny of the Jewish people is
ignored. Everything that we do has import, even down to the foods we eat or the foods that we do not
eat. Perhaps we are so stringent in avoiding kitniyos to help us dispose of the small-mindedness that can
get us stuck into just looking at the trees without seeing the forest. For the same reason, the community
of the town of Ostreich refrained from eating kitniyos on any day on which Tachanun is not recited (see
Be’er Heitev O.C. 131, citing the Maharil). What is the reason? Perhaps it is to appeal to the inner voice
within us to achieve our destiny, both as a people and as individuals.