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Peninei Halakha
Laws of Pesah
Peninei Halakha is a comprehensive series of books on Jewish law applied to today's ever-changing world. In this series, Rabbi Eliezer Melamed's well-organized, clear, and concise writing style brings the halakha, from principle to practical detail, to readers of all backgrounds. With over 300,000 copies in circulation, Peninei Halakha stands as one of the most popular and useful halakha series in Israel today.
- GenresJewish
313 pages, Hardcover
First published February 12, 2014
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March 1, 2018
This is an easy to read and comprehensive explanation of the many rabbinical laws associated with the holiday of Passover developed for the most part from the Torah mandate that no unleavened product may be in the home during the seven day holiday of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread. The book is an English translation of the Hebrew original that sold over 300,000 copies. The author is one of the most popular educators in Israel. He is a rabbi of a Hesder yeshiva, a school that recognizes that Israeli religious Jews are obligated, as are their non-religious brethren, to serve in the Israeli military and aid in defending their country.
The book is composed of sixteen chapters in which Rabbi Melamed mentions the opinions of various rabbis and discusses, among much else, the meaning of Pesah, matzah, and Seder, the rules concerning the prohibition of unleavened bread, how to get rid of unleavened bread, the practice of searching for unleavened bread, selling unleavened products, why even a drop of an unleavened product renders a food forbidden, can one eat egg matzah, the use of medicines on Pesah that have unleavened ingredients, the meaning of the many practices associated with the reading of the haggadah and the Seder plate, why four cups of wine, and what is the afikoman. His explanations are very enlightening and interesting.
Rabbi Melamed does not take the approach in his book that one has to observe the discussed practice in a particular way and he does not insist that Jews should observe the strictest rabbinical ruling. For example, in regard to eating the afikoman, a piece of matzah at the end of the festive Passover meal, called the Seder, Rabbi Melamed informs readers that the ancient rabbis differed why the matzah is eaten. Some say that the eating of the matzah at the Seder end is the way Jews fulfill the biblical command to eat matzah on the holiday. Others say that the afikoman matzah reminds Jews of the Pascal sacrifice that was mandated by the Torah to be brought in the Temple, and was brought until the Temple was destroyed in 70 CE. All of the ancient rabbis agreed that this matzah must be eaten while reclining to the left side as a sign of relaxing and freedom. However the rabbis differed what one should do if one forgot to lean. Some say the person should eat another matzah while leaning, while others say the person must not eat another matzah, and the rabbi explains both opinions. The rabbi also discusses how much matzah a Jew must consume as the afikoman. He offers a lenient ruling: one can eat the smaller portion, and he explains why.
The book is composed of sixteen chapters in which Rabbi Melamed mentions the opinions of various rabbis and discusses, among much else, the meaning of Pesah, matzah, and Seder, the rules concerning the prohibition of unleavened bread, how to get rid of unleavened bread, the practice of searching for unleavened bread, selling unleavened products, why even a drop of an unleavened product renders a food forbidden, can one eat egg matzah, the use of medicines on Pesah that have unleavened ingredients, the meaning of the many practices associated with the reading of the haggadah and the Seder plate, why four cups of wine, and what is the afikoman. His explanations are very enlightening and interesting.
Rabbi Melamed does not take the approach in his book that one has to observe the discussed practice in a particular way and he does not insist that Jews should observe the strictest rabbinical ruling. For example, in regard to eating the afikoman, a piece of matzah at the end of the festive Passover meal, called the Seder, Rabbi Melamed informs readers that the ancient rabbis differed why the matzah is eaten. Some say that the eating of the matzah at the Seder end is the way Jews fulfill the biblical command to eat matzah on the holiday. Others say that the afikoman matzah reminds Jews of the Pascal sacrifice that was mandated by the Torah to be brought in the Temple, and was brought until the Temple was destroyed in 70 CE. All of the ancient rabbis agreed that this matzah must be eaten while reclining to the left side as a sign of relaxing and freedom. However the rabbis differed what one should do if one forgot to lean. Some say the person should eat another matzah while leaning, while others say the person must not eat another matzah, and the rabbi explains both opinions. The rabbi also discusses how much matzah a Jew must consume as the afikoman. He offers a lenient ruling: one can eat the smaller portion, and he explains why.
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