[Avodah] Selling Real Chameitz

[Zev Sero]

Rich, Joel wrote:
> My impression (I don't know how one could prove this) is that the
> "takana" of mchirat chametz was instituted due to hefsed mrubah (think
> owners of distillery) but once instituted (or perhaps when instituted it
> became?) more of a lo plug(i.e. either the takkana was a process takkana
> which covered more than the original issue that was of concern or over
> time that's what it evolved to by common practice)

I don't think it's that.  Mechirat chametz isn't a takanah in the sense
of an enactment, it's more literally a tikkun, i.e. a solution.  The
*reason* it was invented in the first place may have been because people
were facing a hefsed merubeh; without that incentive it may be that
nobody would have put the effort into inventing and developing it.  But
now that it has been invented and developed, it would seem to work just
as well in all cases.  Teflon and velcro were invented because the space
program needed them, and they might never have been invented if not for
that need, but now that they have been invented we use them everywhere.

Chemtzo shel goy is not a heter, it's plain muttar, and there isn't
any reason to suppose an issur on it, or to be machmir on it.  And
where the goy got it from, or what he intends to do with it after
Pesach, isn't really relevant.

-- 
Zev Sero                      The trouble with socialism is that you
zev at sero.name                 eventually run out of other people’s money
                                                     - Margaret Thatcher