[Avodah] selling whiskey

[Eli Turkel]

<<Personally, I don't get the whole minhag of not selling chameitz gamur,
but shopping after Pesach at a store that did. What, it's less ha'aramah
to rely on his sale than on my own? Or do most of us not have stocked
pantries for which switching to and from Pesach isn't a hefsed meruba?>>

If one worries that the sale is not valid because of haarama or other reasons
then one would not sell only items that can lkead to a Torah prohibition.
"Chametz she-aver alav hapesach" is only a fine and so we would allow haaramah
even for chametz gamur.

The reason for selling whiskey for most of us is hefsed meruba. At
$40+ for a bottle
of a single malt scotch throwing out a few bottles is significant.
A friend of mine (in humor) said he would have a party right before
Pesach to get
rid of all his scotch.

In any case I was always taught that the origin of selling chametz was because
of all the Jews in Eastern Europe in the liquor business.


-- 
Eli Turkel