[Avodah] What is Chametz?

[kennethgmiller at juno.com]

R' Alan Rubin asked:
> Is chametz a purely Halachic construct, an empirically observable
> phenomenon or something else?

R' Micha Berger answered:
> That's the whole discussion in the gemara about whether orez
> leavens. I would think that R' Yochanan ben Nuri holds that
> chameitz means leaven, in the biological sense. However, we
> follow the chakhamim that chameitz means leavening one of the 5
> grains ... with water. Otherwise, the leavening is called
> sirchon, not chameitz.

To me, a very significant word here is "called". Chazal say that when these grains are used it is *called* chometz, and when those grains are used it is *called* sirchon. Same chemical effect, different terminology.

To what may the matter be compared? To the reason why women are exempt from the issur against shaving. I know that most women have little or no facial hair, but why is there an exemption for the few who do? The answer is that when a man puts a blade to his face to remove the hair, that is called "giluach/shaving", but when a woman does the same act, it is not called "giluach". And because "giluach" is what the Torah forbade, and when a woman removes her hair with a blade it isn't called "giluach", therefore there is no way for her to violate the law.

The distinction is linguistic, not mechanical or biological. But it is real nevertheless.

So too, I suspect, in our case. This is chometz, but that is merely sirchon. It's not legalistic doubletalk; it is what the words mean. It is entirely legitimate to ask whether orez which has undergone sirchon might be forbidden on Pesach, the same way that one might ask whether a law which applies to "babies" might also apply to "puppies" and "kittens". And it is entirely legitimate to answer whether the law applies to specific species or others as well.

Akiva Miller

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