[Avodah] A Solution in Sight For The Matzah Sensitive

[Micha Berger]

On Wed, Mar 21, 2012 at 12:28:13PM -0400, Prof. Levine quoted from
Jerusalem Kosher News at <http://tinyurl.com/73tq8q7>:
> In this article we will discuss the matzah alternatives according to  
> their halachic preference. Wheat matzah for the seder night always has 
> preference over other grains for those who can handle wheat and so we 
> will begin with the advantages of whole wheat matzah and then carry on to 
> spelt and gluten-free oat matzah.

I am not sure why JKN chose the title "A Solution in Sight For The
Matzah Sensitive", spelt and oat matzah are far from new.

But what I'm wondering is why wheat is preferable over spelt.

How do we get the 5 minei dagan (5MD) for matzah? A gezeiras hakasuv
from the 7 minim of birkhas EY. Chitah and se'orah in the berakhah
are broader terms than in the 5MD, and refer to what we think of as
5 species. These 5 leaven in a way halakhah considers chimutz, other
leavening is halachically sirachon. (See our annual discussions of
whether shibboles shu'al could actually be oats for more about this
derashah, the pasuq in Yeshaiah, etc...)

I did not encounter before the idea that se'orah and its subtypes are
inferior to chitah. It would make sense to me, since se'orah in general
is considered courser and less bekavod. And I would think oats even lower
priority than 
so, since 

But here we are talking about two of the three strains of chitah --
chitah (wheat) and kusmin (spelt). (The third being shifon, rye.) Given
that the pasuq itself refers to them by one word, why would we conclude
that there is prioritization between the three?

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Spirituality is like a bird: if you tighten
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