[Avodah] Gebrokts on the 8th Day

[Akiva Miller]

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R' Yitzchok Levine asked:
> If Gebrokts are a possible problem in other years on the first
> 7 days of Pesach,  then why aren't they a problems this year
> on the 7th day of Pesach?

R' Zev Sero answered as regards Eiruv Tavshilin, but I suspect that
RYL's question is from the chometz perspective. In other words, I
think RYL is asking, "The 7th day is d'Oraisa! How can they be cooking
gebrokts when chometz is d'Oraisa?"

My answer is: Yes, they are cooking it, but they're not *eating* it.
The chiyuv karays is only on eating chometz, not on owning it. From
that perspective, it is not so terrible to be cooking gebrokts on a
day when chometz is d'Oraisa, as long as they are careful to avoid
eating it.

On the other hand, if that logic is correct, then it would be
preferable to do the cooking on Chol Hamoed, rather than rely on
Hilchos Eruv Tavshilin. Hmmm... even with Eruv Tavshilin, it is
preferable to cook before Yom Tov, unless you davka want/need the food
to be fresh-tasting. So we must be talking about those sorts of
foods/situations, and that's why they are putting it off until Yom
Tov.

Another reason to delay (rather than cook it on Chol Hamoed) is to
avoid the michshol of having the gebrokts around when one might eat
it.

I can easily imagine some people who avoid this whole mess by not
cooking any gebrokts in advance at all, and simply put some matza into
their Friday night chicken soup.

Akiva Miller