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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">A few years ago, when this subject was
a bit more of a hot topic, one of community rabbis (YU trained,
learned with the Rav for several years) gave a talk on kitniyot.
His talk was based on a shiyur that the Rav gave. I can't do
justice to it; maybe some of the YU folks here can flesh out what
I say (or correct it). The talk was on Shabbat, so I am relying on
memory.<br>
<br>
The Rav's basic assumption is that such a huge split in practice
(kitniyot) can't be something that popped up in the 10th century;
rather it has to be rooted in a machloqet in the Gemara. In
addition, add in the historical data point that the European
community was descended from the Jewish community in Israel, while
the Eidat Hamizrach descended from the Babylonian community. <br>
<br>
The dispute about the nature of rice (is it chametz or not) isn't
restricted to the question of matza. It comes up several times
(six IIRC) in Shas. The Rav's conclusion was that the Bavli
decided the issue, that rice is not chametz, where as the
Yerushalmi didn't come to a clear decision. So when you have a bag
of this stuff, about which you don't know if it can become chametz
or not, you do the simple and correct thing - you put it away for
the week. <br>
<br>
The European community, descended from the Israeli community kept
the tradition, Edut Hamizrach never had it. <br>
<br>
Please note that this rabbi was not making any statement about
what should be designated as kiniyot or if one can eat at the
house of an ochlei kitniyot during Pesach or any of these side
issues. He was simply saying (IMO) that the approach that kitniyot
is simply a historical mistake is simply bad psak and bad Talmud
Torah.<br>
<br>
Ben<br>
<br>
On 3/20/2013 10:42 PM, Lisa Liel wrote:<br>
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<blockquote cite="mid:514A1F4D.7050800@starways.net" type="cite">
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<font size="-1"><font face="Arial">In this video, Rabbi Bar Hayim
discusses the sources related to the minhag of not eating
kitniyot on Pesach. He demonstrates that the custom, which
originated in France,</font></font><br>
</blockquote>
<br>
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