Q In your Passover recipes section the past few years, I have noticed that some recipes are labeled “gebrukts.” Can you please explain this concept?

A The Torah forbids the consumption of chametz, leavened products, on Passover. Over the course of time, different Jewish communities have layered the laws of Passover with additional stringencies — both legal and extralegal. The main legal stringency is that of kitniyos — grains that are similar to wheat or that grow adjacent to wheat. These include rice, corn, peas, and beans, among other grains. Ashkenazic communities universally refrain from eating kitniyos on Pesach. Among Sephardim, the custom varies with the community.

Given the severity of the chametz prohibition, legitimate extralegal customs have also arisen. Some people will not eat in friends’ homes on Pesach, although they trust the kashrus there during the rest of the year. Some people do not eat any processed foods, and others maintain the simple homemade diet to which their great-grandparents subscribed in Europe.

The most common extralegal stringency is to refrain from eating gebrukts, which literally means “broken,” a reference to small pieces of matzoh, such as in farfel. The concern is that a small portion of the flour may not have been properly kneaded and remained raw. It will become chametz upon mixing with liquid. Those who refrain from gebrukts do not dip matzoh into soup or eat matzoh balls; neither will they eat cake made with matzoh meal. Most chassidim avoid gebrukts. On the eighth day of Passover, which is Rabbinic rather than Biblical in origin, gebrukts are enjoyed by all.

Q Friends tell me they do not buy dairy products on Chol HaMoed Pesach. Why do they purchase these dairy products before the holiday?

A We take a very strict approach to Passover, often going beyond the letter of the law to avoid chametz.

Dairy is a good example. Technically speaking, there is no chametz concern when it comes to milk. But cows eat grain, and grain becomes chametz upon prolonged contact with liquid. The custom to purchase dairy products before Pesach is rooted in the fear that a chametz particle may be present in the milk.

Why, then, does it make a difference if the milk is purchased before Pesach? The answer lies in the concept of bittul — nullification. A particle of grain would be indiscernible and also would constitute less than one-sixtieth of the milk. Hence the grain is nullified in the milk. However, nullification applies only before Pesach begins (specifically, before midday on erev Pesach). On Pesach we do not apply the rule of nullification. Therefore, if the milk was in the possession of the Jew before noon on erev Pesach, any chametz in the milk is batel; hence the custom to purchase milk before the holiday.

A dairy product that was present in a Jewish-owned store before Pesach would not be of concern, since any chametz in it was nullified. The custom to avoid purchase of dairy on Chol HaMoed pertains to dairy found in stores owned by non-Jews.

Chalav Yisrael dairy products are made under the watchful eye of observant Jews. When marked Kosher for Passover, these may be bought on Chol HaMoed. One can be assured that the cows were not fed grain during the period immediately before Pesach, so that there is no suspicion that chametz is present in the milk.

When buying dairy products for Pesach, please make sure that they have Passover certification.

Q Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice bears an OK all year long and an OKP mark during the weeks before Passover. This would seem to be a simple product that contains no chametz. Must I specifically buy packages that have the P marking on Pesach, or can I buy any Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice?

A A seemingly innocuous product may require Passover supervision. Manufacturing equipment is often shared among different products. Also, products may contain added ingredients that impact their kosher status.

The equipment used for making Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice may be used for other products during the year. Therefore, for Pesach you should purchase this juice only with the OKP marking. Moreover, if prior to Pesach you have opened a Kosher for Passover Tropicana Orange Juice bottle, use an unopened one for Pesach.

Not all Tropicana varieties or sizes are Kosher for Passover. For example, Orange Juice with Calcium is not acceptable for Passover use. Check each carton before purchasing.