Q

What is the halachic status of medicines for Pesach? Can I take all medicines, and can I rely upon a manufacturer-supplied list of ingredients?

Medicines can be produced with actual chametz or with kitniyos (corn and the like — foods that are not chametz but are nonetheless prohibited on Pesach in all Ashkenazic and some Sephardic communities). In an article several years ago ("The Medicine Show," The Jewish Homemaker, Feb. 1996), we discussed the pitfalls of relying upon lists of medicines that are based on manufacturer-supplied information. We pointed at the time to the case of chametz dextrose powder that may be used as a sweetener — information that cannot be reliably gleaned from a letter written by a manufacturer stating there is no chametz in a product. We also noted that nominally "alcohol-free" products may, from the halachic perspective, contain alcohol.

The traditional method for clarifying a halachic issue is to ask your Orthodox rabbi. This is certainly the appropriate way to resolve a matter as complex as taking medicine on Pesach (and, concerning not kosher medicine, during the rest of the year as well). Among the issues that the rabbi will address are the nature of the illness or injury and whether the medicine has a pleasant taste. If he cannot answer your query on his own, he will research the subject for you or will direct you to an authoritative source.

What are the rules governing the possession of chametz on Pesach?

Biblical law forbids us to eat chametz or to keep it in our possession over Pesach. In addition, Rabbinic law prohibits us to eat, sell, or otherwise derive any benefit from chametz she'avar alav haPesach, leaven that remained in the possession of a Jew during Passover.

Chametz she'avar alav haPesach applies to actual chametz, such as bread, and to foods whose ingredients include chametz. Examples of the latter are: mayonnaise containing grain vinegar; and beer. The rule does not apply to kitniyos.

Some communities simply dispose of all chametz; others sell their chametz to a non-Jew. This sale is called mechiras chametz. If your custom permits the selling of chametz, keep in mind that this must be a true sale; it is not a legal fiction. Your Orthodox rabbi knows how to handle the transaction properly. The sale must be completed on the morning before Pesach starts, so contact your rabbi well ahead of erev Pesach to give him time to sell your chametz.

Ask your rabbi how long you must wait after Pesach ends before the chametz is again yours, since he must arrange for you to regain ownership. To use the chametz before that time is forbidden, since it belongs to the non-Jew.

I have noticed that after Passover some stores in my neighborhood display a sign stating that their chametz was sold for the duration of the holiday. Other stores do not have this sign. What is its purpose?

As we stated in the previous answer, chametz that remains in the possession of a Jew during Pesach may not be eaten even after the holiday. This rule applies to Jewish-owned stores in the same way that it concerns individuals. Even people who keep kosher often overlook this fact and purchase chametz that remained in a store's possession on Pesach.

The stores that post a sign are indicating to the general public that they have sold their chametz, and that Jews may therefore in good conscience buy chametz from them after Pesach.

Many chain stores are owned by Jews; others have individual Jewish-owned stores. Please consult your rabbi concerning the status of a particular store in a chain.

Just as chametz she'avar alav haPesach applies to stores, it pertains to food companies. The OK, along with all major kashrus agencies, assists these companies to sell their chametz before the holiday so that production can proceed after Pesach. Among the companies whose chametz the OK sells are Yohay Baking Co., Leader's Candy Co., and Setton International Foods.