The less we include, the closer we are to authenticity.
Rice, millet, mustard seed, oats, beans, and the like are the original Kitniyot.
they need to be grain-like, where you can make flour out of it, and that they’re small beans or kernels that in some ways can be confused with wheat or barley.
peanuts and sesame seeds are absurd examples of kitniyot.
Anything that was not in Europe in the time of the Kitniyot minhag origination cannot now become kitniyot.
For example, corn and potatoes came from the Americas.
If you’re not sure, ignore it, it’s fine. It is just a minhag.
We need to put everything in perspective.
The reason for the minhag is no longer applicable, which makes it even less important.
There’s a silly, OCD-driven obsession with Pesach and with Kitniyot. If we had Rabbis that cared and were in line with Jewish law and with the authentic and true purpose and meaning of our beautiful religion and its spiritual values, we would have canceled that custom years ago.
My father helped many families get rid of this insanity, for example, when they were initially sephardic, but took it on anyway, or they did not have any clear minhagim, such as baalei teshuva.
If you’re in a community and family that always stringently kept this, then you continue to keep it, but only within reason.
If you are on a special diet for health or weight loss, which is technically for health, then you should not keep it.
If you have certain allergies, like celiac, or prefer to be gluten free for any of a multiple of reasons, please ignore this minhag.
It’s a minhag, only.
Our religion is not black and white, like many fanatics believe. Muttar or Assur. Nope.
We have varying degrees of importance to various requirements. The absolute lowest is “Minhag.” It has lots of greys and multiple colors.
If you’re tired, sick, emotionally charged, traveling, poor, hungry, or anything like it, and it will be a bit difficult to keep a particular minhag, please do not keep it. It will have no meaning.
The same goes for waiting after meat before eating dairy. It became such an obsession.
Or wearing Tzitzit, deliberately, when you don’t normally wear four-cornered clothing. yes, it’s wonderful. it’s still a minhag. if you’re uncomfortable because it itches you, please don’t wear them.
How about we get really careful not to steal or insult others. Those are not minhagim. Those are essential parts of who we need to be or become.
Minhagim are a way to avoid doing the real work.
The less we include, the closer we are to authenticity.
Rice, millet, mustard seed, oats, beans, and the like are the original Kitniyot.
they need to be grain-like, where you can make flour out of it, and that they’re small beans or kernels that in some ways can be confused with wheat or barley.
peanuts and sesame seeds are absurd examples of kitniyot.
Anything that was not in Europe in the time of the Kitniyot minhag origination cannot now become kitniyot.
For example, corn and potatoes came from the Americas.
If you’re not sure, ignore it, it’s fine. It is just a minhag.
We need to put everything in perspective.
The reason for the minhag is no longer applicable, which makes it even less important.
There’s a silly, OCD-driven obsession with Pesach and with Kitniyot. If we had Rabbis that cared and were in line with Jewish law and with the authentic and true purpose and meaning of our beautiful religion and its spiritual values, we would have canceled that custom years ago.
My father helped many families get rid of this insanity, for example, when they were initially sephardic, but took it on anyway, or they did not have any clear minhagim, such as baalei teshuva.
If you’re in a community and family that always stringently kept this, then you continue to keep it, but only within reason.
If you are on a special diet for health or weight loss, which is technically for health, then you should not keep it.
If you have certain allergies, like celiac, or prefer to be gluten free for any of a multiple of reasons, please ignore this minhag.
It’s a minhag, only.
Our religion is not black and white, like many fanatics believe. Muttar or Assur. Nope.
We have varying degrees of importance to various requirements. The absolute lowest is “Minhag.” It has lots of greys and multiple colors.
If you’re tired, sick, emotionally charged, traveling, poor, hungry, or anything like it, and it will be a bit difficult to keep a particular minhag, please do not keep it. It will have no meaning.
The same goes for waiting after meat before eating dairy. It became such an obsession.
Or wearing Tzitzit, deliberately, when you don’t normally wear four-cornered clothing. yes, it’s wonderful. it’s still a minhag. if you’re uncomfortable because it itches you, please don’t wear them.
How about we get really careful not to steal or insult others. Those are not minhagim. Those are essential parts of who we need to be or become.
Minhagim are a way to avoid doing the real work.
sorry, you got me on a roll here. lol