What is Hametz?

Hametz is anything made from one of  five grains: WHEAT RYE SPELT OATS BARLEY. Strange that Matzoh MUST be made from one of these five grains. From the moment that water touches the flour made of these grains, the matzoh must be rolled out and baked within 18 minutes, otherwise it is Hametz.

What is Kitniyot?

Kitniyot literally means small things. They include rice, corn, lentils, beans and peanuts. At some point in the Middle Ages, Ashkenazi Jews stopped eating kitniyot during Pesach, in fear that people would confuse Kitniyot with Hametz. Conservative and Orthodox Rabbis in Israel have permitted eating kitniyot, as have some Conservative Rabbis in the United States. Nevertheless, it remains a wide-spread custom within Ashkenazi Jewry to avoid kitniyot during Pesach.


haggadah Section: Introduction