The Sale of the Year!

Chametz is any food product made from wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt, or their derivatives, which has leavened (risen).

Suppose you own a liquor store or that you just bought a three-months supply of breakfast cereal on sale, or  you live in a 40-room mansion and don’t want to clean the whole thing this year. Is there some way of avoiding the ownership of chametz on Passover without much effort involved?

There is!

Since the commandment to rid one’s domain of chametz is binding only on a Jew, you can sell your chametz to a non-Jew. The area where the chametz is held is leased to the non-Jew for the duration of the festival. It is important to realize that the sale is not symbolic, but a 100% legally binding transaction.

Designate the areas where you’ll be placing the chametz you’re selling. These can be cupboards, closets, rooms, or an entire house. Remember that you will not be able to use or enter these areas for the duration of the festival. Rabbi Scheiner of Boulder Center for Judaism can transact the sale for you, after obtaining power-of-attorney from you to sell your chametz.  Email Boulderjudaism@gmail.com and we will send you a form to sell your Chametz.