In Judaism, Chadash () is a concept within Kashrut (the Jewish dietary regulations), based on the Biblical requirement not to eat any grain of the new year (or products made from it) prior to the annual Omer korban on the 16th day of Nisan.
Grain products which are no longer affected by this law are referred to as Yashan ().
The five types of grain
In Rabbinic Judaism, this requirement is restricted to the five species of grain – wheat,
barley,
spelt,
rye and a fifth
shibolet shual (which has been identified with
oat, a species of barley called
segala in Latin, and a kind of
millet called
sophonion in Greek). Any of these grains (or products made from them) that are too "young" to pass the requirement are referred to in Judaism as
chadash "new grain". Additionally, the rabbinic interpretation requires grain to have taken root (defined as either 3 days or 2 weeks after planting) prior to the
Omer offering for it to become permitted; therefore, grains planted after Passover could only be consumed, at the earliest, twelve months later.
Following the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, the Omer offering was no longer offered. Instead, Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai interpreted the Biblical law that the new grain harvest becomes permissible at the end of the day on which the offering was brought in ancient times.[, s.v. (Lines 1417)][Jerusalem Talmud ( Sanhedrin 1:2 6a), Commentary Pnei Moshe, s.v. unto ] Chazal enacted a one-day further delay outside of the Land of Israel because of the extra day of holiday outside the Land of Israel.[Babylonian Talmud 68b.]
Outside the land of Israel
The applicability of the
Chadash rules to grain grown outside the Land of Israel is a subject of debate among
halakha authorities. Although the Mishnah and Babylonian Talmud record a Tannaitic dispute about applicability outside Israel
[Mishnah Kiddishin 1:9 and Talmud Bavli to Kiddishin 37A] the majority of medieval Jewish scholars (e.g.
the Rambam, the
Isaac Alfasi, and the Rosh) forbade its consumption. The later codifiers of Jewish law for
Ashkenazic and
Sephardic Jewry followed suit, both Rabbi
Moses Isserles and Rabbi
Joseph Caro declaring the stringent position.
Nevertheless, the same Rabbi Isserles (at least for Ashkenazim) also ruled that, because in general, in cases of purchased grain (with no other information) there is a double doubt as to
-
whether the grain was harvested before Passover of that year (which would render it yashan) and
-
whether, even if harvested after Passover of that year, it took root before Passover of that year (which would at least put its status in doubt)
the combination of doubts renders general grain permitted.
[Rama to Yoreh De'ah 293:3] However, many have difficulty understanding this double doubt, as in essence it is a doubt whether the grain is "old" or "new".
[Rabbi Akiva Eiger there.]
In addition a novel lenient approach was presented by Rabbi Yoel Sirkis who felt it is permissible if the grain originally belonged to a non-Jew.[ Arba'ah Turim ( Yoreh De'ah 293, Laws of Chadash, Bayis Chadash’s commentary on the side of the Tur).] Additionally, the manner in which various foods have historically been available has meant that Jewish populations would need to risk starvation to pursue stringent compliance with this aspect of kashrut. All these factors led to a situation in which observation of the Yashan regulation was relatively limited until very recently (at least in the Ashkenazic community).
In Chabad literature
Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the author of Tanya and Shulchan Aruch HaRav, quotes the basic opinion of Chadash being forbidden Midioraita
[Shulchan Aruch HaRav 489:29.] and after considering the leniency of Rabbi Yoel Sirkis writes that - even for wheat harvested from a non-Jewish field – a "Baal Nefesh" (lit. an "owner of soul") should be scrupulous and not rely on lenient rabbinic opinions.
[Shulchan Aruch HaRav 489:30.] Similarly, Rabbi Schneur Zalman notes in a
responsa that in generations prior to his the custom was to take the lenient approach (i.e. rely on Rabbi Sirkis's leniency) but in his generation many have assumed the stringency of not consuming
Chadash.
[Responsa (as addendum to) vol. 5 of Shulchan Aruch HaRav p. 506.]
Rabbi Schneur Zalman's son, the Mitteler Rebbe, explains in a Maamar the important aspect of the Kohen bringing the Omer offering on the Mizbeach (from barley, usually used as Compound feed) and only then is the consumption of wheat (usually reserved for human consumption) permitted.[Maamarei Admur HoEmtzoi Bamidbar vol. 2 p. 465.]
From the writing of his followers, it has recently been published that Rabbi Sholom Dovber Schneersohn – the fifth Chabad Rebbe – was scrupulous in refraining from Chadash products when he attended a Siyyum of Yeshivah students.[Reshimat HaRava"sh (Kehot 2001) p. 96.]
Chadash today
In modern times, particularly in developed countries, food is much more readily available than it historically had been, and grain is in sufficient abundance that many
Orthodox Judaism have become more interested in observing
chadash restrictions. Modern packaging practices, which in some nations involve the stamping of production dates on every package, often allow individuals to determine whether food is definitely
yashan (not "
chadash"); packaging organisations sometimes add
Hechsher, and sometimes include in this information whether the product is known to be
yashan.
-
Joseph Herman, A Guide To Chodosh. This publication came out every year from 1973-2023, but has since ceased to be published, with the Kashrut organizations publicizing the information instead.
Footnotes
External links
target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Some info from the Chicago Rabbinical Council
