Eating Well on Pesach: Shiurim for Matzah and Wine for Healthy Individuals and Those With Diabetes or Other Medical Conditions

March 2025

The challenges of diabetes and other health conditions are magnified on Pesach. Aside from the numerous large meals that we have on any Yom Tov, Pesach adds a new set of concerns: the consumption of four cups of wine and set amounts of matzah during the Seder. Before discussing the challenges specific to the Seder, let’s begin by addressing eating during Pesach generally.

Eating Well on Pesach: Tips and Strategies

Enjoying our Yom Tov meals is an important aspect of how we celebrate Pesach. A health concern that may impact how you eat need not decrease your enjoyment of Pesach. There are many aspects of meals on Pesach that can be optimized to enhance your enjoyment.

► Designing the Menu

When planning your meals, consider the variety of foods. Having multiple foods on the table that are good for your health will allow your meals to feel plentiful. For some people, that means […]

Pesach Shiurim for Matzah and Wine: For Healthy Individuals and Those With Diabetes or Other Medical Conditions (Abridged Article)

March 2025

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NOTE: A more comprehensive version of this article – Eating Well on Pesach: Shiurim for Matzah and Wine for Healthy Individuals and Those With Diabetes or Other Medical Conditions – provides additional details on this important topic.

Halacha tells us how much wine and matzah one must eat at the Seder. Anyone whose healthcare providers recommend dietary modifications that affect eating matzah or wine should consult with a rav to find out how to follow those health recommendations within halachic guidelines.

Matzah

The guidelines for minimum shiurim for matzah shown below are based on the psak of Rav Moshe Heineman shlit”a. For hand matzah, these calculations are based on Pupa-Tzelem matzos, which are approximately 9 matzos/lb. Note that matzos baked by other matzah bakeries have different sizes and measurements, which will affect the amount required for a shiur as well as […]

A Brief Intro to “Kosher for Passover” and the Pesach Holiday

By: Rabbi Dovid Heber

January 2025

Passover is a joyous eight-day holiday celebrated in early spring. The name Pesach is derived from the Hebrew “to pass over,” since G-d “passed over” the homes of the Jews during the tenth plague on the Egyptians.

Passover commemorates the redemption of the enslaved Israelites from Egypt and the forging of the new Jewish nation. It has a distinctive set of laws and customs, the highlight being the Seder, a festive meal on the first two nights (only one in Israel) that includes many symbolic foods – matzah, bitter herbs, charoses – and four cups of wine. This family-centered holiday is widely observed, albeit with a diversity of beloved traditions passed down from generation to generation. Passover’s popularity is reflected in the kosher marketplace where, by some accounts, 40% of sales revolves around this holiday.

Passover involves a unique set of kosher laws, chief among them the prohibition to eat any […]

The 10 Commandments for the Prudent Passover Consumer

I. Thou Shalt Read Product Labels Carefully

Make sure a reliable Kosher for Passover certification appears on the package. Don’t assume the product is kosher for Passover just because it is in the Passover section of the supermarket.

II. Thou Shalt Beware of Look-Alikes

Often Kosher for Passover and non-Kosher for Passover products have identical packaging except for the “P” symbol.

III. Thou Shalt Know That Not All Matzohs are Kosher for Passover

Stores often do not remove chometzdik matzos from the shelves even after the store is stocked with Kosher for Passover products!

IV. Thou Shalt Know Thine Personal Kashrus Level

Not all kashrus certifications are created equal. A knowledgeable kosher consumer reduces the chance of buying Kosher for Passover products that may not qualify for a consumer’s personal kosher or Passover kosher standards.

V. Thou Shalt Look Before You Cook!

Even with the best intentions a non-Kosher for Passover […]

Preparing & Kashering the Pesach Kitchen

By: Rabbi Moshe Heinemann

Reviewed January 2025

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As the Yom Tov of Pesach nears, and the diligent balabusta begins to tackle the challenge of preparing the kitchen for Pesach, undoubtedly the light at the end of the tunnel is beginning to shine. Although moving into a separate Pesach home sounds very inviting, such luxuries are often not affordable and definitely not in the Pesach spirit. Among the basic mitzvos of the chag is the mitzvah of tashbisu se’or mibateichem, ridding one’s home and possessions of chometz. However, if we are to use kitchen equipment, utensils, or articles that can be found in our kitchen year-round, it may be insufficient to just clean them thoroughly. One is forbidden to use these items unless they have been especially prepared for Pesach. This preparation process is known as kashering.

The Torah instructs us that the proper kashering method used to […]

Kashering for Pesach According to Sephardi Minhagim

By: Rabbi Emanuel Goldfeiz

View / Download PDF of Article Here

מקצת הלכות הגעלת והכשרת הכלים לפסח לפי מנהגי ספרדים

Utensils that are used during the year with chometz are forbidden to be used during Pesach without kashering them according to Halacha. From the time it is prohibited to eat chometz on Erev Pesach, it is forbidden to use the utensils without kashering them according to Halacha. The proper kashering method used to rid a vessel of chometz is dependent upon the original method of food preparation through which chometz was absorbed into the vessel.1We do not recite a bracha when kashering an item since it is a negative commandment not to consume the taste of non-kosher food.2Sephardic custom is that the method of kashering depends upon the most common usage of the vessel. Therefore, it is sufficient to pour boiling hot water […]

Understanding Kitniyos: What They Are & What They Aren’t

By: Rabbi Tzvi Rosen

Reviewed January 2025

View / Download STAR-K Kitniyos Chart Here

As is commonly known, the Torah prohibits chometz on Pesach, and the consequence of chometz consumption on Pesach is very severe. In order to distance us from the possibility of violating Torah precepts, Chazal with their supreme insight, instituted a minhag as a protective fence. The minhag to guard us from chometz violations is to refrain from consuming kitniyos on Pesach.

What Are Kitniyos?

Kitniyos are popularly defined as legumes. But what are legumes? The Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 453, defines kitniyos as those products that can be cooked and baked in a fashion similar to chometz grains, yet are not halachically considered in the same category as chometz. Some examples are rice, corn, peas, mustard seed, and all varieties of beans (i.e., kidney, lima, garbanzo, etc.). The Torah term for the using or fermentation of barley, rye, oats, […]

Kosher for Passover Foods According to Sephardi Minhagim

By: Rabbi Emanuel Goldfeiz

Rice and all different types of legumes are permissible to eat on Pesach according to the custom of most Sephardim, as long as they are careful to check rice three times to ensure there is no wheat or barley mixed in.1
Care needs to be taken that no dust of flour came into contact with the rice (or any kosher food for Pesach). Therefore, one may use only natural, unenriched rice for Pesach, ideally a rice with a reliable Kosher l’Pesach L’ochlei Kitniyot hechsher.2
Those who refrain from eating legumes on Pesach are permitted to keep them at home; there is no need to sell legumes to a non-Jew.3
It is the Sephardic custom to use egg matzah (מצה עשירה) during Pesach. This type of matzah cannot be used to fulfill the obligation of eating matzah on the first two nights of Pesach. The bracha recited […]

Quinoa, the Grain That’s Not: Then Why the Need for Passover Certification?

By: Rabbi Zvi Goldberg

January 2025

Tired of potatoes, potatoes and more potatoes on Pesach? Maybe give quinoa a try.

Quinoa is one of the most nutritious foods on the planet – cooked like rice, is gluten-free and loaded with vitamins and minerals. Even NASA has considered quinoa for its long-duration planetary space flights. Quinoa has become increasingly popular in the United States, Canada, Europe, China and Japan, where the crop is not typically grown.

What is Quinoa?

Quinoa (pronounced kin-wa) is a species of seeds of the Chenopodium (or “goosefoot”) family, which includes sugar beets and beet root, and is botanically related to spinach. It was first brought to the United States from South America in the 1980s. Seeds range in color from pink and orange to blue-black, purple, and red. However, once their natural saponin coating is washed off, the seeds are pale yellow.

Quinoa has been cultivated in the Andes Mountains for thousands of years, growing […]

Feeding Your Pet: Barking Up the Right Tree

By: Rabbi Zvi Goldberg

Reviewed January 2025

Download Pesach 2025 Pet Food List

To some people, the concept that there are restrictions regarding what can be fed to animals may seem amusing. They wonder, “Really now, must dogs also eat kosher?” Of course, animals don’t need to eat kosher food. However, Halacha clearly instructs people regarding what, how and when to feed them.

The Talmud Yerushalmi1 states that before acquiring an animal, one must be sure he will be able to properly provide for it. Certainly, the owner must also know the applicable halachos. The following is a discussion of some of these halachos, including the subjects of meat and milk mixtures, Pesach, buying and selling non-kosher pet food, feeding animals on Shabbos and Yom Tov, and feeding animals before you eat.

STAR-K is not necessarily recommending ownership of pets; rather, we are providing information for those owners who require it. We […]

Halachos of Taking Medicine on Pesach

By: Rabbi Dovid Heber

Reviewed January 2025

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For many years, Rav Gershon Bess prepared a Guide for Pesach Medications and Cosmetics which was published and distributed by Kollel Los Angeles. A partnership with STAR-K and the Kollel to make this information more widely available to the general public is still going strong after more than a quarter century. The Medications and Cosmetics Guide, available in Jewish bookstores nationwide, serves as an invaluable resource for kosher consumers seeking to purchase these items for Yom Tov.

Sefer Kovetz Halachos (Hilchos Pesach 12:4) states in the name of HaRav Shmuel Kamenetzky, shlit”a, that lechatchila one should take a medication approved for Pesach and mentions the availability and use of reliable Pesach lists and guides (see Hilchos Pesach, ibid., footnote 5).

The halachos pertaining to medication and cosmetic use on Pesach are based on the joint psak of Rabbi Moshe Heinemann, […]

The History of Passover Medicine Lists in Pre-War Germany

In the 1920s, the Jewish community in Germany numbered close to half a million people. They were made up mostly of professionals in finance and retail trade. German Jewry thrived within the general culture of the Weimar Republic. As an influx of approximately 70,000 East European Jews flocked to Germany to escape political oppression and violent anti-Semitism, Berlin soon became the center for Hebrew culture, reaching its peak between 1920 to 1924. It had become a safe haven for Hebrew and Yiddish speaking intellectuals, mostly Russian Hebrew writers. Although some Jews emigrated during this time, mostly to America or Palestine, many more did so after the rise of Nazism in 1933. Unfortunately, the majority of Jews remained in Germany, with catastrophic results.

During this inter-war period, many German Jews assimilated, thereby distinguishing themselves from their observant Eastern European brethren. However, there remained a strong element of […]

Advice for People with Celiac, Food Allergies and Gluten-Free Restrictions on Pesach

Updated January 2025

Yomim Tovim are synonymous with food—and lots of it! During Pesach, the temptation to eat and overeat, perhaps the wrong things for eight straight days, is extra challenging. The good news is that you don’t have to resolve to store away those extra pounds which you will regret just as you store away your Pesach dishes for next year. STAR-K is grateful to Sarah Klugman, RD, for sharing her Pesach nutrition advice on which this article is based. They include tips for gluten-free and celiac individuals, as well as those with various food allergies.

Sarah Klugman suggests, “Always make Kiddush in the morning. It’s the key to a successful day! Use light grape juice 1 and have a starch or fruit and milk. Regarding when to make Kiddush and how to fulfill Kiddush b’makom seuda, consult your rav. Good ideas are: starch/fruit and milk; fruit and yogurt; […]

Halachos of Using Cosmetics and Personal Care Items on Pesach

By: Rabbi Dovid Heber

Reviewed January 2025

In addition to pharmaceutical companies, Rav Gershon Bess also contacts many cosmetic companies and bases the following chometz-free list on his research. L’Halacha, all non-food items not fit for canine consumption – nifsal mei’achilas kelev (i.e., something that one would not feed his dog) – may be used on Pesach. This includes all cosmetics, soaps, ointments, and creams.1 Nonetheless, people have acted stringently with regard to these items.

Below are several reasons why people are strict:

Many products, including shaving lotion and perfume, contain denatured alcohol which can be restored to regular alcohol (see Igros Moshe O.C. 3:62). According to some opinions, one should not use such products if chometz-based. (Sefer Kovetz Halachos Pesach Chapter 12, footnote 7 has a brief discussion regarding the different opinions). The STAR-K Pesach Guide lists products which do not use chometz-based alcohols.

The Biur Halacha (326:10 B’shaar) writes in the […]

The Kashrus, Shabbos, and Pesach Guide to Cosmetics

By: Rabbi Dovid Heber

Updated January 2025

Ezra Hasofer established ten takanos (laws) covering a wide spectrum of Jewish life.1 The purpose of these takanos was to enhance Torah study, Shabbos, the Jewish communal court system, and the sanctity of the Jewish home and marriage. One of the takanos was that salesmen should travel from town to town to supply perfume and fragrances to the women of each community.2 It is clear that these items were important in Jewish life since ancient times.

The STAR-K hotline receives numerous inquiries relating to cosmetics and halacha. One must know the answers to questions regarding these products that are commonly used. Does lipstick require kosher certification? During Pesach, may one use perfume or makeup that contains chometz? Are any cosmetics permissible for use on Shabbos and Yom Tov?

Because these halachos are complex, it is important for consumers to have a clear grasp of the numerous issues and […]

Bedikas Chometz Guidelines

By: Rabbi Mordechai Frankel

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Reviewed January 2025

Before Pesach, a person is obligated to perform bedikas chometz, a search of his house and possessions, to ensure that he does not own any chometz. The bedika should be conducted at the beginning of the night of the 14th of Nissan, immediately after tzeis hakochavim.1 If he did not do so, the bedika can be done all night. Bedi’eved, if he did not perform the bedika that night he should do it on the day of the 14th of Nissan.2

If he will not be home on the night of the 14th of Nissan, he should appoint another adult to perform the bedika on his behalf.3 If he leaves his house within thirty days of Pesach, and is not planning to return and conduct a bedika or have someone else […]

A Guide to Erev Pesach That Falls on Shabbos

By: Rabbi Dovid Heber

Updated January 2025

A printer-friendly version of this article can be found here.

Many of us are quite familiar with the regular Erev Pesach routine: The bechorim go to a siyum, the chometz is burned, and we prepare for the Seder. However, every so often,1 Erev Pesach occurs on Shabbos and we must modify our routine. Let us review the halachos of Shabbos Erev Pesach. (After this year, it will not occur for another twenty years. The next occurrences will be in 2045, 2048, 2052, and then not again until 2072.)

Thursday – Taanis Bechorim/Bedikas Chometz

On a regular Erev Pesach the first-born males (bechorim) are obligated to fast. This year the fast is pushed back to Thursday. Those bechorim who do not wish to fast should attend a siyum. Thursday night after tzeis hakochavim (when it gets dark), one should immediately perform bedikas chometz. A bracha and Kol Chamira […]

Halachos of the Pesach Seder

By: Rabbi Mordechai Frankel

Reviewed February 2025

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The following contains halachic guidance concerning some of the common issues that arise when conducting a Pesach Seder. In particular, it discusses preparation for the Seder, the four cups of wine, and the obligation to eat matzah, Maror, Koreich and Afikomen. This is by no means comprehensive. For a more comprehensive guide, see HaSeder HaAruch by Rabbi Moshe Yaakov Weingarten (three volumes, 1431 pages).

Preparations for the Seder

A person should complete all of the necessary preparations for the Seder on Erev Pesach to enable him to start the Seder without delay.1 (If Erev Pesach falls on Shabbos, he cannot prepare for the Seder on Erev Pesach since he may not prepare for Yom Tov on Shabbos.)

The following preparations should be made prior to Yom Tov:

If meat or chicken will be eaten at the Seder, it may not […]

How to Check Matzos

By: Rabbi Moshe Heinemann

Reviewed January 2025

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The production of Kosher l’Pesach (KFP) matzos involves a great deal of meticulous work. The process begins with the inspection of wheat kernels to ensure that they have not been adversely affected by moisture in the air or prematurely sprouted. Grinding of the grain must be performed according to the dictates of Halacha, which precludes any pre-grind soaking of the grain and requires special preparation of the milling equipment to ensure that no contamination exists from non-Passover flour in the grinders and filters. The KFP flour is then loaded onto trucks, either pneumatically or in bags under controlled conditions, and shipped to the bakeries.

A bakery which has been kashered for Pesach will have already prepared special water (mayim shelanu) to be used for Pesach matzos. Hand matzah bakeries do not use regular municipal water for fear that the […]

Machine Matzos: Timing is Everything!

By: Rabbi Tzvi Rosen

Reviewed January 2025

Meticulous, scrupulous and passionate are terms that describe the fervor, zeal and seriousness displayed by the kosher consumer regarding Pesach kashrus in general, and Pesach matzos in particular. The kosher consumer has become more sophisticated and savvy with each passing year. Kosher consumers are willing to pay top dollar for a quality kosher product. Pesach matzohs are no exception. Machine matzos with fine mehadrin hechsherim are readily available on the supermarket shelf. Are all machine matzos created equal?

Regarding matzah baking and the time parameters for chimutz, leavening, the Shulchan Aruch1states, “One should not leave the dough dormant, not for a moment.” If the dough is constantly being worked the chimutz process is impeded.However, the Shulchan Aruch continues, “If the dough is left dormant for a ‘mil’, the dough […]

The Rise of Oat Matzos

By: Rabbi Moshe T. Schuchman

January 2025

Download PDF of Full Article Here

The advent of baking oat matzah for Pesach is a relatively new phenomenon. As one of the Five Grains, oats qualify as an ingredient for matzah. Until circa 5740 (1980s), however, it never appeared in recorded halacha as something that was done in actual practice.

If someone with a wheat allergy can tolerate spelt, matzah made from spelt is an ideal alternative. Spelt and wheat are closely related both structurally and halachically. Additionally, some suggest that the order of grains in the Mishnah has significance. Thus, spelt, which appears third in the list, takes precedence over rye or oats. Others reject this notion and hold that position on the list does not indicate hierarchy for matzah.

What are the options for people who suffer from celiac disease, an inherited autoimmune disorder identified in the 1950s as being triggered by gliadin […]

The Traveler’s Halachic Guide to Hotels

By: Rabbi Zvi Goldberg

Spring 2010 | Reviewed January 2025

Yosef chose the hotel he was staying in for its many amenities, not the least of which was the free Continental Breakfast it offered its guests. Surely, when kosher symbols on products are becoming more and more prevalent, he wouldn’t starve! The breakfast menu included cereals, pancakes, waffles, muffins, pre-cut fruits and vegetables, hardboiled eggs, as well as hot coffee and juices. Can Yosef eat anything offered on the Continental Breakfast menu, or should he prepare his own breakfast using the microwave and coffeemaker in his hotel room?

Chana’s brother’s bar mitzvah, held in a hotel during Shabbos, turned out to be a real nightmare! The closet light went on automatically when she opened the closet door; the housekeeper had turned off the light in her room, preventing her from reviewing her parsha notes; she drank a bottle of water from her room’s ‘refreshment bar’ which […]

Navigating the Ins and Outs of Renting an Airbnb

By: Rabbi Zvi Goldberg

Winter 2024 | Reviewed January 2025

Who would have imagined, just a few years ago, that you could go on vacation and rent a stranger’s private home? But that is exactly what people now do every day, with the rise of Airbnb and similar short-term rental platforms that list millions of units in over 100,000 cities.[1]

A Torah-observant individual who enters into such an arrangement will encounter numerous halachic challenges when signing up as an Airbnb “guest.” This includes properties listed as “kosher” – even ones in Israel – since an owner usually cannot vouch for every renter who has used the kitchen, nor for each renter’s kashrus standards, which can vary widely. Likewise, one who owns and is the “host” of an Airbnb property will have to address his own set of halachic concerns. Let’s analyze some of the more common ones.

Kashrus Concerns During the Year (Excluding Pesach)

The primary […]

Using an Oven on Shabbos and Yom Tov

By: Rabbi Avrohom Mushell

Reviewed March 2024

To download and print a handy summary of these halachos, click here.

Cooking in the modern kitchen is a whole new experience. Technological advances have taken the old stovetop and oven and upgraded them to be safer, more efficient, and “smart” for today’s lifestyle. They are also far more complicated. With these transformations, the observant Jew is faced with challenges that did not confront him in the past.

To understand how these changes affect the halachic use of ovens and cooktops on Shabbos and Yom Tov, it is worthwhile to review some laws and concepts as they relate to cooking on Shabbos and Yom Tov.

A. Terms and Prohibitions Pertaining to Food Preparation on Shabbos and Yom Tov

Definitions of Basic Terms

Melacha A melacha is a Torah prohibited act derived from the constructive acts performed in erecting the Mishkan . These forbidden acts are known […]

STAR-K Appliance-Related Articles & Videos

The STAR-K site offers a variety of informative articles and videos related to the general use of cooking and refrigeration appliances; various Sabbath Mode features in STAR-K certified models; the halachic implications of using them on Shabbos and Yom Tov; appliance pre-purchase advice; as well as articles about other Sabbath Mode technologies, such as medical devices and elevators.

CHART

STAR-K GUIDE TO USING OVENS ON SHABBOS & YOM TOV (PDF)

ARTICLES ABOUT COOKING APPLIANCES

ARTICLE ON OVEN USE (PUBLISHED IN YESHURUN, VOL. 36) – HaRav Moshe Heinemann shlit”a

TESHUVA ON OVEN USE ON YOM TOV – HaRav Moshe Heinemann shlit”a

USING AN OVEN ON SHABBOS & YOM TOV – Rabbi Avrohom D. Mushell (March 2024)

OVEN KASHRUS 101: USING THE SAME OVEN FOR MEAT, DAIRY, FISH AND PAREVE – Rabbi Dovid Heber (Spring 2016)

OVEN KASHRUS: FOR SHABBOS USE – Rabbi Avrohom D. Mushell (Winter 2005)

OVEN KASHRUS: FOR YOM TOV USE […]

What To Do If Chometz is Found During Pesach

By: Rabbi Mordechai Frankel

Reviewed January 2025

Erev Pesach (after the time of Biur Chometz)

If you find chometz on Erev Pesach after the latest time for biur chometz:

If you sold your chometz earlier that morning: You should move the chometz that you found to the place that you are storing the chometz that you sold.
If you did not sell your chometz earlier that morning: You should burn it.

First Day of Pesach

If you find chometz on the first day of Pesach: You should cover it with a utensil.

See below for further instructions for the subsequent days of Pesach.

Second Day of Pesach

If you find chometz on the second day of Pesach, or if you found chometz on the first day of Pesach and had covered it:

If you sold your chometz before Pesach, or you said ‘Kol Chamira’ before Pesach, or the chometz that you found was less than a kezayis: You should cover it with a utensil […]

Guide to Buying Chometz After Pesach

By: Rabbi Mordechai Frankel

Updated March 4, 2025

Download PDF of Chometz She’avar Alav HaPesach Product List Here

From a Jewish-Owned Store That Did Not Sell Its Chometz to a Non-Jew Before Pesach

The Torah forbids a Jew to own chometz on Pesach. In order to dissuade people from owning chometz on Pesach, there is a rabbinic injunction not to eat or benefit from chometz which was owned by a Jew during Pesach. Such chometz is known as chometz she’avar alav haPesach, and it remains forbidden permanently.1

For this reason, one should not buy chometz from a Jewish-owned store immediately after Pesach, unless the owner sold all chometz that he owned before Pesach to a non-Jew for the duration of Pesach and did not acquire any further chometz during Pesach. The laws of mechiras chometz (selling chometz to a non-Jew for Pesach) are complex; therefore, the sale must be made by […]

What Bracha Does One Make on Matza Brei and Other Common Pesach Foods?

By: Rabbi Dovid Heber

Download PDF of the Chart

Have you ever taken a bite out of a coconut macaroon and later doubted your choice of bracha? Was it really Ha’eitz or is it Shehakol? And what about matzah brei or matzah lasagna? Do they require washing for a Hamotzi or are they Mezonos? The table below should clear up any confusion.

1. A bracha acharona is recited when drinking at least a revi’is (3.8 fl. oz.) within a 30 second span. If one drank between 1.0 fl. oz. (kezayis according to some opinions) and 3.8 fl. oz. (and cannot drink more) within a 30 second span, a bracha acharona is not recited. However, if one also requires an Al Hamichya or Al Ha’eitz at this time, one can also include Al Hagefen. See Mishnah Berurah [M.B.] 208:82.

2. This depends on the percentage of grape juice. If there is […]