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By Dayan Shmuel Honigwachs
There are numerous Pessah issues associated with businesses, some of which people may not even be aware of. To name just a few, one who sells food items through Amazon or on consignment, or owns a facility that serves Hametz, would be well advised to research the Halachic ramifications of these types of businesses.
Selling Hametz on Amazon
Buying and selling everything from shoes to cereals to electronics through Amazon has become a part of Western life. Though, as the world’s biggest marketplace, Amazon has much to offer, selling Hametz items through Amazon even before Pessah is not without its complications.
When food items are ordered and scheduled for shipment to a non-Jewish buyer, they may still not be considered the property of the buyer according to Halacha. Yet, since the Jewish owner is obligated to sell this item, and it has already been set aside by Amazon for shipment, he has no control over the item and cannot recall it. This would render the item to be “Eno BiRshuto” – not in the possession of the seller – and would thus prevent the Jewish owner from being able to include the item in his general Mechirat Hametz.
Nevertheless, many Poskim are of the opinion that when an item is Eno BiRshuto, the owner does not even violate the prohibition of Bal Yera’eh – possessing Hametz on Pessah. This is the position of Rav Moshe Feinstein[1]. The Hazon Ish[2] on the other hand, argues and says that the owner would indeed be in violation of Bal Yera’eh.
In our situation, we can also rely on the fact that the Hametz may possibly already belong to the non-Jew, because the Jew has no ability to recall the Hametz[3], thus adding another reason to be lenient in this case.
There may be another issue, however, even according to those Poskim who permit keeping Hametz that is Eno BiRshuto, and that is the seller’s Aharayut – guarantee – to the buyer. Although generally the Halacha is that accepting Aharayut for the Hametz of a non-Jew which is on the non-Jew’s property does not pose a problem of Bal Year’e, this may not apply to Hametz that had once been on the Jew’s property[4]. It is therefore questionable how to view this situation and it will depend upon the exact circumstances.
The seller is now faced with a problem. Since the non-Jew may return the item during or after Pessah, thus retroactively nullifying the sale, the Jew has owned the Hametz during Pessah in violation of Bal Yera’e! Additionally, as we explained earlier, the sale that was performed through one’s Rav may have no effect on the Hametz that was listed for sale, since that Hametz, too, is considered to Eno BiRshuto[5]. Since this is a matter of dispute among the Poskim, a competent Rav should be consulted in each particular situation.
Hametz Sold on Consignment
One who sells a Hametz item on consignment—through Amazon or any other venue— is unable to recall the Hametz, which would make us inclined to consider it to be Eno BiRshuto, barring it from inclusion in the general Mechirat Hametz. Even so, the Halacha in this case is that the Hametz is considered to be BiRshuto – in his possession – and may be sold via a standard Mechirat Hametz procedure. This is because a consignment is similar to an Iska (a Halachic term for an investment, with very specific characteristics) which both the Ketzot HaHoshen[6] and Netivot HaMishpat[7] consider to be BiRshuto.
Operating a Business that Sells or Relies on Hametz
If, in any aspect of its functioning, a business that relies on Hametz (e.g. a nursing home facility), we would run into an issue of “mistaker b’issur hana’ah” – deriving benefit from an item in which this is forbidden. Not only is it forbidden to eat Hametz on Pessah, but it is also forbidden to derive benefit from it.
The best solution available is to sell the entire business to a non-Jew (as opposed to just selling the Hametz within the business, which is the customary procedure), using a contract that is legally binding. Since the contract is recognized by Dina D’Malchuta – the law of the land – it is therefore considered a valid Kinyan Situmatta (transaction through a universally agreed-upon act of acquisition). One can sell items that are considered to be Eno BiRshuto using Kinyan Situmatta.
This would also allow the owner to continue operating the business during Pessah (provided that he has a valid Shabbat arrangement in place), as he is not deriving any benefit from the Hametz. The profits that he receives would be attributed to the interest from the sale of the business and would therefore not be considered to be derivation of benefit from the Hametz.
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Before Pessah, we would like to wish our fellow Jews a Hag Kasher V’Sameah. If we do our best to ensure that our Pessah is kosher according to Halacha— even in regard to our businesses— we can rest assured that it will be a happy one, as well.
Sources:
[1] אגרות משה או”ח ח”א סי’ קמו
[2] או”ח סי’ קיח סק”ד
[3] ע”ש באג”מ דמיירי בששלח ישראל לישראל במתנה, באופן שודאי חייב המקבל להחזירו אם לא חזר בו הנותן קודם שמשך המקבל. משא”כ בניד”ד, דכיון דע”פ דינא דמלכותא אין המוכר יכול לחזור, פקע בעלותו.
[4] ע”ע באג”מ שם. אלא דיש להסתפק אם היה כותב כן בניד”ד, דשאני התם דמיירי שבעלות הישראל מעולם לא פקע, והאחריות דמדובר שם מיירי בדין הואיל ויכול לישאל עליו, דזהו המשך מבעלותו הקדומה. וא”כ י”ל דדוקא התם לא מיקרי מקבל אחריות על חמצו של עכו”ם בבית עכו”ם, כיון דהאחריות הוא המשך מבעלותו הקדומה של הישראל. משא”כ בניד”ד דמכר החמץ לגוי ואח”כ מקבל עליו אחריות בעלמא, י”ל דהוי קבלת אחריות שמתחיל ברשותו של גוי. ע”כ לא החלטתי לאיסורא, ודו”ק.
[5] ונחלקו בזה הקצה”ח סי’ שנד והחת”ס שו”ת חו”מ סי’ קסט. ויסוד המח’ תלוי לכאו’ בהא דס”ל להקצות דכיון דאין הלוקח יודע דבטל המקח גרע מכל נפקד דעלמא דנחשב ברשותו דהמפקיד, דשאני נפקד דהיה מחזירו ע”י בקשת המפקיד, משא”כ כאן דתלוי ברצון הלוקח ובידיעת הלוקח. ויש להביא ראיה לדברי החת”ס מסוגיא דב”ב דף קכ”ה בסוגיא דאחריך, דמבואר שם ברי”ף דאע”ג דיכול הראשון למכרו ולהפקיעו מידי האחריך, מ”מ נחשב מוחזק ויורש הבעל של האחריך. ומבואר ברשב”ם שם קכ”ד ע”א דדין ראוי ומוחזק תלוי בכח המוריש למכור ודו”ק.
[6] סי’ סו
[7] שם