Siman 459

One may not knead the dough of matzah outside in a place where the sun shines there, because the heat of the sun warms the dough, and it will easily come to a state of chametz. However, in a place of shade—it is permitted to knead even under the open sky. And this is when it is not a cloudy day. But on a cloudy day—it is forbidden, for a cloudy day is entirely sun (Yoma 28a), as the sun breaks through all the cracks of the clouds. And if one transgressed and kneaded under the sun, and it appears that it was warmed a bit—even ex post facto it is forbidden (see Bach). And it appears to my humble opinion that on a cloudy day in our northern countries—it is permitted ex post facto, for we see with our senses that there is no warmth there. And especially before Pesach, for then the air is still cold by us.

And so too one must be careful not to knead in a house opposite an open window. And it is not only necessary to say when the sun enters through the window, but even if the sun does not enter through the window, because we concern ourselves that perhaps the heavens will be covered with clouds and he will not realize, for it has already been explained that a cloudy day is entirely sun. However, outside—we do not concern ourselves with this, because he will certainly feel when the sun is covered. This is not the case in a house—he will not feel it. And they wrote that this is specifically with an open window, but if the window is not open, even though the sun enters through the window via the glass of the window—it is permitted to knead (Chok Yaakov, subsection 3). And even though above in siman 455 regarding the water we prohibited in such a case—water is different as it heats up quickly. This is not the case with the dough—it does not heat up in such a case (ibid.).

It appears to me that the laws of the window that have been explained are not a general rule. This was not mentioned in the Gemara, and the poskim wrote according to the climate of their lands. In our lands, we know through our senses that sometimes the sun beats upon the glass of the windows until it greatly heats the dough on the table that the women are kneading. One is obligated to block the glass of the windows with something, whether by hanging a covering over the window or by closing the outer shutters called "laden." And so too the opposite: we see through our senses that when the room is small, and due to the constant heating the warmth in the room increases until it draws sweat from those occupied [with the dough], and they become weak and lack the strength to work; and when they open a window, the wind blows and cools the air, and those occupied [with the dough] are strengthened. Also, the wind will pass over the dough and cool it, provided that the sun is not opposite them. Such is the custom.

If one kneads the matzah in this place and carries it to be baked in another house distant from this place—he should not carry the matzot uncovered under the open sky, but rather he should cover them with some light object. And if there is a concern that a bit of dough stuck to the cover—he should not cover with it many times (Magen Avraham, subsection 2). And so too the water or the flour—he should not carry them under the open sky without a cover. And he should not knead near the mouth of the oven, because of the heat that rises there from the mouth of the oven. And next to the wall of the oven as well, if heat rises from the wall of the oven—it is forbidden to knead there. And if not, such as when the wall is thick and there is not much heat on the outer side of the wall—it is permitted. And everything is according to what his eyes see (see Chayei Adam, subsection 9). And so too one must be careful among us, where they place the matzot into the oven by means of thin reeds to hasten placing the matzot into the oven, and not to delay them on the reeds which have warmth in them, for it would easily come to fermentation. And it is also an obligation to prepare many reeds, so that if one begins to become warm—he shall place it in a cold place so that it cools and take another cooled reed, until it becomes a bit warm and he shall place it in a cold place and take another reed. And so he shall exchange them in order so that the reed does not come to warmth. And they shall be careful that also the rolling pins that are called "velgerin," and also the perforators that are called "redlen"—shall not be near the oven. And it is good that the occupation with the matzah should be in a large room where the air dominates.

Initially, one should not leave the dough without engagement even for a single moment. For as long as one is engaged with it, even the entire day, it does not become chametz. And "engagement" is defined as kneading and rolling. And the "stoppeln," if they are done with strength, are defined as "engagement." But if they are done weakly, it is not defined as engagement. And one should be careful not to place the hand upon the matzah for a long time, for the hand possesses warmth. And how long may the dough remain without engagement before it reaches the state of fermentation? Our teacher, the Beit Yosef, wrote in section 2 that it is a quarter of an hour and one-twentieth of an hour, and this is eighteen minutes. And his reasoning is because in the Gemara (Pesachim 46a) they said: the measure of walking a mil, and the walk of an average person in a day is ten parsaot, which are forty milin, for in every parsa there are four milin. And the day is twelve hours, and it results that for every hour there are three milin and a third of a mil. And a mil is two thousand cubits, and in every hour there are sixty minutes, and it results that for every minute there are approximately one hundred and twelve cubits. And for twelve minutes there result two thousand cubits and twelve cubits, according to the calculation of one hundred and twelve. And they are not complete, only approximate, and it is exactly two thousand cubits. And the measure of an hour is a twenty-fourth part of a complete "ma'at le'ma'at," which is to say, a day and a night.

But the Rambam and the Bartenura in the commentary on the Mishnah, Pesachim chapter three, wrote that the measure of a mil is two-fifths of an hour, and this is twenty-four minutes, for a fifth of sixty minutes is twelve, and two-fifths is twenty-four. For they calculate the twelve hours from sunrise until sunset, and the travel is thirty mil, for one travels ten mil before sunrise and after sunset, as is stated in Pesachim (94a). It follows that when you divide thirty mil into twelve hours, which are sixty fifths of an hour—there will be two-fifths of an hour for each mil. And so wrote the Maharil (Magen Avraham subsection 3). And the great authorities agreed to this interpretation, that such is the primary view. And the first opinion is contradicted by the senses (Chok Yaakov subsection 10, and the Gra subsection 5, and the Shulchan Aruch HaRav section 10), but nevertheless, one should be stringent ab initio like the first opinion (Shulchan Aruch HaRav). And behold, here the latter opinion is a leniency, but regarding the matter of salting meat it is a stringency, for the measure of salting is like the measure of walking a mil. And if so, according to the first opinion eighteen minutes is sufficient, and according to the latter opinion one requires twenty-four minutes. And see what I wrote in Yoreh Deah siman 69.

One should be stringent and act quickly regarding the matter of performing the mitzvot. For there is one who holds that it is forbidden to delay for the duration of a mil from the beginning of the kneading until the baking, that is to say, until the placement in the oven. And we calculate in this time even that which they were occupied with the dough (Bach in the name of the Riaz). And although the halacha is not so, nevertheless, regarding matzah it is proper to be stringent. Furthermore: this is certainly also according to the law, that it does not require that it sit without occupation for the duration of a continuous mil walk, but rather even if one delayed a little and returned and occupied himself, and delayed a little – we combine the delays if they were together the duration of a mil walk. And all the more so if the dough is placed in a warm place, for according to the law it hastens to become chametz in much less than the duration of a mil. And so too after they have occupied themselves with the dough and it has become warmed by the hands – it hastens to become chametz before a mil walk. Therefore, they should be quick and diligent in the baking of the matzot. And one should not begin to roll the matzot until they have cleared the oven, so that the dough will not be without occupation.

Much caution is required regarding matzah. That is, the kneading bowl in which one kneads, if it is of earthenware—one requires a new bowl every quarter of an hour, for it is impossible to clean it. Therefore, we knead in bowls of copper, or gilded copper which is called mess, for they are smooth, and it is easy to wash and clean them. And they shall be careful that there be no patch on them, for in the cracks of the patches a small amount of dough is hidden. And when they have made two or three batches of dough—they shall switch to another, and clean the first. And they shall also be careful that the one who gives the flour from the sack into the measure—shall not give the water, and the water shall not stand near the sack of flour. And the woman who kneads—shall clean her hands frequently. And when she kneads, her eyes shall be upon the dough, and she shall not speak with other women in a manner that the kneading is performed offhandedly. And she shall be careful to knead very well, so that no flour remains in the dough.

And be careful when the dough is soft—not to add flour to it, because that flour is not kneaded well, and perhaps it will not bake well, and when it falls into the broth—it will become chametz. And it was not permitted to add flour except as long as the mixing has not been completed, but once it has been mixed and become dough—it is forbidden to add. And what should one do when the dough is soft? He should knead another stiff dough and mix it with the soft one, for it is permitted to mix dough with dough, since both are kneaded well. And it is obvious that specifically another person should make the stiff dough, but the woman who is kneading—she should not make two doughs at once, for the hands are not sufficient for this. However, two rollings, which are small amounts of dough—she can do two at once, one with her right hand and one with the left. And they should be careful not to delay the dough, nor the rolling tool called a katzilke, under the armpit, for there the place is warm. And so too they should be careful to constantly clean the table where they roll, and the roller and the hands from crumbs of dough that stick there. And it is the custom to prick the matzot with an iron roller called a redel, and the matzot are placed on metal called a blech. And those involved should be careful not to eat chametz bread at the time they are involved with the matzot, and they should eat types of kitniyot or potatoes and the like. And he who comes to purify—they assist him.

If one added flour to the dough—one should not forbid it ex post facto, only he must be careful to knead them together very well (see Chok Yaakov, small subsection 27). And if it appears that flour dust passed over some matzah—one must be careful to eat it dry, so that it does not enter water. And if the matzah is already made, and there is no room in the oven to bake it, and it is forced to remain for some minutes—it is good that he should go back and break it, and go back and knead and roll it, so that the matzah does not remain without engagement. But ab initio, one should not break the matzah and go back and knead it and roll it.

This is the wording of our teacher, the Rema, in section 4: The utensils with which the mitzvot are prepared, and the knife with which one cuts the dough – one should scrape them constantly during the time of preparation, so that the dough does not stick to them. And after the preparation, one should rinse them and wipe them well, to return and prepare with them a second time. And this is much better than the practice of scraping them, for it is impossible to clean them well by means of scraping. And one who is stringent should scrape them and afterwards rinse them. Thus far his words. And among us, we scrape with pieces of glass, which scrape well. And we do not practice the rinsing with water at all.

And he wrote further that on Yom Tov it is permitted to scrape by means of a non-Jew, for the scraping is a shevut, and the instruction to a non-Jew is a shevut, and it constitutes a shevut d'shevut in a place of a mitzvah and is permitted. And if there is no non-Jew—he should place them in cold water, or place them in an oven so that the dough upon them will bake. And the kneading troughs it is permitted to rinse himself, for they are fit for some use of okhel nefesh, and it is permitted on Yom Tov. And so too anything similar to this. And he wrote further that one must be careful with a kneading trough in which one kneads, that there should be no hole or crack that he will be unable to pick out after the kneading and it will become chametz, and afterwards when he returns and kneads in it, it will become mixed into the dough. And he should not place the kneading trough on a wool pillow or cushion at the time of kneading, for it heats the kneading trough. But on one of leather—it is permitted. Thus far his words. And among us we do not bake on Yom Tov. However, when one bakes on Yom Tov, and so too on Erev Pesach after midday—one must nullify the crumbs of chametz before they become chametz. And so they were accustomed to say: "The crumbs are ownerless." And specifically before they become chametz, for afterwards they are not in his possession. And see in siman 460, section 5.

The rolling pin that is called a katzilka, among us they are made of smooth wood. Some coat them with metal, some are of stone, and some are of glass. They are smooth and cooling. So too the table upon which they roll—they should be careful that it be from a single board, so that there will not be a crack. And they shall see that it is smooth. Some roll on metal, and some on stone, and it is good and beautiful as is known. However, they shall not roll on paper, for the paper shifts, and it is not good for rolling. And those who roll on paper—it is forbidden to roll another matzah on that same paper, for the dough adheres significantly to the paper. One requires a new paper for every matzah, or on the other side. However, it is better to roll on the table than on paper. (The Magen Avraham wrote in subsection 13: A bowl that was cracked at its rim, and the Maharil commanded to widen the crack and scrape it well, and to perform hagalah and close the cracks and smooth them, see there. And one should distance himself from a kneading trough or a shovel that has a crack in it. And that which he wrote regarding a sheet—we do not know what it is. See there).

And know that even though there is a measure for leavening of the time it takes to walk a mil as I have written, nevertheless, if one sees signs of leavening in the dough – it is forbidden by the Torah even if the time that has been explained has not passed. And these are the signs of leavening: for example, that cracks were made in the dough, and even if the cracks did not intermingle with one another, but rather one goes here and one goes there – it is absolute chametz, and one is liable for karet because of it. And if there is no crack in it but its surface turned pale, meaning that its appearance changed like a person whose hair stood up – it is also chametz, except that one who eats it is exempt from karet. And so too if they began two doughs as one, and one became leavened – the second is also forbidden even if one does not see signs of leavening in it, and even if it did not remain for the measure of a mil, because it certainly leavened. And they should be careful not to place one matzah upon another, for in this way they hasten to leaven. The general rule of the matter: that one needs much caution and alacrity regarding matzah.

Our teachers, the authors of the Shulchan Aruch, wrote in section 3: If the woman who is kneading smooths the dough with water—she should not smooth with those same waters in which she cools her hands, because they become warm and leaven the dough. Rather, she should have one vessel full of water with which she smooths. However, if she transgressed and did not cool her hands—it is permitted. And if one kneaded after the time of the prohibition of chametz, these waters, along with the rest of the waters with which they wash the kneading trough—he should not spill them except in a sloped place, so that they do not collect in one place and leaven. Thus far their words. But before the time of its prohibition—we are not concerned for this (see Taz subsection 5). And now we do not know at all of smoothing with water. On the contrary, the women take care that water should not come upon the dough, and they do this because of their lack of knowledge in this law, for on the contrary, cold water hinders leavening. And it appears to me that because our matzot are thin—therefore they do not require smoothing with water.

And know that if two homeowners bake in one oven, and it is possible that the matzot of one will be swapped for the other, it is proper that they say: "Whoever receives my matzah into his hand—it shall be his as a gift" (Beit Yosef and Magen Avraham siman 452, subsection 5). And so too, if there is a concern at the mill or in the shop that one's [flour] was swapped for the other's—they should also say this (ibid.), in order to exit the concern of stolen matzah, as I wrote in siman 454. However, ex post facto, even without saying this—presumably they have forgiven one another. But among us, two do not bake in one oven.