Angry Chametz
A Meditation Before We Talk About Matzah
Rabbi Dan Ornstein
Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heschel ( 1748-1825 ) was known by his nom de plume , the Oheiv Yisrael , “ The Lover of the people of Israel .” ( He was also the great , great grandfather of Rabbi Abraham Heschel .) Stories abound of his gentleness , deep love and compassion for all his fellow Jews . Here is one story , as retold by Rabbi Moshe Shlomo Friedman , the Rebbe ( grand rabbi ) of the Boyaner Hasidic dynasty in New York :
Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz was extremely strict about the laws concerning the removal of chametz , leavened food , on Pesach . The Oheiv Yisrael was less strict . One Pesach , one of Pinchas ’ s grandsons came to visit the Oheiv Yisrael ’ s family . Because he observed his grandfather ’ s stringencies so scrupulously and zealously , he got into a great deal of angry conflict with his host ’ s family during the holiday . The Oheiv Yisrael finally took the young man aside and said to him , “ You should know that anger is a form of chametz which is forbidden all year round .”
The Oheiv Yisrael playfully but roundly criticized the young man by alluding to a halachic ( legal ) rule that he would have known : chametz which remains in a Jew ’ s possession during Pesach is forbidden during the rest of the
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