If A Chametz Pot Was Mistakenly Used For Pesach Cooking

The question was asked about a Chametz pot that was mistakenly used for Pesach cooking. Does one have to throw away the Pesach foods that was cooked in a Chametz pot? This question actually came upon Chacham Ovadia Yosef one day as he was walking home from the Yeshiva during Pesach. While walking home, the Rav came upon a lady crying at her doorway. The Rabbi asked why she was crying, and the lady answered that she mistakenly had used a Chametz pot to cook food during Pesach. She was nervous, and afraid that her husband would be mad. Chacham Ovadia then asked her which pot she used. The lady replied that she cooked in the pot that was used for noodles all year long. Chacham Ovadia then said, ‘Mutar’ – it’s allowed. Chacham Ovadia told her that she would not have to discard the food, and that she can eat the food on Pesach that was mistakenly cooked in the Chametz pot. The lady did not understand and asked the Rav to explain. Chacham Ovadia Yosef explained that once the pot is not used for 24 hours it becomes Pagum (bitter, unsavory, unfit, spoiled), and Bediavad, food cooked for Pesach is allowed to be eaten even though it is a Hametz pot. It must be clearly understood though, that one is not permitted to use Chametz pots on Pesach. Absolutely not! We are only talking about a case where there was a mistake, and a Chametz pot was used by accident. The pot can be used based on the concept of ‘Noten Taam Lifgam’, which means that the flavor from the pots has no effect on the foods being cooked once 24 hours goes by. The pot of course must not have any food remnants in it and must be clean, but once 24 hours goes by, it is permissible, if one made a mistake and used a Chametz pot to cook for Pesach.

By Rabbi Eli Mansour