Bukharian Custom of Kitniyot on Pesach

I. THE REASONS FOR THE MINHAG

The Mishna  teaches that there are only five grains that can be used for matzah: wheat, barley, spelt, rye and oats. The Gemara explains that other grains such as rice and millet, when left to ferment, become spoiled and do not become chametz.

Nevertheless, a minhag developed amongst the Ashkenazi communities to refrain from eating kitniyot [legumes] (grain-like items, such as rice or corn). The rishonim offer three reasons for the mihnag:

• these grains can be confused with grains that can be chametz (הגהות רבינו פרץ לסמ"ק ס' רכב)
• grains of chametz may have gotten mixed in during the gathering (אורחות חיים הל' חמץ ומצה ס' נה)
• kitniyot can become chametz on a Rabbinical level (as a precaution)

The Rama rules,  that the Ashkenazim customarily refrain from eating  kitniyot, whereas the custom among the Sephardic communities is to consume kitniyot on Pesach.

II.   THE CUSTOM AMONGST BUCHARIAN JEWS

Like all Jews, Bukharian Jews celebrate Pesach with all its beauty and glory. However, we have many Pesach traditions and customs that are unique to our community.

The general custom amongst the Bukharian Jews is:

1. A small part of the community, do not eat rice nor any other legumes (Bechori Yisrael vol.4 5:1)
2. not to eat any legumes, but rice is consumed
3. and then there are those that do not eat rice for the first two days of Pesach, but do eat rice on other days of Pesach

Now let’s take a closer look into each custom:

1. The custom to refrain from all legumes is sourced in the Rama and other Rishonim. This custom had widespread acceptance among Ashkenazim, and some Sephardic communities followed suit (especially common amongst the Moroccan community).
2. Why was rice allowed whereas other kinds of legumes were prohibited? Furthermore, grains of wheat were more commonly found in bags of rice. The answer given is since rice is a very basic product, (as most of the dishes in the Bukharian cuisine are based on rice, such as Oshisavo, Baksh, Oshpalov, etc.) to forbid rice would be a decree that the majority of the public cannot abide by.

This custom is not exclusive to the Bukharian community. The Tunisian Jews also have a custom to follow the Rama where all legumes are forbidden on Pesach, and rice is permitted since it is basic staple needed for sustenance .

1. Dr. Giora Fuzaylov posits that the custom to refrain from rice for the first two days of Pesach was due to the respect Bukharian Jews showed to their Ashkenazi emissaries who were sent to raise funds for the Jewish communities residing in Israel .

Nevertheless, the custom to refrain from kitniyot is not an old custom. Rav Avraham Aminov Tamudi (1854-1939)  does not mention this custom and only suggests it as "good" custom to follow the Rama. There is no mention that this is the Bukharian custom of his day. This custom was possibly influenced by the Ashkenazi (Chabad) Rabbis that were very active in the community over the years .

III. ANNULLING THE CUSTOM

Communal minhagim (customs) usually carry down to the next generation, even to those members that never explicitly accepted them .

The poskim note that for Ashkenazim, refraining from kitniyot is widespread throughout Ashkenazi Jewry, and one cannot annul this custom even if one were to move to a place where they keep Sephardic customs .

Rav Ovadia Yosef rules that a Sephardi who had a custom earlier to refrain from kitniyot on Pesach as a stringency and wants to eat kitniyot should perform hatarat nedarim [Rabbinical ratification] (Chazon Ovadia Pesach p. 84).  Rav Bentzion Abba Shaul (Ohr Letzion vol. 3, 8:15) notes that a sephardi that had a custom to refrain from kitniyot may annul his custom since this custom is deemed as a personal custom, that can be annulled with hatarat nedarim according to the Shulchan Aruch (Y.D 214:1) and Rama.

Nevertheless, it remains to be investigated if the custom amongst the Bukharian community was taken by the community as a fence (to protect against transgressions) and stringency or because kitniyot were mistaken to have leavening properties (chametz).

If the custom started with the mistaken assumption that all kitniyot have leavening properties (chametz) then no hatarat nedarim is necessary, for it is a minhag taut. Nevertheless, in all matters related to custom and their ratification, one should consult with an expert halachic authority in these matters (Mibikurei Hailan pg. 321).

1. CHECKING THE RICE BEFORE CONSUMPTION

The Bukharian custom is to check the rice three times before use, to ensure that there are no wheat kernels. One should make sure that it is done away from kids and other distractions (Rav Rafael Shamsiyev in Bechori Yisrael vol.4, 5:1). One who is short on time, can rely to check it one time very thoroughly, since rice is generally cleaner in our days .

  Pesachim 35a

  רבינו מנוח הל' חמץ ומצה ה:א

וכתוב בספר המנהגות ונהגו כל העולם שלא לאכול זרעונים בפסח מפני שהן מחמיצין ועל כן נקראין חימצי ע"כ ולא מסתבר לומר שיהיה המנהג תלוי באיסור כלל שאין בשום קטנית בעולם שום חימוץ אלא מפני שאין דרך לאכול קטנית במועד שהרי כתוב ושמחת בחגך ואין שמחה באכילת תבשיל קטנית

  Siman 453:1

אלו דברים שיוצאים בהם ידי חובת מצה בחטים ובשעורים ובכוסמין ובשבולת שועל ובשיפון (והמנהג ליקח לכתחלה חטים) (מהרי"ל) אבל לא באורז ושאר מיני קטנית וגם אינם באים לידי חימוץ ומותר לעשות מהם תבשיל: הגה ויש אוסרים (טור והגהות מיימוני פ"ה ומרדכי פ' כל שעה) והמנהג באשכנז להחמיר ואין לשנות מיהו פשוט דאין אוסרים בדיעבד אם נפלו תוך התבשיל וכן מותר להדליק בשמנים הנעשים מהם ואינן אוסרין אם נפלו לתוך התבשיל וכן מותר להשהות מיני קטניות בבית (ת"ה סי' קי"ג) וזרע אקליז"א (מהרי"ל) ועני"ס אליינד"ר אינן מיני קטניות ומותר לאכלן בפסח כן נראה לי

  Although one may keep it at home and doesn’t need to sell it.

  See further in Rav Pealim O.C vol. 3 #30

  Rav Yisrael Chayim Motayev in Mishmeret Haminhagim Siman 7, and Rav Menachem Haimoff, Moreshet Magazine vol. 1 pg. 3

  If a bet din issues a decree that people could not live with, a later court can nullify it (Avodah Zara 36a)

  Sefer Berit Kehuna by Rav Moshe Kalphon 1:19 with notes by Rav Meir Mazuz

  Excerpt in Haggadah of the Bukharian Jews by R’ Bechor Baruch (Malayev)

  Another reason for this custom may be: following World War II and the Holocaust, Ashkenazi Jewish refugees from Eastern Europe escaped hunger and war to Uzbekistan. Many Bukharian Jews generously opened their doors to Jews fleeing the Germans. Due to respect Bukharian Jews showed to their Ashkenazi guests that were present for the Seder, rice was not served.

  Likutei Dinim, Siman 145:4

  Rav Yisrael Chayim Motayev in Mishmeret Haminhagim Siman 7

  Shulchan Aruch Y.D 214:2

קבלת הרבים חלה עליהם ועל זרעם; ואפילו בדברים שלא קבלו עליהם בני העיר בהסכמה, אלא שנוהגין כן מעצמם לעשות גדר וסייג לתורה; וכן הבאים מחוץ לעיר לדור שם, הרי הם כאנשי העיר וחייבים לעשות כתקנתן, ואף בדברים שהיו אסורים בהם בעירם מפני מנהגם ואין מנהג העיר שבאו לדור בה לאסור, הותרו בהם אם אין דעתם לחזור.

See further

שו"ת הריב"ש ס' שצט

שו"ת אדמת קודש או"ח ב:ב

  Yalkut Yosef Vol. 2, 453:1

 By Rabbi Nissan Shalomayev
Rav, Bukharian Jewish Cong. Of Hillcrest / Kehilat Oht V’Achdut