Community Magazine April 2014

76 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE The Torah lays out a whole system of dietary laws that Jews observe throughout the year. For instance, we separate meat and milk, do not consume the meat of certain animals, insist that animals be slaughtered in according to specific kosher standards, and do not eat certain parts of some animals (such as the sciatic nerve). W hen Passover arrives, an additional set of dietary rules apply only for the length of the holiday. Jews are proscribed from eating any foods that contain leaven or leavening agents (hametz) . While in principle this mandate is straightforward, the practical implications are far-reaching, as the rules for Passover are grafted onto the year-round kashrut rules. The home is scrubbed from top to bottom, all non-kosher for Passover foods and utensils are removed, and separate sets of dishes and utensils (meat, dairy, and pareve) are brought out. Nevertheless, once the preparations are complete, a joyous holiday ensues. Finding kosher food is usually not very difficult, particularly in metropolitan areas. But what rules apply to medicines on Passover? Must they, too, be “kosher for Passover”? And how would one discover if a particular medication is permissible on Passover? Does it matter for what condition someone is taking their medicine? It is crucial to emphasize from the outset that protecting a life takes precedence over all laws of Passover (and virtually all other Biblical laws, with very few exceptions). No one should stop taking medications for serious or even potentially serious medical conditions during Passover (or any other time) without the express permission of his or her doctor (and rabbi). Judaism does not look favorably upon pious foolishness. Kosher vs. Kosher for Passover It is important to recognize that while the standard laws of kashrut and the special laws of Passover function in parallel, they also function independently. That is, certain products may be kosher for Passover but not kosher for a Jewish person to consume, and other products might be kosher year-round but not kosher for Passover. For instance, although one may never feed one’s pet food that contains meat and dairy cooked together, pet food does not have to otherwise be kosher to be fed to a pet. However, during Passover, one may not feed hametz to one’s animals. Hence, animal food must also be kosher for Passover, even though it does not have to be otherwise kosher. The same concept applies to any discussion of medications. Certain medications may, for a variety of reasons, be permitted during the year even though they are not kosher. But when Passover comes, the question arises whether the restrictions of Passover would preclude their use. This is why published lists of medications for Passover give a disclaimer that inclusion on the list does not imply that the medication is kosher, only that it does not contain hametz or possibly kitniyot (types of food that Ashkenazi Jews have a custom to avoid on Passover). But the question we would like to address is, are the annual “kosher for Passover” medicine lists necessary altogether? Aremedicines considered edible? The status of ingested medicine on Passover is different from that of the rest of the year in two major ways. First, on Passover, in addition to the prohibition of eating hametz , one is forbidden to derive any benefit from it, and even to own it. Because the year-round kosher rules only preclude the eating of non-kosher food (with the exception of mixtures of meat and milk), the use of pork insulin, porcine heart valves, and pigskin footballs are all permitted (independent of the fact that the laws of kashrut are waived for life-threatening health conditions). Even if a medicine derived from a non-kosher animal were to be edible, one would be permitted to use it even for a minor medical necessity so long as one does not eat it. The second difference involves the point at which a food is considered to have been transformed into a non-edible substance. During the year, a food that is not fit to be eaten by a normal person is not formally considered “food” with respect to the laws of kashrut . When Passover arrives, however, the bar is set higher, and only a substance that is not fit to be eaten by a dog is considered to be non-edible and therefore not subject to the hametz prohibition. A comprehensive overview of the laws pertaining to medicines on Passover DANIEL EISENBERG, M.D. on Passover Medications

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