In our daily lives, halachic questions and practical dilemmas often arise. Rabbi Shai Tahan, Rosh Kollel Shaarei Ezra and head of the Beit Hora’ah Arzei HaLevanon, makes Jewish law accessible by answering questions asked both in the study hall and beyond. Today’s question: Can one order chametz during Pesach via the internet?Question:
Shalom to the honored Rabbi. My husband and I usually buy most of our food products through online orders from websites owned by non-Jews. Payment is made by credit card, and we can choose the delivery date of the products. Therefore, we would like to know: is it permissible to order food items that are chametz during Chol Hamoed Pesach, so that they will be delivered after the holiday?
Answer:Shalom to the respected questioners, and a Chag Pesach Sameach to all of Am Yisrael.There is a subtle distinction between purchasing chametz during Pesach and placing an order that grants you rights to receive the chametz after Pesach. It is not permitted to purchase chametz during Pesach, because according to halacha, a Jew is forbidden to own chametz during the holiday—even if it is not in their physical possession. Once a person buys and pays for the chametz, it is considered their property, and they transgress the prohibition of “bal yera’eh u’bal yimatzeh” (it shall not be seen or found in one’s possession).Additionally, there is a prohibition in the very desire to acquire and take possession of the chametz during the festival itself—even if it will only arrive after the holiday—as explained by Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch in his Teshuvot VeHanhagot (vol. 3, siman 135).While some may distinguish between purchasing a specific item—such as a unique product with only one unit available, in which case entering credit card details effectively constitutes a purchase—and ordering a generic item from mass stock (like a bag of Bissli snacks), where the buyer is not acquiring a particular unit, but rather a type of item, the halachic status of such a transaction is debated among early authorities.In a case where the order does not constitute an actual acquisition—especially if the customer is able to cancel the order before it is shipped—there may be room for leniency.
This article was written in cooperation with Shuva Israel