Page 22 - cRc Pesach Guide 2021

Rabbi Daniel J. Raccah
Dayan

SEPHARDIC

LAWS AND

CUSTOMS

The term Sephardi, or in its plural form, Sephardim, has many observance was not complicated. Everyone was familiar
levels of meaning. In its most common usage, it identifies the with the halachic guidelines and community customs. Today,
Jews of countries from North Africa to the west, and as far however, there are very few Sephardic communities that
as Iran to the east (with the possible exception of Yemen), as survived the transplantation sufficiently well that they can
well as the Jews of Turkey, Greece, and much of the Balkans. continue to maintain their observance much the same way
Additionally, there were important and early Sephardic as they did in their country of origin. In America, the Syrian
communities in Amsterdam and London. The term could communities of Flatbush, New York and Deal, New Jersey;
possibly serve as a tribal identifier (see Rashi and Radak to the Persian communities of New York and Los Angeles; and
Ovadia, verse 20). On a mystical level, the term is associated the Bukharan community of Queens, New York have varying
with particular spiritual traits and talents to be found in those levels of success in this regard. These communities may be
of this extraction (see for example Rav Moshe David Vali, the exception, while many Sephardic Jews find themselves
student/colleague of Rav Moshe Chaim Luzatto, the Ramchal, confused and uncertain how to proceed and which opinion to
in his Sefer HaLikutim Vol 1 page 9). However, from a halachic follow. With its severity and complexity, Pesach is particularly
perspective, it refers to Jews who have accepted the authority difficult for them.
of Maran, Rav Yosef Karo and his work Shulchan Aruch as legally This cRc Guide to Pesach is written primarily with Ashkenazi
binding upon themselves and their progeny. The submission Jews in mind, and as such, the halachot presented therein
of Sephardim to Maran Rav Yosef Karo’s rulings is a powerful follow the Ashkenazi traditions. The intent of this article is to
commonality between different Sephardic communities.
identify some of the areas where the Ashkenazi and Sephardi
The communities of the Jews in Sephardic countries are traditions differ, and provide direction in those cases. This
ancient, with some of them dating back to the exile from article only relates to the “Kashering the Kitchen” section of
the First Beit HaMikdash. In distinction to many Ashkenazi the Guide (pages 26-29).
communities, the Sephardic communities did not move and Additionally, this article does not presume nor endeavor
for the most part remained in the same place for hundreds to present the positions and halachic views of each and
and even thousands of years. This remained the status-quo every Sephardic community. Rather, we will follow here the
until the latter half of the 20th century. The Holocaust, the opinions of Rav Ovadia Yosef zt”l. Rav Yosef was a halachic
creation of the State of Israel, and the rising hatred of their titan in our generation, and his decisions are followed by
Arab neighbors resulted in mass exodus from the homes that countless Sephardic Jews of all origins. Additionally, Rav
the Sephardim had occupied for centuries. However, until Yosef recognized that many communities had veered from
then, each community developed essentially independent of the total authority of the Shulchan Aruch, and as such he set
one another. As a result, each community has its own distinct as one of his missions in life to return the prominence and
and unique customs. Even within the same country, different the absoluteness of Maran Rav Yosef Karo’s authority to its
communities may have widely differing customs. For example, proper place. In many cases, Rav Yosef’s opinions reflect
some Moroccan Jews eat rice on Pesach, while many do not. On the unfiltered view of Maran Rav Yosef Karo, the baseline of
a halachic level as well, different communities have different authority for all Sephardic communities.
levels of relationship to Maran Rav Yosef Karo’s authority, with
all however accepting the Shulchan Aruch as a baseline. Those desirous of following the traditions of any particular
community should consult their Rabbi. E
When Sephardim lived in their communities of origin, Pesach

20 www.ASKcRc.org / www.cRcweb.org cRc Pesach Guide Introduction