Are Arizona Matzos Kosher?

By Rabbi Berach Steinfeld

Are Matzos that are baked from wheat that are grown on salty waters, like in Arizona, Kosher? What about Matzos baked with flour that has sugar in it?

There are four types of Matzos that are not just made from flour and water exclusively. The first type is Matzos that is kneaded with fruit juice which is called Matza Ashira. The second Matzah is spiced Matzah which is made from Dough or flour that has spices mixed into it. The third type of Matzah where spices are added to it. The fourth type of Matzah is Matzah that had salt added.

In Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 462:1 says that fruit juice with no water in it does not become chametz if added in the Matzah. One can eat it on Pesach, but one is not Yotzei the Mitzvah of Lechem Oni. The Rema says that in our Medinos we do not use fruit juice in the Matzah. Unless someone is sick or old. The Gra brings Gemara in Pesachim 36a which says that if it is not the first day of Pesach one can eat Matzah that is made from fruit juice. The reason the Bnei Ashkenaz do not eat Matzah made from fruit juice is because they were worried that the fruit juice may contain water.

The Tur in Orach Chaim 455 brings Gemara in Menachos 23b that says if one adds spices to Matzah, one is Yotzei as it retains the taste of Matzah. The Rokeach in 283 says that one should not add pepper as it heats up the dough and will cause it to become chametz. It is also brought down in Shulchan Aruch 455:6 that one can add spices if it is not peppers. The Mishna Berurah 46 says that the words the Shulchan Aruch uses that it has a taste of Matzah would be that it is kosher even on the first day of Pesach. He explains that this would not constitute Matzah Ashira. The he adds a Yesh Omrim that argue that it would only be Kosher the rest of Pesach but not on the first day of Pesach.

The Hagahos Maimonies in Hilchos Chametz uMatzah 5:300 brings an opinion of the Rashbat that says spices would be the same as kneaded in milk or honey and would be considered Matza Ashira. The Tur says that we forbid one from adding salt to Matzah as we are mekayem the mitzvah of “Al Titosh – Toras Imecha.”

The reason why we don’t add salt to Matzah. One opinion is based on the Rosh that says that Matzah is not called Matzah if it is salted as it causes the Matzah to become chametz much quicker as it is considered hot. The Rosh brings a raya from Korban Toda that we add salt to the Matzah, and it is still called Matzah. The Rosh argues and says this applies to Korban Toda only as we bring it on the Mizbeach and anything brought on the Mizbeach required salt.

Rabbeinu Manoach allows one to use salted Matzah the rest of Pesach but not on the first day of Pesach. The Avnei Nezer Orach Chaim 532 discusses if flour of Matzah was stored in a bag that had some sugar on the bottom if that makes it become chametz much quicker? He was mattir it. He said that sugar is not like salt and does not cause it to get hot and chametz quicker.

Reb Ovadia Yosef Zt”l discusses that according to the sefardim that eat Matzah Ashira on Pesach. What would happen if a little salt was added? He concludes that despite the fact the Rema held that it is assur, the little salt added to the Matzah would not affect the Sefardim and they would be able to eat it even on the first day of Pesach.

Based on the above that we said we really don’t add salt to Matzah is because of “Al Titosh – Toras Imecha,” since the minhag was not based on not using flour that is grown in salty areas it is only limited to the fact that we are not allowed to add salt to our Matzah while it is in the state of flour or dough. Therefore, we can rest assured that one can use Arizona flour for Matzos even if it is grown in salty areas or even watered with salty water. Especially since we are makpid not to let the dough sit for more than eighteen minutes so we don’t have a chashash of chimutz.

{Matzav.com}