Zoreiah 7 - Understanding Kitniyos (Klal 11 Siman 2) Hilchos Shabbos - S0338

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Zoreiah 7 - Understanding Kitniyos (Klal 11 Siman 2) Hilchos Shabbos - S0338

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We are learning about the melacha of zoreiah, and the Chayei Adam mentioned zoreiah as it applies to kitniyos. We will digress to learn about the concept of kitniyos as it applies to Pesach.

There is confusion regarding kitniyos in that many define kitniyos as the Ashkenazi gezeira enacted by the rishonim. The word kitniyos is found in the mishnayos in many places, including in Brachos and Kilayim, and is a broader concept which preceded the gezeira. The Gra, in his peirush Shenos Eliyahu on Maseches Peah (1:4), writes that ha’adama foods can be divided into 3 groups:
Yerakos refers to foods planted from a seed every year, as opposed to a tree which regenerates. The seeds are not eaten, but the plant itself is eaten. They are called yerakos since the yarok, green parts of the food, are generally the parts which are consumed.
and 3. regard other ha’adama foods where the plant itself is not eaten, but the seeds are eaten instead. For example, a wheat “plant” consists of an entire stalk with some seeds on the top. If it were left alone, the seeds would fall off the “plant” and create more wheat plants. Thus, we eat the seeds rather than the plant. Both tevuah and kitniyos fall under this category. The difference is that tevuah specifically refers to wheat, barley, spelt, oats, and rye. Kitniyos refers to any other plant that only the seed is eaten.
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On a practical level, there may not be a significant difference between them. There may be a difference regarding kilayim, in that some rishonim understand that if one creates kilei hakerem with tevuah, it is an issur deoraysa, but kitniyos are not an issur deoraysa. Others hold they are both an issur deoraysa.

Thus, the concept of kitniyos is found preceding the gezeira of the rishonim. Any plant in which the seed is eaten is considered kitniyos. The five grains are considered more chashuv, since they can become chametz, can be used to be yotzei the mitzvah of matzah and hamotzi, and so on. They are therefore given a separate title for their group. Nevertheless, their physical characteristics are essentially identical to kitniyos in that it is a plant in which only the seed is eaten.

Due to its similar characteristics, the rishonim came along and were concerned that people would confuse tevuah and kitniyos, so they enacted a gezeira to prohibit the consumption of kitniyos on Pesach. However, we clearly see that the rishonim did not invent the word kitniyos but rather used the word employed by the mishnayos to describe what they were making assur.

There are a few explanations as to why the rishonim enacted this gezeira. One explanation is that kitniyos tend to grow near fields of tevuah, so they may be confused with it. Another explanation is that since kitniyos can be turned into flour, one can create a dough and bread out of it. Although it does not rise, so it is not considered chametz per se, it can still be confusing.

There are other types of plants (leaving out trees), such as tubers, where the plant is eaten without the leaves. The root grows in a way that the root itself becomes edible. These include potatoes, turnips, radishes and carrots. These are not considered kitniyos, since the plant is eaten and not the seed. (On the other hand, they are not generally referred to as yerakos, since the green parts of the plant are not eaten.) Thus, for the purposes of the halachos of kitnyios, they are considered yerakos, and are not included in the gezeira.
Nevertheless, the Chayei Adam actually raises the question of whether potatoes should be included in the gezeira of kitniyos. He suggests that the main idea behind the gezeira was the concern that other flours would be confused with tevuah flours. Since potatoes can be made into a dough (potato starch), they should be assur as well. All other poskim disagree with the Chayei Adam, since the process to create potato starch is completely different than that of tevuah.

The Rambam has a completely different way of identifying kilayim. His explanation can be found at the end of perek aleph of Maseches Kilayim.

Wishing you a gut yom tov. Be’ezras Hashem, we will resume on Chol Hamoed.

Summary
Kitniyos is a term found in the Mishnayos to describe a type of plant in which the seed is eaten and which is not one of the 5 grains. Out of concern for the similarity, the rishonim enacted a gezeira in which they prohibited the consumption of kitnyos on Pesach.