#0202_A_View_From_Haredi_Jerusalem

"Just before you go out to burn the chametz [leaven], read this:

A number of rules that will prevent the smells of smoke and dangerous air pollution to the public safety:

The people of Israel come out in the morning en masse to burn the chametz [1] in the streets of the city. As a result, the environmental organization ‘Green Now’ has published a series of recommendations for a safe and non-polluting way to ‘burn chametz’ [in a way that will not be] dangerous to health and public safety.

Passover [2] is called the 'holiday of spring,' but sometimes on Passover eve it is hard to breathe in certain neighborhoods. Burning chametz is an important ‘mitzvah’ [religious commandment] on the Eve of Pesach [Passover]. Indeed, it is important to pay attention to a number of rules that will prevent the smells and smoke throughout the city:

1. Do not burn the chametz together with plastic bags, plastic packaging, etc. There is no mitzvah to burn the plastic bottles, you can remove the chametz and throw the bags and containers into the trash.
2. It is best to organize in advance that you will not have much left to burn, except for the ten pieces of chametz [3]. There is no mitzvah to leave any crumbs for burning chametz.
3. It is recommended to assemble concentrated fires and not to start additional ones, usually one bonfire is better than many bonfires. There should be a person responsible for the bonfire who should also make sure that others do not burn plastic and various packages.

It is important to remember that the burning of plastic and various packaging that emit heavy smoke and severe air pollution cause great distress to residents and neighbors, especially the elderly and people suffering from respiratory diseases. To burn the chametz and cause suffering to the neighbors is to ‘gain by losing’."

– B'Hadrei Haharedim

—-
0202 Editor's Notes:
[1] During the holiday of Passover (see below), it is forbidden to possess leaven (in all forms). On the eve of Passover, it is customary to ceremonially burn the last remnants of leaven after having thoroughly cleaned his house and possessions.
[2] Passover (Pesach, in Hebrew) is a seven day Jewish holiday celebrating the Biblical Exodus from Egypt.
[3] On the night before Passover, it is customary to perform the "Bedikat Chametz" ceremony where one puts out 10 small pieces of bread in his house and searches for any remaining leavened products. The next morning this ceremony is completed with the "burning of the chametz" that was found the night before.

#Passover #Environment #Pollution

https://goo.gl/DHtvAG

https://www.facebook.com/1675349376080655/posts/2084238448525077