Religion Magazine

Goy Claims His Chametz and Doesn't Get It

By Gldmeier @gldmeier
And here is what can throw the selling of chametz into a bad light and make people want to not rely on it, or maybe their rabbi needs to explain to them what it means to sell something, even chametz....
Supposedly on the first day of Pesach in Williamsburg, the goy who bought the chametz of the through one of the rabbis of tens of families in the area decided he wanted to collect.
It seems this was a "new" goy that bought the chametz this year as the regular goy was not available. This new goy did not really know the process and what is really happening, that this is a halachically mandated sham of a sale and while it is legal and he could go pick up his half loaf of bread, he isn't really expected to.
Anyways, the goy paid his deposit for his chametz and then on OPesach he decided he wanted to pick up his stuff. He looked at the list of people he had bought from and picked one, randomly I guess, out of the list. He went to the house and said he wants his chametz and asked how much is there - can he load it into his car or does he need to bring a trailer?
The family panicked. They tried to warn him off saying things like he might be punished from heaven for this, or this is an issue of holy rabbis and he shouldnt get involved, etc.
Mr. Goy understandably got upset that his chametz was being withheld from him and went to the rabbi for clarification. The rabbi convinced him to come back later, on Chol Hamoed. At that time the rabbi explained to him what the sale actually is and how it works, and the goy understood and left them alone.
The story concludes with a request by the family to not have their name published so people shouldnt talk about them and question if they actually sold their chametz or not.
source: Behadrei and Matzav
The funniest part of the story, for me, is the last part - how they wanted to keep their name out of it so nobody would question their kashrus. As if the public perception is more important than the actual potential kashrus problem.
Yes, the sale of chametz is a halachically mandated sham, as everyone involved knows nothing is being transferred, but the halacha explicitly allows it to happen. That being said, if a goy comes to claim his chametz, I am not sure why anybody would get nervous about that and refuse. Just give it to him and collect your money. They probably thought if the goy takes it it will mess everything up somehow..
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