Please provide me a list of rishonim and acharonim who permit ashkenazim to eat kitniyot. For example, I know that Rabbi Yakov Emden permits it.
Thank you for your time.
Steve Mauner, Modi'in, Israel
There are many Ashkenazi Rishonim who permitted Kitniyos, including The Tur (OC 453), Rabeinu Yerucham, Rabeinu Yechiel mi'Paris and the Mordechai (Pesachim 588).
As for Achronim it is a different story entirely. Once the Isur was widespread not even those who disagreed with it forcefully, such as the Chacham Tzvi and his son Rabbi Yakov Emden, were prepared to be Matir it in practice, as Rabbi Yakov Emden makes clear in his Sefer on Orach Chaim, Mor u'Ketsiyah (453). Some attempts were made by others, (see Shaarei Teshuvah OC 453:1) and Chasam Sofer (OC 122) but none appear to have been successful.
Dov Freedman
It is worthwhile to report that both Rav Y.Y. Weinberg - the Sridei Aish, and Rav Breish of Zurich both permitted the use of peanut oil for ashkenazim:
Rav Weinberg [P1, no. 50 ] because peanuts are NOT Kitniyot, and Rav Breish [as far as I remember, I don't have his responsa here] because the minhag of refraining from eating Kitniyoth DOES NOT APPLY TO DERIVATIVES AT ALL [perhaps this refers only to those derivatives made without wetting the grain, such as oils]!
Yeshayahu HaKohen Hollander
Dear Rabbi Kornfeld,
Thank you very much for your insightful answers. I appreciate that every time I send my questions to you, I receive comprehensive answers.
Regarding Kitniyos, Yeshayahu HaKohen Hollander wrote as follows:
>>the minhag of refraining from eating Kitniyoth DOES NOT APPLY TO
DERIVATIVES AT ALL.<<
This is what I was taught at home and also told by older rabbanim. I was told that it was a personal minhag of R'Soloveitchik to refrain from derivatives and his students, who ran the OU, adopted his personal minhag. This then became the "new" standard (in New York, at least). Hence, Coke needs sugar, not corn syrup - a derivative.
Thank you again.
Yours Truly,
Steve Mauner
Shalom!
Steve Mauner wrote:
>>the minhag of refraining from eating Kitniyoth DOES NOT APPLY TO DERIVATIVES AT ALL. This is what I was taught at home and also told by older rabbanim. I was told that it was a personal minhag of R'Soloveitchik to refrain from derivatives and his students, who ran the OU, adopted his personal minhag." <<
This has me worried. As we know the general rule is that a talmid should follow the rulings of his teachers. If Rav Soloveichik did NOT make a prohibit the use of derivitives for others, why do his students do so - why do they go against the behavior iof their Rav?
In our classical poskim the phrase "Hamahmir Yahmir leatsmo velo lacherim" appears often enough [even in Mishna Berura 545,35; 599,1], and Rav Soloveichik kept this rule - why do his talmidim not keep this rule? Are they not transgressing the rule of not prohibiting that which is permitted?
What is the Halachic basis for such behavior?
Respectfully,
R. Yeshayahu HaKohen Hollander