We "Bought" a Cat for the Week

The other day Abby and Sammy were playing in the back garden pushing their strollers and I was lounging idly in a chair staring off in the distance when my Orthodox Jewish neighbor Estelle Golker poked her head over the fence wearing her bright red-haired wig. We began to chat and as we finished our little conversation she said, "just so you know, I have 'sold' you my cat for the week. We will feed him and everything but you own him for the week for Pesach." I wasn't sure what she was talking about but agreed to it anyway. Then I started thinking that she must be referring to a Jewish holiday. Then I remembered it is Passover. It begins this Sunday (April 20th) and continues until the following Saturday (the 26th).

She has been busy for the past several weeks ridding her house of "chametz" or any trace of leavened bread. Contrary to popular belief, chametz is not the five grains of wheat, rye, barley, oats, and spelt. Rather, chametz is the leavened product that results when any of these five grains come into contact with water for more than a minimum of eighteen minutes. Thus all breads, pastas, cakes, cookies, and dry cereals are considered pure chametz. The goal for a Jewish housewife is to clean out, destroy, remove and renounce all chametz. Since a total elimination would constitute an economic hardship for most people, the Rabbis instituted the sale of title to the chametz in one's possession. This is where the "sale" of her cat to me comes in.

Parakeets, gerbils and the like, or rather their food and cages, present a problem at Passover time. These pets live on a grain diet. The law applies to all Jews of any age against deriving ANY pleasure or benefit from chametz. Therefore, cages of pets must be thoroughly cleaned out. The pet can be "sold" to a non-Jewish friend (that's me), who will care for it during the holiday. The other alternative is to alter the diet. Most large pet-food companies will send, on request, a pet Passover diet.

Anyway, as you can see her little "sale" led me to do a lot of research. I also talked to her again and got quite the low-down on all the cleaning that she does to get ready for Passover. She literally starts weeks in advance. She has to vacuum every corner, scrub every shelf and drawer. Every curtain gets washed and ironed, the rugs are shampooed. Furniture is moved, mattresses are overturned, pockets of garments are turned inside out and shaken clean looking for any possible hiding places of chametz. The kitchen is the biggest job. All kitchen items used all year long handling and absorbing chametz may not be used for Passover. That means they are either stowed away or thoroughly cleaned. This includes dishes, cutlery, utensils, pots and pans, serving pieces, trays, sink racks, drainboards, kitchen gadgets, storage areas, freezer, refrigerator, stove top, oven, dishwasher, blender, food processor, toaster, electric mixer, spice rack, in sum everything! And the housewife hasn't even begun to make all the meals and do the shopping and planning for the holiday, this is just preparation! So basically, I have decided I am too lazy to be a Jewish housewife....