Kosher for Passover Gasoline - no joking! Kosher for Passover Gasoline
By Danielle Wolfbergand and Henry Lorman Bergen County Jewish Times Teaneck,
Yaniv Ban-Zaken, a local gas station owner, will be selling Kosher for
Passover gasoline during the holiday this year. The move, Ben-Zaken says,
has become necessary due to the increased ethanol content in gasoline
required by the government. The ethanol is typically derived from corn,
which is a forbidden food for Jews on Passover. And, according to Ben-Zaken,
underJewish law, it is also forbidden to derive any benefit from corn.
"We will be providing a number of services to anyone interested in making
their motor vehicle Kosher for Passover," Ben-Zaken says. Services will
include siphoning off the non-Kosher gasoline and replacing it with the
Kosher gasoline. The entire process will be supervised by Rabbi Yitzchok
Mendelbaum. A special exemption to the EPA rule regarding the plant ethanol
content of gasoline had to be obtained from the government to allow for the
use of this gasoline. The move has created some controversy among local
community leaders. Rabbi Shalom Silver, of Congregation Ohel Emeth in
Teaneck, has recommended to his congregants that they not buy the gasoline.
"Although Jews of Ashkenazi descent are not permitted to eat corn on Pesach,
they are permitted to derive benefit from corn byproducts, such as gasoline
with ethanol additives," he said.
However, Rabbi Mordechai Silver (no relation to Shalom Silver), of Yeshivas
Torah Ohr in nearby Englewood, disagrees, and maintains that while it might
technically be acceptable to use mass-produced gasoline, those who can
afford to purchase the new alternative should. "In Jewish law, we have a
principle of lifnim mshuras hadin--going above and beyond the basic
requirements of the law," he explained in an email. "Thank G-d, many people
in the area can afford to do so in this case."
Some local Jewish leaders have also complained about the high price of the
ethanol-free gas, which Ben-Zaken estimates will be $9.69 per gallon, but
Ben-Zaken insists that it is necessary. "The Kosher gas is made in small
quantities and not mass produced, so the costs are high." In fact,
Ben-Zaken, an immigrant from Israel who is not himself religious, claims
that he will not be making any profit on the sale of the Kosher gas. "I'm
doing this more as a community service. My hope is that people will be more
likely to patronize my station the rest of the year." Julio Sanchez, one of
Ben-Zakens employees, also expressed some concern over the high price,
explaining that it might drive away customers and reduce his income from
tips. Co-worker Naveen Samhari disagreed, because, as he says, "Orthodox
Jews are among the best tippers in the area."
Ben-Zaken also says he will be contracting with a local car rental agency to
provide customers with a Kosher for Passover car if they would prefer not to
use their own. This will also save the time of having to clean chametz from
the car before Pesach--time that many local two-income families do not have.
"Jews use different dishes for Passover. They ought to be able to use a
different car, as well." Ben-Zaken says.
