Chametz on Eighth Day

The topic of yesterday’s Shabbat Hagadol Drasha by the Chief Ashkenazi rabbi, Rabbi David Lau, was whether we are allowed to eat חמץ on the Shabbat after Pesach. For חוץ לארץ people, this is the eighth day of Pesach.

Regarding קטניות, there is no problem at all. One could even ask his Sephardi friends to cook קטניות for him on Friday and he can eat it on Shabbat. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach זצ״ל was quoted, who allows Kitniyot for Ashkenazim on that Shabbat.

Rav Lau paskened that, if necessary, one may eat even actual חמץ on that eighth day. He said that there is a special arrangement with the גוי that buys most of the country’s חמץ. He is told every year that in the event one of the thousands of people on the list needs his חמץ, it will not be considered a breach of contract. Therefore, if for some extenuating circumstance, one needs to eat חמץ on the eighth day, he is allowed to.