Answer by Rabbi Chaim Hillel Raskin – Rov in Kfar Chabad Beis, Israel:
The Torah says that one may not eat the new crop of grain (chadash, “new”) until the karban haomer is brought on the sixteenth of Nissan. Any grain of the five types which took root before then is permissible (now yashan, “old”); otherwise, it must wait for the next karban haomer.
Nowadays, when there is no karban being brought, one must wait until the end of the day when it would have been brought (now the seventeenth, due to sfeika d’yoma and the subsequent custom).
Throughout hundreds of years, the prevailing custom in Europe was to eat from the new grain before Pesach. Various explanations have been offered to justify this custom:
The majority of grains in the market were planted before Pesach. (This only applies if this is indeed the case in that locale.)
Due to the necessitating circumstances, we rely on the minority opinions that the prohibition only applies to grain grown in Eretz Yisroel (min haTorah), and in the surrounding countries, such as Eygpt, Jordan, Syria and Iraq (midrabanan).
The prohibition only applies to grain belonging to a Jew at the time of harvest.
The Alter Rebbe quotes these leniencies, but writes that a baal nefesh should not rely on them and act stringently when possible. The Tzemach Tzedek writes similarly, and the Rebbe Rashab was known to be careful regarding chadash. On the other hand, many Chassidic dynasties in Poland were entirely lenient with chadash.
In a sicha, the Rebbe once pointed out that while there is no clear ruling to permit chadash, the Alter Rebbe quotes the common custom to eat it and current custom (5740/1980) is lenient based on the Alter Rebbe’s justifications.
While the simple understanding of the sicha is that lechatchila one may eat chadash, others contend that Rebbe was merely making an observation in passing but not taking a stance, and in recent years when yashan products are more available, there is room to be mehader.
In practice, though some have adopted a personal stringency for themselves (especially where yashan is easily accessible), the widespread ruling among chassidim is to permit chadash in chutz laaretz.
Those who do wish to be stringent must take extra precaution for infestation which may be present in grains that have been stored for longer periods.
Published by Merkaz Anash in the Weekly Farbrengen email. See Sources
We asked him and he said it’s a “sfeik sfeika” if you’re mechuyav to do it, since it applied IN ERETZ YISROEL, AT THE TIME OF THE BAIS HAMIKDOSH. He said since we don’t have the Bais HaMikdosh today, we should be careful if we live in Eretz Yisroel, but NOT chutz la’aretz.
When the Rebbe ate bakery cake in public at farbrengens, did that bakery concern itself with Yoshon? I believe it was from the bakery on Albany Street. I’ll remind those who are old enough to remember that it was not so many years ago when there was no created public awareness of the issue of Yoshon. No products were marked as being Yoshon. NO ONE concerned themselves with it (outside of a few secretive individuals whose names will , I have to assume, be speculated in the comments that follow, and that of course misses the point entirely regarding a… Read more »
israeli products with a hechsher are all yoshon
the summer crop is an isuue, besides barley, chodosh products come out in the stores more like november, december from the summer crop. barley is processed much quicker, so chodosh in barley can be much earlier
Does one have to keep this with them? Are they labeled as yashan?
It all depends on the variety and location of the wheat.
Generally it starts at the end of the summer to as late as after succos.
It only becomes an issue around shavuos time…until next pesach
Please note: Those whose poskim follow the halacha or have taken on the stringencyee concerning yoshon and chadash do so AFTER SUCCOS until Pesach. Now after Pesach it is not chal.
“After Pesach, some insist on eating ‘yashan’.”
This is a ridiculous amhoratzus, and anyone who really does say that should be told that they’re making fools of themselves. After Pesach is precisely when there is NO need to take care, because EVERYTHING is yoshon. It’s only later, when a new crop comes in and makes its way to the stores, that we can discuss whether we should be careful or not. But now?! For the next few months there is no such thing as chodosh.
We have clear stories if the besht and the heter of the bach