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    • Pesach Shiurim for Matzah and Wine: For Healthy Individuals and Those With Diabetes or Other Medical Conditions

    Pesach Shiurim for Matzah and Wine: For Healthy Individuals and Those With Diabetes or Other Medical Conditions

    Updated March 2025

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    Halacha tells us how much wine and matzah one must eat at the Seder. Anyone whose healthcare providers recommend dietary modifications that affect eating matzah or wine should consult with a rav to find out how to follow those health recommendations within halachic guidelines.

    Matzah

    The guidelines for minimum shiurim for matzah shown below are based on the psak of Rav Moshe Heineman shlit”a. For hand matzah, these calculations are based on Pupa-Tzelem matzos, which are approximately 9 matzos/lb. Note that matzos baked by other matzah bakeries have different sizes and measurements, which will affect the amount required for a shiur as well as the carbohydrate content of that shiur.

    Those in good health should eat the following for Achilas Matzah and Afikomen:[1]

    TypeMinimum ShiurDimensionsCarbs (g)Hand Matzah (round)one half (1/2) of a matzah43.3 sq. in.[2]22Machine Matzahone […]

    Halachos of Taking Medicine on Pesach

    Halachos of Taking Medicine on Pesach

    By: Rabbi Dovid Heber

    Reviewed January 2025

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    For many years, Rav Gershon Bess prepared a Guide for Pesach Medications and Cosmetics which was published and distributed by Kollel Los Angeles. A partnership with STAR-K and the Kollel to make this information more widely available to the general public is still going strong after more than a quarter century. The Medications and Cosmetics Guide, available in Jewish bookstores nationwide, serves as an invaluable resource for kosher consumers seeking to purchase these items for Yom Tov.

    Sefer Kovetz Halachos (Hilchos Pesach 12:4) states in the name of HaRav Shmuel Kamenetzky, shlit”a, that lechatchila one should take a medication approved for Pesach and mentions the availability and use of reliable Pesach lists and guides (see Hilchos Pesach, ibid., footnote 5).

    The halachos pertaining to medication and cosmetic use on Pesach are based on the joint psak of Rabbi Moshe Heinemann, […]

    Advice for People with Celiac, Food Allergies and Gluten-Free Restrictions on Pesach

    Advice for People with Celiac, Food Allergies and Gluten-Free Restrictions on Pesach

    Updated January 2025

    Yomim Tovim are synonymous with food—and lots of it! During Pesach, the temptation to eat and overeat, perhaps the wrong things for eight straight days, is extra challenging. The good news is that you don’t have to resolve to store away those extra pounds which you will regret just as you store away your Pesach dishes for next year. STAR-K is grateful to Sarah Klugman, RD, for sharing her Pesach nutrition advice on which this article is based. They include tips for gluten-free and celiac individuals, as well as those with various food allergies.

    Sarah Klugman suggests, “Always make Kiddush in the morning. It’s the key to a successful day! Use light grape juice 1 and have a starch or fruit and milk. Regarding when to make Kiddush and how to fulfill Kiddush b’makom seuda, consult your rav. Good ideas are: starch/fruit and milk; fruit and yogurt; […]