Current halachic thinkers on oats

Friday, April 25, 2008 posted by Sandee

Filed under Judaism

From R. Chaim Jachter, Gray Matter volume 1, p. 239 n. 1:

oats Some question exists regarding the identification of the Gemara’s “shibolet shu’al” as oats. Rav Yosef Efrati (Mesorah 13:66-71) notes Professor Yehudah Felix’s claim that shibolet shu’al could not possibly be oats, and Rav Efrati vigorously disputes this claim. He cites Rav Yosef Shalom Eliashiv as supporting the view that shibolet shu’al is undoubtedly oats (the view accepted by almost all Rishonim). Ezra Frazer reports that Rav Aharon Lichtenstein does not flatly reject Professor Felix’s claims, but he believes that one should continue to treat oats as shibolet shu’al, absent absolute proof that shibolet shu’al is something else. Rav Hershel Schachter has told this author that in case of great need one may use oat matzah at the Pesach seder. In general, Rav Schachter wrote this author that one should try to eat other mezonot foods together with oat products to avoid any doubt regarding the berachot before and after oats.

Not everyone agrees, see R’ Michael Broyde’s comment, made over ten years ago.

This excerpt from R’ Jachter caused quite a stir on a blog called Hirhurim a few years ago - see all 58 comments.

See here for a more complete discussion of Felix’s objections to oats.

R’ Efrati’s argument is explained here. I like his ending:

The response concludes with a quote from Rav Moshe Feinstein …that another 1000 such [logical] proofs [such as those offered by Felix] would not change the tradition. Also Rav Eliashiv decided that shibbolet shual is oats for all laws in the Torah without any kind of doubt.

Good enough for me.


Leave a Reply