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A woman has a Gentile helper live with her. She brings her own food during the year and stores it in the woman's fridge.

The fridge is cleaned for Pesach. The Gentile buys her own food and it is clearly marked as well as stored in a specific area of the fridge, so that the woman will know that this food belongs to the Gentile. Is she halachically allowed to store her chametz in the woman's fridge?

I assume that this is fine, as how is this different from going to the supermarket where they place chametz and non-chametz items in the same fridge? The chametz does not belong to the house owner, and as it is clearly marked, there is no chance that the woman will eat or use it?

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  • Seems at least better than doing the same with one's own chametz in a standard chametz-selling transaction.
    – WAF
    Commented Dec 30, 2014 at 5:14
  • I was about to answer along the lines of "There's no restriction on a gentile's doing anything whatsoever with chametz over Pesach. It's perfectly okay." but realized that what you actually asked is probably not what you meant to ask. Perhaps reword your question? (Or does my answer address your intent?)
    – msh210 ♦
    Commented Dec 30, 2014 at 7:48
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    In fact, I'm tempted to close this as unclear, not because it's worded unclearly -- it's clearly asking whether this is permitted for the gentile woman -- but because I find it hard to believe that your clear wording reflects your intent, so your intent is unclear.
    – msh210 ♦
    Commented Dec 30, 2014 at 8:12

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Is she halachically allowed to store her chametz in the woman's fridge?

This is disscussed in Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim סימן תם - דין חמצו של עכו''ם שהפקד אצל ישראל.

The Halacha depends on whether the Jew is going to be held responsible, if the Chametz is lost/stolen/destroyed.

If the Jew will be held responsible, then he has to destroy Chametz, as if it were his own.

Even if legally he's not responsible for the Chametz, but he knows the non-Jew is going to force him to pay for it, then some opinions hold he must destroy the Chametz.

א: עַכּוּ''ם שֶׁהִפְקִיד חֲמֵצוֹ אֵצֶל יִשְׂרָאֵל, אִם הוּא חַיָּב בְּאַחֲרָיוּתוֹ מִגְּנֵבָה וַאֲבֵדָה, בֵּין שֶׁהוּא בְּבֵיתוֹ בֵּין שֶׁהוּא בְּכָל מָקוֹם בִּרְשׁוּתוֹ, חַיָּב לְבַעֲרוֹ. הגה: וַאֲפִלּוּ חָזַר וְהִפְקִידוֹ בְּיַד עַכּוּ''ם אַחֵר (הַגָּהוֹת אַלְפָסִי פ''ק דִּפְסָחִים). וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ אֵינוֹ עָלָיו אֶלָּא שׁוֹמֵר חִנָּם שֶׁחַיָּב בִּפְשִׁיעָה, חַיָּב לְבַעֲרוֹ. וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם אֵינוֹ חַיָּב בְּאַחֲרָיוּתוֹ בַּדִּין, אֶלָּא שֶׁיּוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהָעַכּוּ''ם אַלָּם וְיִכְפֵּהוּ לְשַׁלֵּם אִם יֹאבַד, חַיָּב לְבַעֲרוֹ; וְיֵשׁ חוֹלְקִים. ‏

If the Jew will NOT be held responsible for the Chametz, then he does not have to destroy it. However, he has to create a 10 tefachim-high divider to hide the Chametz, so that he doesn't accidentally eat it.

If the Chametz was placed in the Jews home on Yom Tov (or Shabbat) [when he cannot create a divider], then he has to cover it; placing an upside-down vessel over it.

ב: וְאִם אֵינוֹ חַיָּב בְּאַחֲרָיוּתוֹ, אֵינוֹ חַיָּב לְבַעֲרוֹ אֲפִלּוּ אִם כָּבוּשׁ תַּחַת יָדוֹ, כְּגוֹן שֶׁהוּא גֵּר תּוֹשָׁב וְשָׁרוּי עִמּוֹ בֶּחָצֵר. וְצָרִיךְ לַעֲשׂוֹת לְפָנָיו מְחִצָּה גָּבוֹהַּ י' טְפָחִים, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁכַּח וְיֹאכְלֶנּוּ. הגה: וְעַכּוּ''ם שֶׁהִנִּיחַ חָמֵץ בְּבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּלֹא רְשׁוּתוֹ, כּוֹפֶה עָלָיו כְּלִי (ריב''ש סי' ת''א); וְדַוְקָא בְּיוֹם טוֹב, אֲבָל אִם הוּא קֹדֶם יוֹם טוֹב צָרִיךְ לַעֲשׂוֹת מְחִצָּה (עַיֵּן לְעֵיל סִימָן תמ''ו סָעִיף א'). ‏

Bottom line: If it's "hidden" in the fridge in such a way that the Jews will not accidentally eat it, then it's fine, as long as the Jews are not responsible for it, if it gets lost or damaged.

Not sure what you mean by:

How is this different from going to the supermarket where they place chametz and non-chametz items in the same fridge?

I don't recall seeing any Halachot defining that.

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