5

Inspired by yydl's question.

I read that in Russia where bread was unpurchasable without "bread ration cards", people would save them throughout Pesach and use them after Pesach. One such person heard (before Pesach) from the Lubavitcher Rebbe's father (who was a Rov of Dnepopetrovsk) that such rations are forbidden so he ripped them all up. (It also says that the Lubavitcher Rebbe's father used to tear up his cards before Pesach).

What is the prohibition behind owning such ration cards (as in, why are they different than money which can also buy one bread)?

Based on the answers there (and my opinion before finding out the above information), there shouldn't be a problem with owning such vouchers.

So why is it forbidden?

Improve this question
6
  • 1
    It's hard to answer this without an inside halachic source saying it's assur. Sans that, then it's just a story , which isn't really something you can base halachic reasoning on.
    – Yaakov Kuperman
    Commented Apr 20, 2012 at 2:20
  • @YaakovKuperman So understand the question to be saying, "if this is true, what would be the halachic reasoning for it?"
    – HodofHod
    Commented Apr 20, 2012 at 2:23
  • Maybe 'is there any possible halahic reasoning for this?'... Either way, thats really reading into it :)
    – Yaakov Kuperman
    Commented Apr 20, 2012 at 2:25
  • @ Shmuel, this is different than the other question, since there it's a coupon that could be redeemed for a discount towards chametz. By bread rations, the card was worth bread! (davar ha'Gorem l'Lechem!)
    – HodofHod
    Commented Apr 20, 2012 at 2:27
  • 1
    chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1744104/jewish/…
    – sam
    Commented Apr 20, 2012 at 4:22

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
3

Assuming the story is true, then these people assumed/knew that each ration card not only entitled one to some bread, but somehow gave one ownership of a ration of bread, even before one picked it up.

Maybe one needs an understanding of Russian "law" at the time to fully comprehend this.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .