חָמֵץ שֶׁל נָכְרִי שֶׁעָבַר עָלָיו הַפֶּסַח, מֻתָּר בַּהֲנָאָה. וְשֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, אָסוּר בַּהֲנָאָה. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות יג) לֹא יֵרָאֶה לְךָ שְׂאֹר:
It is permitted to derive benefit from the chametz of a gentile over which Pesach has passed. [This is not to say that it is forbidden to eat it — but since it is to be taught: "and it is forbidden to derive benefit from that of an Israelite," the antithesis is stated in respect to a gentile. Or else, because there are some who forbid to themselves the bread of a gentile, it is not stated explicitly: "It is permitted to eat the chametz of a gentile."]; and it is forbidden to derive benefit from that of an Israelite, it being written (Exodus 13:7): "Se'or (leaven) shall not be seen unto you." [That is, he is penalized for having transgressed "Se'or shall not be seen unto you." Or else, this refers to the beginning, viz.: "The chametz of a gentile is permitted," it being written: "Se'or shall not be seen unto you," which is expounded: What is yours, you may not see, but you may see what is a gentile's.]
Gray Matter III
Rav Moshe takes it as a given that the potential for the “slight modifications” that make denatured alcohol potable are halachically significant. As Rav Frank notes, many of the great early-twentieth-century poskim doubted whether this potential renders denatured alcohol potable for mainstream society. While Rav Eliyahu Klatzkin (Devar Eliyahu 5) rules stringently, the Teshuvot Atzei Halevanon (17) is lenient and disregards the possibility of chemical restoration. The Teshuvot Minchat Elazar buttresses this lenient view with the observation of Tosafot (Pesachim 46b second s.v. Ho’il) that the Mishnah (Pesachim 2:2) allows benefiting from chametz that a non-Jew owned during Pesach, even though a Jew could easily have purchased the chametz from the non-Jew. Apparently, the feasibility of changing an item’s status is halachically irrelevant. The Minchat Elazar therefore permits one who fueled his car with gasoline that had alcohol mixed in to drive the car on chol hamo’eid Pesach, even though the alcohol can potentially be restored to a drinkable form by a chemical process.
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