Hi Rabbi,
We’re staying for a short bit at the empty house of a friend who has not kashered their kitchen. They are kashering their room we’re staying in , but I was wondering what I can do to store food in her fridge and use her kitchen counter tops. I am arriving an hour before pesach to her house. If I do not own anything could I just cover with aluminum/paper towels and place wtvr on top of it? Thank you.
If the counter tops are clean, you can use them as is. Otherwise cover with something. Same for the fridge. If they have sold chametz in the fridge, try to create a separate section or shelf for your stuff, so that you do not get mixed up.
Hi Rabbi,
Just to clarify they are cleaned but nothing is kashered. Is the best thing to cover everything I use?
Countertops and table tops do not need covering, unless they have cracks that hold chametz. The same goes for the refrigerator. You don’t want pieces of chametz getting in your food, so if you’re not sure if they cleaned it, give it a quick cleaning. That’s all.
People started this insane concept of covering everything and now it’s becoming a Minhag. Judaism does not believe in adding all types of chumrot.
The areas that you plan on using should be cleaned of chametz and enjoy. If you feel it is simpler to cover those areas, then make sure that people who see understand that it’s a shortcut, not a chumra. Especially children.