I received an interesting email this morning that tells me, basically, that I should NOT buy "Kosher l'Pesach."
According to the email:
The Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 469) rules that one should not verbally declare regarding any animal or meat, “This is for Pesah.” If one verbally designates an animal or meat for Pesah, it may appear as though he formally consecrates the animal as a Korban Pesah, and thus when he eats the meat, he will appear as eating sacrificial meat outside Jerusalem. Therefore, when one orders meat at the butcher, for example, he should say he is ordering meat “for Yom Tov,” rather than saying “for Pesah.” The Mishna Berura (commentary by Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin, 1839-1933) writes that this applies as well to one who instructs somebody to purchase meat for him for the holiday. He should instruct the person to purchase meat “for Yom Tov,” and not “for Pesah.” Likewise, one should not instruct somebody to roast meat for him “for Pesah,” and should say instead “for Yom Tov.”
This Halacha applies even to animals that are not suitable for the Korban Pesah, such as chicken. Even though a chicken cannot be offered as the paschal sacrifice, designating a chicken for Pesah may sound as though one designates its value for the Korban Pesah, and he intends to sell it and use the funds to purchase an animal for the sacrifice. Furthermore, according to some authorities, this applies even to fish. In short, one should avoid referring to any meat, poultry or fish as designated especially “for Pesah,” and should instead refer to it as designated “for Yom Tov.”
If I understand Maran correctly, I cannot buy KforP meat - or even chicken or fish. The "for Pesach" designation makes it appear as if the food was for a sacrifice.
Maran lived in Tzfat; in his time the city may have been considered holier than Jerusalem. Certainly it had greater minds than Jerusalem. But, Maran could go to Jerusalem to eat his Pesah meals. Not all Jews have that privilege today.
But even in Maran's time, there was no place to sacrifice the animals. Until the abomination is removed and the Temple rebuilt, there will be no sacrifices in Jerusalem. (Jews in ancient Alexandra built a temple and offered sacrifices in it.)
If we are to follow Maran, perhaps instead of "kosher for Passover" the labels should read "kosher for Yom Tov" - but then it might be considered special for all of the Shalosh Ragelim. It would be kosher for all three, and food vendors could extend their too-high prices over a longer time.
By the way, to some degree I emphasize with the food vendors. It's only the week before Passover that many Jews discover "kashrut" and buy kosher products. It would be nice, however, if the markets would give coupons or chits to those of us who keep kosher all year round, redeemable as discounts on KforP purchases.
Maybe there's a way to compromise the times when the Temple stood and our time.
Since we cannot sacrifice animals except on the Temple's alters, and since we cannot even go onto the Temple mount (according to renewed decrees from leading Sephardi and Ashkenazi rabbis in Israel), we can't offer sacrifices.
Since many of us cannot make it to Jerusalem to eat the Passover meals (one night for Israelis, two nights for all others, even those visiting Israel), perhaps we should donate the price of the meat bought for the seder - or perhaps the cost of one complete dinner. "whichever is greater," to a Jewish cause. Perhaps invite someone who cannot afford all the "kosher for Passover" labels to the seder(s).
Of course all the above comes with the usual caveat: I am not a rabbi and I do not play one on tv.
חג פסח כשר ושמח
הריני מקבל עלי מצוה עשה של ואהבת לרעך כמוך, והריני אוהב כל אחד מבני ישראל כנפשי ומאודי
