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Why do bakeries bake chametz till the last minute. They should stop a couple days before. Just bake basics-(bread-sponge), nothing else. So it should not come to “bal tashchis” erev yom tov and should be not be put out on street hefker as a bizoyin…
Fiddle, a. They have to make a living. B. Their customers include non frum Jews and goyim. C. Our local bakery donates leftovers to the local Volunteer fire dept all year, not just Erev Pesach.
“Why do bakeries bake chametz till the last minute. “
1. Because most people have stopped baking at home days (or even weeks) before Pesach and there is a demand for the product.
2. Why should their parnasah be cut? It’s tough enough that they will be shut for a minimum of 8 days with no sales, but fixed expenses such as rent, insurance continue.
3. As Queen Marie Antoinette said: “Let them eat cake.” Some customers want more than bread.
4. Why should employees have their hours cut and lose wages because you have decided no cakes and pastries should be baked?
5. Mrs. CTL’s family owned a kosher bakery, I worked as the purchasing agent for another kosher bakery more than 40 years ago. Neither establishment cut production before Pesach. There were retail and wholesale trade to be serviced. Nothing was ever put out on the street Erev Pesach…it was all given to local goyische institutions for distribution to the poor in our towns.
You will be amazed how many sandwiches are sold erev pesach morning at our local bakery. No one wants chometz at home, so it’s perfect to go buy a sandwich, roll or pastry to eat.
Also, those kashrus authorities who allow it, they prepare dough for rolls and bread to be frozen and sold to the non-Jew, then defrosted on motzei yom tov.
You just changed the question from “why bake it” to “why not donate it to an organization”.
Which organization would you suggest?
So they made a miscalculation one year. They are producing a much desired product until then.
Most people want to turn over their kitchens at least a few days prior to Erev Pesach, (especially those of us who can’t cook anything otherwise!) and there is no mitzva to stop eating chametz until Erev Pesach anyway.
What do you mean you are still going with the original question? Do you mean you think the bakeries should lose their profits from all of the pre-Pesach sales?
If they put it out for anyone to take, you should take it and donate it. Which organization will you donate it to?
The way you are saying, I assume you are not a capitalist.
If the bakeries overproduce, it is because they want to have a nice selection, and there’s no way to know precisely how much of each item to sell. That is a business decision, and I assume they know their business better than you or I, and will profit more this way. That is not bal tashchis, and it is unfair for you to want them to suffer a loss.
I know a few bakeries who donate leftover challahs, bread, and pastries to needy families before Shabbos every week. I’m also aware of takeout places which donate leftover food to bikur cholim rooms in hospitals. There are dedicated volunteers who spend hours on erev Shabbos picking up and delivering food.
Erev Pesach, obviously, no bikur cholim or other tzedakah organization will take chometz to distribute for Pesach.
I’m not sure what you want – they leave it out for whoever will use it before the zman, or for non Jewish needy people to take. You would prefer that they donate it to some organization, so you should advise the bakeries as to which, and they can decide if they think that’s a better idea.
Meanwhile, it looks as if you’re good at spending someone else’s money and time.
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