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There are different opinions among the Rishonim about שבולת שועל, one of the "five grains" that can become chometz and can be used to make matzah. Some say that it is oats, and that seems to have been the accepted tradition among Ashkenazim at least.
More recently, Prof. Felix raised a number of objections to the tradition, and brought evidence that a different grain ("two-row-barley") is שבולת שועל.
What do contemporary poskim say?
(See also Why are Oats Chametz if oats cannot rise, Are there communities which permit oats on Pesach?, Why is oatmeal considered chometz?)

MichoelR
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  • @fulltimekollelguy Yeah. I think it's an interesting case, because it is unlike, say, the z'manim of Rabbeinu Tam, or the large shiurim of the Nodah Biyehudah, where R' Shlomo Zalman said clearly that the minhag of Yerushalayim was just not like that, finished. In all three cases, there is pretty strong outside evidence, but this one has a stronger mesorah pushing back. I guess the Sefardim started accepting oats as well, is that true? – MichoelR Mar 26 '23 at 18:32
  • Reb Shlomo Zalman הילכות שלמה page רצז brings down and reject Prof Feileix because of Mesorah. – fulltimekollelguy Mar 26 '23 at 18:37
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    At the time some charedi zealots badmouthed Prof Felix and turned the whole mundane discussion into a political litmus test with this issue elevated to the epitome of mesora (despite its historically having a relatively mediocre mesora as mesorot go), so don't be surprised if anyone not toeing their party line stays mostly under the radar – Double AA Mar 26 '23 at 19:12
  • Well, what are the party line(s)? That's kinda my question. – MichoelR Mar 26 '23 at 19:15
  • I've generally heard: "if you can get away with spelt [lower-gluten], do that; if not, use oat and make the bracha, you're fine." Essentially we are choshesh for the other opinion lechat'chilah. – Shalom Mar 26 '23 at 20:37
  • I recommend reading from page 19 over here https://hebrewbooks.org/52252 in the words of the professor himself who explains that he is not coming to say in any way Halcha and will agree to the Poskim. He also as far I could tell says that it would be a type of barley (which can be used for matzah anyway) I am yet to see poskim which rule (not lchumra but lhalacha) the Oats matzah is assur to be used on pesach – fulltimekollelguy Mar 27 '23 at 06:45
  • @fulltime there is no reason to say it's assur to eat. The question is can you say a bracha on something which factually doesn't rise. You either have to say the facts in front of us that anyone can check are fake, or you say Halacha has changed to allow a plant that doesn't produce the classical signs of chametz to be considered matza by fiat. "The professor" is not a posek and isn't trying to get involved in if those options are viable halachicaly, just as he doesn't want trained poskim pretending they can identify what the history and facts are. – Double AA Mar 27 '23 at 12:00
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    Here is a "contemporary posek" saying the "halachic process" has changed a grain into being able to be used for matza even though it never was https://library.yctorah.org/2018/08/birkat-hamazon-and-the-oral-torah/ here's one saying it's a safek and might as well eat sans bracha https://www.torahmusings.com/2011/08/oat-matzah/ and here's one saying oats are not grain even lechumra https://kashrut.org/?p=6913 and here's one (r mordechai willig, pg 58) that only oats "contaminated" with gluten are grain but "gluten free oats" are sfeika ddina https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/725402/ – Double AA Mar 27 '23 at 13:50
  • And here https://bit.ly/3np10Cg is the aruch hashulchan saying (before this became a political lighting rod) we of course are not baki in any of these formal species divisions and what actually makes chametz and not so we try to be machmir. As R Broyed pointed out in the link above, there's at least as strong a mesora of not using oats for matza (no one anywhere ever did it) than there is for treating it as chametz. – Double AA Mar 27 '23 at 13:54
  • @DoubleAA Thank you. Could you explain what you are seeing from the Aruch Hashulchan? – MichoelR Mar 27 '23 at 18:39
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    @MichoelR To defend the practice of kitniyot, the AhSh notes that in the gemara there's a machloket how to interpret the results of an experiment they did to see if rice leavens. He says all the more so now we can't determine that kind of stuff so we are machmir to not eat all sorts of semi-grains in case any of them can become chametz and we're just bad at telling. We see he thinks which species make chametz/matza is entirely a metzius based halacha and not a matter of a five-fold traditional identification, and also that he thinks that we can't be so sure which things belong in what category – Double AA Mar 27 '23 at 18:52
  • @DoubleAA It is a very interesting proof, but one could take it the other way round: One of the stronger arguments against oats is that they don't become leavened. According to the Aruch Hashulchan, we aren't good at judging that. – MichoelR Mar 28 '23 at 12:09
  • @MichoelR Sure, and that's why no one (who holds of kitniyos at least) advocates eating oat bread on pesach. The more pressing question practically is a bracha on oat matza at the seder and allowing one is a mechuddash leniency without a clear tradition. – Double AA Mar 28 '23 at 12:14

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The only contemporary posek I have heard who holds oats cannot become chametz is Rav Yitzchak Abadi. Rav Abadi is a serious posek in the chareidi world (he was a shaliach of the Chazon Ish and a talmid of Rav Aharon Kotler), but he's an original (and often lenient) thinker so his views are often controversial or not mainstream. His sons run a website based on his rulings and they claim he hold oats are not one of the five grains whether l'kula or l'chumra. https://kashrut.org/?p=6913. The website says they are kosher "for Sephardim," so I assume they consider oats kitniyot.

I have heard a few rebbeim say that oats should not be used for matzat mitzvah l'chumrah because there is at least a safek whether they are among the five grains. Rabbi Michael Broyde is one such authority. He thinks the evidence that oats are not shibolet shual is convincing. https://www.torahmusings.com/2011/08/oat-matzah/. He cites Shevet Halevi 9:117 and Minchat Yitzchak 9:49 as holding that "there always was a very strong tradition not to use oat matzah at the Seder," but I can't see those sources inside so I'm not sure if their reasoning is the same as his or based on something else. According to this Star-K article cited by Avrahom Yizchok in a comment, Rav Sternbuch originally was choshesh to the botanical evidence l'chumrah in Teshuvot v’Hanhagot I:302, but "17 years later, in V:130, he discounts the notion entirely." https://www.star-k.org/articles/wp-content/uploads/sugya-of-oat-matzos.pdf.

Of course, it ought to go without saying that many rebbeim have said the mesorah identifying shibolet shual as oats trumps botanical/historical evidence and there is no safek. Secondary sources cite Rabbi J.B. Soloveichik, Rav Moshe, and Rabbi Merzbach in this camp. See here page 8-9 https://www.kof-k.org/articles/FFT.Pesach.5773.pdf I believe I've also heard the same in the name of Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach. I am away from my library and haven't seen any of the primary sources inside; many of the sources in the Star-K article are themselves secondary sources.

Interestingly, I have never heard anyone say l'chumrah that Ahskenazim should not eat oat matzah other than leil haseder due to a chashash they are kitniyot.

Avraham
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  • The reason to be strict not to eat unnecessary oat matza isn't kitniyot but chametz since it may become chametz faster than wheat https://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/90390/is-there-a-halachic-preference-order-to-the-grains-used-for-matzot/90391#comment292775_90391 (I believe R Moshe Sternbuch makes this point) – Double AA Mar 30 '23 at 19:37
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    Why is this being downvoted? – Aaron Mar 30 '23 at 19:56
  • See https://www.star-k.org/articles/wp-content/uploads/sugya-of-oat-matzos.pdf for a full discussion of oat matzos. – Avrohom Yitzchok Mar 30 '23 at 21:53
  • Well done. Indeed, Rabbi Schuchman's article was the impetus for this posted question. – MichoelR Mar 31 '23 at 16:30
  • @MichoelR if it was a good answer you can accept it :) – Avraham Apr 13 '23 at 22:56
  • I still feel that there's a gap in the answer(s). What does the O-U say, or Bedatz Yerushalayim? Etc. – MichoelR Apr 14 '23 at 01:06
  • @Avraham As for the chashash of kitniot, there is an long-time discussion of making matzah out of kitniot (especially in times of famine). If one follows all the chumros of making grain matzah, that should be fine. – MichoelR Apr 14 '23 at 06:43
  • @MichoelR I don't understand your second comment. What I'm saying is there is a possibly safek whether oats are grain or kitniyot. And some poskim seem to say therefore l'chumrah you shouldn't eat it for the seder. I'm saying based on that logic, you could also say Ashkenazim shouldn't eat oat matzah any time during Pesach because it's safek kitniyot. The OU says not to eat amaranth and peanuts because they may be kitniyot. So you could say the same by oats. We aren't talking about a famine. – Avraham Apr 14 '23 at 08:08
  • @MichoelR or are you saying there are Ashkenazim who would permit me l'hatchilah to take rice and make matzah out of it in 18 minutes because kitniyot shouldn't be any worse than actual grain? That would be logical but I have never heard of that. Do you have a source? – Avraham Apr 14 '23 at 08:10
  • @Avraham I don't have them in front of me, but yes, there were definitely opinions that kitniot matzah would be fine if made with all the chumros (because they can never be worse than actual grain). It was something that was periodically suggested in hard times when grain was hard to get. See https://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/56516/can-rice-flour-be-processed-the-same-as-matza-for-those-who-dont-eat-kitniyos – MichoelR Apr 14 '23 at 15:30