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Eating End Pieces of Bread

Question:

Shalom,
I’ve been refraining from eating end pieces of bread as קשה לשכחה. What ends up happening in the family is that they gets thrown out (is that בל תשחית). I subsequently saw that the Alter of Slobadka would eat end pieces, and say this is good. But mabye in his time there was much דוחק.
What is the right הנהגה?
Do I need hataras nedarim to start eating the end pieces?
What is the pesach for hatara?

Thank you very much

Answer:

The reason why some people do not eat the end of the bread is because it is said that it causes a person to forget his learning. The source of this is not known, and indeed there are a number of gedolim that say for this reason that it is permitted. There are others though that say that since it is a known idea, that one should abstain from eating the end of the bread. Even those who are careful about this, it doesn’t mean that one should eat the whole end piece, rather that a little bit of the end should be taken off, and the rest may be eaten. Additionally according to Shevet Halevi (M’bais Levi 3-pg. 48) it would not apply on Shabbos or eating of a mitvah.

If this is what you are used to doing you should stick to it.

Best wishes

Sources:

Orchos Rabeinu 3 pg. 104, and this is the opinion of Horav C. Kanievsky, the Author of Kutris Hazechira, and brought in his name in numerous places, among them Doleh U’mashke pg. 362, that there is no source for this minhag. Also see Halachically Speaking 1 pg. 42 in the name of R’ Y. Belski zt”l that there is no source for it and that it is permitted to eat. This is also the opinion of R’ S. Doblisky zt”l, and YBCHL”CH Horav Ezriel Auerbach shlit”a. Those who discuss the minhag  see Minchas Yitzchok 9-8 (7), Piskei Teshuvos 167-3, Taamei Haminhagim 176, Mishne Halachos 11-148. Sharei Habracha 3 ftnt. 96.

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