Does a non-Jew really own my chametz on Pesach?
Yes! The sale of chametz carried out today is a legally binding sale using a contract. The sale is usually carried out by a rabbi on behalf of his community. Various methods of transaction are used including the buyer making a down payment; exchange of properties; handing over of keys; various legal documents, and in some cases a guarantor on behalf of the buyer. The buyer purchases outright all the products listed on the sale forms. After Pesach, the rabbi and the non-Jew meet up again at which point the rabbi demands payment in full or the return of the chametz. When the non-Jew chooses the latter, the sale is reversed and the chametz falls back into the property of the rabbi.
