Leaving chametz in trash cans before Pesach

Hi,

One may not leave chametz in his trash cans into Pesach, even if those cans are left at the curb, because the chametz remains in his domain and under his control. One is obligated to destroy it.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:57)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Search and Destroy

Hi,

After the search for Chametz on the night preceding Passover (this year, two nights before Passover) we put aside any Chametz we have found. We keep that Chametz in a place which is safe from animals and small children, lest we come back the next morning to find that the Chametz has been scattered around the house.

We burn that Chametz the next morning, before the time when Chametz becomes prohibited. Technically, one may burn it right after the search at night, but we generally wait until morning so that we will remember to recite the "Kol Chamira," the paragraph in which we annul ownership of any Chametz we have not found in our searches (pg. 655 in the Artscroll Siddur).

Note: This year we do not recite that "Kol Chamira" paragraph on Friday morning when we burn the Chametz. Instead, we do it Shabbat morning, before the latest time to own Chametz.

(Code of Jewish Law Orach Chaim 445:1; Mishneh Berurah 445:7)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Hard-to-reach Chametz

Hi,

If Chametz is located in hard-to-reach crevices (such as floorboards or carpets), it is generally considered insignificant and one's ownership may simply be annulled with the pre-Passover "annulment of Chametz" declaration, and the Chametz may be ignored. One need not clean it out and destroy it.

However, if the Chametz will come into contact with food then one must either get rid of that Chametz or coat it with something inedible which will prevent it from entering food.

(Code of Jewish Law, Orach Chaim 442:11)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Going away for Pesach

Hi,

One who is going away for the entire Passover still must conduct the search for Chametz before leaving, if he is in his home or workplace within 30 days before the holiday. The search should be performed on the last night before he goes away.

One may sell all Chametz within the house before the night preceding Passover, and so avoid the need to search, but one should leave over some space, clean it and search it, so as not to completely abandon the Mitzvah of searching for Chametz.

(Code of Jewish Law Orach Chaim 436)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Nullifying ownership of Chametz

Hi,

After we search for Chametz on the night preceding Passover, we verbally annul our ownership of any Chametz we have not discovered.

In a normal year, we repeat the annulment after we burn our remaining Chametz on the day after the search. We change the wording somewhat, though - the nighttime annulment is intended to annul ownership of any Chametz we have missed, but the daytime edition annuls ownership of any Chametz at all, whether we know where it is or whether we have missed it.

The reason for the different editions is that at night we still hold over Chametz to eat the next morning; when we get to the daytime edition, we should have nothing left to annul.

This year, though, we need to hold Chametz until Shabbat itself. Therefore, when we burn Chametz on Friday morning we do not recite the normal nullification of ownership of all remaining chametz. That waits until Shabbat morning, when we have finished eating our chametz.

Note: I almost always recommend that people who do not speak Hebrew recite prayers in English, but this is especially true for the annulment of Chametz. These statements must be made in a language one understands, since they are essentially legal declarations. There is a translated version in the standard Artscroll Siddur on page 655.

(Code of Jewish Law Orach Chaim 434:2-3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Searching the workplace for chametz

Hi,

The obligatory search for Chametz is not limited to one's home; workplaces, as well as synagogues and schools, must be searched as well.

Public places, like synagogues, should be searched by their Jewish caretakers on the night before Passover, just as we search our homes that night.

[One who will not be present in his workplace on the night before Passover should search it on the last night he will be there preceding Passover, and be careful not to introduce Chametz on any subsequent day.]

(Code of Jewish Law Orach Chaim 433:10; Mishneh Berurah 433:43)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Check your pockets

Hi,

We have begun to learn about the search for Chametz.

In cleaning for Chametz, one is supposed to check any place in which he might have brought Chametz food during the year, even if he is fairly sure he didn't bring any Chametz into that space.

This includes checking the pockets of one's clothing. Even one who is certain he didn't put Chametz in his pockets should still check; people put Chametz in their pockets absent-mindedly.

(Code of Jewish Law Orach Chaim 431:1, 433:3, 433:11; Mishneh Berurah 431:4, 433:47)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The Search

Hi,

We have begun to learn about Passover.

Before Passover, we work to get rid of our Chametz - any food product containing leavened grain, and even any non-food product containing edible leavened grain.

On the night preceding Passover we make one last search of our home, looking for Chametz products. We do this immediately after nightfall, and one is not supposed to begin any activity - even a Mitzvah activity - close to nightfall, last he forget to check for Chametz.

Note that this year Passover begins on a Saturday night, and so we do the search two nights before Passover, on Thursday night.

(Code of Jewish Law Orach Chaim 431:1-2; 444:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai