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The Mitzvah
Bedikat chametz is done the night before Pesach,
Nissan 14 immediately after
nightfall. If it is too difficult
to search the whole house on one
night the search can be started
earlier according to the laws of
bedikat chametz.
However, the blessing is only said
on the night of the 14th.
THE
BLESSING
Before the search the blessing of
'al biur chametz' is
recited as found in the Haggadah
or Siddur. From the time the
blessing is said until the after
the search one should not say
anything not relevant to the
search.
When there is more than one
building to search, one blessing
suffices. One person says the
blessing for all the searchers,
they listen to the blessing and
say "amen." Then they split
up and search the different
buildings.
THE DECLARATION
Any chametz not found during the
search is declared null and
ownerless (hefker): "All
chametz, leaven and leavened
bread, that is in my possession
which I have not seen, removed or
is unknown to me, should be
annulled and considered ownerless
like the dust of the earth." This
declaration is traditionally said
in Aramaic as found in the
Haggadah or Siddur. However, one
who doesn't understand Aramaic
must say it in a language he
understands.
THE SEARCH
The search should be conducted by
the light of a candle, in order to
look in all the nooks and
crannies. If the candle might
cause damage, such as a carpeted
area, one may use a flashlight.
It is preferable that the owner of
the property conduct the search
himself. Nevertheless, he may
appoint someone else to search on
his behalf.
Any place chametz might have been
put during the year must be
searched. Therefore, one must also
check one's pockets.
There is a custom that ten pieces
of chametz are "planted" in the
rooms to be searched. If you hide
ten and find nine, just keep
searching! The ten pieces remind
us of the ten plagues.
NULLIFICATION AND BURNING
The following morning, it is
forbidden to eat chametz after the
fourth hour. One may continue to
derive other benefit from the
chametz until the end of the fifth
hour. Before this time, the
chametz must be burned and again
nullified. Since the times vary
from city to city, an Orthodox
rabbi should be consulted for the
exact times in your area.
The second nullification is: "All
chametz, leaven and leavened
bread, that is in my possession,
whether I have seen it or not,
whether I have removed it or not,
should be annulled and considered
ownerless like the dust of the
earth."
Chametz is symbolic of the "evil
inclination" which we "seek and
destroy." |
