On Passover, Jews are commanded to get rid of all “chametz” (leaven) which may be in their possession. It is not unusual to begin cleaning and scrubbing the home weeks before the holiday. To confirm the effectiveness of these efforts, a special search for chametz, called Bedikat Chametz, is conducted on the night before the seder. As the first seder this year is Saturday night, April 12th, Bedikat Chametz is performed tonight, Thursday, April 10th.

Bedikat Chametz begins shortly after nightfall. Before beginning the search, a blessing is recited (see below), after which no talking is permitted with the exception of conversation pertaining to the search itself. The search is conducted by the light of a candle, in order to enable a thorough inspection of all the nooks and crannies (if the candle might cause danger, for instance when searching near draperies, a flashlight may be used). Ashkenazic Jews customarily use a feather to carefully “sweep” any chametz crumbs into a wooden spoon or a paper bag.

Sometimes, getting into the right frame of mind for the search may be difficult, especially if the house has already been thoroughly cleaned for Passover. There is a custom, therefore, to carefully “hide” ten pieces of chametz (for instance ten pieces of pretzel) around the house in the rooms that will be searched. The search will thus be more diligent and will not conclude until all the rooms have been checked and the ten pieces found.

Before beginning the search, recite the following blessing:

Bo-ruch A-tah A’do-noi, E-lo-hei-nu me-lech ha-olam, a-sher ki-d-sha-nu b’mitz-vo-tav, v’-tzi-va-nu al bee-ur Cha-metz.

Blessed are You, L-rd our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us by His commandments, and has commanded us concerning the removal of chametz.

After the search on Thursday night, the formula for nullifying chametz is recited:

“Any chametz or leaven that is in my possession, which I have not seen, have not removed, and do not know about, should be annulled and become ownerless, like the dust of the earth.”

All chametz that is found should be placed safely in a bag for disposal the next morning. It is however permitted to put aside chametz to eat tomorrow and Shabbat meals this year (to be completed early Shabbat morning), making sure to clean up any leftovers and to add them to the collection of chametz afterward.

When the search is over, a person makes a general declaration stating that any unknown chametz is hereby declared ownerless. The collected chametz in the bag is set aside to be burned or properly disposed of on the following morning.

Please note that there may be situations where a dwelling is not properly cleaned and checked for chametz, for example, someone who is renting a room in a house where the owner is away for the holiday, and the house is not being cleaned for Passover, where it would be best to consult with a rabbi to determine how to proceed.

If a communal burning of chametz is not taking place in your area, it is recommended that a small sample of chametz be flushed down the toilet. The rest should be placed in the garbage that will be removed from the house. As in all such situations, it is good to consult the local rabbi for guidance for how to properly fulfill this mitzvah.

Additional Details

Because erev Passover falls this year on Shabbat, be very careful with the chametz that you might eat on Friday night and early Shabbat morning, keep it separate from the Passover foods and utensils. Make certain to flush the crumbs and/or any remaining chametzdown the toilet or place them with the public trash.

Please note that because a person should eat three meals on Shabbat, the first meal should be eaten on Friday night with two little challah rolls, keeping the chametz away from the dishes that may be Passover dishes. Carefully, collect the crumbs in a tissue or napkin, and flush them. On Saturday morning many synagogues are having early services to allow congregants to return home to have the two remaining Shabbat meals before the final time to eat chametz. Some congregations are hosting chametz meals in the synagogue to avoid the problems with home meals. It is best to have quick Shabbat morning meal with two challot, completing that meal with Birkat HaMazon (Grace After Meals). Then after a short period of time away from the table, begin and complete the third Shabbat meal before the last time to eat chametz. Collect all the chametz crumbs and flush them, or place them with the public trash.

The formula for nullifying chametz to recite on Saturday morning is, “Any chametz or leaven that is in my possession, whether I have recognized it or not, whether I have seen it or not, whether I have removed it or not, should be annulled and become ownerless, like the dust of the earth.”

The final time to eat chametz on Shabbat in New York City this year is Saturday morning, April 12th at 10:56 AM. The final time to nullify your chametz in New York City is Saturday morning, April 12th by 11:59 AM. If outside the New York area, visit https://hebcal.com to identify the halachic times in your local community.

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