Bedikat Chametz

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Bedikat Chametz by Heidi

According to the International Beis Horaa, the mitzvah to search one’s house for Chametz is a rabbinic commandment. Although the Torah prohibits eating and owning Chametz on Pesach, it seems sufficient to merely state bittul, the verbal annulment of Chametz, in order to disregard owning Chametz; however, the rabbis disagreed and stated that a search must be executed to ensure all Chametz is gone.

The search is conducted on the eve of the 14th of Nissan and everyone’s domain is thoroughly checked. If there is an issue preventing someone from performing the bedika either on the thirteenth by day or on the fourteenth by day, one should perform the bedika on the 14th by day with a bracha (Emek Tshuva Siman 63). Although the prohibition of eating or owning chametz does not activate before the seventh halachic hour on the fourteenth day, the Chazal claims the search must be carried out the previous evening because most people are at home in the evening, making it much easier for one to perform the bedika and have their whole family merit the mitzvah (MB 431-3). Additionally, if Erev Pesach falls out on Shabbat, the search is moved to Thursday night.

Before one can even begin searching, the bracha must be recited. The bracha, “Boruch Ata Adon-ai Aloha-nu Malech Haloam Asher Kidishanu B’mitsvosav V’tsivanu Al Biur Chametz”, translates to “praised are You Adonai our God, who rules the universe, instilling in us the holiness of mitzvot by commanding us to remove all chametz”. From the time the blessing is spoken until the conclusion of the search, one is encouraged not say anything that doesn’t pertain to the search. Some hold that if a person finishes the whole search and never recited the blessing, then the blessing may be recited before the chametz is burned on the following day. Furthermore, only one person should make the blessing even when many people are participating, so he can say it on their behalf, and they all respond “amen.” When there is more than one building to search, one blessing suffices.

The searching ritual is a thorough search completed throughout the house. The search is the final step in the removal of leaven from one’s home. Before bedika, people place ten small pieces of bread in strategic places so that the inspection has a purpose of looking in all the nooks and crannies in one’s home. It is traditionally carried out by the light of a candle, with a feather and a wooden spoon to collect the chametz. The following morning, the ten pieces of chametz, along with any other chametz found during the search, is burned and the nullification of chametz is uttered.

There are many significances within this search. For starters, why do we deliberately use ten pieces of bread to place around the house for the search? This custom can be found in Rama 43, and each piece should not be greater than an olive. We place ten pieces so that the bracha will not be said in vain if one finds no chametz in their house according to Rama. Most rabbis deems this specific bracha as not a bracha in vain for the mitzvah is to search and destroy even if there is no chametz found says Rama, so ultimately the whole search is insignificant to meriting the mitzvah, but the search itself is important. Furthermore, having ten pieces guarantees that one will not forget to nullify the chametz because the chametz must be burned the following morning (Chok Yaakov-12). Lastly, the Chok Yaakov also suggests that one will not stop searching his house until all the chametz is found, therefore, it ensures that the whole house can be confirmed to be chametz-free. Regarding the other tools, the candle is used in accordance with maintaining tradition and custom because clearly flashlights did not exist in earlier centuries, but it is permitted to use a flashlight nowadays although encouraged to use a candle as well. The spoon is wooden because it can be easily burned later. Additionally, if one does not locate any chametz within his search, he must burn the tool he used to search with, so we use a wooden spoon because it is the easiest to burn. The feather is simply used to sweep up any crumbs bits of chametz that we encounter along the bedikah. Immediately after the bedika one should recite Kol Chamira, which is to nullify the chametz that one does not see. One should say the following: “All chametz and leaven that may be in my domain which I have not seen and which I have not destroyed or whose existence I have no knowledge of, shall be nullified and be deemed null and disowned and deemed valueless like the dust of the earth,” and it must be said in a language that is understood because if one is unaware of what they are saying then the whole bracha is ineffective and therefore meaningless (Rama 434-2, MB-9).

Finally, we arrive at the last stage of the whole process: the nullification of all chametz. The next morning, it is forbidden to eat chametz after the fourth hour, yet one can 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. We recite Kol Chamira one last time and then the chametz is burned and the whole bedikah mitzvah comes to a close. Goodbye chametz!

haggadah Section: Introduction