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March 19, 2004/Adar 26 5764, Vol. 56, No. 26
On a search for chametz
LEISAH NAMM
Managing Editor
Rabbi Zvi Holland reads a blessing before searching for chametz.
Photo by Leisah Namm
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Although the search for the afikomen during the Passover seder is widely practiced, many may be unfamiliar with the search that takes place the night before Passover. This is the bedikat chametz - the search for chametz (leaven).
Since it is prohibited by Torah law for Jews to have chametz in their possession during Passover, many Jews spend the weeks before the holiday removing all traces of it from their home.
Although the house may already be free of chametz, halacha (Jewish law) prescribes a last search on the night before Passover to double-check that none remains, says Rabbi Zvi Holland of the Phoenix Community Kollel/Aish Hatorah Scottsdale. This should be done with the lights off, using a candle with a single wick or a small flashlight. "A small light reveals much more in small spaces," Holland explains.
The first step of the search is to wrap up 10 pieces of bread - or other leavened product - in aluminum foil or a zip-lock bag. The 10 pieces are a reminder of the 10 plagues mentioned in the seder, according to Rabbi Reuven Lauffer on Ohr.edu, a Web site for Ohr Somayach International.
Next, somebody in the family should hide the pieces of chametz in 10 different places around the house. In some homes, children hide the chametz and the parents search for it (although it's a good idea to have somebody write down where the pieces are hidden so they don't get lost, Holland suggests). The searcher(s) should not see the hiding places.
Next, the head of the family says the "al bi'ur chametz" blessing found in the Haggadah or siddur, which states the commandment of removing the chametz. Since the pieces are hidden and will be removed from the home, the blessing will not be said in vain.
Then the search begins. There should be no talking between the blessing and the search; the only talk should be about things directly related to the search.
Some people have the custom of using a feather and a wooden spoon to pick up the pieces of chametz, but it's not required, since they serve only as tools in the search, Holland says.
When all the chametz is found and gathered, a legal declaration is made, nullifying any that may have not been found during the search. This can also be found in a Haggadah or siddur. It states: "Any leaven that may still be in the house, which I have not seen or have not removed, shall be as if it does not exist, like the dust of the earth."
The next morning, the chametz is destroyed in a fireplace, a barbecue, etc. In some cities, synagogues burn it in their parking lots, others are supervised by the fire department, Holland notes.
A second nullification is said before burning: "All leaven and anything leavened that is in my possession, whether I have seen it or not, whether I have observed it or not, whether I have removed it or not, shall be considered nullified and ownerless as the dust of the earth."
After burning the chametz from the search, which should be done by four hours after daylight, no more chametz should be eaten, Holland says.
Jewish tradition compares chametz to an individual's "ego" and the preparations for Passover as a way to free one's ego. For more insight on the mystical aspect of cleaning for Passover, visit www.aish.com.
Contact the writer at leisah_namm@jewishaz.com.
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