Why is this Pesach Different from other Pesachs? - 5785

With Pesach a couple of days away I will discuss a few practical things relating to the next few days.  This year we have the rare occurrence of Pesach beginning on Saturday night.  (The next time this will happen will be in 2045.)  This adds a layer of complication to the pre-Pesach preparations. 

Typically we check the house for Chametz on the night before Pesach, then in the morning we eat a Chametz breakfast and then burn the leftover Chametz, and begin to observe the Kosher for Pesach rules.  This year, however, we can’t burn the Chametz at the time the Pesach laws take effect because it is Shabbat.  At the same time, we need to have our Shabbat meal with bread, and we are not permitted to eat Matzah on the day before Pesach.  So let’s review the things that we should be doing between now and the Seder.  (This is by no means a comprehensive list, but some of the major highlights of things not to forget.)

Cleaning and inspecting the house:  This should be done now in preparation for Bedikat Chametz, checking the house for Chametz, a day earlier than usual, tonight (Thursday).  Just after dark tonight, we do the Bedikat Chametz.  Before inspecting the house, we place ten wrapped pieces of Chametz around the house, and then we say the Brachah al biur chametz and check the house for Chametz by the light of a candle.  Then we make a statement - “Kol Chamirah,” nullifying and disowning any Chametz we are not aware of.  By this time, all Chametz that we will be using over the next couple of days should be placed in a designated place to ensure that i t does not get spread over the house.

Burning the Chametz:  Although we may continue to eat Chametz all day Friday and Shabbat morning, contrary to a typical day before Pesach, we nevertheless burn the ten pieces of Chametz and any other crumbs or pieces we want to get rid of at the regular time, by 12:03.  (All times are for Palo Alto, CA.)  We have a communal fire at Chabad at 11:30, or you can use a barbecue or similar at home.

Food for Shabbat:  This is also complicated, because we need to eat challah on Friday night and Shabbat morning, we can't burn whatever is left on Shabbat, and we won’t be able to deal with Chametz dishes on Shabbat.  So the best way to do this is to prepare all food for Shabbat as Pesach food, and eat Pesach food for all Shabbat meals, and designate a place in the house or on a porch etc. where we will make kiddush and eat challah.  We take extra care to make sure that no crumbs fall around the house and certainly do not allow any chametz near the food and the Pesach kitchen.  

Shabbat morning:  We need to stop eating Chametz by 10:57.  In order to allow us to observe the Mitzvah of a proper Shabbat meal, we hold morning services much earlier than usual.  (At Chabad we start at 7:50 am.)  We then make Kiddush and eat Challah before 10:57 in a designated place away from the Pesach food, as on Friday night.  Now we have to get rid of any leftover Chametz and all crumbs, so as strange as this sounds we crumble it all up and flush it down the toilet.  This should be done before 12:03.  Also at this time we say the second “Kol Chamira” statement, nullifying and making ownerless and Chometz we may still have.

Sale of Chometz:  We do not destroy or get rid of all our Chametz.  Most people keep non-perishable food for use after Pesach, and there are Chametz dishes that may not be thoroughly cleaned.  It is therefore necessary to deal with this by selling our Chametz to a non-Jew for the duration of Pesach.  This is not something each person can do on their own, because the sale is not a sham and must be a fully legal and binding sale, so that the non-Jew fully owns the Chametz.  You can arrange for the sale of your Chametz here.  (Please do it today.)

A few points about the Seder:  Women light the holiday candles on Saturday night after Shabbat ends - 8:22 - before the Seder.  While many people may start the “Seder” earlier, the actual observance of drinking the four cups of wine, eating Matzah and maror, and reciting the Haggadah can only be properly observed after this time.  Kiddush should therefore begin after 8:22. If you wish to start earlier, you can have some snacks and discuss the Pesach story as a preliminary to the actual Seder.

It is important to eat hand-baked Shmurah Matzah for the Biblical Mitzvah of eating Matzah on the night of the Seder.  We still have some left at Chabad.  You can buy it here or if you would like one or two Matzot please email me directly and I will try to arrange that for you.  There is still room for you at the table at Chabad for the Seder.  In Palo Alto you can register here.

The Pesach Seder is much more than just a historic event, although of course that is an important part of it.  The Seder is a renewal of the Divine revelation when Hashem Himself redeemed us from Egypt.  The Seder observances were compiled by our great scholars and mystics to evoke the greatest light and blessing from Hashem.  There is no detail of the Seder that is insignificant.  Each part of the traditional Seder contributes to its holiness and blessing.  While many search for ways to make the Seder more exciting and interesting for young people, I encourage you to do this in the framework of the actual traditional “seder” - meaning order - that was established by our Sages.  You can download a wonderful traditional Hagaddah here.

I wish you a kosher and joyous Pesach, and may we see the fulfillment of the blessing with which we ended the Seder last year, “Next Year in Jerusalem!”  Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about this or any other aspect of Passover.