Chapter 4. Searching for Chametz

Its Time
1. After nightfall one should pray Ma’ariv, and afterward search for the chametz, because “tadir ve-she’eino tadir — tadir kodem,” when one matter is more frequent and the other less frequent, the more frequent takes precedence. However, one who intends to pray Ma’ariv at a later hour may search first and then pray [1] .

The Prohibition of Work Before the Search
2. From half an hour before nightfall [after sunset], it is forbidden to do any work that may take time [its details are explained in siman 232, section 2], and it is likewise forbidden to enter a bathhouse [2] .

Eating Before the Search
3. It is likewise forbidden to eat bread or mezonot in an amount greater than a kebeitzah, and it is forbidden to drink an intoxicating beverage in an amount greater than a kebeitzah; however, tasting is permitted. The definition of “tasting” is: eating bread or mezonot up to a kebeitzah, and fruits, vegetables, and snacks that are not grain products even in large amounts. Drinking non-alcoholic beverages, even in large amounts, has the status of tasting [3] .

Tasting
4. The Biur Halachah writes [4] that the permission to taste applies during the half-hour before nightfall, but when the time of the search arrives, namely nightfall, one should not be lenient even regarding tasting.

Torah Study
5. It is permitted to study Torah until nightfall if one began learning before sunset; when nightfall arrives, he must stop learning, even if he began learning before sunset [5] .

Sweeping the House
One should sweep the house before the search.

Ten Pieces
6. The custom is to hide ten pieces so that the one searching will find them and destroy them. Since it was explained above in the laws of cleaning the house for Pesach that cleaning is effective in exempting one from the obligation of searching, and since people are accustomed to clean the entire house for Pesach before the day of bedikat chametz, therefore in our times there is a halachic obligation to place ten pieces [6] .

The Size of the Pieces
7. It is proper to be careful that the pieces be less than the size of a kezayit, except for one piece that should contain a kezayit, and he should remember well where he placed it [and it is better to write on a paper the places where the pieces of chametz were placed] [7] .

Washing Hands
8. It is good to wash one’s hands before the search for the sake of cleanliness [8] .

The Blessing
9. Before the search one should recite the blessing “al biur chametz,” and have in mind also the nullification after the search, as well as the destruction and nullification on the following day [9] .

Speaking During the Search
10. One should not speak about matters unrelated to the search from the time of the blessing until the completion of the search [10] .

With a Wax Candle
11. The search should be conducted with a wax candle, and in places where a candle cannot be brought in, one should search with a flashlight.

Places That Were Already Checked
12. A person who already checked, in the days preceding bedikat chametz, with a candle, should check the places he has not yet checked; he should also go through the house to verify that it was all cleaned and checked [11] .

Checking the Car and the Office
13. After he has finished checking his home, he should check the car, the office, etc.; it is good not to interrupt with speech in the meantime, but in any event, if he did interrupt, he does not recite the blessing again [12] .

Nullifying Chametz After the Search
14. After the search one should recite the text of nullifying chametz: “dela chamitei vedela chazitei” — “that I have not seen and that I have not observed” [13] .

Praying Earlier on Erev Pesach
15. The Maharil wrote that one should pray earlier on Erev Pesach so that he will have time to eat chametz before the end of the permitted time [14] .

Burning Chametz
16. On Erev Pesach one must burn the chametz by the end of the time for burning chametz that appears in the calendars, and it is good to burn it as it is, without pouring combustible materials on it and the like.

Nullifying Chametz After the Burning
17. After the burning, one should recite the text of nullifying chametz: “dechamitei vedela chamitei, dechazitei vedela chazitei” — “that I have seen and that I have not seen, that I have observed and that I have not observed,” and it is good for the other members of the household also to recite the text of nullification.

[1] Mishnah Berurah (siman 431, se’if katan 8).
[2] Shulchan Aruch (siman 432, section 2) and Mishnah Berurah (se’if katan 5).
[3] Mishnah Berurah (there, se’if katan 6).
[4] Siman 431.
[5] The ruling of the Mishnah Berurah (siman 431, se’if katan 12).
[6] Shulchan Aruch (siman 432, section 2), Mishnah Berurah (se’if katan 13), and Sha’ar HaTziyun (se’if katan 12).
[7] See Sha’arei Teshuvah (se’if katan 7), who cites Machazik Berachah in the name of Zera Emet; and see in the book
Mo’adei Hashem, that one crumb should be a kezayit.
[8] Mishnah Berurah (siman 432, se’if katan 2).
[9] Shulchan Aruch (siman 432, section 1) and Mishnah Berurah (se’if katan 3).
[10] Shulchan Aruch (siman 432, section 1) and Mishnah Berurah (se’if katan 6).
[11] See above, the laws of cleaning the house for Pesach, and Da’at Torah (siman 433, se’if katan 2).
[12] Shulchan Aruch (siman 432, section 2) and Mishnah Berurah (se’if katan 7).
[13] For the chametz that he found he does not nullify, since he wishes to eat it or to fulfill with it the mitzvah of “biur,” destruction.
[14] Mishnah Berurah (siman 429, se’if katan 13).