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Bedikat Hamets
Our Sages teach us, “In the merit of the righteous women, we were redeemed from Egypt.” It seems that the valorous women in every generation empower our reliving the experience of Pesah in how they prepare our homes in so many ways. Cleaning the house is just the beginning, as their noble efforts to bring together the joy of the holiday with lavish meals and ambiance set the backdrop for the story of our Exodus that we will retell to our children Pesah night.
What if I can’t make it home in time?
The time to do bedikat hamets―searching for hamets―is Thursday evening, April 10, 2025. One should make every effort to do bedikah at the proper time. If one can’t make it home that night for bedikah, then his wife should search the house after she recites the berachah.
One may not eat two ounces of bread or cake, begin studying Torah, or involve himself in any project from a half-hour before the time to search.
Should I use a candle or a flashlight?
It is preferred to recite the berachah and begin to check with a candle, and then switch over to a flashlight. One can make a berachah and check with a flashlight. In either case, one should leave the light on in the room while searching.
Where do I have to check?
Any place where you even occasionally bring hamets must be searched, such as bedrooms and the like. If no one ever brings hamets into a room, for example, a boiler room, one need not check that room. Knapsacks and coat pockets should be checked. One's car must be checked; it can be done earlier that day or later that night. If one owns a boat or aircraft, he must check it as well. One’s office or store can be checked, either in the morning before the night of checking or at the last time he leaves before the holiday. What one was not able to do in the night can be done the next morning without a beracha.
What if I just cleaned my room?
The objective of cleaning is to enable smooth checking. So now that the room is cleaned, it is ready to be checked!
What am I looking for?
One should focus on trying to find anything that is edible, even something as small as Cheerios. Whatever is not found will be nullified when saying kal hamirah.
Additionally, many seemingly innocent products in the house could have hamets ingredients. For example, if vinegar is in the ingredients, it may be derived from grain which is hamets. Gluten-free products may also be bona fide hamets, as oats are gluten-free. Products such as flour, uncooked oatmeal, cake mixes, beer, scotch, and whiskey are hamets. Yeast that we commonly use these days is actually not hamets.
Read all product labels carefully, as there are many look-alikes of non-kosher for Passover items. Additionally, not everything that was kosher last year is kosher this year. If a ‘P’ is next to a hechsher, it always means kosher for Pesah (pareve is spelled out). Finally, not all kosher certifications are equal. One should do research and set a standard in his own home for which agencies he feels comfortable accepting.
What about pet food?
The benchmark of what is considered hamets is its suitability to be consumed by a dog. Therefore, pet foods also need to be hamets-free. If the pet food has actual hamets, one should look for a non-hamets substitute. If you go to the zoo and would like to buy food to feed the animals, be mindful of what you are purchasing.
Do I have to check the pockets of my clothing?
If the clothing went through the wash, it does not have to be checked. If one does not intend to use the garment on Pesah, he can check by patting the pockets to feel that there is no significant amount of hamets.
What should I do with the Birkat Hamazon books?
Ideally, they should be locked up, and Haggadot can be used throughout Pesah for Birkat Hamazon. Otherwise, they can be thoroughly cleaned by going through every page, ensuring no crumbs are there.
Do I have to check under the refrigerator or move the furniture?
The criteria of up to what point one is obligated to search for hamets is when it is beyond reach. It is very common to find wafers, candies, and other hamets that roll under furniture and refrigerators. or the like. So when cleaning before Pesah, everything that can be reached or moved without exerting an inordinate amount of effort should be moved to access any hamets. One can have in mind then to be searching for hamets and on the night of bedikah just look with a flashlight to see if it was cleaned well.
What should I clean out from the children’s toys?
Playdough and children’s arts and crafts that include hamets, like colored macaroni, need not be thrown out but should be locked up for Pesah.
What if I get a phone call in the middle of checking?
As soon as one recites the berachah to check, he may not interrupt at all until he begins to check; just like any berachah that one recites, he performs the mitzvah immediately. If he starts to check, he should not engage in talking other than that which is relevant to the bedikah until he completes the checking and recites the bittul. If he did speak of other matters, he does not need to make another berachah. One should have other family members listen to the beracha so that he may appoint other members of the household to help with the checking.
Why do I hide ten pieces?
The berachah recited is al biur hamets―to destroy hamets. So the question arises: if one does not find any hamets, then what is his blessing going on? Therefore, it is customary to hide pieces of hamets to fulfill his blessing. The symbolism of ten is to encompass all aspects of impurity and sin that are present in the world that we seek to search out and destroy. Each piece should be smaller than the size of an olive, so if not found, you will not be in violation of owning hamets. Wrap each one in silver foil or plastic so it does not leave crumbs.
What if I can’t find all ten pieces?
If you cannot find them, look a little harder! If you still can’t find them, rely on the bittul you recite to nullify the hamets wherever it is. To avoid this, one person can be in charge of memorizing where all the pieces are hidden or writing them down.
If I am traveling for Pesah, what should I do?
Your house must be cleaned and checked prior to departing. If you are leaving on or after the night of bedikat hamets, then check like regular with a berachah. If leaving before the night of bedikah, then check the night before you leave without a berachah.
If one rents and enters an apartment, house, hotel, car, etc., on or before the night of the fourteenth of Nissan, the obligation of bedikah is upon him. Therefore, check at the proper time with a berachah.
If one is checking into a hotel in the middle of Pesah, then upon arrival, he should check his hotel room without a berachah. If there is a minibar or snack closet, it should be removed or sealed off.
Elimination of the Hamets
We usually taper down our hamets purchases so that we should not have much hamets left by Pesah. This is not always possible as some people who do business with hamets or hold expensive collections of scotch that would incur a large loss. Therefore, the Hachamim allowed one to sell his hamets so as not to transgress owning hamets. It is commendable for one who is able to completely rid his house of bona fide hamets and only sell the mixtures and questionable hamets.
How should I sell my hamets?
Selling hamets requires knowledge of the laws of Pesah and halachically buying and selling. Therefore, one should appoint his Rabbi as an agent to sell his hamets, rather than try to sell it himself, especially when one’s business is with hamets. The non-Jew essentially has full ownership of the hamets and should have access to it.
One should place his sold hamets in a closed room or cabinet, locked or taped up, and marked as hamets. If the hamets is refrigerated or frozen items and one doesn’t have a designated hamets freezer or refrigerator, then double wrap the hamets in a protective bag clearly marking it as hamets and place in a designated area in the refrigerator or freezer.
If your hametz is being sold earlier, be mindful that anything purchased after that time can not be included in the sale.
What if my workers have hamets?
A non-Jewish worker or employee may bring hamets onto your property. Make sure he takes it all with him from your house or office when he leaves. One cannot eat at the same table as someone eating hamets, even if one places a separating object in between.
Do I have to burn the hamets?
Although one may dispose of his hamets in any manner, the custom is to burn the hamets with fire. Additionally, it is customary to use the lulav for the firewood, thereby using the mitsvah of lulav for another mitsvah of burning the hamets. However, one may destroy the hamets in any other way he chooses. However, by just throwing it in the garbage, it is not necessarily destroyed and out of your property.
If I found hamets?
If one finds hamets during Yom Tov, he should treat it as mukseh and cover it. After Yom Tov, he should destroy the hamets. If discovered on Hol Hamoed, it should be burned or flushed away immediately.
Do I need a new toothbrush for Pesah?
One may wash his toothbrush well with soap until it is totally clean and then use it on Pesah. However, because a toothbrush is inexpensive, buying a new one is preferable. Every person should brush and floss before Pesach.
