ביטול וביעור חמץ
Yesterday, we explained the Biblical prohibition of keeping any edible Hamets product in our premises and the obligation to get rid of all Hamets food before Pesah eve.
On Sunday April 13th, at the end of Bediqat Hamets (see this) and once we left some Hamets to be eaten tomorrow morning, we pronounce the first Bitul Hamets:
“kal hamira de-ika birshuti dela haziteh vedela bi’arteh libtil veleheve (hefqer) ke’afra dear’a”
The translation is:
“All kind of Hamets or fermenting agent that belongs to me, that I haven’t seen or that I haven’t dispose of, should be considered ownerless, as the dust of the earth.”
The reason for the bitul is the following: as we’ve already said, during Pesah the ownership or possession of Hamets is forbidden, even if our Hamets is hidden in a closed place or even if it is not in our house. During Pesah there cannot be any Hamets that belong to us. Therefore, through this declaration (bitul) we renounce to our ownership of any Hamets that belong to us and that involuntarily we might not have found or removed. This obviously excludes the Hamets that we left for tomorrow’s breakfast. Technically speaking, once we renounce to its possession, the undetected Hamets will become ownerless, and if it is still found in our premises, is not ours anymore.
For this declaration to be valid, it is necessary to understand the words we are uttering. Thus, one should say it in a language he or she understands. To become absolutely conscious of this declaration, our Sages recommended repeating it three times.
Bi’ur Hamets (Disposing of Hamets)
The following day, Monday April 14th, after we finish eating the Hamets that we left from last night for breakfast (no later than 9.56 a.m.) we take the Hamets found last night in the last search together with the leftover of the Hamets that remained from breakfast and we proceed to its physical disposal (bi’ur). This can be done by burning the Hamets (in a safe place!) or, if we have a piece of bread, for example, by throwing it in a river to the fish or feeding it to the birds. After we disposed of our Hamets we pronounce once again the bitul. This time the declaration is more comprehensive:
“kal hamira de-ika birshuti dehaziteh vedela haziteh debi’arteh vedela biarteh libtil veleheve (hefqer) ke’afra dear’a”
The translation is:
“All kind of Hamets or fermenting agent that belongs to me, that I have or have not seen and that I have or have not eliminated, should be considered ownerless, as the dust of the earth.”
This last bitul must be done Monday April 14th, no later than 11.12 a.m. Once this bitul is done no more dealings with Hamets are allowed until Pesah is over. If we find a Hamets food during Pesah or after Pesah, that Hamets should be dispose of
