THURSDAY APRIL 14th
One of the biblical prohibitions of Pesach is to “own” Hamets, i.e., having Hamets in our possession during Pesach. To prevent this, we clean our houses and other properties (car, office, etc.) before Pesach and take out all the Hamets food that we found. Then, at night, when the first stars come out (after 8.00pm NYT) we do the Bedikat Hamets, that is, the last inspection to look for any Hamets food that could have been left inadvertently on our property. Remember that we have to get rid of edible Hamets: suitable for human or animal consumption. This excludes medical pills swallowed with water; cosmetics; cleaning supplies or any inedible item (see the Guide below for more information on this subject). These articles may remain in our possession during Pesach, regardless of their composition.
Hamets utensils, clean of any visible Hamets, should be stored in a closed place until Pesah is over. There is no need to include them in the selling of the Hamets. If you have animal food, you have to make sure that it does not have Hamets. Most pet food does. See
here a list of Kosher for Pesach pet’s foods.
BEDIKA and BITUL HAMETS
How do we do the Bedikat Hamets? With the help of a candle or a flashlight, we search every place where we could have brought, eaten, or stored food. We should look especially in the kitchen and all food storage spaces, such as the pantry, refrigerator, freezer, and places where food is usually brought or stored. Remember that our mission is to look for “Hamets food”: snacks, sweets, wafers, cookies, pastries, frozen foods, fiber drinks, cereals, and alcoholic drinks made from grain (beer, whiskey, most vodkas, etc).
Before beginning the bedika we say this berakha
“Barukh Ata A- donay, E-lohenu Melekh ha’Olam Asher Quiddeshanu beMitSvotav veTsivanu Al Bi’ur Hamets”
At the end of the bedika we keep in a safe place the Hamets that we are going to “eliminate” tomorrow morning, and the Hamets that we will consume tomorrow at breakfast.
Then we say the first Kal Hamira, the formula to renounce the possession of any Hamets that belong to us and we have not found in the Bedika.
KAL HAMIRA DEIKA BIRSHUTI, DELA HAZITEH VEDELA BIARTEH, LIBTIL VELEHEVE HAFQER KE’AFRA DEAR’A.
This means “All Hamets or leavening substance that belongs to me, that I have not seen or eliminated, should be considered ownerless as the dust of the earth”
FRIDAY APRIL 15th
TA’ANIT BEKHOROT (fast of the firstborn)
On the eve of Pesach, we observe the fast of the firstborn. Firstborn men should fast as a recognition of the protection of HaShem, when in the last plague all the firstborns of Egypt died, but the firstborns of Am Israel were saved. However, since this is not a mandatory fast (it was not promulgated by the Tora or by the Rabbis of the Gemara) it is customary to avoid this fast by participating in a festive religious ceremony. For example a Berit Mila or a Pidion. But since these occasions cannot be programmed in advance, it is customary for the communities to organize a Siyum Masekhet, a conclusion of a Talmudic treatise, Mishna or Gemara. This siyum is considered an event festive and meritorious enough to avoid the firstborn fast. After participating in this siyum the first-born may eat on the eve of Pesach normally.
