Pesach Laws 5784 Bedika/Bitul/Biur At Home and Away
Bedikat and Biur/Bitul Chametz
If you will be at home for Yom Tov, you do Bedikat Chametz on Sunday night, April 21, as soon as possible after nightfall (8:13pm this year) with a blessing, candle, and the 10 pieces of bread or other chametz (if that is your custom), and the night-time Bitul (nullification) formula. Most haggadot (and siddurim) have the liturgy and details. On Wednesday, April 22, chametz is burned and nullified by the end of the 5th halakhic hour of the day (11:28am this year). If you are traveling for Yom Tov, things may be different. See below. Burning of chametz will take place this year at Or Torah parking lot from 7:00 am to 11:30 am Monday morning, April 22.
Traveling for Pesach: Bedikat Chametz in your home
Regardless of your destination and intent to return home during Pesach, your house should be in condition that if you had to return home, you would not encounter any chametz. Clean for any significant pieces of food and put any chametz away and mark the areas. Fill out a sale of chametz form for your home.
1) If you will still be home on Sunday night, do Bedikat Chametz as normal. Do Biur/Bitul Chametz wherever you are on Monday.
2) If you will already have left your home by Sunday night, do Bedikat Chametz the last night you are at home, after nightfall, without a blessing. Do Biur/Bitul Chametz wherever you are on Monday.
Traveling for Pesach: Bedikat/Biur/Bitul Chametz in your Pesach location
If you're in a hotel, or a rental, you need to do Bedikah there. If you are a guest in someone’s home, even if they are not there, you have no obligation (although you may wish to make sure before Monday morning that you won’t see any chametz over Pesach!) Just remember to say the second 'kol chamira' nullification formula on Monday morning, having your chametz at home in mind.
1) If you’ll be in your Pesach location by Sunday night, do the same Bedikah you would have done if you were at home: candle, 10 pieces of bread, say the blessing beforehand, and Bitul formula afterward. Do Biur in that Pesach location the next morning as you would if you were home. If burning is a big inconvenience, flush it down the toilet. Don't throw it in the garbage in case it won't be collected before Pesach. Remember to say the second 'kol chamira' nullification formula together with the Biur (all following what's in many haggadot in the beginning) having your chametz at home in mind as well.
2) If you won’t be in your Pesach location until Monday morning, the question arises whether you have an obligation to do a Bedikah in that location. If your rental agreement began by Sunday night and you had the keys by then, even if you were not in that location yet, you should check as soon as you arrive. Biur and Bitul must be done by the end of the 5th halakhic hour regardless of where you are.
Tue, April 16 2024 8 Nisan 5784
