Erev Pesach on Shabbos – Kehillas Federation

Halochos for Erev Pesach shechal lihyos beshabbos

This year with Pesach starting on Sunday, obviously there are many halochos that are different from in usual years.

It is easy to feel that when erev Pesach is shabbos that this will make things more stressful, as one has to be ready a day earlier than usual, as well as the complication of eating chometz in a pesachdik house. However, in fact it should be an opportunity to have a more relaxing erev pesach than usual, with an opportunity to rest which may not usually exist.

Friday, on which we do biur chometz, although we have to do most of what we do on a normal erev pesach, does not actually need anything more done than erev pesach in other years and in fact may be slightly less stressful, as the deadline for biur chometz does not apply in the same way.

Taanis Bechorim

This year taanis bechorim cannot be on erev pesach, as it is shabbos. Therefore it is moved to Thursday. Siyumim will take place in shul beH.

This means that if someone has not attended a siyum and is fasting, they will not have eaten before the time comes for bedikas chometz. Although generally one should not eat more than a small snack before bedikas chometz, as the mitzva should be done immediately, in this situation someone can eat if necessary. They should not have bread or cake, only other foods.

Bedikas Chometz

Bedikas chometz takes place on Thursday night immediately after nacht at 8.39 pm.

Although it is not the night of erev pesach we still say the brocho as usual. Bedikas

chometz should be done exactly as usual, and kol chamira said by all members of the family who may own chometz afterwards.

We should do the mitzva as soon as possible after nacht. Other activities, including eating, showering, learning, etc should not be done before this. A full meal should not be eaten from half an hour before this time. Someone who always daven maariv at nacht may daven before bedikas chometz.

An area that will not be used over pesach can be closed up and sold. One does not need to do bedika there. Some are machmir to sell these areas before the mitzva of bedika begins, ie this year on Thursday the twelfth Nisan before sunset. If you wish do so please advise with your mechira form, see the mechira guidelines on the email.

Biur Chometz

Although we will still eat chometz on shabbos, nevertheless the minhag is to burn any chometz that will not be used by the usual time. Therefore biur chometz should take place by 11.53 am. Some are machmir for the earlier times of 11.41 or 11.35 am.

Some poskim suggest that mechira should also take place by this time. However, since we are still eating chometz this is not the generally accepted practice. Chometz sold through the Federation will be sold at about 4 pm. Please make sure any chometz is put in the sold locations by 3.45. If this has not been done you can still put it away until shabbos.

If you forgot to put away chometz that you planned to sell you can still put it away even on shabbos, until sof zman biur, see no. 32. Although it was not put in the designated location it is still included in the sale. After this time it is muktze and may not be moved. You must cover it with something until Chol hamoed, and then can put it away, but still without touching it directly.

Chometz purchased after 3.45 pm on Friday might not be included in the sale.

This year we do not say the second kol chamira after biur as usual, since we are still eating chometz until Shabbos morning.

Although usually kashering must be done before zman issur, this does not apply this year, since chometz is muttar until shabbos morning.

The usual restrictions on melocho after chatzos on erev pesach (washing, haircuts, etc) do not apply on Friday.

Remember to empty any bins that may contain chometz, to change hoover bag, etc, as this may not be possible on shabbos. (Ideally this should have been done before

zman biur as above no. 9, but if it is possible chometz has ended up there it may need doing again.)

Since one is not permitted to prepare anything on shabbos for the seder, everything possible should be prepared on Friday, so that the seder can start as soon as possible on motzei shabbos. Moror may not be left in water.

Shabbos meals

One is not permitted to eat matza on erev pesach. Although many poskim permit on the evening before erev pesach, ie Friday night this year, it is generally accepted to be machmir. Therefore our shabbos meals must include chometz for the chiyuv of seudas shabbos and lechem mishne.

Many people prefer to choose types of bread that produce fewer crumbs than challa, such as pitta or bagels. Note, however, that it must be hamotzi not “mezonos bread.” If you use the mezonos versions you would have to eat enough to be a kevius seuda, ie the same amount a normal person would eat of the challa at a normal meal. You can also use matza ashira, which creates less concern for crumbs, since it is not real chometz, but this has the same issue as it is also mezonos.

Each person over the age of chinuch (6/7) should eat at least a kebeitza of bread at each shabbos meal. This is 57.6 cc, or slightly more than half the volume of a normal slice of bread.

If someone finds this very difficult they can have half of this amount, but then should not say the brocho when they wash. If a child is reluctant even to do this you do not need to force them, but they may not bench.

One must make sure that chometz is not scattered on the floor. Although crumbs of chometz on the floor do not actually need cleaning before pesach, nevertheless one must make sure they could not end up getting in the food. Therefore one should eat the chometz in a restricted area which can easily be swept

Many people prefer to eat the chometz outdoors, weather permitting. In this case one does not need to sweep crumbs, only make sure there are no larger pieces of chometz left on the ground. You may continue the meal indoors after finishing the chometz. Remember to go back outside to bench, unless you can see the area where you ate bread from the place where you are benching.

One may not have chometz dishes that may stick to the pot, since this will not be possible to clean on shabbos. One can use chometz pots to cook, but may not wash them up afterwards, only wipe them out and put them away. Therefore it is recommended to eat only pesach food, keeping the pots totally separate from the chometz.

You can either eat the food on chometz plates and cutlery, in which case you can’t wash them up, just wipe and put away, or on pesach keilim, in which case you have to clear the bread away completely (and change the tablecloth if there may be crumbs remaining) before eating the rest of the meal.

One must not serve from a pot that is to be used on pesach directly onto a chometz plate. Therefore you can not use your pesach serving utensils to put food on chometz plates, but would have to put it into something else first.

To avoid the difficulties involved in either option, many people prefer to use disposable plates for the meals this shabbos. Even someone who is makpid not to use specific types of disposables on pesach can use them for these meals.

Sof zman achila is 10.07 am. If difficult one may be mekil until 10.20 or even 10.44. No chometz may be eaten after this time, including food cooked in chometz pots.

You can use a toothpick or a dry brush to clean your teeth. You can rinse your mouth with water or mouthwash beforehand.

Any leftover chometz must be destroyed. As we have discussed at length, this does not mean the small crumbs that just lie on the floor and turn to dust. One must be certain these could not get into the food on pesach, but they do not need destroying, only disposing of. Therefore one can sweep up and scatter them in the garden (not into the wind), making sure they could not blow back into the house, or even put them into an outdoor bin that is accessible on shabbos. Outdoor areas may not be swept. Remember to put the broom away.

Larger pieces must be destroyed. One may flush them down the toilet, or pour bleach on them, making sure it permeates through the whole piece, and put them in the bin. If none of this is possible, they may be thrown into the wheelie bin, if it is accessible on shabbos.

All this must be done by sof zman biur. This is 11.52 am. Many prefer to be machmir for the earlier zmanim of 11.34 or 11.41 am.

Kol chamira MUST be said by this time. This is very important. One must understand what they are saying.

After this time chometz is muktze and may not be moved. See above no. 11 regarding chometz that was intended to be sold. Chometz that should have been destroyed must be covered until Chol hamoed, and then burned or otherwise destroyed. Note that the bleach option mentioned above is not acceptable at this stage, as it renders the chometz inedible and removes the chiyuv biur before it comes into effect, rather than destroying it and fulfilling the chiyuv.

Seuda shlishis

Since it is ossur to eat chometz after sof zman achila, as above no. 28, and we cannot eat matza on erev pesach, there is an issue with how to be yotze seuda shlishis on this shabbos. Even pesach cake made with matza meal may not be eaten on erev pesach. Therefore the mezonos options are very limited.

One option (for those who eat gebrokts) is to have a meal of kneidlach or similar in the afternoon. Boiled matza is permitted on erev pesach. This should be before sho’o asiris, which is at 4.26 pm. If this was not done, eat it as soon as possible afterwards. Do not eat a lot, remembering it is the seder that night.

Some are machmir not even to eat boiled matza on erev pesach. Similarly, those who do not eat gebrokts would not have this option. They can have seuda shlishis of meat, fish, fruit, etc. Some hold should do this even if also having two meals in the morning, as per nos. 39-40

Sefardim can have a meal of egg matza. If they wish to say hamotzi they have to eat shiur kevius seuda, see no. 19.

Another option is to divide the morning meal into two. After eating part of your meal you should bench and have a break. The break should be at least twenty minutes, and you must leave the room in which you ate for this time. After that you wash again, eat more bread, and continue the meal. Make sure to finish chometz by sof zman achila, see no. 28.

One can finish the chometz part of the meal by this time, and continue eating pesach food afterwards and bench when you have finished. Some hold that in this case one would have to say a bracha rishona before eating anything after zman issur, as with dessert, since one is no longer able to eat bread. Do not forget to destroy any chometz and say kol chamira before the time even if in the middle of the meal.

Hachono

One may not prepare anything on shabbos for yom tov. This does not include learning through the haggodo etc, but preparing the table, the food, or even the haggodos is not permitted.

One may sleep in the afternoon even if it is in order to be refreshed for the seder, but should not say clearly that this is the purpose. Similarly one may change into yom tov clothes, but not if you say that you are doing it for this reason.

One may ask a goy to perform preparations that are not blatantly for the seder, and do not involve melocho, eg clearing the room where the seder will take place, etc.

Yom tov

Before preparing for the seder, or doing any of the melocho that may be done on yom tov, one must say boruch hamavdil bein kodesh lekodesh.

In maariv we say ותודיענו. If forgotten, and you have already said ‘ברוך אתה ה at the end of the brocho, do not go back, but make sure to say boruch hamavdil as above.

One should start the seder as early as possible. All possible preparations should be done before shabbos so this will be possible.

Kiddush at the seder combines kiddush and havdolo, following the order יין קידוש נר הבדלה זמן, known as יקנה”ז. For the birchas haner one should put the flames of two candles together to create an avuka, like on a normal motzei shabbos. Some just say the brocho on the candles without merging their flames.

Even people who normally stand for kiddush and havdolo should say them sitting down on seder night.

If someone forgot to say havdolo and just said the normal yom tov kiddush, one should say it as soon as possible, although this means drinking an additional kos. Sefardim doing this would not say borei pri hagefen, Ashkenazim would.

Once one has started מגיד one may not pause to make havdolo. One should say the brochos for havdolo together with the second kos at the end of maggid.