Hilchot Pesach Dov Levinson Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 1 - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Hilchot Pesach Dov Levinson Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 1

Background of Pesach • The holiday of Pesach commemorates and celebrates Hashem’s redemption of the Jewish people from their enslavement in Egypt • We celebrate and recall the history of the Jewish people and their transition from slaves to free people Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 2

Names of the Holiday Name Translation Reason The holiday is called “פסח” in remembrance of Hashem “passing 1) פסח Passover over” the Jewish firstborn children during the 10 th plague When Hashem took the Jews out of מצרים there wasn’t enough time for the 2) חג המצות The holiday of the matzot bread to rise so it turned into מצה and we eat מצה to commemorate that 3) חג האביב The holiday of the spring This holiday takes place in the spring This is the time that the Jews were 4) זמן חרותינו Time of our freedom freed from the slavery in Egypt Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 3

When is Pesach? We celebrate Pesach during on the 15 th of Nissan because the Jews left Egypt the morning of the 15 th Fun fact: the 15 th of Nissan is also the day that Yitzchak was born and the night that Achashverosh had trouble sleeping! Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 4

The First Month • The Month of Nissan is the first month of the Jewish calendar • Why? • Because that’s when the Jewish people first became a nation! Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 5

Happy, Sad, or Both? Throughout Pesach there are times when we are happy and times when we are sad Sad: We remember the suffering and slavery of the Jews in Egypt Eat Matzah Eat Maror Dip into saltwater and Charoset Happy: We celebrate and praise Hashem for redeeming the Jewish people and freeing them from the Egyptians Drink wine Lean at the seder Sing songs Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 6

Structure of Pesach (in America) Day # Hebrew Date Yom Tov or Chol Hamoed? 15 th ofניסן 1 Yom Tov (Seder Night #1) 16 th of ניסן 2 Yom Tov (Seder Night #2) 3 17 th of ניסן Chol Hamoed 18 th of ניסן 4 Chol Hamoed 19 th of ניסן 5 Chol Hamoed 20 th of ניסן 6 Chol Hamoed 21 st of ניסן 7 Yom Tov 22 nd of ניסן 8 Yom Tov Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 7

Halachot of Pesach The Halachot of Pesach can be divided into two main categories: 1) The issur of chametz 2) The Seder Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 8

Key Questions About the Issur of Chametz • What is chametz? • Why is chametz not allowed? • Where is chametz not allowed? • When is chametz not allowed? • How do we get rid of our chametz? Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 9

Issur of chametz When the Jews were leaving Egypt, they were so rushed that they did not have time to bake regular leavened bread (chametz) and instead their dough was baked in the sun as they left and became matzah (unleavened bread) We eat matzah on Pesach to remember how quickly Hashem took us out of Egypt. Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 10

Chametz is when any of the 5 grains (or products made from What is considered those grains) comes in contact chametz? with water and rises Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 11

What are the 5 grains? WHEAT BARLEY OATS SPELT RYE Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 12

How long does it take for dough to rise and become chametz? • It takes approximately only 18 minutes for dough to rise and turn into chametz Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 13

Kitniyot are foods that are similar to the 5 grains but are not grains What is Kitniyot? For example: Rice, corn, beans, and legumes Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 14

According to some Sefaradim, Can You Eat Kitniyot are permitted to eat on Pesach Kitniyot on Pesach? According to Ashkenazim, Kitniyot are not chametz but they are not allowed to be eaten on Pesach Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 15

There are 2 reasons that Kitniyot are prohibited: • Other grains (that can become chametz) are often mixed in with Why No Kitniyot Kitniyot? • Kitniyot can be made into flour and people may mistakenly think others are eating chametz on Pesach Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 16

What is the actual Now we know איסור (prohibition) what Chametz is… of Chametz on Pesach?? Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 17

What does it • ׳׳וְלֹא-יֵרָאֶה לְ שְׂאֹר--בְּכָל-גְּבֻלֶך׳׳ E חָמֵץ, וְלֹא-יֵרָאֶה לְ E say in the • “You can’t see chametz or leaven in all of your borders” Torah? • This is a מִצְוַתּ לֹא תּﬠֲשֵֹה(commandment not to do Source 1 something) Shemot 13:7 • It is known as ׳׳בַּל יֵרָאֶה׳׳“not seeing chametz” Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 18

• ׳׳שִׁבְﬠַת יָמִים--שְׂאֹר, לֹא יִמָּצֵא בְּבָתֵּיכֶם׳׳ What does it say in the • “For 7 days one can’t find leaven in your home” Torah? • This is anotherמִצְוַתּ לֹא תּﬠֲשֵֹה(commandment not Source 2 to do something) Shemot 12:19 • It is known as ׳׳בַּל יְמָצֵא ׳׳“not finding chametz” Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 19

What does it • " בַּיּ֣וֹם הָרִאשׁ֔וֹן תַּשְׁבִּ֥יתוּ שְּׂאֹ֖ר מִבָּתֵּיכֶ֑ם j ’אַ֚ ’ say in the • “On the first day you must remove leaven from your houses” Torah? • This is a מִצְוַתּ ﬠֲשֵֹה (commandment to do Source 3 something) Shemot 12:15 • It is known as ׳׳תַּשְׁבִּ֥יתוּ שְּׂאֹ֖ר “ “removing chametz” Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 20

How do you “remove” your chametz? There are two methods of removing chametz: 1.בְּדִיקַת/ בּיﬠֻר חָמֵץ—Checking for and destroying your chametz 2.בּיטוּל חָמֵץ—Verbally nullifying your chametz—make it meaningless Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 21

What do you do? מן התורה • Technically, doing one of בְּדִיקַת/ בּיﬠֻר חָמֵץ or בּיטוּל חָמֵץ would be enough to fulfill the מִצְוֹתּ לֹא תּﬠֲשֵֹה of בַּל יְמָצֵא ( not finding chametz) and בַּל יֵרָאֶה( not seeing chametz) and the מִצְוַתּ ﬠֲשֵֹה of תַּשְׁבִּ֥יתוּ שְּׂאֹ֖ר( removing your chametz) Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 22

בְּדִיקַת/ בּיﬠֻר חָמֵץ מן התורה • If you do בְּדִיקַת/ בּיﬠֻר חָמֵץ you are searching and then removing any chametz in your house so none will be seen or found over Pesach Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 23

בּיטוּל חָמֵץ מן התורה If you do בּיטוּל חָמֵץ you are declaring that the chametz you have is “like the dust of earth” and is meaningless to you • According to Rashi, the Torah used the word • According to Tosfot, the Torah says “לְ X ’’ ( yours ) ׳׳תַּשְׁבִּ֥יתוּ’’( remove ) and didn’t specify physically and by doingבּיטוּל חָמֵץ you are making itהפקר removing the chametz, so by doingבּיטוּל חָמֵץ you (ownerless) and there is no problem of ׳׳בַּל יְמָצֵא ׳׳ are mentally removing your chametz and ׳׳בַּל יֵרָאֶה׳׳ on chametz that is not yours Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 24

What do we actually do? מדרבנן The Chachamim require us to do both בְּדִיקַת/ בּיעֻר חָמֵץ and בּיטוּל חָמֵץ They are worried that only doing בְּדִיקַת/ בּיעֻר חָמֵץ or בּיטוּל חָמֵץ will lead to people not fulfilling their obligations of בַּל יְמָצֵא , בַּל יֵרָאֶה and תַּשְׁבִּ֥יתוּ שְּׂאֹ֖ר Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 25

Why isn’t בּיטוּל חָמֵץ enough? • Just doing בּיטוּל חָמֵץ is not enough because: • A) According to Rashi, perhaps the בּיטוּל חָמֵץ was not done with a full heart and will regret your decision and regain ownership • B) According to Tosfot, a person may find a good piece of chametz on Pesach, forget that is אסור, and eat it Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 26

Why isn’t בְּדִיקַת/בּיﬠֻר חָמֵץ enough? • Just doing בְּדִיקַת/ בּיﬠֻר חָמֵץ is not enough because: • A person may find a good piece of chametz that was missed during the search and hesitate before destroying it • This means you would not be fulfilling the מִצְוַתּ ﬠֲשֵֹה of תַּשְׁבִּ֥יתוּ שְּׂאֹ֖ר and will be עובר(transgressing) on בַּל יְמָצֵא and בַּל יֵרָאֶה Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 27

When do we do בְּדִיקַת חָמֵץ? What time? On the night of the 14 th of Nissan should be done at “ צֵאתהַכּוֹכָבִים ” (3 בְּדִיקַת חָמֵץ stars out) which is about 45 minutes after sunset • In Englewood: 7:56pm Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 28

Why do we do בְּדִיקַת חָמֵץ at night? 2 reasons 1. That is when people are home from work. 2. Candles are most effective at night for searching cracks and crevices of the house Dov Levinson: Hilchot Pesach 29