שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֔ים שְׂאֹ֕ר לֹ֥א יִמָּצֵ֖א בְּבָתֵּיכֶ֑ם כִּ֣י ׀ כָּל־אֹכֵ֣ל מַחְמֶ֗צֶת וְנִכְרְתָ֞ה הַנֶּ֤פֶשׁ הַהִוא֙ מֵעֲדַ֣ת יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בַּגֵּ֖ר וּבְאֶזְרַ֥ח הָאָֽרֶץ׃
For seven days, no leaven is to be found in your houses, for whoever eats what ferments, that person shall be cut off from the community of Israel, whether sojourner or native of the land.
מַתְנִי׳ אוֹר לְאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר בּוֹדְקִין אֶת הֶחָמֵץ לְאוֹר הַנֵּר. כׇּל מָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין מַכְנִיסִין בּוֹ חָמֵץ, אֵין צָרִיךְ בְּדִיקָה. וּבַמָּה אָמְרוּ ״שְׁתֵּי שׁוּרוֹת בַּמַּרְתֵּף״ — מָקוֹם שֶׁמַּכְנִיסִין בּוֹ חָמֵץ. בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים: שְׁתֵּי שׁוּרוֹת עַל פְּנֵי כׇּל הַמַּרְתֵּף, וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים: שְׁתֵּי שׁוּרוֹת הַחִיצוֹנוֹת שֶׁהֵן הָעֶלְיוֹנוֹת.
Burning and Annulling the Chametz
On the morning before Passover, before the fifth hour, we burn all the chametz that was found during the search, and anything that was leftover from breakfast and not stored with the chametz that will be sold to the non-Jew.
After the chametz has been burnt in the fire, we recite the following declaration:
All leaven or anything leavened which is in my possession, whether I have seen it or not, whether I have observed it or not, whether I have removed it or not, shall be considered nullified and ownerless as the dust of the earth.
If one did not find any chametz while searching, it is desirable to burn the utensil he took to conduct the search so that he will not forget the obligation to obliterate chametz the following year and also, so that he will not forget to nullify [his possession of chametz] a second time [on the following day], as explained in sec. 434[:11ff.].
Kad HaKemach, Passover 1:5
... And on this the Torah says (Exodus 13:7) "there will not be seen and there will not be found" - it will not be seen b'maaseh (in action) and will not be found b'machshava (in thought), rather one should anul it in his heart. The mitzvot have 3 categories: mitzvot of speech, of the heart and of action, as it is written (Deuteronomy 30:14) "in your mouth and in your heart to do it". Comes the Torah (instructing us) to anul it in the heart, corresponding to the mitzvot which are dependent on the heart. Comes the 'kabbalah' (instructing us) to eradicate it from the house or to burn it, corresponding to the mitzvot of action. And to say 'kol chamira', corresponding to mitzvot of speech. In this way the 3 categories of mitzvot are fulfilled through the prohibition of chametz, teaching you that the prohibition of chametz incorporates all the mitzvot... Just as the 'kabbalah' comes (instructing us) to eradicate chametz and (livdok) to check the house in nooks and in cracks, so too we are obligated to search and check the chambers of our inner being for bad (machshavas) intentions and bad (hirhurim) thoughts. Just as bedikat chametz (checking for chametz) is not valid by sunlight, nor by moonlight, nor by the light of a torch, but only by the light of a candle, so too the bedikah (checking) of the yetzer hara must be by the light of the neshama (soul) which is called 'ner' (candle), this is what is written (Proverbs 20:27) "the candle of Hashem is the soul of man, which searches the chambers of one's inner being.
Rabbi Dayna Ruttenberg (www.danyaruttenberg.net, March 15, 2013)
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A lot of traditional commentators describe chametz as fluffy, swollen (think of bread rising), and talk about spiritual chametz as the puffy, overextended parts of our ego; the way we try to posture and preen, to achieve renown rather than just existing as we are, being gentle and modest; a mere humble matzah, if you will. It’s a lot harder to sweep out our illusions about ourselves, the ways in which we try to put ourselves first, the ways in which we hear others a little less well because we think of ourselves as more important, the ways in which we take shortcuts on our integrity and deepest values.. Like the search for physical chametz that happens in the dark, with a candle, we need to be intentional in our attempts to collect all of the parts of who we’ve been that are not nourishing, that are dragging us down. We need to look for it, and we need to be willing to find it; to confront it, to face it, to name it, to take it from where it’s been hidden all this time. This work requires tremendous bravery. And then, when we find it, we must burn it to give it up completely, to let it go, to transform ourselves by putting the worst of who we have been on the pyre... it is the work of seeking out and releasing our internal leaven that is, in itself, an offering to God. |
בכל דור ודור חייב אדם לראות א"ע וגו'. הענין הוא כי יצמ"צ היה שיצאו מת"י הקליפות ונעשו בני חורין...הנה בכל שנה ושנה מתעורר זה ויכול האדם לפי בחינתו ומדריגתו להוציא א"ע מתוך הקליפות. וזהו ענין בדיקת חמץ. היינו שכל אדם יבדוק עצמו מהמדות שיש לו ואח"כ אם ימצא אצלו איזה מדה רעה ח"ו. יבער אותה מכל וכל ע"י התשובה שלימה שיקבל האדם ע"ע שלא לעשות עוד כזאת. וזהו בכל דור ודור חייב אדם לראות א"ע כאלו הוא יצא ממצרים. היינו שממש צריך האדם בעת הזאת שיצא ממצרים שהם הקליפות ומן השמים יסייעוהו. וכיה"ר אמן. והבן מאוד:
In every generation we are obligated to see/imagine that we ourselves left Egypt' (Mishnah & Haggadah)-
The [deeper] meaning of this statement is this, namely, that leaving Egypt is always (mythically speaking) about separating from negativity (lit. shells, or husks) to become free(er) human beings...therefore every year this power/energy is awakened at this time of the sacred calendar. Each of us is thus able, according to our capacity and unique circumstances, to separate ever so slightly from the negativity and the 'kelipot' in our lives. That is the meaning of the search for chametz. Each of us should search for our inner chametz, i.e. our character flaws and, finding them, burn them up through regret, remorse and a commitment to not repeat our mistakes. That is the meaning of the statement from the Haggadah (quoted above): Each generation, each one of us must leave Mitzrayim, narrowness and constriction, limiting qualities and missed moments. Our middot, our character must undergo a purification through fire, purging us of negativity that hinders liberation. Heaven help us and bless the work of our hearts, hands and souls.
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What might it mean to search your inner chambers with a candle? How is this different from searching by daylight, moonlight, or torchlight?
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Once chametz is found, it’s swept away with a feather, and then burned. How do these steps of the process translate or resonate when you think about searching for and removing your “inner chametz”? Are there other tools or another process that feel more resonant?
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What is the chametz (inner or outer) that you want to search for and remove this Passover? What emotions arise when you consider doing so?