Halakhic Guide to Pesach Preparations (when Erev Pesach falls on Shabbat)
When Passover begins on Motzei Shabbat (Saturday night) as it does this year, it impacts how we prepare for the holiday in a number of ways. Those changes are detailed within this guide to preparing for Pesach.
Ta`anis Bechoros/Fast of the First Born The fast, which is usually observed by first born sons on Erev Pesach, is pushed back to Thursday when Erev Pesach falls on Shabbat. This year the fast is observed on March 25, from 5:37am and until 7:48pm. Jack Shapiro will be making a siyyum on Zoom at 7:30am to celebrating the completion of a tractate of the Talmud. Use this link to register: www.baisabe.com/form/siyyum. Firstborn sons who attend the Zoom siyyum are exempt from fasting for the rest of the day.
Bedikat Chametz/The Search for Chametz Normally we search for chametz the night before Passover. This year, we search our homes for chametz on the evening of Thursday, March 25th with a bracha after 7:58pm. After the search the normal nullification (bittul) is recited. (Koren Nusach Sefard Siddur p. 790). This bittul should be recited in a language you understand, which means even if you normally pray in Hebrew, you should probably recite the English on p. 790, rather than the Aramaic on p. 791.
Bi’ur Chametz/Burning of the Chametz We can burn the chametz on Friday, March 26th until 12:10pm. The reason for this custom is so that in future years one does not get confused about the proper time to burn chametz. Do not recite the nullification at this time, as you are still allowed to own chametz, and may be deliberately keeping chametz in your possession for use on Shabbat.
On Shabbat, you will need to dispose of any chametz that you kept for Shabbat use by 12:04pm by flushing it down the toilet. The final nullification is recited at this time. (Koren Nusah Sephard Siddur p. 790). While small crumbs must be kept away from any areas where you will be eating during Pesach, you do not need to be concerned about eliminating every insignificant crumb.
Selling Chametz You can use the chametz sale form found at the end of this packet and on the Bais Abe website to authorize Rabbi Silberstein to sell your chametz to a non-Jew. Chametz sale forms must be received no later than 9pm on Thursday March 25. The sale will take place on Friday March 26. Once the chametz is sold, it no longer belongs to you, and you may not eat it or use it. However, chametz that you intend to eat on Shabbat, prior to the last time for eating chametz, will not be included in the sale, and can be eaten after the sale is made. Shabbat Food While it is permissible to eat chametz on Shabbat up until 11:02am Shabbat morning, it makes life much easier to finish preparing the kitchen for Pesach prior to cooking for Shabbat, and make food for Shabbat which is Kosher for Passover. Another option is to order take out from a Kosher restaurant and eat everything or flush the leftovers down the toilet as soon as you finish eating on Shabbat morning.
Motzi for Shabbat Meals It is a requirement to have bread at our Shabbat meals. Because we do not eat matzah on erev Pesach day leading into Pesach, we may not use matzah for our Shabbat meals. Therefore, we must use either regular bread or egg matzah for Shabbat meals. While Ashkenazim do not generally eat egg matzah on Pesach itself, it is acceptable to use on Shabbat Erev Pesach until the time for eating chametz has passed. The benefit to using egg matzah is that it is not considered chametz and so the leftovers do not need to be destroyed, and we don't need to be concerned about any crumbs it creates. If you use regular bread, then you should eat it away from where you will be eating during Pesach, preferably outside, so you don't need to be concerned about where the crumbs land. Both egg matzah and bread may only be consumed until 11:02am on Shabbat day. Bread (but not egg matzo) needs to disposed of prior to 12:04 (see Biur Chametz above).
In order to facilitate eating Shabbat morning meal prior to 11:02, we will hold services at 8:00am.
Seudah Shlishit It is a mitzvah to eat three meals on Shabbat, one at night and two during the day. There are a few different approaches to the question of how to eat Seudah Shelishit, the third meal, when Shabbat falls on Erev Pesach. We will be davening early this week, so we expect shul to be over by 9:30am. One option is to make Kiddush and Motzi and eat a light meal, then bentch, and do something to signify that the meal has ended (e.g. walk around the block). Then one can make Motzi again to begin another meal before 11:02am and thereby fulfill Seudah Shelishit with bread. As long as you make Motzi and finish eating bread by 11:02, you can continue eating the rest of the meal after that time. Another option, which may be less awkward and rushed, is to have just one meal Shabbat morning with bread, eating the bread before 11:02am, and then later in the day have a meal of fruit, nuts, meat, fish, or other foods that could be considered a meal unto themselves, even without bread.
Seder Preparations One may not begin to prepare for seder until Shabbat ends, at 8:01pm. It is recommended that you prepare as much as possible before Shabbat. The same is true regarding preparations for the second night of Pesach on the first day.