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Bitul Chametz: Difference between revisions

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# After the bedika at night one should say the text of bitul chametz, and should say it again in the morning before the sixth hour of the day. <ref> Shulchan Aruch 434:2. Rashi Pesachim 4a "bi'bitul bi'alma", the Ritva Pesachim 4a, Ran Pesachim 4a and Rambam chametz u'matza 2:2 say that this declaration is a mental destrcution and fulfills the requirement of tashbitu recorded in Shemot 12:15. Tosafot Pesachim 4b "midiorayta" says the bitul makes the chametz hefker, or ownerless. The gemara in Pesachim 6b writes that really physical destruction is enough to fulfill the torah obligation to destroy chametz but we are concerned that somebody may find chametz during pesach so the rabbis established bitul. The gemara also says that from the torah bitul alone would be enough, but Tosafot 2a writes that we are worried if somebody has chametz in his house, even though it is not really his, he may come to eat it. The Ran there explains that we fear that the person will on do the bitul half-heartedly and that would not be enough. </ref>
# After the bedika at night one should say the text of bitul chametz, and should say it again in the morning before the sixth hour of the day. <ref> Shulchan Aruch 434:2. Rashi Pesachim 4a "bi'bitul bi'alma", the Ritva Pesachim 4a, Ran Pesachim 4a and Rambam chametz u'matza 2:2 say that this declaration is a mental destrcution and fulfills the requirement of tashbitu recorded in Shemot 12:15. Tosafot Pesachim 4b "midiorayta" says the bitul makes the chametz hefker, or ownerless. The gemara in Pesachim 6b writes that really physical destruction is enough to fulfill the torah obligation to destroy chametz but we are concerned that somebody may find chametz during pesach so the rabbis established bitul. The gemara also says that from the torah bitul alone would be enough, but Tosafot 2a writes that we are worried if somebody has chametz in his house, even though it is not really his, he may come to eat it. The Ran there explains that we fear that the person will on do the bitul half-heartedly and that would not be enough. </ref>
==Procedure of Bitul Chametz==
==Procedure of Bitul Chametz==
# Everyone should make his or her own Bitul Chametz. <Ref> Rav Schachter on [http://www.ou.org/community_services/media/oukosher_pre-pesach_webcast_5770 OU Kosher Pre-Pesach Webcast 5770] between minutes 4:30 and 5:00 explaining that nowadays it’s common that children, wives, and husbands all have their own money and their own Chametz. </ref>
# Everyone should make his or her own Bitul Chametz including men, women, and children. <Ref> Rav Schachter on [http://www.ou.org/community_services/media/oukosher_pre-pesach_webcast_5770 OU Kosher Pre-Pesach Webcast 5770] between minutes 4:30 and 5:00 explaining that nowadays it’s common that children, wives, and husbands all have their own money and their own Chametz. </ref>
# Even if somebody appointed an agent to search for chametz for him, the owner should do the bitul for himself. But bidieved, if the agent did the bitul for him too, and said "all the chametz in the possession of so and so should be nullified," this works as well. <ref> Chazon Ovadia Pesach 5763 part 1 page 56 </ref>  
# If one recites the bitul, but doesn't understand what he is saying, that chametz has not been nullified. Rather, he should say it in a language that he understands. <ref> Rama 434:2, Mishna Berura 434:9, Chazon Ovadia 5763 part 1 page 54. Rama in Darchei Moshe 434:2 explains that this is why the kol chamira was written in aramaic and not hebrew, because aramaic was the spoken language of that time. Chazon Ovadyah (vol 1, pg 54) agrees. Magen Avraham 434:5, Baer Heitev 434:5, Kaf Hachayim 434:19 all write that preferably one should use use Aramaic so that other people and angels will not understand, because the bitul involves somewhat of degradation towards the bread. </ref>
# If one recites the bitul, but doesn't understand what he is saying, that chametz has not been nullified. Rather, he should say it in a language that he understands. <ref> Rama 434:2, Mishna Berura 434:9, Chazon Ovadia 5763 part 1 page 54. Rama in Darchei Moshe 434:2 explains that this is why the kol chamira was written in aramaic and not hebrew, because aramaic was the spoken language of that time. Chazon Ovadyah (vol 1, pg 54) agrees. Magen Avraham 434:5, Baer Heitev 434:5, Kaf Hachayim 434:19 all write that preferably one should use use Aramaic so that other people and angels will not understand, because the bitul involves somewhat of degradation towards the bread. </ref>
# One should speak out the bitul and not just think it. <ref> shulchan aruch 434:2. The tur 436 says that thinking is enough but the beit Yosef 431 quotes the ran that it is not enough. </ref>  
# One should speak out the bitul and not just think it. <ref> shulchan aruch 434:2. The tur 436 says that thinking is enough but the beit Yosef 431 quotes the ran that it is not enough. </ref>