Biur Chametz: Difference between revisions

#The minhag is to burn chametz (until it becomes coals or ashes) during the day, however, one fulfills the mitzvah by destroying the Chametz in any fashion.<ref>Rama O.C. 445:1, Mishna Brurah 445:1-2, Chazon Ovadia part 1 page 64. Kaf Hachayim 445:3-4. This is based on the Mishna in Pesachim 21a which records an argument regarding how to fulfill the obligation in Shemot 12:15  תַּשְׁבִּיתוּ שְּׂאֹר מִבָּתֵּיכֶם. Rabbi Yehuda says the only way is to burn while chachamim say you can burn it, crumble it, or throw it into the river. Rambam Chametz Umatza 3:11 rules like the rabbis. Furthermore, Rabbenu Tam (Tosfot Pesachim 12b s.v. aymatay) holds that even Rabbi Yehuda holds that it is only after midday that one needs to burn it, beforehand one can dispose of it in any way. Nonetheless, the Tur 445:1 explains that it is proper to be strict for Rashi who holds like Rabbi Yehuda and who also thinks that there is a mitzvah to burn the chametz even before midday. He also notes that the Rosh Pesachim 2:3 thinks that even for Rashi it is only a mitzvah to burn it in the sixth hour and not beforehand, but the Tur disagrees and thinks it is a mitzvah to burn it for Rashi all morning. Even though the Shulchan Arukh (445:1) rules that one may dispose of chametz in any fashion, Rama 445:1 writes that the minhag is to specifically burn it in order to satisfy all opinions. The Gra 445:1 says that even chachamim say that ideally one should burn it, as the Mishnah states one can "even" (af) eliminate it in other ways. He adds that the only reason this is only a custom and not obligatory is because according to rabbi yehuda you need to burn the chametz after its prohibited time and since we do it before that we can really do it any way. Kaf Hachayim 445:11 says that there is special kabbalistic importance to burning the chametz because it symbolizes burning the evil inclination.  </ref>