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Why is this year different from all other years? There are a number of answers to this question, but one is that the first night of Pesah falls on a Saturday night. When that happens, there are a number of atypical practices that are worth reviewing:
1. On all other years, firstborns (Bekhorim) are obligated to fast the morning before the first Seder. This is their way of paying a debt to God for having been spared the 10th plague on the night of the Exodus. A סיום (Siyyum) — a party for completing a significant section of study — takes precedence over the fast. Since Yom Kippur is the only fast that can conceivably take place on Shabbat, and while fasting on a Friday can happen (such as for Asarah B'Tevet, one of the fasts associated with the destruction of the Temple), fasts are never moved TO a Friday FROM their original day. In this situation, the fast/feast is moved back yet one more day, to Thursday. Therefore, we will observe this fast/feast on Thursday, April 10. Morning Minyan that day will begin at 6:45 am, and firstborns are invited to attend the Siyyum and celebration immediately following services, which should begin at around 7:35 am.
2. On all other years, we generally search for Hametz (בדיקת חמץ/Bedikat Hametz) the night before the first Seder. And then it is burned/removed the next morning in the ביעור חמץ (Bi'ur Hametz) ceremony. This usually takes place about one-third of the way through the “Halakhic day,” which is one-third of that day's hours of sunlight, from sunrise to sunset. In a year such as this, we cannot search for the Hametz the night before, as we don't make use of a candle on Friday night, and we can't burn it the next morning, on Shabbat. Therefore, this year, we search for the Hametz on Thursday night, and burn it Friday morning. Burn your Hametz at CAI on Friday, April 11, 8:30-9:00 am with Cantor Caplan. One does not, however, recite the second formula nullifying Hametz at this time. And so…where does that leave us with our food, dishes, and Hallah for Shabbat? I will lay out a few possibilities for you:
• First, even though we will have burned the Hametz on Friday morning, the actual prohibition of owning/consuming Hametz still does not come into play until Shabbat morning, which is the day of the first Seder. So technically, one is permitted to eat Hametz on Friday night, and all the way through about
11:00 am on Shabbat morning. We will pause around this time in Shabbat morning services to recite the special statement nullifying Hametz.
• However, one must have one's house completely “turned over” and prepared for Pesah by the time we light Shabbat candles on Friday night. Families that use separate sets of dishes for Pesah should already be using them once the sun sets on Friday. That puts the 25 hours between sundown on Friday night and darkness on Saturday in a weird Halakhic “no-man's land.” One ought not yet consume Matzah, for there is a strong tradition that even for those who enjoy (?!) eating Matzah throughout the year, one should refrain from consuming it for a period of time (some say one day, some say one week, some say a full 30 days) before the first Seder, so that the first bite into the modest Matzah is done בתיאוון (B'teyavon — with appetite/gusto), so that the Mitzvah of consuming that Matzah is done with some novelty and joy. At the same time, one's home is already cleared of its Hametz, which makes Hallah for Shabbat dinner and Shabbat lunch complicated.
• Some rule that for the two loaves needed for each Shabbat meal, egg Matzah should be used. Since it is considered מצה עשירה (Matzah Ashirah — enriched/enhanced Matzah), which is the very reason one cannot fulfill one's obligation for Matzah by eating it (and why most Ashkenazi authorities actually forbid its consumption on Pesah itself), it is far enough away from true Matzah such that by eating it Friday night and Saturday you can still eat the real stuff “with gusto.” But it is also not Hametz, so it is safe to eat within a cleaned-for-Pesah kitchen. You may certainly fulfill your Shabbat meal obligations this way.
• Others completely prepare the home for Pesah, but leave out some loaves of true Hallah, totally segregated from all other foodstuffs, sealed in a Ziploc bag or aluminum foil. The Hamotzi, in this situation, should be recited quickly (perhaps outside), with everyone taking a piece to enjoy…and then quickly consumed or discarded before continuing with the rest of the meal using Kosher for Passover dishes/utensils. It is a good thing to rinse one's hands/mouth after eating this truly fluffy Hametz before returning to your Kosher for Passover Shabbat lunch and dinner.
So…make your choice: egg Matzah (which you can even eat at a regularly-timed Shabbat lunch) or full Hallah (which, again, must be fully consumed or disposed of immediately after the blessing, and consumed early on Saturday), with the rest of the meal being consumed using plates, utensils, and food that is fully Kosher for Passover.
3. Finally, on all other years, the sale of Hametz to a non-Jew happens the morning of the first Seder. This year, the Hametz will be sold by Thursday night, April 10. If you wish to authorize Rabbi Drill to sell your Hametz, please do so by 4:30 pm on Thursday, April 10. You can exclude your Hallah for Shabbat from the sale by putting it in a separate location.
As always, let us know if you have any questions. And we wish you an early
חג כשר ושמח, Hag Kasher v'Sameah. A sweet, joyful, and Kosher Pesah!
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