Education >> Early Childhood Education >> Shiurim >> Archive >> March 2007

Shiurim

USCJ EC Staff Meeting Shiur - March 2007

“Any chametz or leaven that is in my possession which I have not seen, have not removed and do not know about, should be annulled and become ownerless, like the dust of the earth.”

- From the declaration one says after the search for Chametz

Questions for Discussion:

  1. Pesach is likely the most extensively prepared-for holiday on the Jewish calendar. After all the physical cleaning is done, we add a symbolic preparation too, with Bedikat Chametz, the search for chametz – leavened or not kosher-for Pesach-food. Have you ever done Bedikat Chametz in your own home? Share stories of previous years’ searches. If you have no personal stories, check out this description by Rabbi Paul J. Kipnes.
  2. Pesach can be a time to rid not only our homes but also our souls of chametz. In CLAL's National Jewish Resource Center, there is a ceremony for Spring-Cleaning the Soul for Passover. We each harbor hidden sins, petty pride, and stubborn self-importance. When we look inside ourselves and take time to recognize and name the ways we oppress and have been oppressed, then we are able to take steps to rid ourselves of this “spiritual chametz” and move closer to our fullest freedom. Take a few moments for each person to write down some personal chametz. Share if you choose. Then crumple the paper up and toss it out. For the biggest effect, toss the notes into an empty coffee can and burn them. You can find the full ceremony here.
  3. The Torah requires that chametz not be eaten, or seen, nor even present in your house during Pesach (Exodus 13:3, 7, 15). All yeast-based baked goods must be removed from our premises (Exodus 12:15). The rabbis then detailed the process of removing the chametz. The declaration we make once we’ve found all the hidden chametz was written in Aramaic, the vernacular of the Jewish people at the time. Today we are told to be sure to make the declaration in a language we can understand. We essentially say, “We looked, we tried, but if we didn’t find everything, we are not accountable.” Why would the rabbis have created such a ceremony? What is the significance of being able to say to God “We did our best,” and have that be absolutely good enough?
  4. Young children love to play hide and go seek. Bedikat Chametz is hide and go seek in a Jewish context. How can we help children experience it as more than just a fun game of “search for the bread crumbs,” and appreciate some of the deeper implications of Bedikat Chametz?

Slightly different versions of the entire bedikat chametz ritual can be found at:

Printable version

Maxine Segal Handelman
Consultant for Early Childhood Education,
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

Addicott Web Design and Consulting