Is the bedikah still meaningful when the house has already been thoroughly cleaned before the night of the 14th?
Synopsis
The Aruch HaShulchan addresses the common situation where women have cleaned the house days before, leaving no chametz to find on the night of the 14th. He rules the bedikah and its blessing remain valid because the blessing encompasses the nullification (bitul) performed after the search and the burning (bi'ur) the next morning, and because chametz from the evening and morning meals still needs to be destroyed.
More in Burning Chametz
What blessing is recited before searching for chametz, and why is it 'al bi'ur chametz' rather than 'al bedikat chametz' or 'al bitul chametz'?
5 opinions
Should one wash hands before the search for chametz?
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If one began searching without reciting the blessing, can the blessing still be said?
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What is the rule about speaking between the blessing and the start of the search?
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May one speak during the search itself (after having already begun searching)?
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Can one blessing cover the search of multiple houses?
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Can household members or agents search on behalf of the head of household using his blessing?
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Should pieces of chametz be placed before the search so the searcher will find them?
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Discussion
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