- Q. Someone that is traveling away for Pesach and will be selling the complete house with all the food included on a transaction that will take place, as organized by a competent Rabbi before the night of the 14th or Erev Pesach begins, so he will not be liable at all to do any Bedikas Chametz (Chametz search) in his house.
I wonder, is there a point to leave out of the sell deal, at least one room, to comply in it the mitzva of Bedikas Chametz, that according to Kabala and Hassidic sefarim brings great holiness and blessings to the house?
A. On question 2574 (Early Pesach Sale) we wrote:
“Q. Kvod Horav. We normally sell our entire house for Pesach. We go away and I just lock everything up and sell.
Someone asked me this year if her married kids could stay in my house because she doesn’t have room for them. I really want to help her but I’m not able to clean my entire house and I don’t want to throw out my food. Is there a way for me to help her? lease let me know, Thank you!
A. Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion is that one may lock up the kitchen, dining room, family room, basement, garage etc., and sell them with a mechira mukdemes (early sell, see questions 68, 148 and 744), thus avoiding also the bedikas chometz search on those areas. One would be exempt from the sale only the areas needed to enter and the bedrooms used by the guest.
The rooms and areas locked out and to be sold, should be taped closed with significant strips of noticeable tape and plastic sheets, from top to bottom on their entrances, thus also preventing children from entering them. Notices should be placed on them, mentioning that those areas were sold and are out of bounds.”
Following the above procedure (last instructions are not needed) as you may just leave one well defined room out of the sale contract, and perform there the chametz search, without a bracha and thus acquire the much wanted blessing on the house.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by, Horav Yaakov Hirschman, Horav Dovid Pam, Horav Aharon Miller, Horav Chanoch Ehrentreu and Horav Kalman Ochs Shlit'a
Important Numbers
