Leaven test
In the SD
Hello Michi,
Yesterday, during the chametz test (and actually every year during the test…), the question arose in my mind why all this so-called “show” is being done, and whether it wouldn’t have been better to test the chametz in bright daylight, instead of with a candle that was lit by sunlight as a ritual in the holy month of Ahani, or alternatively, to turn on all the lights in the house and test by electric light.
And especially after all the cleaning we did for Passover before, what was the point of finding leaven in this darkness by the light of a weak candle?
Also, the matter of placing ten flakes and searching for them also seems like an entertaining show.
What did the Sages want to convey to us through this mitzvah and how to perform it?
I thought maybe the main thing in their eyes wasn’t the test, but the experience of the test to convey the message that we were doing a significant thing to eradicate the leaven from the house so that it would be passed on to the next generation, and they wanted us to make it a big “issue” that would be etched in our hearts.
In any case, I would love to hear your opinion on the matter.
Thank you and have a happy and kosher holiday!
P.S. Sorry I didn’t ask on the website, I just have my email available on my blocked phone 🙁
The question of why we originally corrected it this way is one question, and the question of what to do today and why is another question.
Originally, they fixed it this way because the houses were not built with a finish like they are today, and there were holes and cracks in the walls and floors. Therefore, candlelight in the dark was a good way to detect pieces of chametz. Today, I agree that this is no longer relevant, and indeed, even in Halacha, when checking by sunlight, one does not have to return to candlelight.
But because of the lack of authority, they don’t change a regulation even if it’s invalid, and so they continue to test by candlelight even today. That’s why the test has taken on additional meanings (cognitive dissonance). Mysticism with the ten crumbs, assimilation of the prohibition of leaven and investment in it, as you suggest, or any other meaning. Everything is fine.
There is room to discuss repealing this regulation because it really seems like a violation, and almost no one does it seriously. Furthermore, originally it was due to a genuine concern (about the cracks they had in their houses, etc.), and now that the concern has been eliminated, perhaps the regulation has been repealed. That was my argument regarding legumes. The problem is that, unlike legumes, which were a concern and remain a concern, the regulation of testing for leaven by candlelight is a complete and binding regulation already from the Mishnah. Therefore, it is difficult to repeal it here even if it was based on a concern. It is a concern that has become a regulation, and therefore falls within the scope of a regulation that has been repealed, etc.
I didn't understand, even according to the original regulation there were holes and cracks, why is it better to check by candlelight than by sunlight, which is much stronger?
B. In another article you wrote, I remember you claiming that you were already tired of making the argument that the sages today have no authority to change decrees that were amended in the past, and that if they wanted, decrees could be canceled even today, as we saw with the law of the servants of the messengers.
Thank you very much
And a happy holiday!
I wrote that if there is sunlight, it is better. And this is already stated in Chazal and Halacha. But there was no sunlight inside the house, and holes inside the house are better to check with a candle.
It is true that I am tired of repeating the argument, but it is basically correct. There are laws for annulling regulations and decrees in Halacha. What I am saying is that one needs to check when it is possible to deviate from it and when not.
In the first step, I would like to forgo collecting the ten flakes using the common “kit” sold for testing chametz, the “spoon,” and the feather.
Scooping a piece of chametz into a spoon requires skill and motor skills that I do not have, and I assume that many others do not. What happens is that I use this thing like a one-year-old child eating with cutlery: He grabs the food from the plate with his fingers, and stabs it with the fork.
In order to replace the spoon and the feather with a shovel and a brush, does the Messiah need to appear and the Sanhedrin to rise?
Absolutely not. You're allowed. You're allowed.
Why was there no sunlight in the house? Were there no windows? The Gemara proves in several places that there were windows, and the light that came in through the windows is much stronger than the light from the candle, as I think.
Thank you and have a good week!
Even today, there are windows and you are only allowed to look out from the balcony. The sunlight is not focused and does not reach the corners like a candle that is moved to the right place.
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