Handy tips to prepare for Zman Cheiruteinu, the holiday of freedom
Among Passover’s different names, the moniker Zman Cheiruteinu, the Time of Our Freedom, seems paradoxical, considering the extensive energy, planning and physical work invested in preparing for the holiday. And yet, these incredible efforts help us to truly appreciate what it means to be free; when we finally sit down for the first Seder with family and friends after cleaning, cooking, toiveling, and running errands, we can at last enjoy the fruits of our labor to their fullest.
The following overview serves as a handy refresher about the mitzvot and customs related to Pesach. For any questions about Pesach observance, please consult an Orthodox rabbi.
When is Passover this year, and when is the latest I can eat chametz?
Passover takes place from the 15th through the 22nd of the Hebrew month of Nisan. This year, Pesach 2025 falls on Motzei Shabbat, Saturday night, April 12, and lasts through Sunday, April 20. It is forbidden to eat chametz as of Shabbat morning, April 12.
What exactly is chametz?
Chametz, often referred to as “leaven,” is any food created by allowing grain (specifically wheat, oat, spelt, rye or barley) and water to ferment and rise. Common examples of chametz
include bread, crackers, cookies, pretzels and pasta. Even foods with minute amounts of chametz ingredients, or foods processed with utensils or machinery that are used for chametz, are not permissible for Pesach use. Practically speaking, any processed food not certified as kosher for Passover may include chametz ingredients and should not be eaten on Pesach. For a list of items that are acceptable despite being processed and not having a kosher for Passover certification,
Is my home kosher-for Passover?
Keeping a year-round kosher home is not the same as a “kosher for Passover” home. On Passover, eating chametz, or having chametz in your possession, is forbidden. This mitzvah takes up the bulk of our Pesach preparations, as we clean and search our homes, cars and offices to remove all remnants of edible chametz.
What does this look like in practice?
Maot Chitim — money for the poor
Before Pesach, it is customary to give Maot Chitim (literally, money for wheat) to the needy to help them to purchase matzot and other food for Pesach. OU’s Maot Chitim campaign efforts enable families affected by poverty to celebrate the holiday with dignity. Visit ou.org/passover-donate to participate in this meaningful mitzvah.
Cleaning
One’s entire home and car (and office, if you do not sell your chametz there) must be cleaned of all edible chametz. Check and clean out any place that may have come into contact with chametz during the year. (If you have kids at home, this might mean under beds and in closets, and in knapsacks.) Either clean all toys or set aside designated clean toys.
Selling
Rather than disposing of all of one’s chametz, it is customary to sell it to a non-Jew. Place chametz in a specially marked and sealed place, e.g.: a room or closet. That storage space can then be leased to a non-Jew for the duration of the holiday. Ask your Orthodox rabbi to help you arrange this. For guidelines on what can and should be sold, as well as tips for those whose custom is to not sell chametz, see When to Peddle and When to Purge.
Different Utensils
Year-round cooking and eating utensils should not be used, and separate utensils should be purchased exclusively for Pesach use. (In some cases, year-round utensils may be kashered for Pesach, in consultation with a rabbi.) Check out our Kashering Primer for more details.
The busy days before Pesach — special mitzvot and customs
Have you combed through every inch of your home for chametz, covered what may seem like every inch of your kitchen with aluminum foil, and searched every corner? You’re ready for the next step:
Ta’anit Bechorot – The Fast of the Firstborns
This year, Thursday, April 10, is a fast day for firstborn males. During the tenth plague, all the firstborn males in Egypt died. G-d passed over the homes of the Jews and spared their firstborns. To commemorate this, firstborns fast on Erev Pesach. Many congregations conduct a siyum. (The conclusion of a portion of Torah learning is a celebratory occasion that allows for a seudat mitzvah, a ritual feast). A siyum exempts firstborn males from fasting altogether.
Bedikat Chametz
Using a candle or flashlight, we inspect our homes for any chametz that we might have overlooked. This year, Bedikat Chametz will take place on Thursday evening, April 10, after dark. Kol chamirah should be recited. Any chametz found should be set aside to be burned the next morning and the chametz that one plans to eat on Shabbat is also set aside.
Burning the Chametz
Most years, we burn the chametz on the morning of Erev Pesach. Since Erev Pesach falls on Shabbat this year, we will burn the chametz on the morning of Friday, April 11. Kol chamirah is not recited and rather will be said on Shabbat MorningCheck oupassover.org for the latest time to burn your chametz.
Motzei Shabbat – It’s Finally Passover — What You Need to Know
Not all the days of Passover are the same or have the same laws.
The first two days and the last two days
The first two days (sundown, Saturday night, April 12, through nightfall, Monday, April 14) and the last two days (sundown Friday night, April 18, through nightfall Sunday, April 20) are observed with Shabbat restrictions on work and creative activity. The exceptions are carrying, and the use of fire, which are both permitted (in certain circumstances) if needed for cooking and food preparation.
Chol Ha’moed — The Intermediate Days
The intermediate days of Pesach (Monday night, April 14 – Friday, April 18) are considered “semi-festive.” Although they are the “weekdays” of the holiday, not all work, activities and crafts are permitted. The laws of Chol Hamoed are nuanced. An Orthodox rabbi will be able to give you detailed guidance. For more on the laws of Chol Hamoed, see our Overview of the Laws of Chol HaMoed.
You’ve made it to the Seder!
The Mitzvot of the Seder
There are two Torah obligations and five rabbinical obligations to perform during the Seder.
Torah-based Mitzvot:
- Relating the story of the Exodus (Maggid—reading from the Haggadah).
- Eating matzah.
Rabbinical Mitzvot:
- Arbah Kosot: Drinking four cups of wine.
- Maror: Eating bitter herbs.
- Hallel: Reciting psalms of praise.
- Afikoman: Eating an extra piece of matzah for dessert as a reminder of the Pesach offering.
- Demonstrating acts of freedom like sitting with a pillow and leaning to the left when eating matzah and drinking wine.
The Seder Plate
The Seder plate is arranged with symbolic foods that follow the order of the Haggadah. The prepared plate is placed in front of the leader of the Seder, who gives out the various foods to each participant.
What do we put on the Seder plate?
Charoset: a mixture of apples, nuts, wine, and cinnamon, symbolizing the bricks and mortar of ancient Egypt
Karpas: a vegetable (customarily parsley, radish, potato, or celery)
Maror: bitter herbs (may consist of romaine lettuce, endives, or pure horseradish)
Beitzah: a roasted egg
Zeroa: a piece of roasted or meat or poultry. There should be a kezayit of meat on the bone
Salt water: Place a bowl of salt water for dipping the karpas near the Seder plate.
Matzah
Three whole matzot are placed next to the Seder plate. We are commanded to eat matzah three times during the Seder:
- At the start of the Seder meal (with a special bracha)
- For korech (Hillel sandwich) together with the maror
- For the afikomen (at the end of the meal)
For details on the specific amounts and requirements see Sizing Up the Seder.
Maror — Bitter herbs
Everyone is obligated to eat bitter herbs twice at each Seder:
1. A kezayit of maror, dipped in charoset
2. A second amount inside the matzah sandwich (korech)
Maror must be raw and unpreserved. Therefore, commercially prepared grated horseradish, which is packed in vinegar, may not be used for the mitzvah. For details on the specific amounts and requirements see Sizing Up the Seder.
This year, one should prepare ground maror before Shabbat and keep it in a sealed jar until the Seder to preserve the strength of the maror. If one is using romaine lettuce, it should be checked and dried before Shabbat. If it was not done before Shabbat, please see When Shabbat is Erev Pesach.
Telling the story of the Exodus and singing Hallel
We encourage young children to participate in the Seder to the best of their abilities. It is customary for the youngest person at the Seder to ask Ma Nishtana, the Four Questions. For more on engaging children at the seder please see Telling Our Story: How to Engage Our Children at the Seder.
We close the Seder with Hallel, which praises G-d and His special relationship with the people of Israel. The Seder traditionally concludes with singing (and dancing to) several lively songs that celebrate our treasured relationship with G-d.
When Passover ends
All dietary laws and restrictions remain in effect until nightfall after the eighth day of Pesach. Chametz that was properly sold may only be eaten once the resale is confirmed by your rabbi (agent). Chametz that was in the possession of a Jew during Pesach is forbidden for consumption by any Jew, even after Pesach.
