A timely refresher on the mitzvot and customs of Pesach
From kashering kitchens and cleaning to searching for chametz and setting the Seder table, every mitzvah and custom helps us experience Zman Cheiruteinu in our own homes and lives. Following is a helpful review of these mitzvot and customs. As always, questions about practical observance should be directed to an Orthodox rabbi.
When is Pesach this year, and when is the latest I can eat chametz?
Pesach takes place from the 15th through the 22nd of the Hebrew month of Nisan. This year, Pesach 2026 falls at sundown on Wednesday, April 1, through nightfall on Thursday, April 9.
It is forbidden to eat chametz as of Wednesday morning, April 1.
See corresponding zmanim (times).
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 Pesach 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 Pesach certification, see listing here.
Is my home kosher for Pesach?
Keeping a year-round kosher home is not the same as a “kosher for Pesach” home. On Pesach, 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/hunger 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 chart.
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.) For more details, check out our “Kashering Primer“.
The busy days before Pesach — special mitzvot and customs
Have you combed through every inch of your home for chametz, covered every inch of your kitchen with aluminum foil or other material, and searched every corner? You’re ready for the next step:
Ta’anit Bechorot – The Fast of the Firstborns
This year, Wednesday, April 1, is a fast day for firstborn males. During the tenth plague, all the firstborns in Egypt were killed. 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 – the search for 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 Tuesday evening, March 31, after dark. Kol Chamirah should be recited. Any chametz found should be set aside to be burned the next morning.
Biur Chametz – burning the chametz
Biur Chametz takes place on the morning of Erev Pesach, Wednesday, April 1. Kol Chamirah should once again be recited at this time. See page 4 for the latest time to burn your chametz.
Eruv Tavshilin – preparing for Shabbat
This year, the first two days of Pesach go straight into Shabbat. Normally, cooking on Yom Tov is only permitted for that day itself, not for another day. An eruv tavshilin creates a symbolic “bridge” permitting preparation for Shabbat. (It does not allow you to cook on one day of the holiday for the following day).
This year, an eruv tavshilin (see page 52) must be performed before sundown on Wednesday, April 1:
- Place a piece of matzah and a hard-boiled egg, on a plate.
- Lift the plate and recite the blessing “Al mitzvat eruv”. This act marks the start of Shabbat meal prep, making any Yom Tov cooking an extension of it.
The food set aside should be eaten on Shabbat, preferably at the Shabbat meal.
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
The 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” on page 17.
Maror — Bitter herbs
Everyone is obligated to eat bitter herbs twice at each Seder:
- A kezayit of maror, dipped in charoset
- 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”.
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. 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 Pesach ends
All dietary laws and restrictions remain in effect until nightfall after the eighth day of Pesach, which will be April 9th in the evening
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.
