Ask The Rabbi
March 19, 1994  Issue #15

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This edition contains:
1.    What to do when Pesach occurs on Saturday night.
2.    An insight into the meaning of _Dayenu_. 

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Balint from Grinnel, Iowa wrote:

>Dear Rabbi,
>
>I'm very confused about how to proceed this Pesach.  
>1. When is the Fast of the First-Born? 
>2. When Erev Pesach occurs on Shabbat when is Bedikat Chametz (checking 
for chametz)?
>3. Do we eat bread at all of the Shabbat Meals?  
>
>Thank you,
>
>Balint


Also, Professor David Mitchell from SMU asks:

>In the song "Dayenu" we say that if G-d brought us to Mount Sinai and _did 
not_ 
>give us the Torah it would have been enough.  How can that be?  Could you 
explain?
>
>Thank you,
>
>David Mitchell

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

First of all, a few relevant points of Jewish Law:

1.  This year, the Fast of the First Born is on Thursday, March 24.  It 
begins at dawn and ends after the Evening services.  Preferably, one should 
not eat until after Bedikat Chametz, but may have a snack after the Evening 
prayers if hungry.  Many people attend a Siyum (a celebration of the 
completion of a Tractate of the Talmud), a Brit Mila, or a Pidyon Haben on 
the day of the fast, and are thereby permitted to eat afterwards.

2.  Bedikat Chametz is done on Thursday night, immediately following the 
Evening prayers. After checking for chametz, you should take any chametz 
that you plan to eat on Friday and Shabbat, and put it in a safe place 
where it won't be forgotten.  

One should burn the chametz on Friday morning, preferably during the fifth 
daylight hour (check a local Jewish calendar for the exact time).  One does 
not nullify ownership of the chametz on Friday -- rather this should be 
done on Shabbat during the fifth daylight hour.
On Shabbat one may not eat Matzah, because we want its taste to be fresh at 
the Seder --  so we must use _bread_ for the Shabbat night and morning 
meals.  Because bread may not be eaten after the end of the fourth  
daylight hour, one must eat the morning meal prior to this time. 

3.  The third meal poses a problem, because there are some Halachic 
authorities who state that the third meal must be eaten in the _afternoon_, 
and there are also authorities who rule that one must eat _bread at the 
third meal.  It is forbidden to eat bread after the end of the fourth 
daylight hour so what do we do?  The preferred scenario is as follows:  You 
get up very early on Shabbat morning, pray, make Kiddush, wash hands for 
bread, eat Challah with a light meal, and recite Birkat Hamazon.  You then 
leave the table for a short while, wash again, eat bread, and again say 
Birkat Hamazon.  All of this must be completed by the end of the fourth 
daylight hour.  Later in the day you sit down to a meal of Kosher for 
Passover food (meat, fruit, salads).  If the end of the fourth hour is 
approaching -- don't risk having another meal of chametz.  Wait until 
later, and eat a meal that is Kosher for Passover.

Havdallah is said during Kiddush at the Seder.

Now about Dayenu.  Certainly we don't mean that we could envision life 
without the Torah, or without _any _ of the fifteen "Ma'alot" mentioned in 
the song of Dayenu.  What we mean is that we have reason to be thankful for 
His bringing us to Mount Sinai -- just _being at Sinai_ bestowed upon us 
great benefit.  The incredible unity that we experienced, the cleansing 
from the effects of the sin of Adam and Eve, and the closeness to G-d that 
we achieved, were all so precious that they deserve thanksgiving and praise 
in their own right.

Sources:
       Rabbi Shimon D. Eider - A Summary of the Halachos of Pesach.
       Yalkut Meam Loez, The Haggadah.
       Otzar Hatefilot, The Haggadah, Iyun Hatefilah. 

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ASK THE RABBI will not be posted for the next two weeks due to Pesach.
The next posting will be on the 9th of April, G-d willing.
A Happy and Kosher Pesach to ALL!

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