The holiday of Pesach, which lasts eight days (this year from the evening of April 1 through the evening of April 9) is one of the most important periods of the year, requiring special preparation, thoroughness, and attention. The laws of preparing for Pesach are examined in great detail and outlined in many authoritative books and treatises, and for clarification of the numerous nuances, it is best to consult a qualified and respected rabbi. We offer here only a general and brief “Holiday Guide,” posted on the website https://ru.chabad.org
A Brief Overview of the Laws and Customs of the Holiday and Its Preparation
Pesach, the holiday of the Exodus from Egypt, is celebrated in 2026 from April 1-9. It can be called the time of the birth of the Jewish people. On the days of Pesach, we celebrate liberation from slavery – both physical and spiritual. The holiday itself lasts a week, but preparation for it usually begins long before its arrival.
Preparation for the Holiday
Anything that has undergone fermentation, such as leavened dough, is called chametz. It is forbidden not only to consume it, but also to possess it in one’s domain throughout the days of the Pesach holiday. Products such as bread, cookies, pasta, vodka, whiskey, beer, and the like fall under this prohibition.
The only bread product permitted on Pesach is matzah, which is made with meticulous adherence to all the precepts of Jewish law. On the first two Passover evenings, eating matzah is an obligation.
The prohibition against eating chametz takes effect in the morning, still on the eve of the holiday. By law, chametz is forbidden in any quantity during the days of Pesach, so one may not consume any products, mixtures, or beverages if they contain even a trace of chametz. Not only is eating forbidden, but also using products containing chametz, such as flour paste.
The most reliable way to avoid inadvertently violating the prohibition is to purchase products for Pesach labeled “Kosher for Passover” with a rabbinic seal. For the holiday, one can buy wine, brandy, and grape beverages, any meat and dairy products, numerous spices, and soft drinks, provided they bear a rabbinic seal and the “Kosher for Passover” marking.
Utensils commonly used throughout the year absorb chametz, and naturally, they cannot be used on Pesach without special cleansing. It is best to purchase separate Passover dishes. If you do not have special dishes for Pesach, you may kasher your everyday ones according to specific guidelines. To avoid error, consult a rabbi. It should be remembered, however, that kashering is best done several days before Pesach, not on the eve.
For more details on what chametz is and the laws related to it, you can read here.
Selling Chametz
Before Pesach, the local rabbi is authorized to sell to a non-Jew the supplies of chametz products that one is forbidden to own during Pesach but whose destruction is undesirable, as well as utensils used throughout the year. All these items are placed in a separate area in the home and sealed off for the duration of the holiday. The seller signs a document authorizing the rabbi to execute the sale. Based on this document, the rabbi sells all the specified products and items to a non-Jew.
After the eight days of the Pesach holiday, the rabbi repurchases everything that was sold. Only then may one again use the products and utensils sold for the holiday after Pesach. If you are unable to approach a rabbi to sell your chametz, you may use our online form, completing it no later than 6:00 PM, Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Searching for and Burning Chametz
On the day before the holiday, as evening falls, a symbolic search for chametz is conducted. The search is traditionally performed by the head of the household, holding a lit wax candle and using a bird’s feather to gather any stray crumbs. Usually by this time, all chametz has already been collected, and everything needed for the meal that evening and the following morning (the eve of the holiday) has been put away in a special place. Therefore, ten small, hard pieces of chametz (each wrapped in paper) are usually placed in different pre-determined locations to ensure that the search for chametz is not unsuccessful.
Before beginning the search, the head of the household recites a special blessing:
Boruch Ato Ado-noi Elo-heinu Melech Ho’olom Asher Kideshonu Bimitzvosov Vetzivonu Al Biur Chomeitz.
Sephardic pronunciation: Baruch Ata, Ado-nai E-lo-heinu Melech Haolam, Asher Kideshanu Bimitzvotav Vetzivanu Al Biur Chametz.
(“Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to remove chametz.”)
All living spaces into which chametz could have been brought during the year must be examined. Storage rooms, basements, attics, garages, and cars are also searched. All hidden places should be carefully checked: holes, cracks, gaps between heavy furniture, walls and floors, crevices in the floor and walls, etc.
Immediately after the conclusion of the “search,” one must renounce in one’s heart any remaining undiscovered particles of chametz and recite:
“All leavened and unleavened that is in my possession, which I have not seen and have not removed, and of which I am unaware, shall be considered nullified and ownerless as the dust of the earth.”
The chametz found during the search (together with the feather and the leftover candle) should be placed in a wooden spoon, wrapped in paper, tied, and placed in a secure, visible location, so that, on the one hand, it is not lost, and on the other, not forgotten to be burned the next morning.
The Eve of the Holiday
On the eve of Pesach, eating chametz is permitted only during the first third of the day. For the exact time, you can check the calendars of the Dnipro Jewish Community and additional announcements on our website. After the time when chametz may be eaten ends, for one additional hour, one may sell it to a non-Jew and/or destroy it.
On the day before the holiday, approximately one hour after the end of the period when eating chametz is permitted, the remnants of breakfast and the package of crumbs hidden the previous evening are burned (in 2026, this is done on Wednesday, April 1). At this point, the head of the household mentally renounces any rights to chametz that may be found after the burning ceremony and recites:
“All leavened and unleavened that is in my possession, whether I have seen it or not, whether I have removed it or not, shall be considered nullified and ownerless as the dust of the earth.”
By the end of the aforementioned hour, no chametz should remain in the Jew’s possession. Chametz found after this time can no longer be sold and must be destroyed immediately.
By tradition, firstborn males fast on the eve of the holiday. If the eldest son has not yet reached the age of majority, his father must fast. Since this fast is only commemorative in nature, participating in a meal celebrating a religious event, such as the completion of a tractate of the Talmud, exempts firstborns from the fast. Synagogues typically schedule such celebrations for this day and invite the firstborns to participate.
The Seder
The Passover Seder is the most solemn and significant of all Jewish rituals. It is held on the first and second evenings of the holiday (in Israel, only on the first). The customs of the Seder contain profound meaning. Every Jew must realize that these customs are sacred and must be performed without neglecting any detail, no matter how small. The order of the Seder can be found in the “Passover Haggadah.”
The primary mitzvos and customs of the Seder are:
· recounting the story of the Exodus from Egypt;
· eating matzah;
· eating maror (bitter herb);
· drinking four cups of wine or grape juice;
· eating matzah together with maror (“korech”);
· concluding the meal with matzah (“afikoman”);
The Seder should not begin before the stars emerge, but one should set the table and prepare everything in advance.
Children are the main participants of the Seder! The Torah emphasizes several times that the telling of the Exodus from Egypt is intended primarily for children. To ensure that the children do not fall asleep or become tired, it is advisable to let them nap during the day, and during the Seder, especially during the telling itself, give them nuts or other treats.
The Days of the Holiday
The Pesach holiday lasts eight days. On the third day begins the so-called “weekdays of the festival” – semi-festive days called Chol HaMoed. The final two days – the seventh and eighth – are festive (in Israel, only the last day). On these days, as on the first two days, all work is forbidden, and fire may only be lit from a pre-existing flame.
On the eighth day of the holiday, during the morning prayer, the memorial prayer “Yizkor” is recited.
According to the Chassidic tradition established by the Baal Shem Tov, on the last day of Pesach, a special “Moshiach’s Meal” is held – eating matzah and drinking four cups of wine.
More materials on preparing for Pesach, inspiring stories, and instructive videos can also be found on the website https://ru.chabad.org .
