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The Other Stages: Nullifying the Ĥametz and Destroying It

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The Other Stages: Nullifying the Ĥametz and Destroying It

Right after completing the search, we mentally nullify any ĥametz which might still be in our home, but of which we are unaware. To make this easier, we read a formal declaration of nullification. This declaration is in Aramaic, the language understood by most Jews at the time it was formulated. Those who do not understand the Aramaic should recite it in a language  they do understand. This is a standard English translation of the declaration:

All ĥametz and se’or in my possession, which I have not seen and have not destroyed, shall be nullified and become ownerless, like the dust of the earth.

This nullification must be done wholeheartedly, meaning we must dissociate from any ĥametz we still own. Furthermore, even if we discover after Passover that we have owned ĥametz inadvertently, we resolve not to benefit from it, because we consider it as unimportant as dust.

On the morning of the 14th, after breakfast, all remaining ĥametz should be collected and destroyed. This may be done by flushing it down the toilet or putting it in a dumpster. However, there is a widespread custom to burn the ĥametz.

Right after this, we read a second declaration of nullification. It applies to the ĥametz left over after the meals (dinner and breakfast) eaten since the search. For this reason, the formulation of this declaration is slightly different from the previous one. Here is a standard English translation:

All ĥametz and se’or in my possession, which I have seen or have not seen, which I have destroyed or have not destroyed, shall be nullified and become ownerless, like the dust of the earth.

Anyone who is going away for Passover must search the home on the last night they spend in it. If this search is done at the standard time (the night of the 14th), they recite the blessing. If at an earlier date, the blessing is not recited.

Anyone who finds ĥametz in their home on Passover must immediately destroy it, either by burning it or by breaking it up into little pieces and flushing it down the toilet.

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