One who leaves his home for the days of Passover may sell his house, including all its contents to a non-Jew in the Mechirat Chametz, thus being exempt from cleaning the house and checking for chametz on the night of BedikatChametz. Such a person may fulfill the mitzvah of BedikatChametz in the room that he rents for the holiday, or he may leave one room in his house unsold, clean it, and perform the Bedikat Chametz there. It is important to inform the Rabbi performing the sale of Chametz that the entire house is being sold.
Explanation: A person who sells his house to a non-Jew for the Passover days does not need to clean and inspect his house, as the house will not be his during that time, nor will he be staying there, as noted by the Ohr Letzion (עמוד פו ח״ג). He also emphasized that one should not miss the important mitzvah of Bedikat Chametz, and therefore should check with a beracha, either at his home or at the place where he will be for Pesach, such as the hotel room.
Another option is to fulfill the mitzvah of Bedikat Chametz in one’s car. Since people usually travel with their cars, and the car must be cleaned for Pesach anyway, one can perform the mitzvah of checking for chametz in the car with a lampor the phone light and recite the blessing. It is not necessary to use a candle in the car since it is difficult to check properly with a candle in such a confined space, and it could be dangerous.
One who sets out on a journey before the night of BedikatChametz (the 14th of Nissan) and does not intend to sell their home to a non-Jew should thoroughly clean their home and perform Bedikat Chametz withou
Explanation: The Shulchan Aruc
If one goes to a hotel, before entering his room on Pesach Eve, it is suggested to leave the luggage outside the room in order to perform the Bedikat Chametz while the room is empty. The Bedikat Chametz in the hotel room should be done with a candle and a blessing.
Explanation: It is clear that one must clean any place considered to be his home for the holiday or any place where he will be staying, including a hotel room, as the Gaon Rav Shlomo Zalman Aue
It’s important to note that the hotel room should first be thoroughly inspected, as the cleaning team in the hotel does not perform a detailed cleaning to remove all crumbs. After a proper inspection, one is nearly certain to find food behind closets or under beds.
Some hotels provide alcoholic beverages in the room that are not kosher for Passover, or snacks that are chametz. If this is the case, one should close them in a drawer and label the drawer, indicating that the items belong to a non-Jew. If they are in the refrigerator and the guest does not need to use it, the refrigerator should be taped shut, and there is no need to inspect it, as long as it is marked as belonging to a non-Jew.If the hotel charges for these items upon checkout one should ask the management to remove them before Pesach.
Explanation: Rav Elyashiv (אשר
The Nitei Gavriel (יג אות פ״כ ח״א פסח) holds that the drinks and snacks must be removed from the room before Pesach to prevent the possibility of eating them by mistake. The Shulchan Aruch (סימן תמ ס״ב) states that one is obligated to separate chametz with a partition of ten tefachim, while the Chazon Ish (הובא בחוט שני עמוד קה) held that if the items belong to a non-Jew (such as the contents of a closet or fridge), it is sufficient to tape it shut and mark it as belonging to the non-Jew.
If the hotel is Jewish-owned, the owners are responsible for inspecting all areas of the hotel, except for the rented rooms. The Shulchan AruchHaRav (סימן תלז) states that if the 14th of Nisan falls before the keys are handed over to the tenant, the landlord is obligated to inspect the hotel. The landlord must also check areas such as the kitchen, dining room, corridors, basements, and other places that remain in their possession and are not rented out. They do not have to perform the inspection themselves, but must ensure that it is done on the night of Bedikat Chametz.
There is a dispute among the early Rishonim whether one violates the prohibition of Chametz even if the Chametz does not belong to him but he is responsible for it in case of loss. Therefore, in a place where they charge for food and beverages placed in the room if they are missing upon departure, one should ask the management to remove them before Pesach to avoid responsibility.
If one arrives at a hotel on Erev Pesach before the fifth halachic hour and realizes that he forgot to sell his chametzthrough a rabbi, he may call a rabbi and appoint him as his agent over the phone. If this is not possible, he may sell his chametz through a reputable website. If that, too, is not an option, he should find a non-Jew and sell the chametz to him.
Explanation: Anyone leaving home for Pesach should ensure to sell their chametz through a rabbi before departure, especially if they also intend to sell their home to avoid the obligation of bedikat chametz. If one forgot, they may appoint a rabbi as their agent to sell it via a phone call. The Or LeTzion (vol. 3, p. 108) rules that no formal act of acquisition is required to appoint the rabbi as an agent—verbal appointment suffices, as explained in the Shulchan Aruch (ChoshenMis
If time permits, one may also sell the chametz through a reliable website. If none of these options are available, they should find a local non-Jew and sell the chametz to them. In most cases, this can be arranged through a hotel staff member, as they are generally willing to accommodate guests' requests. However, ideally, one should not rely on this option, as the halachot of selling chametz to a non-Jew are complex, and it is preferable to conduct the sale through a rabbi.
This article was written in cooperation with Shuva Israel