BEDIKAS CHAMETZ (SEARCH FOR CHAMETZ)
Bedikas Chametz (search for chametz) is conducted on the evening of the 13th of Nissan (Tuesday, April 7th) after 8:20pm. Biur Chametz (burning of chametz) is done on the morning of the 14th of Nisan (Wednesday, April 8th). For details and times, please see designated sections below. 

The bedika should be performed as immediately as possible after the time mentioned above. One should not eat or begin any other activities before the bedika. The reason for this is that involvement in other matters may cause a person to forget to search for chametz.

The search should preferably be done with a single wax candle, although any similar candle is acceptable. A flashlight should be used for places that a candle would be dangerous, or that are difficult to access (e.g., car, boiler room). The lights in the room where the search is taking place may be shut so that the light of the candle can illuminate the room sufficiently and make the search efficient. However, one may also keep the lights on in order to help the search. A flashlight may be used in addition to the candle.

The bracha said before one begins the search is “אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו על ביעור חמץ. “One should not speak from the time the bracha is made until the conclusion of the Bedikah. If one forgot to say the bracha, one may do so anytime during the search. If someone cannot search his or her home personally, one can appoint a shaliach (agent) to do so on their behalf. The shaliach must make the bracha and search as if he or she is the owner. 

The custom is to place ten small pieces of bread around the house in different locations. This is to ensure that if no other chametz is found, the bracha said would not be in vain. Needless to say, the search for the chametz is not for the 10 pieces alone, rather to ensure that no chametz is found in the house. (Please see below for instruction on how to properly get rid of the chometz this year as there will not be a public chometz burning).

PLACES TO SEARCH
All rooms of the house require bedikah, because a person may, on occasion, enter a room during a meal carrying chametz. The same Halacha applies to a basement, attic, pantry, storage bin, or other areas where food or beverages are kept or where a person may enter during a meal. It is especially important to search pockets of clothing, children’s backpacks, briefcases, and cars.

If one searches more than one location, he or she should only make one bracha on the first location and have in mind the other locations. If one has other people searching multiple locations on his or her behalf, the messengers should hear the original bracha from the owner and then proceed to search in their respective locations.

At the conclusion of the Bedika, the paragraph of Kol Chameira (כל חמירא) should be recited. Through this statement one relinquishes ownership over all unknown chametz. Kol Chameira should be recited in any language that a person understands. In English the following should be said “All chametz or leaven which is in my domain, which I have not seen, have not removed and do not know about, should be annulled and become ownerless, like dust of the earth.”

THOSE GOING AWAY FOR PESACH 
Please note the following guidelines which were adopted by the Vaad Harabbonim of Baltimore and various other rabbinical counsels through the United States. The Rav urges all members of the Kehilla to strictly adhere to these guidelines: 

The Pesach plans of many have been completely upended. This creates severe difficulty for so many. Nevertheless, public health requires strict adherence to these guidelines. Travel to other cities must be cancelled, whether to vacation venues or to family. Everyone must plan to celebrate Pesach in their current locations. Individuals living alone or those absolutely unable to prepare for Pesach may choose to self-quarantine for 14 days, and then – if asymptomatic – may join with a welcoming local family, without additional company, that is similarly asymptomatic and that has been disciplined in staying home and limiting their interactions outside the home to the absolute minimum described above. These guests may join one family only for the duration of Pesach and must carefully observe the highest standards of hygiene and social distancing. The elderly and high risk must seek medical advice before considering this. 

These are difficult times for Am Yisroel and for all of humanity. If we continue with our enhanced Teffilos, Talmud Torah, dedication to Chessed and take all of the necessary physical precautions to stem the spread of this disease, we will IY”H be zocheh to see geulah, yeshuah and much simcha

EATING CHAMETZ
One may eat chametz until the end of the "4th halachik hour" of the day. This year, the last time to eat chametz in Baltimore on Erev Pesach (14th of Nisan, Wednesday, April 8th) is 10:24 am.

BURNING CHAMETZ 
Please note the following guidelines for biur chometz this year, per the Vaad HaRabbanim of Baltimore. Due to the current situation, this year, there will be no public chometz burning as in previous years. Please note the following procedures: 
• Before searching for chometz on the night before Erev Pesach (Tuesday evening April 7th), put out 10 very small pieces of bread (which add up to the size of a kzayis) and search for chometz as you normally do. 
• If you own a barbeque grill, on Wednesday morning - Erev Pesach, burn these 10 small pieces on the grill and recite Kol Chamira (the statement nullifying ownership of any chometz). If you do not have a grill, do the following: In a bag, carefully break up the small pieces of bread into tiny crumbs. Flush the crumbs, without the bag, down the toilet. Dispose of the bag in the outside garbage can and then recite Kol Chamira. All of this should be completed before 11:38 a.m. (sof zman biur chometz). There is another process for disposal known as zoreh la’ruach (dispersing in the wind), This should only be done with very small amounts of chometz and is not recommended. If you have large quantities of chometz before Pesach, consult the rav as to whether it should be sold to a non-Jew or disposed of.  
• Before burning or flushing the crumbs, place all remaining chometz (that was not sold to a non-Jew) in your outside trash cans and recite the following in front of anyone (even a relative and even on the phone): “I hereby declare that my garbage cans and all of my chometz garbage are hefker (ownerless) and I relinquish all ownership thereof.” If possible, before making the above statement, bring your garbage cans to the curb for pickup. If you cannot bring the cans to the curb on Erev Pesach (e.g. your pickup day is Tuesday) you may bring them to the curb during Pesach at the regularly scheduled time (e.g. Monday night). Either way, you may take the cans back from the curb and fill the hefker (ownerless) cans during Pesach. When doing so, do NOT have intent to acquire them. Re-acquire the garbage cans after Pesach has ended. 
• Other than the above burning of the 10 small pieces of bread in your barbeque grill, under no circumstances should anyone make a private or public fire to burn chometz. Furthermore, other than the above, do not flush other bread or chometz down the toilet. We are asking our entire community to rely on these leniencies as it is a matter of public health and safety.
• Chametz must be disposed of by burning or selling it before the end of the "5th halachik hour." This year in Baltimore, the time is 11:38 am (14th of Nisan, Wednesday, April 8th).
• One should be aware of the following: When Pesach does not fall on Shabbos, once Kol Chamira is recited by the head of the household, the remaining family members may not eat chametz at home. Be cognizant of the latest times. All times apply to chametz eaten at any location. Chametz should not be burned at the last second. This is true whether one burns chametz outside his home or at a public biur chametz. 

THE SEDER 
The Seder service is divided into 14 sections (the word Seder means “order”):
Kadesh - Sanctifying the day over a cup of wine
Urchatz - Washing the hands prior to eating karpas
Karpas - Eating a vegetable like potatoes or parsley dipped in salt-water
Yachatz - The breaking of the middle matza
Maggid - The story of our Exodus from Egypt
Rachtza - Washing the hands in preparation for eating the matza
Motzi Matza - Eating the required amount of matza
Maror - Eating the required amount of bitter herbs dipped in charoset
Koraich - Eating the “Hillel Sandwich” of matza and maror, dipped in charoset
Shulchan Oraich - Eating the festive meal
Tzafun - “Dessert,” through eating the required amount of Afikomen (matza)
Barech - Grace After Meals        
Hallel -  Prayers in praise of Hashem
Nirtzah - Conclusion of the Seder and the festive songs

THE SEDER PLATE
 The Seder plate, upon which all the symbols of Pesach are placed, is at the center of the celebration. A large plate is set at the head of the table (and in many households, before each guest at the Seder) and includes the following items:
• Three covered Matzos.
• A roasted meat bone, on the upper right, to remember the time when our ancestors would offer the Korban Pesach (Passover Sacrifice) in observance of the holiday.
• A roasted egg, on the upper left, as a remembrance of the additional festival offering by our ancestors in celebration of Pesach.
• Maror (bitter herbs: horseradish or romaine lettuce leaves) placed in the center and at bottom, to remind us of the bitter slavery suffered by our people during their long stay in Egypt.
• Charoses, on the lower right, a mixture of nuts, apples, cinnamon, and wine, that serves as a symbol of the mortar used for making the bricks with which our ancestors built cities for Paroh.
• Many in the Sephardic community add to the charoses, fruits such as raisins, pomegranates, cinnamon, ginger and other sweet ingredients.
• Karpas (potatoes, parsley, or any vegetable) on the lower left, to be dipped in salt-water during the Seder, signaling the festive nature of the meal and to arouse the curiosity of the children.

Some in the Sephardic community dip the Karpas into Kosher for Pesach vinegar instead of salt-water.
Since everyone is obligated to drink four cups of wine during the Seder to commemorate the redemption of our people, each person attending the Seder should have his or her own cup of wine. Ashkenazim say a bracha over each of the four cups of wine.  Most Sephardim only recite brachot over the first and third cups of wine.

BASIC SEDER REQUIREMENTS & MEASUREMENTS
The first of the Seder night mitzvos is the drinking of four cups of wine (known in Hebrew as Arba Kosos) by both men and women, in tribute to the Almighty for the four promises made and fulfilled concerning the redemption (see Exodus 6:6-7).
In honor of the prophet Eliyahu (Elijah), an additional cup of wine is placed on the table. This wine is not drunk. Eliyahu is the symbol of peace and freedom that one day will reign throughout the world. To symbolize the coming of Eliyahu, the door is opened (following the meal) and all rise to welcome him with the words “Baruch Haba - Blessed is he who comes.”
Based on the halachik decisions of the Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt’l, the following are the minimum amounts of wine required during the Seder:
For the Arba Kosos (four required cups of wine), for Kiddush (except on Friday night) and for Havdalah, the cup must contain at least 3.3 fluid ounces (revi’is ha-lug) in size. The obligation is fulfilled if more than one-half (rov kos) of each cup is consumed after each blessing over the wine.
Since the regular Friday evening Kiddush throughout the year requires a cup that contains at least 4.42 fluid ounces, the Friday night Seder Kiddush requires 4.42 fluid ounces, while the other three cups require 3.3 fluid ounces.

MINIMUM STRENGTH OF WINE       
Note: The Bracha over all these mixtures is “Hagafen”
• Full-strength (undiluted) wine is required for the Arba Kosos.
• If one’s health does not permit this, then one may dilute the wine with grape juice. One should be careful to only dilute the wine as much as necessary, with the least amount of grape juice possible.
• If for health reasons one cannot use wine at all, one may substitute grape juice.
• If one must dilute grape juice with water, the ratio should not exceed two-thirds cup water to one-third cup grape juice.
• If one does not have enough wine to perform the mitzvah (Kiddush, Havdalah, etc.) water may be added but not in excess of two-fifths cup wine to three-fifths cup water.

MAGGID
Relating the story of our Exodus from Egypt is the vital mitzvah of the Seder night. The Torah teaches us that one is specifically obligated to tell the story of Passover to the children (V’hegadita l’vincha). It is therefore important for everyone present, the children in particular, to understand the story. Throughout the Seder, it is appropriate to offer commentary or insights into the Exodus, and anyone who amplifies the story through questions, interpretations, or discussion, is deemed to be “praiseworthy.” Most importantly, children should be encouraged to raise any questions they have at the Seder — separate from the well-known “Mah Nishtana” — to further demonstrate the true meaning of freedom.

MATZAH
The mitzvah of eating matza at the Seder is one of the most important of our Torah commandments, and both men and women are required to fulfill this mitzvah. We eat matza at three specific points during the Seder service:
Motzi Matza: this matza is eaten immediately after the appropriate blessings are recited.
Koraich: the sandwich of matza and maror, eaten prior to the main meal.
Afikomen (dessert): the eating of matza at the conclusion of the Seder.

The halachik requirement is to eat a “k’zayis” (the volume of an olive) of Matza Shmurah, at each of these points during the Seder. Matza Shmurah has been supervised by a Jew from the time of harvest through baking. Based on the halachik decisions of the late Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, zt’l, the following are the minimum amounts of Matza Shmura required during the Seder:
Motzi Matza: a piece equivalent in size to 6 inches by 4 inches
Koraich: a piece equivalent to 6 inches by 3 inches
Afikomen: a piece equivalent to 6 inches by 4 inches

If for health reasons, one cannot eat matza, Shmurah Matza meal (upon which one is permitted to recite the Hamotzi) may be substituted as follows:
• After reciting the bracha “Al Achilas Matza” and for the Afikomen, an amount of matza meal that can be compacted into a vessel measuring 1.5 fluid ounces.
• For Koraich — an amount of matza meal that can be compacted into a vessel holding 1.1 fluid ounces.

Most Sephardim, unlike Ashkenazim, permit matza ashira, which is made from fruit juice or eggs, on Pesach. Please check with your Rabbi to determine the appropriate use of these products on Pesach. Some Sephardic communities pass the Afikomen around the Seder table from right shoulder to right shoulder, thus reenacting the Exodus from Egypt.

MAROR
Bitter Herbs - horseradish or romaine lettuce. The eating of bitter herbs is another Seder night mitzvah, reminding us of the bitterness of slavery. Both men and women must eat the equivalent of a k’zayit. Bottled horseradish does not fulfill the mitzvah of maror. When Romaine lettuce is used, each leaf must be carefully inspected to ensure that there are no insects. Prior to the inspection, the outer leaves should be removed and discarded. Separate all leaves and wash each one thoroughly under a hard stream of water. Only then should the individual leaves be examined under good lighting. (Careful washing will ensure that no Torah laws are violated by the ingestion of insects.)
Rav Moshe Feinstein ruled that one may use iceberg lettuce for Maror.
Sephardim do not use horseradish, as it has a sharp taste and not a bitter one. The Sephardic custom is to use the fresh leaves or stalks of Romaine lettuce or endives, but not the root. One should check the maror for bugs on the eve of Passover, before the first Seder.