Pesach Cleaning

Each Pesach we observe the mitzvah of "bedikat chametz" - the cleaning out of chametz, i.e., leavened foods, from our property.

The source of this commandment is from the Torah "lo yira'eh lekha chametz" - which translates literally to, there shall be no chametz to be seen/found/present by you. The terminology is pretty exacting - not simply you shall not eat chametz, but that no chametz shall be detected amid you (and your property). It is the extremity of the wording in the Torah which is the source of the intensity of the laws of Chametz.

A strict observance of Torah would have precluded keeping ANY chametz - not only food but any items which could harbor chametz. The rabbis and sages in fact made the mitzvah more manageable through the institution of selling chametz. While some rabbis take a stringent position requiring extreme cleansing of one's property, many chachamim -- who focus on the commandment to observe Yom Tov (holidays) with joy -- say that Pesach cleaning should not be so severe or compulsive as to detract from one's enjoyment of the holiday.

So why does the Torah use such extreme phrasing regarding the elimination of chametz at Pesach time? A meaningful interpretation from the chasidic tradition is that chametz is symbolic of that which causes us to become "puffed up" - i.e. prideful, or overfilled. The mitzvah of chametz is reminds us to restore humility - to remember our origins as a slave people - and simplicity in our lives. The comprehensive nature of the Torah commandment thus makes sense; it reminds us how easily we can get lost in the clutter of life, and how wonderful it can be to rid ourselves of that which we don't need, and come back to the sacred essence of our (Jewish) existence.