Kitzurim on Chametz from Izbitz Hagadah

These are some summaries of the shticklach from the Izbitzer Hagadah on Chametz

I will be posting in a longer format after Yom Tov Im Yirtzeh Hashem

ד"ה ענין

Chametz is when the dough moves by itself. The less a person does, the less chametz there is. Chametz can only infect where a person’s effort can reach, therefore, they only need to check as far as their hand reaches.

ד"ה מדאורייתא

Really, in Halacha, Bitul is enough, but from Miderabanan, we require that you search out the Chametz and burn it.

A person needs to “nullify” himself, and accept upon themselves to do only what Hashem wants. This is called acceptance is called Bitul. However, this blanket acceptance is not enough. A person must search after each detail to repair it and make sure there is no Chametz there.

אמר ר יהודא

Why shouldn’t we rely upon the Bitul? Maybe a person will find a nice pastry and their bitul will no longer exist.

There are averos which a person knows they have, that a person needs to do teshuva for, and then one must pray that Hashem save them from the Aveiros that he doesn’t know about.

However sometimes a person will have a Taiva for something which they never perfected themselves and remove that Taiva. At that point, they are Onus, while in the grips of the Aveira as they can’t see their way out of the Taiva nor daven to be saved from the Yetzer Hara; therefore they are considered Onus.

The Gemara says that there are two things that may not be in ones possession that the Torah considers to be in someone’s possession even though they are not physically in someone’s possession: a pit and chametz after 6 hours on Erev Pesach.

This means that an Aveira which a person will suddenly fall into and could not perfect themselves in that inyan isn’t in a person’s hands- they are Onus. But, it is considered in a person’shands because they should have davenned to be saved from it before hand. So too Chametz needed to be searched out, and whatcouldn’t be found should be nullified.

ד"ה בשני

There are two places that the Torah prohibited Chametz, on the Mizbeach and on Pesach. A person has to pass themselves totally in Hashem’s hands on Pesach. When brining a Korban, they must totally nullify themselves before Hashem.

The Shtei Halechem are an exception, they are a Korban, yet they are Chametz, when the fire from above consumes them, they are nullified as well.

Another Korban related concept is Semicha- the leaning on an animal. When a person rests all of their strength on a Korban, then their “kochi votzem yadi’ness” is absorbed into the Korban. The Korban is burned, and when it ascends above, Hashem shows how the Chet was really not a chet.