Searching for Chametz in Home and Heart: Shloshim for Ari Gold Z"L, 5781

(1) On the evening of the fourteenth [of Nissan] we check for leavened bread by the light of a candle. Any place which we do not bring leavened bread into does not require checking. And why did [the sages] say [that we must check up to] two rows in the wine cellar? [It is] a place which we bring leavened bread into. The House of Shammai say: Two rows upon the entire wine-cellar. The House of Hillel say: The two outer rows, which are the uppermost.

(1) On the evening of the fourteenth, we check for chamets by candlelight, not by sunlight, not by moonlight, but rather only by candlelight (since the candlelight is greater). Even though there's no explicit proof for this, it's a remembrance for that which is discussed (Tzefaniah 1) "And in that time I will look through Jerusalem by candle" and that which it says (Proverbs 20) "The candle of God is a human soul".

The night of the 14th of Nissan

So that one does not transgress the Torah prohibitions of seeing and finding hametz.

(7) Throughout the seven days unleavened bread shall be eaten; no leavened bread shall be found with you, and no leaven shall be found in all your territory.

From the Torah, annulment is acceptable to avoid the Biblical transgression. Why did the Hachamim require searching at all? It seems to the opinion of Rav Yitzchak the Elder that even though annulment is sufficient, the Rabbis were stringent to require the searching of hametz and to destroy it so that no person should come to eat hametz on Passover.

(3) By rabbinic enactment, one must search for ḥametz in hiding-places and holes, and remove it from his entire domain. Also, by rabbinic enactment, one should search and remove the ḥametz by lamplight at night, at the beginning of the night preceding the fourteenth day of Nisan, because all the people are then at home and lamplight is best for searching. And we do not fix study at the end of the thirteenth day [of Nissan]. And likewise should a sage not begin to read at that time, lest he be drawn [by it] and be prevented from searching for chamets at the beginning of its time.

(17) Learn to do good. Devote yourselves to justice; aid the chamotz [wronged]. Uphold the rights of the orphan; defend the cause of the widow.

(10) All places where one does bring chametz in, need to be searched ~ meaning, one needs to search every place where their yetzer harah, which is the chametz, usually resides. And this place is different for each and everyone: the one whose yetzer resides on finding fault on others, God forbid, or whose eyes are always turned to that that should not be seen, God forbid, they need to search, and destroy, and completely return from that path so they won’t do it anymore, and if they return from what did in the past in a complete return (teshuvah) obviously the Holy One of Blessing will forgive them. And in places where one does not put chametz in, there is no need to search ~ and it appears to me that this is a remez, hint: there are those who do not notice their own behavior, but only the behavior of other people. And the warning of our mishnah is regarding this: and in places where one does not put … there is no need to search, meaning, one should not investigate other people’s behavior, but should investigate their own, and fix their own behavior.