Chametz on Passover: The Basics

(3) You shall not eat anything that is chametz with it; for seven days thereafter you shall eat unleavened bread [Matzah], bread of distress—for you departed from the land of Egypt hurriedly—so that you may remember the day of your departure from the land of Egypt as long as you live. (4) For seven days no leaven shall be found with you in all your territory, and none of the flesh of what you slaughter on the evening of the first day shall be left until morning.

This is the general rule: whatever is [made] from a type of grain [and is leavened], behold [with] this, [one] transgresses on Pesach;

(5) These are the [grains] with which a person may discharge his [obligation to eat matsa] on Pesach: with wheat, with barley, with spelt, and with rye, and with oats.

"With wheat, barley, etc."--however rice, millet, and other species [cannot be used to fulfill the obligation of Matzah]. As it is written (Deuteronomy 16:3, cited earlier in source 1) "do not eat chametz with it for seven days; eat Matzah with it." Only those things that can become chametz can be used to fulfill the obligation of Matzah. This excludes rice, millet, and other species, which cannot become chametz, but rather merely decay.

(2) ...The leavened bread on Passover is forbidden to derive pleasure from as it is stated: "You will not eat hametz" - there should be no permissive scenario of eating.

If he sold it or gave it to a non-Jew (who doesn't live in his house) before Passover; even though the Jew sold it to the non-Jew, and he knows that [the non-Jew] won't touch [his chametz] at all and will just keep it for him until after Passover before giving it back to him, it is permitted. This is provided that he gives [the non-Jew the chametz] as a complete gift without any other condition; or that he fully sells [the non-Jew the chametz] for a token sum. However, [giving chametz to the non-Jew] as a gift conditional upon [the non-Jew] returning it does not work.

A mixture containing Chametz violates [the biblical prohibition of owning chametz]...However, if the mixture containing chametz is unfit to eat, it is permitted to own it during Passover.

If bread itself that spoils such that a dog would not eat it...it is not necessary to get rid of it....

If a mixture contains chametz and it is not fit for human consumption...even though it is permitted to keep it during Passover, it is nonetheless prohibited to eat it until after Passover. Even if it only contains a minute amount of chametz it is prohibited to eat it.

(1) ...There is a positive commandment from the Torah to remove the hametz before the time that it is forbidden for consumption as it says (Shemot 12:15) "On the first day, remove the leavened from your homes." From the oral law, they learned that the first day refers to the 14th of Nissan. A proof to this matter is what is stated in the Torah: (Shemot 34:25) "Do not slaughter the animal with hametz in your possession." This means to say do not slaughter [the korban pesach] while the hametz exists. The day of the slaughtering the korban pesach is the 14th day following midday.

(2) ...And what is this removal that is mentioned in the Torah? It is annulling the hametz in his heart and considering it like dust, and knowing in his heart that it is not in his possession. All the Hametz in his possession is like dust and has no use.

(3) ...From the Hachamim, one should search for hametz in the hidden areas and cracks, to examine and remove from his boundaries. In addition, it is a Rabbinic injuction to search and destroy hametz on the night of the 14th using a candlelight, since people are usually home and the candle is excellent for searching. One should not establish his learning at the end of the 13th day. The Hacham should not begin to study at this time lest he is drawn, thereby preventing him from searching for hametz at the beginning of this time.