Cleaning out the Chometz

[Lulav]

I am back and forth working on cleaning my kitchen, and got to thinking, and this question is really only for the Orthodox ( conservative can answer too) here,

would you hire a gentile to prepare your house for Passover?

Why or why not. Please be totally honest, and any gentiles reading please don't take offense. :hug:

[Skeeterbug]

Yes but I would make a list of what and how it was to be done and then I would go over house with fine toothed comb before we search for the leaven. because your idea of clean probably would not be theres

[ChavaK]

I would not rely on a non-Jew for the same reason
bishul nocri is a problem- someone who is not
obligated to observe the mitzvot is not going to
be as diligent when doing a service for someone
who is obligated.

It's not to say non-Jews are horrible or not to
be trusted-they just don't have the same level
of commitment that an observant Jew would.

I was reading an article recently about how some
people have gotten lax about searching their house
for leaven because after all the thorough cleaning
there is not a chance any chametz is left. A foot
note (cited below) says that some authorities
do agree that if a non-Jewish professional cleaner
was used, they can be trusted.

Everyone I know cleans their own houses rather
than rely on a service. I don't know if it is because
of halachic issues, or if we are all just too cheap to
hire someone to do it ;)

By Rabbi Doniel Neustadt

The following is a discussion of Halachic topics related to the Parsha of the week. For final rulings, consult your Rav.


THE SEARCH FOR CHOMETZ

QUESTION: Should ten pieces of chometz be hidden throughout the house before the search for chometz takes place?

ANSWER: The poskim differ in their views regarding this practice. There are four basic approaches:

1. The Rama (1) states that the custom is to hide pieces of chometz around the house before the search takes place. Since it often happens that no chometz is found during the course of the search, the blessing over the bedikah could possibly be a berachah l'vatallah. To avoid this eventuality, one would be required to hide some chometz before the bedikah begins.

2. Although l'chatchilah pieces of chometz should be hidden, The Rama himself holds that if they were not, the blessing would nonetheless be valid, for the mitzvah is to search for chometz, even in the event that one does not find any.

3. Many poskim (2) hold that one need not be concerned about a berachah l'vatallah at all and one need not hide any chometz before the bedikah.

4. Some poskim (3) hold that the practice of hiding chometz should be abandoned. They are concerned that some pieces may be lost or overlooked, with the result that chometz will remain in the house over Pesach.

Mishnah Berurah agrees with the poskim who are not concerned about the possibility of a beracha l'vatalah. He nevertheless states that it is not proper to discontinue a long-standing Jewish custom (4). Indeed, the majority of homes today observe this time-honored practice (5).

Nowadays, there is an additional reason for maintaining this custom. The halachah demands that the home be thoroughly searched during bedikas chometz Any place into which chometz may have been brought during the year must be checked. In many homes, however, the search has become merely ritualistic, taking but a few minutes with no serious search conducted. One reason why the bedikah has become perfunctory is that today, homes are thoroughly cleaned and scrubbed for days or even weeks before the search takes place. Consequently, most people assume that no chometz will be found and are satisfied with going through the motions. Although there is a possible justification (limud zechus) for people who conduct such a perfunctory bedikah (6), many other poskim do not agree with this leniency and require that a proper bedikah be conducted.

See Sha'arei Teshuvah O.C. 433:11 (also quoted by Kaf ha-Chayim) who says that the masses do not conduct a through check since they rely on the cleaning process done before the bedikah. In his view, this may be relied upon even if a professional non-Jew did the cleaning. See Chochmas Shelomo (433:11) and Da'as Torah (433:2) for similar rulings.

[ChavaK]

While I was at a class today at Chabad regarding the laws of Pesach,
I asked about using non-Jews to clean one's house for Pesach.
He said it was fine if you trusted the person to do it correctly.
One lady said she did use a non-Jew but that she supervised
everything that was done. To me you might just as well do the
cleaning yourself if you have to stay home and watch every
little thing they are doing. But I think she hires someone
for health reasons anyway.

I would still do it myself and not rely on a non-Jew to do it.
Of course I would probably not have a non-Orthodox Jew
do it either, for the same reason that if they are not following
halachah, then there is a chance that they will not be diligent
about the cleaning...

[Lulav]

After reading the chabad site about how to clean, you might be surprised to find that some non Orthodox Jews would be even stricter in their observation of the commandments.

For instance I will not leave any crumbs on the floor just because I can't eat them, just because something is labeled 'garbage' does not mean it is no longer chometz and still within your dwelling. But then these same ones would not have time to clean someone else's home as they are busy doing theirs. ;)

I personally would not trust any one to do it, as I have seen some who would purposely clean your home exquisitely and then hide a piece somewhere you couldn't find just because you are Jewish.

[ContraMundum]

I am back and forth working on cleaning my kitchen, and got to thinking, and this question is really only for the Orthodox ( conservative can answer too) here,

would you hire a gentile to prepare your house for Passover?

No way.

Why or why not. Please be totally honest, and any gentiles reading please don't take offense. :hug:

I would not let a Gentile do it for the exact same reasons that ChavaK pointed out.

Furthermore, I personally think it's kinda like avoiding the actual hard work of the mitzvah if you get someone else to do it, and I know I wouldn't cut corners on other mitzvot so why would I cut corners on this one? I do my best, but I also sell my chametz anyway.

[mac8]

Just remember dust isn't chametz and your wife isn't the korban pesach...

[Lulav]

Just remember dust isn't chametz and your wife isn't the korban pesach...:scratch: Still trying to figure that one out.

[ChavaK]

:scratch: Still trying to figure that one out.

It's a saying that's been around for ever....I think it is indicating
don't go crazy over Pesach cleaning...

[Lulav]

got the dust part, just not the wife part? :D

[Talmidah]

got the dust part, just not the wife part? :D So many woman practically work themselves to death doing way more than necessary and are beyond fatigued at the seder.

That is one advantage of pesach this year, you'll be all rested up from shabbat when the seder starts! :thumbsup:

[Lulav]

Sounds like the way my grandmother cleaned! She would be on the floor with a toothbrush, and would scrub out all her cabinets inside and out, reline them and then paint the cabinets again along with scrubbing the walls and then repainting them. She washed everything in the house and if you didn't keep moving, you got washed too!

[ChavaK]

got the dust part, just not the wife part? :D

I've also heard the same saying, with alternate endings:


"your children are not the korban Pesach"

and "your husband is not the korban Pesach"


I think that makes a little bit more sense, actually