Shabbat Erev Pesach

Be-simcha! A Shabbat Erev Pesach can feel intimidating, and may make for a hectic Friday, but it often allows for going into the Seder more rested than usual.

Thursday Night: Bedikat Chametz as usual. We shouldn’t do it on Shabbat because it’s best done with a candle or flashlight.

Friday: Arrange to sell chametz if you haven’t yet, and make sure you have a yahrzeit candle to light from on Yom Tov.

Burn chametz before the end of the fifth halachic hour. (Find local halachic times here.) We can’t burn chametz on Shabbat, so we do it today to keep the usual procedure in mind for future years. Don’t recite the usual formula for nullifying all of our chametz (bitul chametz) yet, because we can still eat chametz.

Before Shabbat: If possible, prepare all items for the Seder plate now rather than on Yom Tov. (These can be done if necessary on Yom Tov, though grating should then be done in an unusual manner and food roasted on Yom Tov should be eaten on Yom Tov.)

You can choose to have all pesachdig meals or to include chametz (even just rolls) up until it becomes prohibited. If eating chametz over Shabbat, clean out any cookware used for it now, so you won’t need to on Shabbat.

Leil Shabbat: Light a yahrzeit candle (to use for lighting on Yom Tov) and then light Shabbat candles as usual. Have Shabbat dinner, being careful to keep any chametz (even crumbs) contained and away from Pesach dishes (eg by eating it over a napkin or on disposables). Using egg matza is also an option for this meal. There’s a widespread custom not to eat regular matza at this point.

Shabbat Day: Don’t prepare for the Seder on Shabbat.

Either have an early Shabbat lunch with rolls, being careful to keep any chametz (even crumbs) contained and away from Pesach dishes, or use egg matza and have a chametz-free Shabbat lunch at the regular time. It is prohibited to eat regular matza from dawn up until the Seder, (Rema 471:12).

Finish eating chametz by the end of the fourth halachic hour. Dispose of any remaining chametz and then perform bitul chametz by the end of the fifth halachic hour.

To dispose of chametz, flush it down the toilet. (When there’s an eiruv, you can take it out to the garbage.)

For seuda shelishit: Either have a second meal before the fourth halachic hour begins and chametz becomes prohibited, or eat later. If eating later, forgo having bread (those who eat egg matza on Pesach can still have it now), and be sure to leave room for the Seder meal.

Motza’ei Shabbat: Say “baruch ha-mavdil bein kodesh le-kodesh.” (Havdala will be later, integrated with kiddush.) Then light Yom Tov candles. Prepare for the Seder and, if you can, recite Ma’ariv (including Hallel where reciting it before the Seder is customary).

For classic sources for the above, see Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayyim 444 and 471 and commentaries. For a recent compendium, see the series by Rav Yosef Zvi Rimon, available here.

Chag kasher ve-sameach!

See more Q&A here.