The Maimonides Minute

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This shiur, which concludes our series on Pesach, reviews the eighth chapter of Hilchot Chametz uMatzah, describing the Seder - start to finish - according to the Rambam. This includes a description of the Rambam's own Seder, as well as the Seder as it was in the time of the Temple.

Join the Maimonides Minute for the rerelease of our series on the Rambam's laws of Passover.

Today we explain many of the laws of the Seder itself, including the source in the Torah for the mitzvah of telling the story of the Exodus, which elements must be included in the story, and the requirements to recline at certain points of the Seder, to drink four cups of wine, to have charoset upon the table, and to eat maror.

Join the Maimonides Minute for the rerelease of our series on the Rambam's laws of Passover.

In today's shiur we investigate the laws of eating matzah on the first night of Pesach - namely, what is the exact nature of the obligation, and what kind of matzah is acceptable to fulfill the mitzvah. We also learn about the prohibition of eating matzah on erev Pesach, and the necessity of the afikoman being the last thing that a person eats at the Seder.

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Today we continue with additional details of forbidden and permitted products, such as animal food and edible soaps, and we also discuss the propriety of adding spices and flavorings to matzah. This shiur also examines the laws of hag'alah - that is, kashering vessels so that they may be used for Pesach.

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Today's shiur deals with the process of making chametz: what types of grain can become chametz? Under what circumstances do they become chametz? Does fruit juice added to grain create chametz just as water does? And how do kitniyot fit into this discussion? What are the restrictions on baking on Pesach? At what point must one begin to watch the grain to ensure that it does not come into contact with water? What is the concept of "mayim shelanu"?

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This shiur offers additional conditions regarding the sale of chametz to a non-Jew, as well as details about which types of chametz a person is allowed to own over Pesach.

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Today we discuss the twin prohibitions of "bal yera'eh" and "bal yimatzeh" - that is, possessing chametz during Pesach - and their numerous ramifications.

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In today's shiur, we discuss the concept of bitul chametz (nullifying chametz), the times that bitul does not work, and the paradoxical idea that even if one does not destroy his chametz, the Torah nevertheless takes it out of his possession, while simultaneously considering it "his" chametz such that he violates the prohibition of owning chametz.

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In today's shiur we discuss what one should do with the chametz he leaves over after bedikat chametz, how a person checks for chametz when erev Pesach falls on Shabbat, and at what point the requirement to check for chametz expires if a person failed to do bedikat chametz on erev Pesach.

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In this episode, we discuss the laws of bedikat chametz - looking for chametz on the night before the Seder - including questions about animals dragging chametz into the house after bedikat chametz, chametz that is decorative rather than edible, people traveling away from home long before Pesach, and the issue of whether the owner or the renter is responsible for checking a given house.