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

In this episode, we discuss the laws of bedikat chametz - looking for chametz on the night before the Seder.

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

In this episode, we discuss the implications of eating less than a kezayit of chametz, and the various biblical and rabbinic prohibitions of eating chametz on the day before Pesach.

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

In this first episode, we discuss the specific prohibitions of eating and possessing leaven on Pesach, and the consequences of violating these prohibitions.

Apart from reading the Megilah, the mitzvot of Purim include giving gifts to the poor, sending portions of food to friends, and having a special meal. Why does the Rambam insist that a person should spend more money on gifts to the poor than on the others? And how is Megilat Esther eternal in a way that is not true for many other holy writings?

What does one eat at the required Purim meal? How drunk is drunk enough? What is the requirement of sending portions to friends, and gifts to the poor?

Regular cities celebrate Purim on the 14th of Adar; cities that had a wall in the times of Joshua celebrate Purim on the 15th. Are there any special rules for regular cities on the 15th, and for walled cities on the 14th?

How must a Megilah be sewn together? Why does the reader read the ten sons of Haman in a single breath? And in what way do we treat the Megilah like a "letter"?

How must a Megilah be written? Can a Megilah be missing letters or even whole verses? What if the majority of the Megilah's letters are extremely faded?

If the reader makes a mistake while reading the Megilah, must he go back and read it properly? Can a person sit while reading the Megilah for a congregation? Must a Megilah be a separate "scroll" on its own, or can a person read it from a larger scroll containing multiple holy books?

May a person fulfill his obligation by reading a Megilah that is not written in Hebrew or Greek? What if the reader reads from a Megilah that is written in Hebrew, but he recites a translation rather than the original words? What about reading from an incomplete Megilah?