The Shabbat Before Pesach

Shabat hagadol

שַׁבַּת הַגָּדוֹל

Chabad: ' is a reduced vowel — every vocal shva, always pronounced. - separates syllables that would otherwise run together.

How to read the transliterations

Hebrew

אִלּוּ הֶאֱכִילָנוּ אֶת הַמָּן וְלֹא
נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת דַּיֵּנוּ.

Chabad

ilu he-echilonu es hamon v'loy
nosan lonu es hashabos dayeinu.

Hebrew

אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת וְלֹא
קֵרְבָנוּ לִפְנֵי הַר סִינַי דַּיֵּנוּ.

Chabad

ilu nosan lonu es hashabos v'loy
keir'vonu lifnei har Sinai dayeinu.

Hebrew

אִלּוּ קֵרְבָנוּ לִפְנֵי הַר סִינַי וְלֹא
נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה דַּיֵּנוּ.¹

Chabad

ilu keir'vonu lifnei har Sinai v'loy
nosan lonu es hatoyroh dayeinu.

Hebrew

אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה וְלֹא
הִכְנִיסָנוּ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל דַּיֵּנוּ.

Chabad

ilu nosan lonu es hatoyroh v'loy
hichnisonu l'eretz Yisro-eil dayeinu.

Hebrew

אִלּוּ הִכְנִיסָנוּ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא
בָנָה לָנוּ אֶת בֵּית הַבְּחִירָה דַּיֵּנוּ.

Chabad

ilu hichnisonu l'eretz Yisro-eil v'loy
vonoh lonu es beis hab'chiroh dayeinu.

Hebrew

עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה טוֹבָה
כְּפוּלָה וּמְכֻפֶּלֶת לַמָּקוֹם
עָלֵינוּ, שֶׁהוֹצִיאָנוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם,
וְעָשָׂה בָהֶם שְׁפָטִים, וְעָשָׂה
בֵּאלֹהֵיהֶם, וְהָרַג אֶת בְּכוֹרֵיהֶם,
וְנָתַן לָנוּ אֶת מָמוֹנָם, וְקָרַע לָנוּ
אֶת הַיָּם, וְהֶעֱבִירָנוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ
בֶּחָרָבָה, וְשִׁקַּע צָרֵינוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ,
וְסִפֵּק צָרְכֵּנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר אַרְבָּעִים
שָׁנָה, וְהֶאֱכִילָנוּ אֶת הַמָּן, וְנָתַן לָנוּ
אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת, וְקֵרְבָנוּ לִפְנֵי הַר סִינַי,
וְנָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, וְהִכְנִיסָנוּ
לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּבָנָה לָנוּ אֶת בֵּית
הַבְּחִירָה לְכַפֵּר עַל כָּל עֲוֹנוֹתֵינוּ.

Chabad

al achas kamoh v'chamoh toyvoh
k'fuloh um'chupeles lamokoym
oleinu, shehoytzi-onu mimitzrayim,
v'osoh vohem sh'fotim, v'osoh
beiloyheihem, v'horag es b'choyreihem,
v'nosan lonu es momoynom, v'kora lonu
es hayom, v'he-evironu b'soychoy
bechorovoh, v'shika tzoreinu b'soychoy,
v'sipeik tzorkeinu bamidbor arbo-im
shonoh, v'he-echilonu es hamon, v'nosan lonu
es hashabos, v'keir'vonu lifnei har Sinai,
v'nosan lonu es hatoyroh, v'hichnisonu
l'eretz Yisro-eil, uvonoh lonu es beis
hab'chiroh l'chapeir al kol avoynoyseinu.

בְּדִיקַת חָמֵץ

SEARCHING FOR CHAMETZ

The custom is to put ten well-wrapped pieces of hard chametz around the home some time before the search that will then be found during the search and burnt the next morning.

The search should begin after nightfall and be performed by candlelight. One should search even in obscure places, such as in cracks in the floor.

The custom is to use a wooden spoon, a feather, a beeswax candle, and a paper bag, all of which is later burned with the chametz.

One should not speak between the blessing and the beginning of the search, even concerning the search itself. Throughout the search one should not speak about anything that is not relevant to the search.

It is best if all adult males in the home participate in the search. They should stand near the head of the household to hear and say Amen to the blessing. Each of them then searches a different section of the home. They should all begin the search in the room nearest the place where the blessing is said and only then go on to search other parts of the house.

Before starting the search, say the following blessing while holding the lit candle:

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם,
אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּנוּ
עַל בִּעוּר חָמֵץ.

Chabad

boruch atoh Adonoy Eloyheinu melech ho-oylom,
asher kid'shonu b'mitzvoysov, v'tzivonu
al biur chomeitz.

After the search, wrap the paper bag, candle, feather, and spoon in a paper. Tie it well, with the spoon handle sticking out. Nullify the chametz that may have been overlooked by saying the following (in a language that you understand):

Hebrew

כָּל חֲמִירָא וַחֲמִיעָא דְּאִכָּא בִרְשׁוּתִי,
דְּלָא חֲמִתֵּיהּ וּדְלָא בִעַרְתֵּיהּ
וּדְלָא יְדַעְנָא לֵיהּ, לִבָּטֵל וְלֶהֱוֵי
הֶפְקֵר כְּעַפְרָא דְאַרְעָא.

Chabad

kol chamiro vachami-o d'iko virshusi,
d'lo chamiteih ud'lo vi-arteih
ud'lo y'dano leih, liboteil v'lehevei
hefkeir k'afro d'aro.

Store the bag of chametz (as well as any chametz that will be eaten in the morning) out of the reach of children or animals who may scatter it.