Q. Is there a way to avoid the cleaning and searching the whole house, if you are going away for Pesach and will not be there at all?
A. Due to the difficulties involved when owning a large house to completely and properly clean and search the property for Pesach and that being one of the reasons for people of age or having other impediments, to travel to a Pesach hotel, Poskim permit the following. The home can be sold, together with the customary sell of the chametz. The owner must explicitly inform the Rabbi of that fact and clearly include the property in the document. This sell exempts the homeowner from having to search. (Mishna Berura 436: 32.) However, in order not to completely eliminate the mitzvah of Bedikat Chametz, Poskim recommend that he should retain one room not to be sold that is easy to clean properly and by following the procedure outlined above comply the mitzvah of Bedikat Chametz on that room.
Since the transfer of the chametz takes effect on the eve of Pesach in the morning hours, after the mitzvah of bedika has already started, Poskim recommend selling the property (to the Gentile) the day prior (Thursday) before nightfall (ibid.) There are today indeed Rabbis who offer the option of an early sale of the chametz, for those who will be traveling to another location for Pesach. This transfer takes effect before the onset of the mitzvah of bedikat chametz. (Piskei Teshuvot 436: 3)
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit”a
Important Numbers
