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

THE SEARCH FOR CHAMETZ

It is customary to place ten tightly wrapped pieces of hard chametz about the house a while before the search, which will then be discovered during the search and burned the following morning.

Let the search start after nightfall and be done by candlelight. One ought to look even in hidden places, such as in cracks in the floor.

It is customary to employ a feather, a wooden spoon, a paper bag, and a beeswax candle, all of which are later burned with the chametz.

One must keep silent from the blessing until the search begins, even regarding the search itself. While the search proceeds, refrain from any speech that does not bear upon the search.

It is preferable that every adult male in the household take part in the search. Let them gather beside the head of the household, to hear the blessing and answer Amen. Each then inspects a different portion of the home. All ought to commence searching in the chamber nearest the spot where the blessing is recited, and only afterward continue to search remaining parts of the house.

Before commencing the search, recite the blessing below 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.

Once the search is done, wrap the feather, spoon, candle, and paper bag in a paper. Bind it securely, with the spoon handle sticking out. Nullify any chametz that may have been overlooked by reciting 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.

Set aside the bag of chametz (together with any chametz to be eaten in the morning) beyond the reach of children or animals who might scatter it.