This piece is part of Exploring Judaism’s 5784 Passover Reader. Download the whole reader here.
Passover is almost here.
You have cleaned the house, cleared the hametz out of the kitchen, and listened to your family’s complaints that there is no food in the house. But finally, Passover starts tomorrow and we can open the ring jellies and fruit slices.
But wait: There is one more obligation that comes from the Mishnah. Since it involves a treasure hunt with a lit candle and seemingly silly rules, it is perfect for engaging children.
The ritual of bedikat hametz is designed to give us a way to say a blessing declaring that our house is free of all hametz or leavened products.
You are commanded to take 10 pieces of bread or crackers and hide them around the house. Then, using a feather, find the pieces and sweep them into a wooden spoon. But you have to do it by candlelight, in the dark! And even better, the next morning you get to burn them.
The opportunities for family fun are endless. You can start by making your own kit. First, you need a candle. A leftover Hanukkah or larger birthday candle is perfect for this. You may want to wrap the bottom with foil to protect hands from dripping wax.
Then you need a wooden spoon. Any plain old wooden spoon that you are ready to get rid of since it will be burned. How about that one that got too close to the stove flame and is still in the drawer?
Next, you need a feather. Send the children out to the yard to look for any bird feathers, or go to a craft store and buy one.
Finally, you need a paper bag such as a brown lunch bag. Feel free to have a child decorate the bag any way they want (how about pictures of the Israelites crossing the Sea of Reeds or a Seder plate?). Be sure to print out the instructions here.
Now it’s time to set the scene. Someone needs to hide 10 pieces of bread or crackers around the house (or limit it to just the kitchen or just a couple of rooms). If not an adult, maybe there’s an older child who is more excited about this. Remember where you hid the pieces, to be sure they are all found!
Hand a child the feather and spoon. Turn off the lights and light the candle. And let the treasure hunt begin! As you find each piece of hametz, use the feather to sweep it onto the spoon and then transfer it to the paper bag. (Yes, this is exactly how we are instructed to do this, although you may use any light source, such as a flashlight or multiple candles.)
Once you have found all 10, put the spoon and feather into the paper bag and close it up. Save the bag for the next morning, when you will burn it. You can burn it in your fireplace or your grill or anywhere else.
When my children were young, this was a group event. As they got older, it became a competition for who could find the most. Then they each hid 5 for their sibling to find. And you know where this ends up: As they hit their teens, it was only fun if they got to hide it for the adults to find! When you get to this stage, be sure to allot plenty of time, because our kids are sneaky!
Following the words on this printout, you have now declared that any hametz left in your house is nullified and doesn’t count. Bring on the Seder preparation!
For musical accompaniment, check out Eliana Light’s song, Feather Candle & Spoon.
