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When Erev Pesach coincides with Shabbos, we benefit from having a restful and spiritually uplifting day leading into the Seder night. However, this infrequent calendrical occurrence also raises practical questions relating to the halachos of Erev Pesach[1] as well as to the proper fulfilment of the mitzvos of Shabbos. This article will address these concerns.

TAANIS BECHOROS

While on a regular Erev Pesach, firstborn males customarily fast, fasting is prohibited on Shabbos, either because it detracts from the mitzvah of oneg Shabbos, or because an obligation to eat three meals exists (OC 288:1 and Beur Halacha). Therefore, the Beis Yosef (OC 470) cites opposing positions whether to observe the taanis on Thursday or not at all this year. Although the Shulchan Aruch (OC 470:2) favors omitting the fast this year, Rav Ovadia Yosef (Yechaveh Daas 1:91) suggests that even firstborns who follow the Shulchan Aruch participate in a seudas siyum to exempt themselves from any obligation to fast. Ashkenazim follow the Rama (OC 470:2) who rules that firstborns should fast on Thursday (or participate in a siyum to exempt themselves from any obligation).

BEDIKAS CHAMETZ AND BIUR CHAMETZ

The Shulchan Aruch (OC 444:1) instructs us to perform bedikas chametz on Thursday night (13th of Nissan; this year, April 10, 2025), preceded by the regular bracha[2] and followed by the recitation of kol chamirah (see Mishna Berura 444:1).  For the text of the bracha and kol chamirah, see “The Days Before Pesach” article.

The Talmud (Pesachim 49a) records a dispute about the proper time to destroy chametz when Erev Pesach falls on Shabbos – Friday (13th of Nissan; this year, April 11, 2025) or Shabbos (Erev Pesach; this year, April 12, 2025)? The Shulchan Aruch (ibid.) says to burn most of the chametz on Friday, leaving some for the Shabbos meals (see next section). Whatever chametz remains after the meals should be broken into small crumbs and disposed of in a manner that destroys it completely but does not violate the laws of Shabbos. Preferred methods include flushing the crumbs down the toilet, feeding them to a pet, or throwing them into a garbage outside of the house. Larger quantities may also be given to a non-Jew (but you should not directly ask the non-Jew to remove more than a meal’s worth of chametz from your house – see Shulchan Aruch 444:4 and Mishna Berura 444:18-20).

According to the Shulchan Aruch (OC 444:2), the burning that takes place on Friday should preferably take place before the end of the fifth halachic hour[3] of the day, 11:33 AM in the Chicago area, like it would on a regular year (to avoid confusion). If you plan on eating chametz on Shabbos, postpone your recitation of the kol chamirah to Shabbos by the end of the fifth halachic hour (Rama ibid. and Mishna Berura 444:22) (11:33 AM in the Chicago area). If, however, you destroyed all your chametz on Friday and do not plan to eat any chametz on Shabbos Erev Pesach, the Mishna Berura (OC 444:10) implies that you do recite the kol chamirah on Friday at the time of biur.

SEUDOS SHABBOS

The most challenging issue to navigate on Shabbos Erev Pesach is how to fulfill the mitzvah of seudos Shabbos in their ideal form. The Talmud (Shabbos 117b) rules, based on the appearance of “hayom” three times in the pasuk (Shemos 16:25), that we must consume three meals on Shabbos. Generally, halacha requires us to wash and consume at least a kizayis of bread at each meal. How can this be accomplished on Shabbos Erev Pesach when the prohibition to eat chametz begins at the end of the fourth halachic hour of the day (see OC 443:1), this year 10:15 AM in the Chicago area?

To avoid any last minute chametz complications and fulfill the mitzvah of eating bread during the Shabbos meals, the simplest solution would be to use matzah for all of the meals. However, the Shulchan Aruch and Rama (OC 471:2) forbid matzah consumption on Erev Pesach as a way of distinguishing the matzah eaten later that night at the Seder as matzas mitzvah. This renders using regular matzah for hamotzi at your Shabbos meals an impossibility.[4]

MATZAH ASHIRA

One potential solution is to use matzah ashira (made from dough containing fruit juice instead of water). The Shulchan Aruch (462:1) follows the opinion of the Rambam, Rosh and Rabbeinu Tam that matzah ashira is not considered chametz and can be consumed on Pesach but does not fulfill the mitzvah of matzah at the Seder. This would permit its consumption on Erev Pesach. The Rama (462:4), however, rules stringently out of concern for the position of Rashi that matzah ashira might be considered chametz if some water was mixed in during the baking process and should not be eaten on Pesach unless there is a great need (like to treat an ill or elderly individual). This is the position adopted by Ashkenazim.

Later authorities debate whether the Rama’s prohibition of matzah ashira extends to Erev Pesach or if it is limited to Pesach itself. While the Aruch Hashulchan (444:5) maintains that the Rama’s stringency does not apply to Erev Pesach, Rav Moshe Feinstein (OC 1:155) and others take a strict approach to this question. Therefore, Ashkenazim should only view matzah ashira as a potential solution for the Shabbos night and Shabbos day meals (before the time that chametz consumption becomes forbidden).

We must consider an additional factor regarding matzah ashira, namely the proper bracha to recite. As pas haba’ah b’kisnin,[5] the Acharonim argue whether to recite the bracha of mezonos or the bracha of hamotzi on matzah ashira. According to most authorities, when consuming a significant amount (exact quantity subject to debate) or in the context of a meal, you recite hamotzi. Rav Moshe Feinstein (ibid.) rules that one should say hamotzi when consumed in the context of a meal such as seudas Shabbos. Many Ashkenazim rely on this to use matzah ashira for Shabbos night and Shabbos day (prior to the time that chametz becomes forbidden after the fourth halachic hour of the day). Rav Ovadia Yosef (Yechaveh Daas, 1:91) expresses hesitation with regard to the proper bracha on matzah ashira and, therefore, advocates using matzah mevusheles (boiled matzah that has not lost the form of matzah but is not suitable for the Seder).

BREAD

Due to the complications noted above, many prefer using actual bread for the Shabbos seudos as much as possible. In this instance, you must exercise caution to ensure that the chametz consumption takes place only in one designated area, (in proximity to your Shabbos table, to fulfill the requirement of kiddush bimakom seudah, but not too close as to risk getting chametz on your kosher-for-Pesach dishes), preferably eating the chametz with disposable dishes and/or utensils.[6] Like matzah ashira for Ashkenazim, this option works for the Shabbos night and Shabbos day seudos (although will necessarily entail rising and davening early on Shabbos morning to ensure finishing the chametz before the latest time for chametz consumption), but seudah shlishis raises additional complications.

Both the timing of seudah shlishis and the requirement for eating bread during this meal are debated by the Rishonim, but the Shulchan Aruch (291:2,5) rules that seudah shlishis cannot be eaten until after the time for Mincha (6.5 halachic hours into the day) and that it should ideally include eating bread. Fulfilling both of these conditions is obviously an impossibility on Shabbos Erev Pesach, as bread is forbidden after the fourth halachic hour. Several solutions appear in the writings of the poskim:

According to the opinions that we are not concerned about matzah ashira’s being chametz on Erev Pesach and that its bracha is hamotzi, you can use matzah ashira (Shulchan Aruch OC 444:1) and eat the meal during its regular time (after Mincha).

According to the view that the Rama prohibits matzah ashira on Erev Pesach as well, one should fulfill the mitzvah of seudah shlishis with fruits and/or fish and meat (relying on the positions quoted by the Shulchan Aruch [OC 291:5] that even fruits suffice).

The Mishna Berura (OC 444:8) suggests getting an early start to the day and splitting the morning meal into two separate meals. In this way, you fulfill the obligation to consume bread during both the Shabbos day and seudah shlishis meals before chametz becomes forbidden. To do this effectively, you should make kiddush, wash, make hamotzi and have one course of your Shabbos meal. Then recite birkas hamazon, take a short break (learn, play a board game, or go on a short walk) and then return to the table, wash and make hamotzi again, and finish your Shabbos meal. The only concession here is that your third meal is not eaten in the ideal timeframe. If you would like to be extra meticulous in fulfilling the obligation of seudah shlishis, you can have fish/meat and/or fruits in the afternoon after the time for Mincha (Sefer Tashbetz Katan, 23 in the name of the Maharam). This allows you to cover your bases by also fulfilling the third meal of Shabbos at the ideal time (albeit without bread). If you chose to have this additional “meal” in the afternoon, make sure not to eat too much, so that you enter the Seder with an appetite (Mishna Berura ibid.).

DIVREI TORAH

The Magen Avraham (444:2) records the practice of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, who learned in lieu of eating seudah shlishis on Shabbos Erev Pesach. Based on this practice, some authorities (see Gra ibid. and Aruch Hashulchan 444:6) posit that if bread cannot be consumed, there is no obligation for seudah shlishis on Shabbos Erev Pesach. Others (Kaf Hachaim 444:18) maintain that there is an obligation and, in some way, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai’s learning either fulfilled the obligation or had the same spiritual impact that a meal with bread would have on a normal Shabbos. Whereas Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai’s learning may have had this effect, we assume that as important as our learning is, it does not serve as an adequate replacement for seudah shlishis.

Whichever method we employ to best navigate the complicated issues of fulfilling this important mitzvah on Shabbos Erev Pesach, we should definitely make an effort to include extra learning and divrei Torah at our seudah shlishis (especially considering that in any event it promises to be a smaller meal in anticipation of the Seder night).

Although the halachos associated with Shabbos Erev Pesach are complex, we appreciate that the very commitment to punctilious halachic observance is part and parcel of the Pesach celebration, which commemorates Hashem taking us out of Egypt, transforming us into His nation and privileging us to enter His covenant.

Written by Rabbi Aaron Kraft, Dayan, cRc Beis Din

Endnotes:

[1] In fact, feeling confused on Erev Pesach that falls on Shabbos is not a new phenomenon; the Talmud (Pesachim 66a) records that in the times of the Temple, Erev Pesach fell out on Shabbos, and the sages forgot whether the paschal offering should be offered or if the laws of Shabbos prevented its sacrifice.

[2] Normally you do not recite a bracha on a bedikah performed earlier than the 14th of Nissan, such as when leaving your house for the duration of Pesach prior to the 14th of Nissan. The Beur Halacha (OC 436:1) explains that only when the bedikah is the first step in the burning that will take place the next morning, is it considered part of the mitzvah of tashbisu (requirement to destroy chametz) and, therefore, requires a blessing. When carried out well in advance of the burning for tashbisu, it is not being done as a part of the positive commandment, but rather to prevent you from owning chametz on Pesach. However, this year because the biur will take place the next morning, you do recite a bracha, because the bedikah constitutes the first step in the mitzvah of tashbisu (despite its performance on the 13th of Nissan).

[3] Halachic hours, known as shaos z’manios, are essentially calculated by determining total daylight hours and dividing by twelve. The exact method of calculating halachic hours is beyond the scope of this article.

[4] Rav Ovadia Yosef (Yechaveh Daas, 1:91) permits regular matzah consumption on Shabbos night, but forbids it on Shabbos day. For Ashkenazim, on the other hand, Rav Moshe Feinstein (OC 1:155) rules that matzah should not be used at all on Shabbos Erev Pesach.

[5] term used in the Talmud to describe food made from dough, but differing from bread in that it is hard, filled or sweetened. The exact definition of pas haba’ah b’kisnin and the halachos thereof are beyond the scope of this article.

[6] Rav Ovadia Yosef’s preference for matzah mevusheles is due to his concern that using chametz constitutes an unnecessary risk, as you may make a mistake in cleaning it up and/or disposing of it.