By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com Guess What Didn’t Happen Between 1954 and 1974?  Well, if you haven’t guessed it yet, here is another hint:  It happens, approximately, once every 9 years. Hint #2.  It can occur as frequently as every 3 years and as infrequently as every 20 years. Last Hint:  Aside from this year – 2021, it will next happen in four years – 2025 and then we skip another 20 years until 2045. Then 2048, 2052, another 20 years until 2072, 2075, 2079, and then another 20 years until 2099 Answer:  Erev Pesach falling on Shabbos, of course.  When this happens, things can get a little complicated.  What follows are three sections: Section I is an Introduction and Background Section II is the prep-work that needs to be done on Friday (Hint: Maybe start Thursday) Section III is the halachos that deal with what we do about the Bedikah specifically. If you wish to cut straight to the prep work and the halachos – you can skip the introduction and background, which is why it is indented. INTRODUCTION THE FOUR OPINIONS OF THE TANNAIM Perhaps it is because of the infrequency of it all that there is a four-way debate among the Tannaim as to what to do when Erev Pesach falls on Shabbos.  We Pasken like Rabbi Elazar Ben Yehudah of Bartusa (Psachim 13a), and not like the other three – Rabbi Meir, the Chachomim, or Rabbi Elazar Ben Tzaddok.  We also Pasken like the Rambam’s understanding of Rabbi Elazar Ben Yehudah – even though there are at least five other views in the Rushonim. WHO WAS RABBI ELAZAR BEN YEHUDAH AND WHERE IS BARTUSA? What do we know about Rabbi Elazar Ben Yehudah? We know that he was a friend of Rabbi Akiva, that he was a student of Rabbi Yehoshua, and that he used to give almost all of his money to the Gabbaim of Tzedakah – if it was a worthy cause.  Where was Bartusa?  No one really knows, actually.  Chanoch Albeck conjectures in his commentary to the Mishna (Avos 3:7) that it was in the Galil, but there is no evidence pointing to this. THE PREPWORK You are not allowed to prepare on Shabbos for Yom Tov – even if it is not an actual malacha. (See SA OC 513:1 and MB). You should rather make as many preparations as you can on Friday and not delay things to do the prepwork on Motzai Shabbos – the night of the Seder – for a number of reasons, among which are Zrizim Makdimim l’Mitzvos and so that the children will be up to participating. The 10 things that must be prepared on Friday are: Debug the karpas vegetable (celery often has bugs) in sufficient amounts for everyone coming to the two sedarim. A zroah for the seder plate A roasted egg for the seder plate Checking enough Marror lettuce to make sure that they are entirely bug-free. Make sure that you have enough for everyone coming to the Seder for two nights-worth. If real horseradish is used, the custom is to grind it so that the bitterness will dissipate a bit.  This is done on Friday and covered. [The Vilna Gaon ate it straight. The Charoses should be done on Friday – enough […]

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