Sale of Chametz

By selling your chametz, you are selling all chametz products in your possession to a non-Jew for the duration of Pesach. After Pesach, you buy the products back from the buyer.

In addition to selling chametz to a non-Jew, you must ensure that chametz is not located in a place owned by a Jew. Therefore, when selling chametz in your home to a non-Jew, you must also lease the place where it is stored. Mark the places sold to a non-Jew clearly so it is evident they were sold for the duration of Pesach.

It is customary to conduct the sale through a rabbi. The rabbi does not buy the chametz but acts as your agent to sell your chametz to a non-Jew. To this end, you must fill out the authorization form, appointing the rabbi as your agent.

It is customary to perform a kinyan — an act of acquisition. The person filling out the form raises a garment or object, thereby granting validity to the authorization given to the rabbi. This is not a prerequisite for the sale; even without it, the sale is valid.

To satisfy all opinions, the rabbi performs two chametz sales at two different times:

1. On 14 Nisan, before the time of searching for chametz. All places you suspect contain chametz and do not wish to check should be marked on the day of 14 Nisan. These places will be sold to a non-Jew before the obligation to search, exempting you from checking there.

2. An additional sale takes place on 15 Nisan. All places marked as sold to a non-Jew between the first and second sales will be sold at this time.

Note: For both sales, you must fill out the same form on the website, and the rabbi will arrange the sale in the most effective manner for both times.

If you follow a strict approach and wish to sell cosmetics, cleaning supplies, soaps, etc., which are not required to be destroyed by law, it is proper to list them in the sale form so they are included in the chametz sale.