25 Mar SOME COMMON ISSUES AT PESACH HOTELS

Erev Pesach Falls on
Shabbos
When staying in a
hotel for Pesach, it
can be difficult to
have everyone eat
chametz, as cleaning
up afterwards can be
challenging. Therefore,
one should eat egg
matzah for lechem mishnah on Shabbos.
Soap and shampoo provided in the hotel
bathroom do not need to be kosher for
Pesach.
Bedikas Chametz
If one arrives at the hotel on the night of
bedikas chametz, even if they did not bring
chametz, they should place out bread and
check for chametz with a beracha. Many
people arrive at the hotel a few days before
Pesach; in this case, one should perform a
regular bedika.
If a guest arrives at the hotel on or before
the night of the 14th, they should perform
the bedika in the hotel room, just as they
would in their own home. If the hotel room
is already very clean, the guest should eat
chametz in the room so that it will not be
considered a “room in which chametz is
not brought in,” enabling them to recite a
beracha. The guest should also include the
hotel guest’s car in the bedika.
A flashlight may be used for the bedika,
especially since lighting a candle is not
allowed, and electric lights do not need to
be turned off.
It is worth noting that Rabbi Shmuel
Kamenetsky is quoted as saying that the
cleaning in hotel rooms is so thorough that
the room is considered to not need a bedika.
However, he also ruled that if chametz is

eaten there, a beracha should be recited. It
is unclear why one should not specifically
eat in the room, since doing so would allow
them to perform the bedika with a beracha,
which is preferable.
Program Director at a Pesach Program
If the Pesach program directors rented out
the rooms themselves and are subletting
the rooms to guests, then the obligation of
bedika falls on them on the night of the 14th
if they rented the rooms before that night. If
the program directors actually perform the
bedika, there is no obligation on the hotel
guest to do so. The bedika can be performed
by a messenger, but it cannot be done by a
gentile.
It is rare for the program directors to actually
do or oversee the bedika for all the rooms
they rent out. Therefore, if the program
directors did not perform the bedika, or if the
hotel owners are not Jewish or not religious,
the obligation falls on the hotel guest to
perform the bedika on that day. If the room
is very clean and it is still before Zman Biur,
the guest should eat chametz there and then
perform the bedika with a beracha. If there
is not enough time, the bedika should be
done without a beracha.
Why Sell Your House?
It should be emphasized that there is no
reason for anyone who is healthy and not
infirm to be exempt from properly cleaning
their house and performing the required
bedika, even if they are going away for
Yom Tov. This is relevant for someone who
arrives at the hotel on Erev Pesach; in this
case, they should still perform a bedika in
their house.
The bedika should be done with a candle,
not a torch. There is discussion regarding
the use of electric lights, but since hotels do
not allow open flames in rooms, a flashlight

may be used.
Coming to a Hotel on Chol
Hamoed
Typically, hotel rooms are
cleaned before a guest’s
arrival. While it is unlikely
to find food under the bed
or elsewhere, there may
be chametz items in the
hotel room for sale. When
arriving at a hotel on Chol
Hamoed, the guest should
check the room for chametz,
but no beracha is recited. If
one is attending a Pesach
program for the second
days, they should also check
for chametz, as it is unlikely
that the program director did
this before renting out the
room.

Condiments in the Room
The ingredients at the coffee station
in the room are typically not chametz,
but guests should check to ensure they
are approved for Pesach use, even
without a special hechsher.
Mini-Bar

Many hotel rooms have a mini-
bar stocked with snacks, alcohol,

and beverages, some of which may
contain chametz. Before Pesach,
guests should ensure that the mini-bar
is sealed and covered. Ideally, they should
request that the hotel management remove
the items for Pesach.
One reason for removing the mini-bar items
is that if chametz is in the room, even if it
is not the guest’s responsibility, the guest
could be in violation of possessing chametz
on Pesach. Rabbi Shlomo Miller maintains
that guests are not responsible for chametz
in the mini-bar, as they are not liable for lost
items unless they purchase them. However,
asking the hotel to remove the items resolves
the issue.
Guests should also cover the coffee urn and
any glassware in the room.
Using Glass Cups
A question arises about using glass cups
provided in the hotel room for Pesach. In
previous years, glass would break when
hot water was poured into it, so the custom
was to use the same glass cups throughout
the year, as they did not absorb hot liquids.
Today, glass can withstand heat, so guests
should not use the same glassware on Pesach
that they use year-round, as these glasses
may have been washed with chametz.
Using porcelain utensils in the hotel is not
permitted on Pesach.
Selling a Jewish-Owned Hotel
A Jewish hotel owner offering chametz
during Pesach should ensure that a contract
is made with a non-Jew to sell the hotel for
the duration of Pesach. This contract should
be arranged with a competent rabbi familiar
with the relevant halachos.
Kashering During Pesach
If a guest arrives at a hotel during Chol
Hamoed Pesach and wishes to use the
microwave or oven, they may be wondering
if they can kasher these appliances.
According to the Rema, one is not allowed
to kasher a utensil that requires hagalah
(boiling) on Pesach, as even a small amount
of chametz is forbidden. If a microwave or
oven has not been kashered, the guest can
wrap the food in double layers of foil and
use it.
However, when performing libun gamur
(extreme heat), 24 hours of waiting is not
required, and it is permissible to kasher the

oven during Chol Hamoed.
Paying for Matzah
A guest who pays for a Pesach program
does not need to lift the matzah in order
to be considered “the owner” of it, since
the matzah is included in the price of the
program.
The Rema mentions that the afikoman
should not be eaten at two different places,
and the Mishnah Berurah adds that it should
not be eaten on two parts of the same table.
When staying in a hotel with multiple tables,
even if they are with family members, guests
should be careful about this.
Children
When staying in a Pesach hotel with small
children, parents may not always know
where their children are. Many hotels are
not rented out entirely for the program, so
there may be chametz in the hotel lobby,
and children could end up taking chametz
on Pesach.
Chametz Party at the Hotel
At many hotels, there is a chametz party a
few hours after Pesach ends. Is this allowed?
Some might argue that the concept of rotzeh
b’keyumo applies to chametz, meaning
that if someone desires to have chametz on
Pesach, it may present an issue.
While there is a discussion in the poskim
regarding whether rotzeh b’keyumo applies
to chametz, most hold that it does. The
Chasam Sofer suggests that the issue arises
only when one benefits from having chametz
during Pesach. In this case, a hotel may not
be violating this principle since they are not
seeking personal benefit from the chametz.
Some poskim believe that as long as the
chametz is consumed after Pesach, there is
no issue of rotzeh b’keyumo. Additionally,
when chametz is sold to a non-Jew, there is
no issue.
Based on the above, there seems to be no
issue with a chametz party occurring shortly
after Pesach at hotel programs.
Taking Non-Jewish Help for Pesach
If one brings non-Jewish help to a Pesach
hotel, it is important to ensure that they do
not purchase chametz in the lobby to feed to
the children.