04 Mar SOME COMMON ISSUES AT PESACH HOTELS

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.w
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.