As we learned in yesterday’s daily halacha (Jewish law), according to Torah law, one either has to make bitul chametz—that’s to nullify his chametz (leavened food)—or make a bedikah (search for chametz). Either one would suffice under Torah law. However, the hachamim (the Sages) said that even if somebody plans on making bitul chametz, one should still make bedikah. There are a few reasons why they mandated a bedikah. Number one, they were concerned that maybe a person would not make the bitul wholeheartedly. He has a lot of chametz, and even though verbally he says, “Yes, I’m nullifying it,” he might not mean it fully in his heart, and then he’ll transgress. But if you do a bedikah, you’re getting rid of it, so you won’t have that problem. Secondly, by making a bitul, even if he meant it wholeheartedly, the chametz is still in his house. They had this concern that maybe over the holiday you’ll forget and come to eat it. Therefore, they say you should get rid of it, especially the chametz that we’re accustomed to eating all year long. There’s a good chance that if you leave it in your house, you might come to eat it. Therefore, they said that even though you nullified it, you must make a bedikah to get rid of it.
The bedikah is done: Or le'arba'ah asar, le'or ha-ner (On the night of the fourteenth, by candlelight). Or le'arba'ah asar (the night of the 14th) means—even though or means light—the Gemara explains that it means the night. The night of the 14th is the night before Pesach. The question is: what is the time to make the bedikah? Hacham Ben Tzion says that according to Shulchan Aruch, even though technically the time for the bedikah is the whole night, zerizin makdimin (the zealous perform mitzvot early) wants you to try to do the mitzvah (commandment) at the earliest time, which is right when the stars come out—any time after 20 minutes after sunset. Maran’s language in Tav Lamed Alef is that one should start making the bedikah at the beginning of the night. So we see that Maran also preferred that, even though you can do the mitzvah the whole night, it should preferably be done at the earliest time possible.
Regarding praying Arvit (evening prayer) first, Hacham Ben Tzion says we follow the law of Tadir (more frequent). Even though you pray Arvit at 20 minutes after sunset, Hacham Ben Tzion didn’t mean that the bedikah has to start exactly 20 minutes after sunset; he meant 20 minutes plus praying Arvit. So you can pray Arvit at the right time and then go to the bedikah immediately. Chafetz Chaim says that once the time for the bedikah comes, one should not even eat a small amount of fruit; even that is a small delay. One should right away look at the time and make the... Since he hasn’t made bitul yet, because he’s just starting with the bedikah, it comes out that at the time he’s doing the bedikah, it’s a de'oraita (Torah law). Therefore, he should not minimize or mitigate this great mitzvah, de'oraita, that he’s about to do. Everybody should make a bedikah and not try to get out of it by selling all the chametz and using all these types of ways to get out of it. You shouldn’t get out of the mitzvah; it’s a de'oraita. Therefore, the mitzvah has great, great significance.