Kashering a New Home Used for Passover

March 30, 2023

Question

If I am traveling to a new home for Passover, do I need to kasher that new home?

Answer

Of course you need to kasher the new home for Passover.

Sources

The Gemara and the Shulchan Aruch discuss someone who rents a house around Pesach. If the key was handed over to the tenant before the 14th of Nisan began, the obligation to search the house for chametz falls on the tenant. So a home you move into for Pesach must be prepared for Pesach even though it is new to you.

As for the kitchen, the Rema writes that any utensil that needs kashering may not be used on Pesach, even for cold food, until it has been kashered.

Gemara Pesachim 4a — if the keys were handed over before the 14th of Nisan, the renter must search the house for chametz
Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 437:1 — once the tenant has received the key before the 14th, the obligation to search falls on the tenant
Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 451:1 (Rema) — a utensil that requires kashering may not be used, even for cold food, without being kashered

Author

Rabbi Shay Tahan

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