Chapter 13:

When Pesach Falls on Shabbat

1. Introduction
2. During certain years (such as 2022 and the upcoming 2029), the first day of Pesach falls on Shabbat. This scenario is more common than the timing of when Erev Pesach falls out on Shabbat. As with the rest of the book, my goal in this chapter is to simplify your additional planning while ensuring adherence to halacha. While it is beyond the scope of this guide to address all laws related to Shabbat and Yom Tov, I will include some general principles and common issues that arise when the first day of Pesach falls on Shabbat.
3. There are 3 aspects of observance that are modified when the first day of Pesach falls on Shabbat: First, since Shabbat has more restrictions surrounding preparation of food and cooking, we must modify our preparation and cooking for the seders. Second, since the 7^th day of Pesach falls on a Friday, we need to prepare an Eruv Tavshilin on Thursday afternoon so we can cook on Friday for Shabbat.¹ The 3^rd area concerns modifications for the prayer services and the Haggadah.

Erev Pesach

Unlike last year, there are no changes this year in the timing for mechirat chametz (selling one’s chametz to a non-Jew before Pesach),² bedikat chametz (checking for chametz),³ bitul chametz (nullifying chametz),⁴ or biur chametz (destroying the chametz.)⁵ The fast of the first born and the customary siyum is also held at its normal time on Erev Pesach (Friday) this year.⁶

Preparation and Cooking for the Seders

1. On Friday afternoon before Shabbat, one should light a long-lasting candle (such as a yarhtzeit candle) that will burn for at least 2 days in order to have a fire source for lighting candles and cooking on the 2^nd day of Yom tov (i.e., Saturday night through Sunday evening.)⁷ The fire should not be used until Shabbat is over.⁸
2. As mentioned above,⁹ it is generally prohibited to prepare on the first day of Yom Tov for the second seder (and this is certainly the case this year when the first day of Pesach falls on Shabbat.) Therefore, one should try to prepare everything possible for the 1^st and 2^nd seders on Friday before Shabbat/Yom Tov begins.
3. If you are using romaine lettuce for maror, it is preferable to check for and remove insects before Shabbat/Pesach. If you did not do so, you may first rinse the leaves well, then soak (in this order)¹⁰ and inspect the leaves (and repeat if necessary) to ensure they are free of visible insects.
4. If you are using horseradish for maror, it is preferable to grate the horseradish before Shabbat/Pesach. If necessary, on the 1^st night, Shabbat Pesach, you can cut the horseradish into small pieces with a knife.¹¹ On the 2^nd night, one may grate horseradish¹² in a slightly unusual manner.¹³
5. Enough charoset should be prepared before Shabbat/Pesach for both seder nights. If necessary, charoset may be prepared on Shabbat Pesach¹⁴ or Yom Tov (see footnotes.)¹⁵
6. Enough salt water should be prepared before Shabbat/Pesach for both seder nights. If necessary, salt water may be prepared on Shabbat or Yom Tov.¹⁶

Second Seder Start Time

One may not begin the 2^nd seder before nightfall¹⁷ (tzeit hakochavim.)¹⁸

Preparing Via Non-Melacha Activity on Shabbat for the 2^nd day of Yom Tov

1. Once Shabbat begins at sundown on Friday, one may not cook or perform any melacha, nor prepare for the 2^nd seder until after nightfall on Saturday night.¹⁹ Preparation for the 2^nd seder that does not involve melacha may begin during bein hashmashot²⁰ on Saturday evening.
2. However, one may prepare on Shabbat for the 2^nd seder, a non-melacha activity which also serves a purpose for the day you are doing the prep on (i.e., for Shabbat.)²¹ Thus, it is permissible to spruce up your home or to wash dishes (in a permissible manner)²² to tidy your kitchen or for hygienic purposes on Shabbat this year.
3. One may also prepare on the Shabbat for the 2^nd day of Yom Tov if the non-melacha activity will become more difficult to accomplish if you wait until after Shabbat. Thus, one may remove frozen food from the freezer during on Shabbat day in order to cook it at night if there won’t be enough time for the food to defrost after nightfall.²³
4. According to these guidelines, a family with young children may prepare on Shabbat for the 2^nd seder via non-melacha activities if these activities will enable them to start the 2^nd seder as early as possible after nightfall.

Third Meal

1. One should eat Seuda Shlisheet (third meal) on this Shabbat/Yom Tov, preferably a small meal with matzah. One should preferably eat this meal before the ‘tenth hour’,²⁴ or at least before the time of ‘mincha ketana’²⁵ to not spoil your appetite for the 2^nd seder.²⁶
2. If you did not eat third meal before that time, you may eat the meal until sunset, but you should preferably eat only the minimum required amount of matzah to fulfil the mitzvah.²⁷

Cooking for Shabbat on the Last Days

1. Since the last days of Pesach this year fall out on Friday and Shabbat, one needs to make an eruv tavshilin on Thursday afternoon²⁸ before Yom Tov. This procedure permits preparation and cooking on Friday/Yom Tov for Shabbat.²⁹
2. The procedure is as follows:³⁰
3. Take a sheet of matzah (or any baked food) together with any cooked food and recite the following blessing: Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher kideshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al mitzvat eruv.
4. Then make the declaration: Through this eruv, we shall be permitted to bake, cook, wrap, light fires/flames/kindle flames, prepare, anything that is necessary on the holiday for the sake of the Shabbat.³¹
5. Put aside these 2 foods and preferably eat them on Shabbat.³²

The Prayer Services and Seder

1. Vihi Noam

The week before Pesach, on Motzei Shabbat HaGadol,³³ the custom is to omit the vihi noam at Maariv, because Erev Pesach is considered a Yom Tov.³⁴

1. Friday Night
2. We do not recite Magen Avot or Meiain Sheva in shul on Shabbat Leil Pesach.³⁵
3. We do not sing Sholom Aleichem or Eshet Chayil at the seder on Friday night (unless one has a family custom to do so.)³⁶
4. Modifications of the Haggadah for Shabbat and Motzei Shabbat
5. Kiddush/First Cup on 1^st night (Shabbat)

Add the Shabbat sections to kiddush/the first cup at the 1^st seder.³⁷

1. Havdalah on 2^nd Night (Motzei Shabbat)
2. We add ‘Vatodieinu’ in the Amidah in Maariv on Motzei Shabbat, the 2^nd night of Pesach.³⁸
3. After nightfall on Saturday night, someone who wishes to do melacha that is permissible on Yom tov (such as lighting candles or cooking from a pre-lit flame) should first say the words “Baruch hamavdil bein kodesh l’kodesh” with the intention of ending Shabbat for themselves.³⁹
4. In the kiddush section of the 2^nd seder on Saturday night, we add the blessing on the candle for Havdalah, followed by the blessing for Havdalah.⁴⁰ For the bracha on the candle, one should try to combine the Yom Tov candles together as 2 wicks into one.⁴¹ However, if you are concerned that the fire might spread or that one candle will extinguish or that wax will drip, you should make the bracha on 2 separate candles,⁴² or if necessary, on one candle.⁴³ If it is difficult or even remotely dangerous to use a candle, one can make the blessing of borei meoray haeish on a previously lit incandescent electric light in your home.⁴⁴
5. Bracha on the 2^nd cup/Hallel on 2^nd night (Motzei Shabbat)

Ordinarily the wording in the long bracha on the Hallel/2^nd cup is min hazevachim umin hapesachim but on Motzei Shabbat we reverse the order of the text, to min hapesachim umin hazevachim.⁴⁵

Questions may be directed to rabbiehirsch@gmail.com. Best wishes for a kosher, meaningful and pain-free Pesach holiday!