1. The days before Shabbos.
    1. According to the Ashkenazi minhag the first-born should fast this year on Thursday, 12 Nisan. They can participate in a Siyum as usual.
    2. Since bedikas chametz is done that evening, if a person finds that it is too difficult to fast until after the bedika, he can have a snack before beginning the bedika, but not a regular meal.
    3. Bedikas chametz this year is done on the Thursday night before Pesach in the normal manner, with the regular bitul being done afterwards as in normal years.
    4. On Friday morning, Mizmor Lesoda and Lamenatzeach are said since it isn't Erev Pesach until Shabbos.
    5. The burning of the Chometz is done Friday morning at the same time it is normally done during regular years. Since you are allowed to eat Chometz all day long, you should burn only that Chometz that you don't need for the Friday and Shabbos meals. The bitul that is normally done at the time of the burning of the Chometz is not done on Friday morning this year, but on Shabbos morning.
    6. Most Poskim hold that the prohibition of eating matza on Erev Pesach does not apply on this Friday. Some disagree.
      1. Many places have a minhag not to eat matza from Rosh Chodesh Nisan.
      2. Egg matza may be eaten Friday all day and Shabbos morning.
 
    1. Generally speaking you aren't allowed to do "work" on Erev Pesach from noon. This refers to the sort of work that is asur on Chol HaMoed. This year, most Poskim hold that this sort of work may be done on Friday afternoon. Some Poskim say that it is proper to refrain from this sort of work on this Friday afternoon.
 
  1. Shabbos meals.
    1. There are a number of technical and halachik problems that arise in connection with the meals that are to be eaten this Shabbos. Instead of going into all the problems, we will explain the best way to handle the meals to avoid any difficulties.
    2. The stove, oven, sink and counters should be kashered before Shabbos.
    3. The hot food that you intend to eat on this Shabbat should be cooked in Pesach utensils and shouldn't contain Chometz.
    4. You should use disposable tableware for your meals and transfer the food from the Pesach utensils with either Pesach or disposable silverware.
    5. Eat in a room where the floor can be easily cleaned from crumbs (no rug or carpet).
    6. Cover the table with plastic so that the bread crumbs don’t come in contact with it.
    7. At the Friday night meal, you should eat Challah (including lechem mishneh). You should be careful with the crumbs. If they fall into the disposable plates, make sure the crumbs are removed and flushed down the toilet.
    8. The Shabbos morning meal is generally eaten very early and is divided into two parts:
      1. After Kiddush, wash and eat a little more than a kebeitza of Challah (about a slice to a slice and a half). You can eat other foods with it if you want.
      2. Then "Bentch" and leave the table (go for a walk, study, etc.).
      3. Wash again and eat again the same amount of Challah and any other foods you might want to eat. Make sure to finish the Challah by the time posted as the sof zman achilas chametz.
      4. There are certain people who are concerned over having Challah in their home so close to Pesach and therefore use Egg Matzah instead of Challah.
 
    1. After the second Shabbos morning meal the following should be done:
      1. The tablecloth should be shaken off of crumbs into the toilet.
      2. If any pieces of Challah or bread remain, they should be crumbled up and flushed down the toilet. The disposable tableware can be placed in the garbage as usual, assuming that there are no crumbs on it.
      3. The floor should be swept and the crumbs found thrown into the toilet.
      4. You should check the pockets of the clothing worn during the Chometz meals (other pockets would have been checked already beforehand).
      5. You should rinse out your mouth thoroughly to make sure it's bread-free.
      6. The bitul should be done, saying the regular nusach which you generally say every year when you burn the Chometz.
 
    1. In the early afternoon (preferably, after Mincha), you should eat another Seudah Shlishis consisting of fish or meat or Pesadik Chulent, etc. Kneidlach may also be eaten, but not cake made out of Matzah Meal. The kneidlach may be eaten only until about three hours before sunset. You should be careful not to eat too much so that the matza will be eaten at the seder with a good, hearty appetite.
 
  1. As much as possible, Seder preparations should be done before Shabbos to make sure the Seder will not be delayed. Nothing may be done on Shabbos to prepare for Seder.
    1. The egg and zeroa should be roasted before Shabbos.
    2. If you forgot, the egg can be roasted Motzei Shabbos if it will be eaten either during the Seder or the following day.
    3. The zeroa can be roasted Motzei Shabbos only if it will be eaten during the following day (we don't eat roasted meat at the Seder).
    4. The horseradish ought to be ground before Shabbos and kept in a closed container so that its potency not be lost. Some people are machmir to use only freshly ground horseradish and so it should be ground on Motzei Shabbos. A shinui is required: grind onto a piece of paper or onto the tablecloth instead of onto a plate.
    5. The salt water ought to be prepared before Shabbos. If you forgot, it may be prepared on Motzei Shabbos.
    6. All preparations for the Seder done on Motzei Shabbos must be done only after the time that Shabbos is over and not beforehand.
    7. The people preparing for the Seder should either say Baruch HaMavdil bein kodesh lekodesh or else daven Maariv and say Vatodienu in Shmoneh Esrei. This must also done by anyone who is going to light candles for Yom Tov, since the candles are lit before the Seder (and before Havdallah).
    8. This year the first cup of wine is YKNH”Z. This means that we make five different brachos on it: on the wine; Kiddush; on the flame; Havdallah; Shehechiyanu.
    9. As far as which flame ought to be used, there are a number of minhagim:
      1. Some people light two matches for this purpose, being careful not to put them out afterwards, but to place them gently down in an ashtray.
      2. Some people take two of the Yom Tov candles and place their flames together for the bracha and afterwards separate them.
      3. Some people make the bracha on the Yom Tov candles the way they are, without placing them near each other.

 

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