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If someone will be leaving their home before the time of bedikas chometz they must be "bodek" (check) the home for chometz in the same way they would check on the night of the 14th of Nissan. If a person did this anytime before the time of bedika and then the next day decided that they were going to stay in their house for Pesach, would they need a new bedika on the night of the 14th? Do they need to make a bracha when doing this bedika?

The reason perhaps they don't need at all is because a bedika was already made according to halacha and if they didn't bring any more chometz into their house perhaps then it wouldn't be needed. Or because they will be staying now in the home and should do things according to the way Chazal set it up, however maybe without a bracha since a bedika was technically made.

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    IINM, it's a positive Mitzvah DeRabbanan to do a Bedikah אור לארבעה עשר.
    – Seth J
    Commented Apr 4, 2014 at 15:50
  • @SethJ he also has a mitzvah to be bodek early if he is leaving early and he did that and did not bring in any more chometz...
    – Yehoshua
    Commented Apr 5, 2014 at 17:26
  • @SethJ You only have to check places that might have chametz
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Apr 6, 2014 at 4:52

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The Chayei Adam Klal 119, Seif 11 says that if one has performed the bedikah on the night of the 13th in the proper manner, he has performed it bediavad (בדיעבד עלתה לו בדיקה) However, it is in any event proper to go back and check a single room on the night of the 14th according to the basic takkana of the rabbis (my translation). The Chayei Adam says that this is done without a bracha (quoting the Chok Yaakov).

The shulchan Aruch and the Mishnah Berurah in Siman 436 that if someone is taking a trip and plans to come back before Pesach, he should check before going just in case he gets back late and forgets to check on the 14th. The implication is that if he remembers, he should still check on the 14th like the Chayei Adam said.

Note that if Chametz is reintroduced into an area that was checked earlier, the previous bedikah is nullified and it must be checked again.

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    Can you reintroduce Chametz on the night of the 14th on purpose to obligate yourself in the Mitzva?
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Apr 6, 2014 at 4:53
  • @Yehoshua Can you reintroduce Chametz to your house on the 14th after doing bedika earlier that night and thereby forcing yourself to do bedika again?
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Apr 6, 2014 at 5:13
  • @DoubleAA I'm assuming you mean after the "zman" bedika or in a case where the bedika was already made?
    – Yehoshua
    Commented Apr 6, 2014 at 5:22
  • @Yehoshua My first comment is the OP's case. My second question is after a bedika was already made.
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Apr 6, 2014 at 5:23
  • @DoubleAA Why do you think that could be possible?
    – Yehoshua
    Commented Apr 6, 2014 at 9:18

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