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Pesachim Chapter 1, Mishnah 2: No Concern After Bedika

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Pesachim, Chapter 1, Mishnah 2. The Mishnah turns to a practical detail in the search for chametz, teaching that once a person has completed his search he need not worry any further. What was there to worry about?

The words of the Mishnah:

"Ein choshshin shema gerarah chuldah mibayis l'vayis u'mimakom l'makom" - we do not suspect that a weasel or a mouse may have dragged chametz from a house that has not yet been searched into a house that was already searched, or from a place that was not searched into a place that was.

The reason - "there would be no end to the matter":

The Mishnah explains: "D'im kein, mechatzer l'chatzer u'me'ir l'ir, ein l'davar sof" - if we were to entertain such a concern, the worry would not stop at the walls of the house, but would keep spreading:

  1. From house to house.

  2. From courtyard to courtyard.

  3. From city to city.

And since there is no limit to such a concern - there would be no end to the matter, and therefore we do not take it into account at all.

In summary: once a person has finished his search, he may assume that the place has remained free of chametz. Only if he saw some sign that raises a suspicion that something occurred is there room for concern; but in the absence of any such sign, the search stands.