SEARCH FOR ḤAMETZ On Pesaḥ, not only is it forbidden to eat leavened products, it is also forbidden to have them in our possession (Ex. 12:19; 13:7). For that reason, a search was instituted on the night before the festival. All leaven is to be removed (usually destroyed by burning) the next morning. The blessing said prior to the search refers to the removal, since the search is a means to that end. The two declarations – one made at night after the search, the other in the morning after the removal – constitute a legal nullification and renunciation of ownership of any remaining ḥametz.