Rif Pesachim 4a {Pesachim 7b continues ... 8a}

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4a

{Pesachim 7b continues}
at the start and then search.
For Rav Yehuda cited Shmuel: All the commandments, one blesses upon them before performing them.
Rav Chisda said {clarifying the statement of the school of Rav}: With the sole exception of immersion.
What is the reason? For {before immersion} he is not yet fit.

A brayta also says so: He immerses, and when he ascends from his immersion, he says: Baruch ata Hashem Elokeinu melech haOlam asher kiddeshanu beMitzvotav veTzivanu al haTevila.

And the Sages explain this as referring solely to the immersion of a convert, but the other immersions, they bless and afterwards immerse.

For we have established: A Niddah may separate challah and she is required to bless lihafrish challah {and thus a Niddah may bless in that state}.

And we learn {tnan} also: a zav who experiences a nocturnal emission and a Niddah who expels sperm {resulting from previous intercourse} require immersion.

The reason {they require immersion} is because he experienced a nocturnal emission and she expelled sperm. This implies that if he did not experience a nocturnal emission {but was just a zav} and she did not expel sperm {but was just a Niddah}, they may read {Shema} and pray and do not require immersion {before doing so}.

They search for chametz by the light of a candle ... because the light of a candle is good for searching.

The Sages learnt {in a brayta}: They do not search by the light of the sun, nor by the light of the moon, nor by the light of a torch, but only by the light of the candle, for the light of the candle is good for searching.

{Pesachim 8a}
And although there is no proof to the matter, there is a hint to the matter. For it is states {Shemot 12:19}

יט שִׁבְעַת יָמִים--שְׂאֹר, לֹא יִמָּצֵא בְּבָתֵּיכֶם: כִּי כָּל-אֹכֵל מַחְמֶצֶת, וְנִכְרְתָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא מֵעֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל--בַּגֵּר, וּבְאֶזְרַח הָאָרֶץ.

19 Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses; for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a sojourner, or one that is born in the land.

and it states {by the steward searching for the goblet hidden in Binyamin's sack, in in Bereishit 44:12:

יב וַיְחַפֵּשׂ--בַּגָּדוֹל הֵחֵל, וּבַקָּטֹן כִּלָּה; וַיִּמָּצֵא, הַגָּבִיעַ, בְּאַמְתַּחַת, בִּנְיָמִן.

12 And he searched, beginning at the eldest, and leaving off at the youngest; and the goblet was found in Benjamin's sack.

and is states {in Tzefania 1:12}:

יב וְהָיָה בָּעֵת הַהִיא, אֲחַפֵּשׂ אֶת-יְרוּשָׁלִַם בַּנֵּרוֹת; וּפָקַדְתִּי עַל-הָאֲנָשִׁים, הַקֹּפְאִים עַל-שִׁמְרֵיהֶם, הָאֹמְרִים בִּלְבָבָם, לֹא-יֵיטִיב יְהוָה וְלֹא יָרֵעַ.

12 And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps; and I will punish the men that are settled on their lees, that say in their heart: 'The LORD will not do good, neither will He do evil.'