Last time we were discussing issues concerning pesach, amongst other things, and today we will continue this theme but from the perspective of the yiddishe housewife:
There is no doubt that the prohibition concerning chometz on pesach is a major trauma for most households. The penalty for being oiver this lav is kores, which no-one is looking for.
When it says in the posuk "you shall remove all leaven from your house; no leaven shall be seen in all your houses for the seven days" (not necessarily exact quote but for a bogus rabbi in the run up to pesach its not bad), it means business. And business is indeed what pesach is all about.
There are different rabbinic opinions as to what exactly constitues Kosher LePesach. Most of these do not concern you - the housewife - making pesach because you will only do the shopping in a shop approved by your husband. His decision is based on whose products taste better, or are a penny cheaper, or are under the kashrus authority he would like to support (patronise), or which hechsher is more stringent, (or lenient); and this process on his part takes 90% of the stress off you.
In practice then, pesach doesn't really need to get going for women until succos is over. The winter is a good time to think about who you will be having to stay for the next yom tov, the name of which currently escapes you, and to recap on how many children you have (or will have) etc. This is normally forgotten by most men so don't rely on your husband to pasken on this. If it doesn't concern kashrus and labels, he won't know. Some say it is better he doesn't know.
Moving on to purim, you can maximise the occasion for passing on all your food and mashkeh (although Rav 4 says one should wait with this until the next day) to people who don't really want any chometz a month before pesach, but what are friends for? BUT: once purim is behind you, one is obligated to really get stuck in, planning menus and making draft lists for shopping and cleaning.
Unfortunately you will not be able to carry out this part of the mitzvah to your full potential because the rabbonim are divided as to what exactly needs cleaning and more importantly what constitutes chometz. But "machshovo k'ma-aseh" (the thought is as good as the deed), and if your intention is to rid your home of all forbidden chometz, cleaning the curtains and the grass are sufficient. She who is machmir, how much is she to be praised. (About .1%? .2% efshar). Sticking your head in the oven is preferable to sticking your neck out, but if there is a danger of your being cooked one must take care not to do this on shabbos.
This leads to the inyan of whether one may prepare, even mentally, for pesach on shabbos. If one's thoughts are about menus, quantities, recipes and chocolate it is permitted; if one is thinking about cleaning, in-laws, another addition to the family or euro lids it is forbidden. Reb Ellion says thinking for women is ossur at any time. Rav 4 says thinking about women is ossur at any time. But the halocho is according to the majority (of men).
On erev pesach, which lasts from a week after purim until the first seder, you will need to refer repeatedly to your shulchon oruch (mitt an alef, loi mitt an ayin) to see how many more people you can squeeze round it. It is a duty to remember that you only have 32 chairs and 2 high chairs. One who forgets needs to apologise on the Night In Question for the ensuing hassle. These days, however, when even women have come to make mistakes occasionally, most households are not too strict about the chairs provided there is enough food.
Food is forbidden on pesach unless it is sealed, in which case it may be eaten if so desired. If a dog is partial to lipstick, perfume, hair conditoners or even washing up liquid the dog must be rehoused over the festival. You are not required to replace these products unless you are not happy with them, in which case they should be replaced with alternative products. This is because of the principle of "I'm worth it" (L'oreal) although some say it is so that sholom bayis is not disrupted over yom tov.
It is now time for Ma'ariv.
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