1,090. Beginning Hilchos Chometz u'Matzah

Chometz u’Matzah 1:1

Any person who intentionally eats an olive-sized portion of chometz on Passover, starting from the night of 15 Nisan until the end of the day on 21 Nisan, is liable to the punishment of kareis (spiritual excision), as per Exodus 12:15, “Whoever eats leaven... his soul shall be cut off.” If one eats such a volume of chometz unintentionally, he is liable to bring a sin offering. This applies both to one who eats chometz and to one who liquifies chometz and drinks it.

Chometz u’Matzah 1:2

It is prohibited to derive any benefit whatsoever from chometz on Passover as per Exodus 13:3, “Do not eat chometz,” which includes benefit that may facilitate eating. [See Talmud Pesachim 21b for a fuller explanation of how this conclusion is reached.] One who has chometz on his property over Passover violates two prohibitions even though he does not eat it. Exodus 13:7 says, “No leaven shall be seen throughout your territory” and Exodus 12:19 says, “No leaven shall be found in your homes.” The same prohibitions apply both to chometz (a leavened product) and to seor (that which causes leavening, which we have translated here simply as “leaven” for simplicity’s sake).