I have always been more takhlis, "what's the bottom line," oriented. That's why I tend to give the standard halakhic practice whenever possible. This will be my major focus for today because we learn exactly when are the final preparations for Passover to be completed.
The Mishnah at the bottom of yesterday's daf and the Mishnah on today's daf TB Pesakhim 11 discuss when we should search for the hametz, up to what hour are we allowed to eat the hametz, and when we should burn the hametz. Our Gemara discussing the Mishnah on TB Pesakhim 10b resolves seemingly contradictions between Rabbi Yehuda's position concerning hametz and his position found in other mishnayot on various topics. I recommend studying this page because you can learn about many different topics like new grain
(חדש) that is forbidden to be eaten before the omer offering on the second day of Passover and a review of cases we learned when we studied massekhet Shabbat.
The Gemara on the second Mishnah explains the time consideration underpinning Rabbi Yehuda's and Rabbi Meir's position. We have to remember that back then clocks and watches were not invented. Each Rabbi allows a different amount of leeway when deciding what hour of the day it is.
“MISHNA: Rabbi Yehuda says: One searches for leaven on the evening of the fourteenth of Nisan, and on the fourteenth in the morning, and at the time of the removal of leaven. And the Rabbis say: that is not the case; however, if one did not search on the evening of the fourteenth he should search on the fourteenth during the day...
“MISHNA: The tanna’im disagree regarding until what time leaven may be eaten and at what time it must be removed on Passover eve. Rabbi Meir says: One may eat leaven the entire fifth hour of the fourteenth of Nisan, and one must burn it immediately afterward at the beginning of the sixth hour. Rabbi Yehuda says: One may eat the entire fourth hour and one places it in abeyance for the entire fifth hour, and one burns it at the beginning of the sixth hour.” (Sefaria.org translation)
So what should you actually do? According to the Gemara, Rabbi Yehuda and the sages don't disagree when you should do the search for hametz. The search should be done on the evening of the14th of Nisan. If it wasn't done then, one should search for the hametz the morning of the 14th. If the search still wasn't done, then one such search right before the elimination of the hametz (ביעור חמץ ). Everybody agrees that the Torah prohibits the eating of hametz from the sixth hour on. They only disagree on the hours from the sixth hour to the lighting of the candles to start the holiday of Passover. Rabbi Yehuda forbids the search between those hours because he's afraid a person may find a nice piece of hametz and forget all about Passover and eat it. The sages were not afraid that would happen. The halakha follows the sages. Tosefot adds that if one completely fails to search for the hametz before Passover, he is still obligated to search during the holiday and even after Passover in order to distinguish between a piece of old hametz (חמץ שעבר עליו הפסח) which is forbidden forever and new hametz. Shulkhan Arukh, 434:1 and the Tosefot ד"ה ואם לא בדק בתוך המועד.
The rabbis added safeguards, a fence around the Torah, so that we would not violate a Torah law. These safeguards are the discussion of the second Mishna. We are permitted to eat hametz until the end of the fourth hour. During the fifth hour we are forbidden to eat it; however, we can derive benefit from it, sell it, or feed it to an animal for we follow the ruling of Rabbi Yehuda over Rabbi Meir. At the beginning of the six hour we destroy the hametz by fire if possible. Ibid., ibid 443:1
Consult your Rabbi or a reliable app for the correct times in your city.
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