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Text Excerpt
מפני שאור הנר יפה לבדיקה. ואף על פי שאין ראיה לדבר — זכר לדבר, שנאמר: ״שבעת ימים שאר לא ימצא בבתיכם״, ואומר: ״ויחפש בגדול החל״, ואומר: ״בעת ההיא אחפש את ירושלים בנרות״, ואומר: ״נר ה׳ נשמת אדם חפש כל חדרי בטן״.
because the light of a lamp is effective for searching. And even though there is no proof for this matter, there is an allusion to this matter, as it is stated: “7 days leaven should not be found in your houses” (Exodus 12:19), and it says: “And he searched, starting with the eldest, and ending with the youngest; and the goblet was found in Benjamin’s sack…” (Genesis 44:12). And it says: “At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps” (Zephaniah 1:12), and it says: “The spirit of man is the lamp of God, searching all the inward parts” (Proverbs 20:27).
האי אור החמה היכי דמי? אי נימא בחצר, האמר רבא: חצר אינה צריכה בדיקה, מפני שהעורבין מצויין שם. אלא באכסדרה, האמר רבא: אכסדרה לאורה נבדקת!
The Talmud asks a question: This light of the sun, by which one may not conduct the search for leaven, what are the circumstances of this case? If we say it is referring to conducting a search in the courtyard, didn’t Rava say that a courtyard does not require searching, due to the ravens and other birds that are found there, and will certainly eat any leaven there? Rather, perhaps this ruling is referring to a portico, which is not frequented by ravens. However, this cannot be the correct interpretation either, as didn’t Rava say with regard to that case that a portico may be searched by its own light, i.e., one need not use a lamp at all when searching a portico, but one may search it by sunlight?
לא צריכא, לארובה דבחדר. ודהיכא? אי לבהדי ארובה — היינו אכסדרה. אלא לצדדין.
The Talmud answers: No, this statement with regard to sunlight is necessary with regard to the skylight that is in a room. The Talmud asks: And with regard to the area to which the tanna is referring, where in the room is it located? If he is referring to the place opposite the skylight, the legal status of that area is like that of a portico, as its abundant sunlight is adequate to search for leaven. Rather, the tanna is referring to the sides of the room. In those areas, one cannot rely on the sunlight from the skylight. He must search by the light of the lamp.