Prayer Before Bedikas Chametz - The Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a

Master of the World, Omnipotent One, from Whom no scheme is hidden, grant me the merit at this time—as I stand ready and prepared to fulfill the mitzvah of Bedikas Chametz (searching for leaven)—that I may merit to burn out the chametz from my heart. Let me remove all the [negative] thoughts I harbor against true Tzaddikim, and may I merit the "light of the eyes," which elevates all prayers and requests. As Rebbe Nachman writes (Likutey Moharan II:83), the "light of the eyes" elevates all the requests and supplications that one prays toward the Beis HaMikdash (Holy Temple), for that is where all prayers and requests ascend, and from there the "light of the eyes" emerges, in the aspect of "My eyes and My heart shall be there all the days." The light of the eyes awakens the light of the Geulah (Redemption), which depends on the heart, in the aspect of "For the day of vengeance is in My heart," because the eyes and heart of Hashem are there. This is the aspect of "He called the light Day"—the light of the eyes awakens the "day of vengeance" in the heart, to nullify the leaven and chametz of the evil inclination in man's heart, which remains with him from his youth. The leaven and chametz in a person's heart is the inciter that causes a person to question the Torah scholars of the generation, saying, "This one is fitting, and that one is not fitting," in the aspect of "Their heart is divided." Their heart corresponds to the 72 Tzaddikim of the generation. This is the meaning of "Light for the fourteenth" [the time for searching for chametz on the 14th of Nissan], which refers to the light in the eyes, which contain two sets of seven layers of the eye [totaling 14], through which we search for the chametz. And now, as I come to search for the chametz, grant me the "light of the eyes," which are the "stones of kadkod" (precious stones) that Rivkah merited, as it is written, "And her pitcher (kad) was on her shoulder, and she filled her pitcher and ascended." She merited the illumination of the "stones of kadkod," and through this, she was able to burn the chametz from her heart and merit the aspect of Kad (24)—the lights of Keter (Crown) and Da'at (Knowledge).

Please, O Merciful and Gracious One, grant me merit on this day, the 14th of Nissan, to be included in the souls of Mordechai and Esther, and to utterly burn out all the leaven and chametz within me. For this day is the first day of the fast of the Jews of Shushan, who merited to be included in Mordechai and Esther, and through this, they merited to burn out the chametz—who is Haman the Wicked—who was hanged on the 16th of Nissan. And by being included in Mordechai and Esther (Mordechai 274 + Esther 661 = 937), may I merit the fulfillment of the verse, "I remember for you the kindness of your youth, the love of your espousals, your going after Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown" (Lechteich [your going] 470 + Acharai [after Me] 219 + Bamidbar [in the wilderness] 248 = 937).

Master of the World, in the merit of burning the chametz from my heart and from all my 248 limbs and 365 veins, grant me holy and pure blood. Through this, may my eyes shine with "precious light" (Or [light] 207 + Yakar [precious] 310 = 517), specifically in these months, which are Nissan, Iyar, and Sivan (Nissan 170 + Iyar 221 + Sivan 126 = 517). In these months You performed miracles and wonders with our ancestors: You took us out of Egypt and redeemed us from slavery with great awe, with signs, with wonders, and with a mighty hand. You also hanged Haman, and You transferred his house—filled with silver, gold, precious stones, and pearls—to holiness, into the hands of Mordechai and Esther. You split the sea for us and led us through twelve paths, each one in their own path, where there were peaches and pomegranates and all delicacies. You brought us out on eagles' wings with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. On the 21st of Nissan, the Seventh Day of Pesach, You drowned Pharaoh and his army in the sea; on the 16th of Iyar, the Manna descended; and on the 6th of Sivan, we received the Torah amidst thunder, lightning, and torches. And by meriting the "seven layers of the eye" (Hashba'at [oath/seven] 777 + Gildei [layers] 47 + Eina [eye] 131 = 955), may the four angels—Michael, Gavriel, Nuriel, and Rafael (Michael 101 + Gavriel 246 + Nuriel 297 + Rafael 311 = 955)—surround me and assist me in exiting all the chametz and leaven in my heart, and in my 248 limbs and 365 veins. These are the roots of the four elements: Fire, Wind, Water, Dust (Eish [fire] 301 + Ruach [wind] 214 + Mayim [water] 90 + Afar [dust] 350 = 955). And in this merit, may we attain the Higher Intellects (Mohin), which are in the aspect of "entirely Matzah."