Bitul Chametz

Bitul Chametz- literally means the nullification of chametz. If all one needs according to the Torah is Bitul Chametz, why does everyone at this time of year start cleaning like mad, throwing out good food, calling the Rabbi to set up a sale of some wholesome leavened stuff? Just say Kol Chamera (the verbal declaration of nullification-which one must understand and could say in English if he so wishes) and poof all your chametz magically no longer belongs to you! Isn't that a great magic trick- no cleaning, chucking, signing-- one paragraph and your done… Who needs Bedikas Chametz when you have just turned all your chametz into ownerless dirt? While this question might seem crazy to some of you; it bothered Tosfos, about 1,000 years ago. Tosfos says that in terms of ones Torah requirement a verbal nullification of ownership technically does suffice. However, the Rabbis were worried about those midnight fridge raiders that on their quest for a late night snack might see those Yodels (HalachaBoy's all time favorite snack - especially when cold) sitting there, forget it was Pesach and eat them (it's assur on Pesach to eat chametz even if it does not belong to you). In other words, the prohibition of Chametz, from the Torah, is that you can't own or eat any, but the Rabbi's added a stringency that prohibits even leaving any Chametz in your house that you might come to eat. So even though some people might have left their Shaloch Manos at your house after the Purim Seuda- you still have a requirement to remove those Hamentaschen from your house- not because they are yours- but because you might come to eat them. The Rabbi's were extra stringent here by Chametz as opposed to other assur food items (cheeseburgers) since by Chametz you can eat all your round you might slip and come to eat on Pesach. However, a cheeseburger is prohibited all year round- and thus the Rabbi's weren't worried if your non-Jewish coworker left one in your house that you would come to eat it, because you would not eat it regardless. Thus they did not impose a requirement to remove it. What we derive from all this is that according to most Poskim one is only required to remove all Chametz he might come to eat. However, since one would never eat dust riddled crumbs in the corner of the kitchen, one does not have to drive himself/herself crazy and burn/throw out/clean (although it's always a good idea) such small, disgusting crumbs. Yet, items of substance (a.k.a a cheerio [note: how do you pronounce the singular form of Cheerios]) one is required to sell/burn/chuck it for perhaps he may come to eat.