He states that this year, we must invest our primary spiritual & physical energies in our children, who are at home with us and who need our best efforts in middot & supervision.
Rav Binet warns that the harm done to the children now (if we focus our energies on non-halachic cleaning, rather than on the children's needs) can produce negative consequences that last far longer than the current situation.
Therefore, we are not to do more cleaning than halachically required.
He offers the following directives due to the current circumstances:
- There is no need to add chumrot (stringencies).
- It is enough to clean one cabinet in the kitchen in which to store Pesach products. (In other words, whatever you literally need for Pesach – if maybe you need 2 cabinets, for example – but not more than that.)
- Regarding the other kitchen cabinets: Go according to the Shulchan Aruch, which only requires you to dispose of anything that is actual chametz. (During Bedikat Chametz, the father should check the rest of the cabinets only to ensure that no actual chametz remains.)
Rav Binet recalls how the holy former Rebbe said that they ate chametz as usual on Shabbat Hagadol (the Shabbat before Pesach) on a regular tablecloth.
After Shabbat ended, they shook the tablecloth to make the crumbs fall to the ground.
Rav Binet wishes to remind everyone that chametz smaller than a k'zayit (around the size of a golf ball) is nullified "k'afra d'ara – like dust of the earth," as we say in the chametz-nullifying prayer during Bi'ur Chametz (burning of chametz).
One is even allowed to see chametz smaller than a k'zayit (because it has been officially & spiritually regulated to the status of dust).
In addition, Rav Binet explains that most of the closets & cabinets of the home can be sold to a non-Jew, using only those that are absolutely necessary (and cleaned from chametz).
The most important point, says Rav Binet, is to take care that the home atmosphere is one of calm & tranquility, to find fun activities to do with the children, and to enjoy the children, even during these unusual circumstances sent by Hakadosh Baruch Hu.
Rav Binet ended with these heartfelt wishes:
"With blessing that we will hear good news, salvation & comfort, that the disease of corona will disappear completely, and that we will soon merit the coming of Mashiach speedily in our days, Amen."
Here is more info about the measure of k'zayit (size of an olive): https://dinonline.org/2019/05/28/kzayis/