Responsa for Pesachim 16:17
ושמואל אמר עליונה ושלפנים הימנה מאי טעמא דייק עליונות והא חיצונה קתני למעוטי גוייאתא דגוייאתא רבי חייא תני כוותיה דרב וכולהו תנאי תנו כוותיה דשמואל והלכתא כוותיה דשמואל:
Rab said: [That means] the upper row and the one beneath it;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the outermost row facing the door.');"><sup>18</sup></span> while Samuel said: [That means] the upper row and the one on the inside of it. What is Rab's reason? - Because he emphasizes: OUTER'But it [also] teaches: UPPERMOST? - That is to exclude those beneath the lower one.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., all rows from the third from the top and downwards.');"><sup>19</sup></span> While Samuel says: 'The upper row and the one on the inside of it.' What is the reason? Because he emphasizes: UPPERMOST. But it [also] states: OUTER? - That is to exclude the inside of the inner.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Those within the second row of the top layer.');"><sup>20</sup></span> R'Hiyya taught in accordance with Rab, while all tannaim recited as Samuel. And the law is as Samuel.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From the fact that all post-Talmudic authorities accept Rab's view, however, it would appear that this passage was absent from their texts; [v. Tosaf. Yom Tob on our Mishnah and MS.M. R. Hananel, however, has this passage and accepts Samuel's ruling.]');"><sup>21</sup></span>
Maharach Or Zarua Responsa
R. Isaac b. Eliah replied that the search for leaven prior to the Passover, would not incite accusations of witchcraft from the Gentile domestics for the following reasons: (1) The search for leaven takes place in our own homes. (2) They know that leaven is strictly forbidden to us during Passover. (3) We burn all the Leaven in their presence.
We would most certainly abolish the requirement to search for leaven if a fear existed that the search might foment accusations of sorcery and witchcraft. It was for that reason that purging of the stove (before Passover) was discontinued in Province, as it arroused the Gentile populance to suspect us of sorcery.