Reference for Pesachim 14:19
תנו רבנן אין בודקין לא לאור החמה ולא לאור הלבנה ולא לאור האבוקה אלא לאור הנר
It was taught likewise: When one has a ritual bath and ascends [from the bath], on his ascending he recites: Blessed [art Thou]. who hast sanctified us with Thy commandments and hast commanded us concerning tebillah'. BY THE LIGHT OF A LAMP, etc. How do we know this? - Said R'Hisda: By deriving [the meaning of] 'finding' from 'finding' and 'finding' from 'searching', and 'searching' from 'searching', and 'searching' from 'lamps', and 'lamps' from 'lamp':<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As explained in the text.');"><sup>22</sup></span> [Thus:] 'finding' from 'finding': here it is written, seven days shall ther be no leaven found in your houses,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XII, 19.');"><sup>23</sup></span> while elsewhere it is written, and he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found [in Benjamin's sack].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XLIV, 12.');"><sup>24</sup></span> 'Finding' [is learned] from 'searching' [mentioned] in its own connection.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., in the verse just quoted 'finding' and 'searching' are linked together.');"><sup>25</sup></span> And 'searching' from 'lamps', as it is written, And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Zeph. I, 12.');"><sup>26</sup></span> And 'lamps' from 'lamp', for it is written, The soul of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the innermost parts of the belly.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. XX, 27. By comparing all these verses we learn that in order that leaven may not be found in the house it must be searched out by lamplight.');"><sup>27</sup></span> The School of R'Ishmael taught: In the evening of the fourteenth leaven is searched for by the light of a lamp. Though there is no proof of this, there is an allusion to it, because it is said, 'seven days shall there no leaven [in your houses]'; and it is said, 'and he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest and the cup was found [in Benjamin's sack]'; and it is said, 'And it shall come to pass at that time, that I wil search Jerusalem with lamps'. and it is said, 'The soul of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching [all the innermost parts of the belly]'. What is the purpose of the additional quotations?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'what is (the purpose of) " and="" it="" is="" said"?'');"=""><sup>28</sup></span> And should you answer, this 'at that time' is a statement of lenient treatment by the Merciful One, [viz. ,] 'I will not search Jerusale with the light of a torch, which gives much light, but only with the light of a lamp, the light of which is much smaller, so that great wrongdoing will be found out but petty wrongdoing will not be found out,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But this verse does not prove that the searching for leaven too may be carried out merely with a lamp - perhaps a torch is required.');"><sup>29</sup></span> - then come and hear! 'The soul of man is the lamp of the Lord, [searching. etc.]'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus a single lamp suffices for a search.');"><sup>30</sup></span> Our Rabbis taught: one may not search either by the light of the sun or by the light of the moon, or by the light of a torch, save by the light of a lamp,
Explore reference for Pesachim 14:19. In-depth commentary and analysis from classical Jewish sources.