Pesachim 15

Chapter 15

א מפני שאור הנר יפה לבדיקה ואע"פ שאין ראיה לדבר זכר לדבר שנאמר (שמות יב, יט) שבעת ימים שאור לא ימצא בבתיכם ואומר (בראשית מד, יב) ויחפש בגדול החל ואומר (צפניה א, יב) בעת ההיא אחפש את ירושלים בנרות ואומר (משלי כ, כז) נר ה' נשמת אדם חופש כל חדרי בטן
1 because the light of a lamp is suitable for searching. And though there is no proof of the matter yet there is a hint of it, for it is said, 'seven days shall there be no leaven found [in your houses]'; and it is said, 'and h searched, and began at the eldest, [etc.]'; and it is said, 'and it shall come to pass at that time, that I will 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'. This light of the sun, where is it meant?
ב האי אור החמה היכי דמי אי נימא בחצר האמר רבא חצר אינה צריכה בדיקה מפני שהעורבין מצויין שם אלא באכסדרה האמר רבא אכסדרה לאורה נבדקת
2 Shall we say, in a courtyard, - but Raba said: A court-yard does not require searching, because birds frequent it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And eat up all crumbs. vrsxft');"><sup>1</sup></span> While if in a hall,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' is a pillared hall or a piazza, open on top, running in front of large houses.');"><sup>2</sup></span> - but Raba said: A hall is searched by its own light? - This is meant only in respect of a skylight in a room.
ג לא צריכא לארובה דבחדר ודהיכא אי לבהדי ארובה היינו אכסדרה אלא לצדדין
3 But [then] what part of it? If [that which is] opposite the skylight, then it is the same as a hall? - Rather, it means [the part of the room] at the sides. And not [by the light of] a torch?
ד ואבוקה לא והאמר רבא מאי דכתיב (חבקוק ג, ד) ונוגה כאור תהיה קרנים מידו לו ושם חביון עוזו למה צדיקים דומין בפני שכינה כנר בפני האבוקה ואמר רבא אבוקה להבדלה מצוה מן המובחר
4 Surely Raba said, What is the meaning of the verse, And his brightness was as the light; he had rays coming forth from his hand: and there was hiding of his power?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hab. III, 4.');"><sup>3</sup></span> To what are the righteous comparable in the presence of the Shechinah? To a lamp in the presence of a torch.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even as the light of a lamp pales before that of a torch, so does the light of the righteous before that of the Almighty. Thus a torch gives more light, and therefore it is even better than a lamp.');"><sup>4</sup></span>
ה אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק זה יכול להכניסו לחורין ולסדקין וזה אינו יכול להכניסו לחורין ולסדקין רב זביד אמר זה אורו לפניו וזה אורו לאחריו רב פפא אמר האי בעית והאי לא בעית רבינא אמר האי משך נהורא והאי מיקטף איקטופי:
5 And Raba also said: [To use] a torch for habdalah<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos. A blessing is pronounced over fire for which a light must be kindled.');"><sup>5</sup></span> is the most preferable [way of performing this] duty? - Said R'Nahman B'Isaac: The one<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A lamp.');"><sup>6</sup></span> can be brought into holes and chinks [in the wall], whereas the other<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A torch.');"><sup>7</sup></span>
ו כל מקום שאין מכניסין כו': כל מקום לאתויי מאי לאתויי הא דתנו רבנן חורי בית העליונים והתחתונים וגג היציע וגג המגדל ורפת בקר ולולין ומתבן ואוצרות יין ואוצרות שמן אין צריכין בדיקה רשב"ג אומר מטה החולקת בתוך הבית ומפסקת צריכה בדיקה
6 cannot be brought into holes and chinks. R'Zebid said: The one<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A lamp.');"><sup>6</sup></span> [throws] its light forward, whereas the other<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A torch.');"><sup>7</sup></span>
ז ורמינהו חור שבין אדם לחבירו זה בודק עד מקום שידו מגעת וזה בודק עד מקום שידו מגעת והשאר מבטלו בלבו ר' שמעון בן גמליאל אומר מטה החולקת בתוך הבית ועצים ואבנים סדורים תחתיה ומפסקת אינה צריכה בדיקה
7 [throws] its light behind.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Therefore it is not suitable for searching.');"><sup>8</sup></span> R'Papa said: Here [with a torch] one is afraid, whereas there [with a lamp] one is not afraid.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The great flame of a torch may set fire to the house; therefore his preoccupation with this fear will hinder a man from a proper search.');"><sup>9</sup></span> Rabina said: The light of the one<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A lamp.');"><sup>6</sup></span>
ח קשיא מטה אמטה קשיא חורין אחורין
8 is steady. whereas that of the other<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A torch.');"><sup>7</sup></span> is fitful.
ט חורין אחורין לא קשיא הא בעילאי ובתתאי והא במיצעי מטה אמטה לא קשיא הא דמידליא הא דמיתתאי
9 EVERY PLACE WHEREIN LEAVEN IS NOT TAKEN, etc. What does EVERY PLACE add? - It adds the following taught by our Rabbis: The topmost and the nethernmost holes of a room,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., those which are very high up or very low down in the wall, so that it is inconvenient to use them.');"><sup>11</sup></span> the roof of the verandah,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A balcony with a sloping roof, which could not be used; other parts of the house had a flat roof.');"><sup>12</sup></span> the roof of a turret,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A kind of safe in which food and utensils were kept. The inside had to be searched but not the roof.');"><sup>13</sup></span>
י ואוצרות יין אין צריך בדיקה והתניא אוצרות יין צריך בדיקה אוצרות שמן אין צריך בדיקה הכא במאי עסקינן במסתפק אי הכי שמן נמי
10 a cow's stable, hen-coops, a shed for straw, and store-houses of wine and oil do not need searching.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' No leaven is taken, into any of these.');"><sup>14</sup></span> R'Simeon B'Gamaliel said: A bed which makes a division in a room,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., it stands in the centre, dividing the room into two parts used for separate purposes.');"><sup>15</sup></span> and leaves a space<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' There is a space between it and the floor, as it stands on legs.');"><sup>16</sup></span>
יא שמן יש קבע לאכילה יין אין קבע לשתיה
11 needs searching. But the following contradicts it: A hole [lying] between a man and his neighbour,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., in a wall separating two rooms or houses tenanted by different people. the hole passing right through from one side of the wall to the other.');"><sup>17</sup></span> this one searches as far as his hand reaches and that one searches as far as his hand reaches,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.g.. when the wall is very thick.');"><sup>18</sup></span>
יב תני רבי חייא עשו אוצרות שכר בבבל כאוצרות יין בארץ ישראל במסתפק
12 and the rest he annuls in his heart. R'Simeon B'Gamaliel said: A bed which makes a division in a room, timber and stones being arranged under it, and it leaves a space.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Between the bottom of the bed and the timber.');"><sup>19</sup></span> does not require searching.
יג אמר רב חסדא בי דגים אין צריך בדיקה והתניא צריכין בדיקה לא קשיא הא ברברבי הא בזוטרי
13 Thus [the rulings on] a bed are contradictory and [those on] holes are contradictory? [The rulings on] holes are not contradictory: the one refers to the topmost and the nethermost;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 33. n. 7.');"><sup>20</sup></span> the other to [holes in] the middle [of the wall].
יד אמר רבה בר רב הונא בי מילחי ובי קירי צריך בדיקה אמר רב פפא בי ציבי ובי תמרי צריך בדיקה
14 [The rulings on] bed are not contradictory: here it is raised; there it is low down.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the bottom of the bed is well raised from the ground the space beneath it can be used quite easily. But if it is low down, even if a space is left it is not easy to use it, hence it need not be searched.');"><sup>21</sup></span> But, do not store-houses of wine require searching? Surely it was taught.
טו תנא אין מחייבין אותו להכניס ידו לחורין ולסדקין לבדוק מפני הסכנה מאי סכנה אי נימא מפני סכנת עקרב כי משתמש היכי אישתמש לא צריכא דנפל
15 Store-houses of wine need searching; stores of oil do not need searching? - The case we discuss here is where one draws his [immediate] supplies [from it].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.g., a private wine cellar. The servant may enter to take wine for the table while holding bread in his hand.');"><sup>22</sup></span> If so, oil too? - As for oil, there is a limit to eating; but [in respect to] there is no limit to drinking.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' How much oil is to be consumed at a meal can be gauged beforehand, and further supplies will not be required. But one cannot determine beforehand how much wine will be drunk.');"><sup>23</sup></span> R'Hiyya taught: Stores of beer in Babylonia were made the same as stores of wine in Palestine, where one draws his supplies from them.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' They must be searched.');"><sup>24</sup></span>
טז אי נפל למה לי בדיקה והתנן חמץ שנפלה עליו מפולת הרי הוא כמבוער התם שאין הכלב יכול לחפש אחריו הכא כשהכלב יכול לחפש אחריו
16 R'Hisda said: A fish pantry does not require searching. But it was taught [that] they require searching? - There is no difficulty: the one treats of large [fish]; the other of small.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If large fish are stored there it will be unnecessary to bring more to the table during the meal; but in the case of small fish this may be necessary, and so it must be searched.');"><sup>25</sup></span> Rabbah son of R'Huna said: Salt sheds and wax sheds<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e.,the places where these are kept.');"><sup>26</sup></span>
יז והא אמר ר' אלעזר שלוחי מצוה אינן ניזוקין אמר רב אשי שמא תאבד לו מחט ואתי לעיוני בתרה
17 need searching.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Salt and candles being sometimes unexpectedly required during the meal.');"><sup>27</sup></span> R'Papa said: Storehouses for fuel<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Wood-chips, twigs, etc.');"><sup>28</sup></span> and storehouses for dates need searching.
יח וכה"ג לאו מצוה הוא והתניא האומר סלע זו לצדקה בשביל שיחיה בני או שאהיה בן העוה"ב
18 A Tanna taught: We do not oblige him to insert his hand into holes and chinks and search [there], on account of the danger. Which danger? Shall we say. the danger of a snake, - then when he used it, how could he use it? - This arises only where it [the wall] collapsed.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Snakes are often found among debris, hence only the top of the ruins must be searched, but one need not investigate below the surface.');"><sup>29</sup></span> But if it collapsed, why do I need searching [at all]? Surely we learned: If ruins collapsed on leaven, it is regarded as removed? - There [the circumstances are] that a dog cannot search it out; here, that a dog can search it out. But R'Eleazar said: Those sent [to perform] a religious duty do not suffer harm? - Said R'Ashi: He may have lost a needle and come to look for it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' While searching for the leaven. He is, not being exclusively engaged on a religious task, exposed to danger.');"><sup>30</sup></span> But is it not [regarded as the fulfilment of] a religious duty in such a case? Surely it was taught: If one declares, 'This sela'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A coin.');"><sup>31</sup></span> be for charity in order that my son may live,' or, 'that I may merit t future world,'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'that I may be a son of the future world'. On the 'future world' v. Sanh., Sonc. ed. p. 601, n. 3.');"><sup>32</sup></span>
Previous ChapterNext Chapter