Pesachim 239

בראשונה לא לא מיבעיא קאמר לא מיבעיא בראשונה דקאכיל לתיאבון אבל באחרונה דילמא אתי למיכל אכילה גסה אימא לא קמ"ל

but not at the beginning!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And the presumed reason is because nothing may be eaten after the last unleavened bread.');">¹</span> - [No:] He proceeds to a climax.

מר זוטרא מתני הכי אמר רב יוסף אמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל מפטירין אחר המצה אפיקומן נימא מסייע ליה אין מפטירין אחר הפסח אפיקומן אחר הפסח דלא אבל אחר מצה מפטירין

[If he eats it] at the beginning it goes without saying [that his duty is discharged], since he eats it with an appetite; but at the end, [where] he may come to eat it as mere gorging, I might say that he does not [do his duty]. Hence he [the Tanna] informs us [otherwise].

לא מיבעיא קאמר לא מיבעיא אחר מצה דלא נפיש טעמיה אבל לאחר פסח אימא לא קמ"ל

Mar Zutra recited it thus: R'Joseph said in Rab Judah's name in Samuel's name: One may conclude after the unleavened bread [by saying] 'Now to the entertainment.' Shall we say that this supports him: ONE MAY NOT CONCLUDE AFTER THE PASCHAL MEAL.

מיתיבי הסופגנין והדובשנין והאיסקריטין אדם ממלא כריסו מהן ובלבד שיאכל (אכילת) כזית מצה באחרונה באחרונה אין בראשונה לא

[BY SAYING], 'NOW TO THE ENTERTAINMENT'; hence one may not conclude thus [only] after the Paschal lamb, yet one may conclude thus after the unleavened bread? - [No:] - He proceeds to a climax. After the unleavened bread it need not be stated, seeing that its taste is not substantial; but I would say [that it is] not so after the Paschal lamb; hence [the Tanna] informs us [otherwise].

לא מיבעיא קאמר לא מיבעיא בראשונה דקאכיל לתיאבון אבל באחרונה דאתי למיכלה אכילה גסה אימא לא קמ"ל:

An objection is raised: [As for] sponge-cakes, honey-cakes, and iskeritin, a man may fill his stomach therewith, providing that he eats as much as an olive of unleavened bread at the end. Thus it is only at the end, but not at the beginning?

אמר רבא מצה בזמן הזה דאורייתא ומרור דרבנן ומאי שנא מרור דכתיב (במדבר ט, יא) על מצות ומרורים בזמן דאיכא פסח יש מרור ובזמן דליכא פסח ליכא מרור

He proceeds to a climax: at the beginning, when he eats with an appetite, it is unnecessary [to teach it]; but at the end, where he may merely gorge, I might say [that it is] not [permitted]; hence [the Tanna] informs us [that it is]. Raba said: [The eating of] unleavened bread nowadays is a Scriptural obligation, whereas [that of] bitter herbs is Rabbinical.

מצה נמי הא כתיב על מצות ומרורים מצה מיהדר הדר ביה קרא (שמות יב, יח) בערב תאכלו מצות ורב אחא בר יעקב אמר אחד זה ואחד זה דרבנן

Yet wherein do bitter herbs differ? Because it is written, they shall eat it [the Passover-offering] with unleavened bread and bitter herbs,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. IX, 11.');">²</span>

אלא הכתיב בערב תאכלו מצות ההיא מיבעי ליה לטמא ושהיה בדרך רחוקה דס"ד אמינא כיון דפסח לא אכלי מצה ומרור נמי לא ניכול קמ"ל

[which implies], when [the law of] the Passover-offering is in force, [that of] bitter herbs is in force, and when the Passover-offering is not in forc bitter herbs are not required either! Then in the case of unleavened bread too, surely it is written, 'they shal eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs'? - Scripture indeed repeated [the precept] in the case of unleavened bread: at even ye shall eat unleavened bread.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XII, 18. Bah (on the basis of Tosaf. in Kid. 37b) suggests that the following verse should be quoted instead: in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread (ibid. 20) .');">³</span> But R'Aha B'Jacob maintained: Both the one and the other are [only] Rabbinical.

ורבא אמר לך טמא ושהיה בדרך רחוקה לא צריך קרא דלא גרעי מערל ובן נכר דתניא (שמות יב, מח) כל ערל לא יאכל בו בו אינו אוכל אבל אוכל במצה ומרור

But surely it is written, 'at even ye shall eat unleavened bread'? - That is required in respect of an unclean person and one who was on a journey afar off.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But who will be fit by the evening.');">⁴</span> For you might argue: Since they cannot eat of the Passover-offering, they need not eat unleavened bread or bitter herbs either; hence [the verse] informs us [otherwise].

ואידך כתיב בהאי וכתיב בהאי וצריכי

And Raba?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Does he not admit this? and if he does, on what grounds does he differentiate between unleavened bread and bitter herbs?');">⁵</span> - He can answer you: In respect of an unclean person and one who was on a journey afar off a verse is not required, for they are no worse than an uncircumcised person and an alien.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., one who does not observe Jewish law; v. supra, p. 131, n. 5.');">⁶</span>

תניא כוותיה דרבא (דברים טז, ח) ששת ימים תאכל מצות וביום השביעי עצרת לה' אלהיך מה שביעי רשות אף ששת ימים רשות

For it was taught: No uncircumcised person shall eat thereof:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XII, 48.');">⁷</span> 'thereof' he may not eat, but he must eat unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

מאי טעמא הוי דבר שהיה בכלל ויצא מן הכלל ללמד לא ללמד על עצמו יצא אלא ללמד על הכלל כולו יצא

And the other?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Aha b. Jacob: how does he answer this?');">⁸</span> - It is written in the case of the one [the uncircumcised etc.] and it is written in the case of the other [the unclean etc.], and they are both necessary.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' An unclean person etc. cannot be deduced from an 'alien,' for since the former will observe the second Passover a month hence, I would argue that he can then discharge his obligation of eating unleavened bread and bitter herbs too. But an 'alien' will not have that opportunity, and therefore he is naturally bound to eat the unleavened bread and the bitter herbs now. By the same reasoning, if there were only one verse, I would apply it to the latter, but not to the former.');">⁹</span>

יכול אף לילה הראשון רשות תלמוד לומר על מצות ומרורים יאכלוהו

It was taught in accordance with Raba: Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to the Lord thy God:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XVI, 8.');">¹⁰</span> just as [on] the seventh day [the eating of unleavened bread] is voluntary,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But not obligatory.');">¹¹</span>

אין לי אלא בזמן שבית המקדש קיים בזמן שאין בית המקדש קיים מנין ת"ל בערב תאכלו מצות הכתוב קבעו חובה:

so [on] the six days it is voluntary. What is the reason?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Why do I interpret it thus, seemingly in contradiction to the literal meaning?');">¹²</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> ישנו מקצתן יאכלו כולן לא יאכלו

Because it is something which was included in the general law and then excluded from the general law, in order to illumine [other cases], [which means that] it was excluded not in order to throw light upon itself, but in order to throw light upon the entire general law.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is a principle of exegesis. Now the general rule is stated: seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread (Ex. XII, 15) ; when the seventh is excluded by the verse, 'six days' etc, this throws light not on the seventh alone, but upon the whole period, teaching that the eating of unleavened bread therein is voluntary.');">¹³</span> You might think that on the first night too it is [merely] voluntary; therefore is stated, 'they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.' I know this only when the Temple is in existence; whence do we know it when the Temple is not in existence? From the verse, 'at even ye shall eat unleavened bread': thus the Writ made it a permanent obligation. <big><b>MISHNAH: </b></big>IF SOME OF THEM<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. of a company at a Passover meal.');">¹⁴</span> FELL ASLEEP, THEY MAY EAT [WHEN THEY AWAKE]; IF ALL OF THEM FELL ASLEEP THEY MUST NOT EAT.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the latter case they have a ceased to think about the Paschal lamb; when they awake it is as though they would eat in two different places, sleep breaking the continuity of action and place, and thus it is forbidden.');">¹⁵</span>