Pesachim 3

מתני׳ <big><strong>אור</strong></big> לארבעה עשר בודקין את החמץ לאור הנר כל מקום שאין מכניסין בו חמץ אין צריך בדיקה ובמה אמרו ב' שורות במרתף מקום שמכניסין בו חמץ בית שמאי אומרים ב' שורות על פני כל המרתף ובית הלל אומרים שתי שורות החיצונות שהן העליונות:

<big><b>MISHNAH: </b></big>ON THE EVENING [OR]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' . This is the meaning finally assigned in the Gemara to OR after a considerable discussion. mnj');">¹</span> OF THE FOURTEENTH [OF NISAN] A SEARCH IS MADE FOR LEAVEN<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Heb. , hamez. Two words are employed in the Bible: (i) hamez, leavened stuff v. infra ');">²</span> BY THE LIGHT OF A LAMP.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that there shall be none in the house during Passover, which commences on the fifteenth.');">³</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> מאי אור רב הונא אמר נגהי ורב יהודה אמר לילי קא סלקא דעתך דמאן דאמר נגהי נגהי ממש ומאן דאמר לילי לילי ממש

EVERY PLACE WHEREIN LEAVENED BREAD IS NOT TAKEN DOES NOT REQUIRE SEARCHING, THEN IN WHAT CASE DID THEY RULE, TWO ROWS OF THE WINE CELLAR [MUST BE SEARCHED]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Seeing that leaven is not generally taken into a wine cellar.');">⁴</span> [CONCERNING] A PLACE WHEREIN LEAVEN MIGHT BE TAKEN,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A private cellar from which supplies are drawn for table. The servant sometimes enters it while eating bread.');">⁵</span> BETH SHAMMAI MAINTAIN: TWO ROWS OVER THE FRONT OF THE WHOLE CELLAR;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Must be searched.');">⁶</span>

מיתיבי (בראשית מד, ג) הבקר אור והאנשים שולחו אלמא אור יממא הוא מי כתיב האור בקר הבקר אור כתיב כמאן דאמר צפרא נהר וכדרב יהודה אמר רב דאמר רב יהודה אמר רב לעולם יכנס אדם בכי טוב ויצא בכי טוב

BUT BETH HILLEL MAINTAIN: THE TWO OUTER ROWS, WHICH ARE THE UPPERMOST.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. infra 8b.');">⁷</span> <big><b>GEMARA: </b></big>What is OR? - R'Huna said: Light [naghe]; while Rab Judah said: Night [lele]. Now it was assumed [that] he who says light means literally light;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., daybreak or morning.');">⁸</span>

מיתיבי (שמואל ב כג, ד) וכאור בקר יזרח שמש אלמא אור יממא הוא מי כתיב אור בקר וכאור בקר כתיב והכי קאמר וכאור בקר בעולם הזה כעין זריחת שמש לצדיקים לעולם הבא

while he who says night means literally night.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashi deletes this, since that is so, in fact.');">⁹</span> An objection is raised: As soon as the morning was light [or], the men were sent away,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XLIV, 3.');">¹⁰</span> which proves that 'or' is day? - Is it then written, The 'or' was morning: [Surely] 'the morning was or' is written, as one says, Morning has broken forth.

מיתיבי (בראשית א, ה) ויקרא אלהים לאור יום אלמא אור יממא הוא הכי קאמר למאיר ובא קראו יום אלא מעתה ולחשך קרא לילה למחשיך ובא קרא לילה והא קיימא לן דעד צאת הכוכבים יממא הוא

And [this verse is] in accordance with what Rab Judah said in Rab's name. For Rab Judah said in Rab's name: A man should always enter [a town] by day,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'when it is good', the allusion being to Gen. I, 4: and God saw the light, that it was good.');">¹¹</span> and set out by day.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus the brethren waited for daybreak before setting out.');">¹²</span>

אלא הכי קאמר קרייה רחמנא לנהורא ופקדיה אמצותא דיממא וקרייה רחמנא לחשוכא ופקדיה אמצותא דלילה

An objection is raised: As the light of [or] the morning, when the sun riseth,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Sam. XXIII, 4.');">¹³</span> which proves that 'or' means the daytime? - Is it then written, 'or is morning': surely it is written, 'as the light of [or] the morning', an this is its meaning: 'and as the light of the morning' in this world so shall the rising of the sun be unto the righteous in the world to come.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Though at sunrise in this world it is still rather dark, yet in the future world it shall be as light as when the morning is advanced in this world');">¹⁴</span> An objection is raised: And God called the light [or] Day<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. I, 5.');">¹⁵</span>

מיתיבי (תהלים קמח, ג) הללוהו כל כוכבי אור אלמא אור אורתא הוא הכי קאמר הללוהו כל כוכבים המאירים אלא מעתה כוכבים המאירים הוא דבעו שבוחי שאינן מאירין לא בעו שבוחי והא כתיב (תהלים קמח, ב) הללוהו כל צבאיו

which proves that or is daytime? - This is its meaning: the advancing of light<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'that which proceeds to grow light'.');">¹⁶</span> He called Day.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e.,the moment when light begins to appear marks the commencement of day. On this translation or is not a noun but a gerund: the lighting up.');">¹⁷</span> If so, 'and the darkness He called Night' means [similarly], the advancing of darkness He called Night:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The moment when darkness begins to fall marks the commencement of night.');">¹⁸</span>

אלא הא קמ"ל דאור דכוכבים נמי אור הוא למאי נפקא מינה לנודר מן האור (דתנן) הנודר מן האור אסור באורן של כוכבים

but surely it is an established principle that it is day until the appearance of the stars?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Though darkness begins to fall earlier.');">¹⁹</span> Rather this is its meaning: The Merciful One summoned the light and appointed it for duty by day, and He summoned the darkness and appointed it for duty by night.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus wayikra is translated: and he summoned, not, 'and he called (designated) ', as in E.V.');">²⁰</span> An objection is raised: Praise him all ye stars of light [or],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. CXLVIII, 3.');">²¹</span>

מיתיבי (איוב כד, יד) לאור יקום רוצח יקטל עני ואביון ובלילה יהי כגנב

which proves that 'or' is evening? - This is its meaning: praise him all ye stars which give light. If so, are only the stars that give light to praise [Him], while those which do not give light need not praise - yet surely It is written, Praise ye him, all his host?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 2.');">²²</span> Rather he [the Psalmist] tells us this: the light of the stars too is [designated] light. What is its practical bearing? In respect of one who vows [not to benefit] from light. For it was taught: If one vows [not to benefit] from light, he is prohibited the light of stars. An objection is raised: The murderer riseth with the light [or], he killeth the poor and needy, and in the night he is as a thief.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Job. XXIV, 14.');">²³</span>