Mishnah Pesachim
by Jonathan Wolf

(Chapter 10 of 10)

Chapter 10

This last chapter in Mishnah Pesachim deals with the structure of the Passover Seder. The word "seder" means "order" and we can see that even in mishnaic times, the basic structure of the modern seder has been set. Since there are many commentaries on the Haggadah, our job now is to look at the mishnah and comment directly on the text as presented.

Mishnah 1:

On the eve of Passover close to the minchah period, a person may not eat until it becomes dark. Even the poorest in Israel may not eat unless he reclines. Any they must give him not less than four cups of wine, even though he is supported from the charity plate.

Mishnah 2:

They pour for him the first cup. Beis Shammai say: He recites the benediction over the day and then he recites the benediction over the wine. But Beis Hillel say: He recites the benediction over the wine, and then recites the benediction over the day.

Commentary:

The first mishnah has a profound lesson for us. Even the poorest person is obligated to celebrate Pesach and fulfill all the mitzvot involved. One should refrain from eating in the afternoon since so that he will be hungry enough o eat the korban Pesach. The time of mincha began thirty minutes after midday and was known as mincha g’dola. The gemara states that the mishnah is referring to mincha k’tana, which occirs at three and one half hours after midday. Recall that in the Talmud, midday literally means "mid day" and not necessarily twelve o’clock noon as on our modern clocks.

It was the custom in mishnaic times to have someone pour one for you. The mishnah alludes to the start of the seder with the phrase "until he reclines". Notice, the mishnah two mentions the four cups from the Haggadah. While we follow the ruling of beis Hillel, it is worth while to spend a moment on the disagreement between the two schools of Shammai and Hillel.

Beis Shammai gave precedence to the "day" as a yom tov. According to Beis Shammai, if the day wasn’t a yom tov, we couldn’t sanctify the wine (and hence say kiddush). Beis Hillel state that the Kiddush is recited because of the wine and so the structure should begin with "borei p’ri hagofen". Beis Hillel also follow the rule that since it is customary to recite the Kiddush over wine on Shabbat on a weekly basis, this is more common than the special day for which the festival is established. This is established as a rule in the gemara…a constantly performed mitzvah takes precedence over a non-constant one.

Mishnah 3:

Then they bring it before him; he eats dipped lettuce before he reaches the course that is secondary to the matzah. Now they brought before him matzah, lettuce, and charoset and two cooked dishes; although the charoset is not a mitzvah. Rabbi Eliezer bar Rabbi Tzadok says: The dipping is a mitzvah. In the Temple, they would bring before him the body of the Pesach.

Commentary:

The Sages say that they bring a plate of vegetables before the celebrant. Dipping was a custom in Talmudic times, so the act itself does not arouse the curiosity of children. The Torah in Shemot 12:11 states: " …with matzot and bitter herbs shall you it eat." The verse is referring to the eating of the korban Pesach.

The Rambam writes in his Mishnah Torah (Hilchot Chametz U’ Matzah 7:11-13):

" The charoset is a mitzvah ordained by the words of the Sages, to commemorate the clay with which our forefathers worked in Egypt. How is it made? We take dates, dried figs, or raisins and the like, and crush them, add vinegar to them, and mix them with spices, as clay is mixed into straw. This is placed on the table on the first two nights of Pesach. According to the Torah, the eating of bitter herbs is not a mitzvah in its own right, but rather is dependent on the consumption od the Paschal sacrifice. It is one positive commandment to eat the meat of the Paschal sacrifice together with matzah and bitter herbs. According to the words of the Sages, it is a mitzvah to eat bitter herbs alone on this night even if there is no Paschal sacrifice."

Mishnah 4:

They pour him a second cup of wine; and here the son asks of his father. And, if the son does not have enough understanding, his father instructs him to ask: " Why is this night different from all other nights? On all other nights, we eat chametz or matzah, but on this night only matzah. On all other nights, we eat other greens, but on this night, bitter herbs. On all other nights we eat meat, roasted, stewed or cooked, but on this night only roasted. On all other nights we might eat dipped vegetables once, but on this night twice." And according to the intelligence of the son his father instructs him. He begins with the disgrace and concludes with the glory. And he expounds upon the verse (Devarim 26:5): "The Aramean sought to destroy my father" until he ends the whole portion.

Commentary:

We can recognize in this mishnah the genesis of the four questions. Notice however that the question about "reclining" is not included but a question about eating roasted meat is included. In the modern Haggadah, we do not include the roasted meat question since it is customary not to eat roasted meat at the seder and since no korban Pesach has been offered.

The commandment to begin with disgrace and end with glory can be understood as follows. We start the narrative with the fact that our ancestors once worshipped idols. G-d took Abraham to the land of Canaan and this chain of events lead to our redemption and the revelation of G-d’s glory at Mount Sinai.

The Rambam writes in his Mishnah Torah (Hilchot Chametz U’ Matzah 7:1): "It is a positive commandment of the Torah to relate the miracles and wonders wrought for our ancestors in Egypt on the night of the fifteenth of Nisan as it is written (Shemot 13:3), ‘Remember this day on which you left Egypt’ … From where is it derived that this mitzvah is to be fulfilled on the night of the fifteenth? The Torah teaches (Shemot 13:8), ‘And you shall tell your son on that day saying, It is because of this…"

Mishnah 5:

Rabban Gamliel used to say: Whoever has not said these three things on Pesach has not fulfilled his obligation. And they are the following: Pesach, matzah, and maror.

The Pesach offering- because the Omnipresent One passed over the houses of our ancestors in Egypt.

Matzah-because our ancestors were redeemed in Egypt.

Maror-because the Egyptians embittered the lives of our ancestors in Egypt.

In every generation a man must regard himself as if he himself had gone out of Egypt. For it is said: (Shemot 13:8) And you shall tell your son on that day saying, for the sake of this Hashem did for me when I went out from Egypt.

Therefore, we are obliged to give thanks, to praise, to laud, to glorify, to exalt, to honor, to bless, to extol, and to shower acclaim upon Him Who performed all these miracles for our ancestors and for us: He brought us forth from slavery to freedom, from sorrow to joy, from mourning to festivity, from darkness to light, and from servitude to redemption! So let us say before Him-Halleluyah!

Commentary:

You should recognize this statement by Rabban Gamliel from the Haggadah. It is interesting to note that the reason for eating matzah is different in our mishnah than in the Haggadah. The standard rendering in the haggadah is that we eat the matzah because the dough did not have time to rise and our ancestors left Egypt in haste. Why does the mishnah speak about "because our ancestors were redeemed in Egypt?" The mitzvah of eating matzah is stated in the Torah before the actual exodus! In Shemot 12:8 we read ,"with matzah and maror they will it eat." The verse is referring to the eating of the korban Pesach. The two foods, matzah and maror are linked together. Earlier, in the beginning of the seder, the matzah is introduced as "Ha Lachma Anya", this is the bread of affliction. The "lechem ani" or poor bread, alludes to the state of physical and spiritual poverty the Jewish people had while in Egypt. The commandment to eat matzah appears again in Devarim 16:3, "Seven days you will eat with it matzah…because you departed the land of Egypt in haste."

The Abravanel interprets the confusion as an attempt by Rabban Gamliel to distinguish between the first Pesach in Egypt and the second Pesach in the desert. He points out the text of the Haggadah says "what is the reason why we eat this matzah." This is not what Rabban Gamliel says in the mishnah. The Haggadah, however, can be interpreted as meaning "we"(today) are eating "this" matzah (the matzah before us; not the matzah our ancestors ate). You will find that the parallel texts in the mishnah or Torah corresponding to passages in the Haggadah are not exact. Research this for yourself!

The list of praises is the lead-in to the recitation of Hallel. Notice that we have the phrase "from slavery to freedom" and "from "servitude to redemption". It might seem that these two phrases are redundant. The Hebrew words for slavery and freedom are "mei-avdot" and "chei-rut". The words for servitude and redemption are "mi-shi-ibud" and "geulah". Slavery and servitude are not necessarily synonymous. If one is a slave, one is most certainly servile. But one can be servile, without being a slave. Thus, we were redeemed from our physical bondage (avadim) and given physical freedom (cheirut). There was also a spiritual bondage (mi-shi-ibud); a servitude to the earthly and material. We were also redeemed from that. Only when both bondages were conquered, did we merit the receiving of the Torah seven weeks later on Mt. Sinai.

Mishnah 6:

Until where does he recite? Beis Shammai say: Until, "A joyful mother of children"(Psalm 113:8). Beis Hillel say: Until "The flint into a spring of water"Psalms 114:8).

He concludes with a blessing of redemption. Rabbi Tarfon says: "Who redeemed us and redeemed our ancestors from Egypt". And he does not conclude with a final blessing.

Rabbi Akiva says: "…so may Hashem our God and the God of our ancestors bring us to future festivals and pilgrimages, which approach us, in peace, gladdened in the rebuilding of Your city and joyful at Your service. May we eat there of the offerings and Pesach sacrifices…" until "Blessed are You Hashem Who has redeemed Israel".

Mishnah 7:

They pour him a third cup, and he blesses his food. A fourth cup and he completes Hallel over it and recites the "Blessing of the Song" over it. Between these cups, if one wishes to drink, he may drink. Between the third and fourth cups, he may not drink.

Commentary:

A look at the Haggadah shows that the portion before rachtzah (washing of the hands), we recite a blessing for the redemption of Israel which is similar to Rabbi Akiva’s formula.

The third cup is poured and followed by the birkat hamazon . Before the third cup, the afikoman is distributed and eaten. We also open the door for Elijah the Prophet. The fourth cup is poured introduces the conclusion of Hallel and the end of the seder (at which point the fourth cup is drunk).

Mishnah 8:

One may not conclude the feast after the Pesach with dessert. If some fell asleep; they may eat. If all, they may not eat. Rabbi Yose says: If they dozed, they may eat. If they fell into a deep sleep, they may not eat.

Mishnah 9:

The Pesach offering contaminates one’s hands after midnight. Piggul and leftover sacrificial meat contaminate the hands. If he recited the blessing for the Pesach offering he exempts the blessing of the Chagigah offering.. But if he recited that of the Chagigah offering he does not exempt that of the Pesach offering. These are the words of Rabbi Yishmael. Rabbi Akiva says: This one does not exempt that one, nor does that one exempt this one.

MISHNAH PESACHIM CONCLUDED!

Commentary:

We no longer eat the Pesach offering and so the details of this mishnah are a bit misleading. By "dessert", the Sages refer to delicacies served during Talmud times. In its absence, the Sages ordained that the portion of the broken middle matzah serves as the dessert and so no food may be eaten afterwards.

The word piggul means "abomination" and any leftover sacrificial meat (after midnight could not be eaten). In Temple times, it would have been burned.

The END

Chazak, Chazak....

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