Pesachim 115b — the Talmud in English

Rav Pappa said: Learn from this: this lettuce

when he takes it for the first dipping [when he has no other vegetable],

must be immersed in the charoset.

It is not sufficient that he dip it in the charoset; rather, he must immerse all of it in the charoset,

because of the poison,

in order to neutralize the poison in the lettuce, for the sap in lettuce contains poison, like an onion.

And when he immerses all of it, he necessarily touches the liquid in the charoset with his hand; therefore, he requires hand-washing before the first dipping, according to the law of something whose dipping is in liquid.

If it enters your mind that he does not need to immerse it, why do I need hand-washing? He did not touch

the liquid

with his hand!

And perhaps I would always say to you that he does not need to immerse it, and the poison dies from its smell,

the smell of the charoset alone already “kills” [neutralizes] the poison of the lettuce, even without his immersing all of it.

But why do I need hand-washing?

Perhaps he will immerse it,

for the Sages instituted [hand-washing] lest he immerse all of it, and then his hand touches the liquid.

And Rav Pappa said: A person should not leave the maror in charoset.

When he dips the maror in the charoset, he should not leave it there, but should remove it immediately,

lest, on account of the sweetness

sweetness

of the spices

of the charoset,

it neutralize the bitterness of the maror,

the bitterness in the maror will be neutralized,

and we require the taste of maror, and there is none.

He appointed

appointed

Rav Hisda Rabban Ukva and expounded:

Even though he

washed his hands for the first dipping

of the other vegetables, nevertheless

he washes his hands for the second dipping

of the maror.

The Sages said before Rav Pappa: This

statement of Rav Hisda

was stated generally,

with regard to dippings during the other days of the year that are not fixed; therefore, even though he washed his hands for the first dipping, he must wash again for the second dipping, because at the first washing he did not know that he would dip a second time, and he diverted his attention from the washing.

If it enters your mind, here

[with regard to the dippings on the night of the Seder]

it was stated, why do I need hand-washing two times?

He washed his hands once!

He already washed his hands for the first dipping, and he does not divert his attention from the washing until the second dipping.

Rav Pappa said to them: On the contrary, here it was stated!

For if it enters your mind that it was stated generally, why do I need two dippings?

For throughout the year it is not the practice to dip twice during a meal.

And regarding what you asked,

but what is it

if

it was stated here, why do I need hand-washing two times?

He washed his hands once!

They said,

I will answer you:

Since he must say

between the two dippings

the Haggada and the Hallel,

the Haggada and the Hallel [its first half],

perhaps he will divert his attention, and touch

his flesh or some other filthy thing; therefore, he must wash his hands a second time.

Rava said: If he swallowed matza

and did not chew it,

he has fulfilled

the mitzva of eating matza. Even though he did not taste the taste of matza, his eating is considered eating for the mitzva, and he fulfilled “In the evening you shall eat matzot” [but he fulfilled it only after the fact, for initially he must taste the taste of matza. Rashbam].

But if he

swallowed maror, he has not fulfilled!

For in maror, the bitter taste is part of the mitzva: the one who eats it must sense the bitter taste in his mouth, in remembrance of “They embittered their lives.”

And if he

swallowed matza and maror

together,

he has fulfilled the obligation of matza,

for with matza one does not need the taste. But

he has not fulfilled the obligation of maror,

because he did not taste the taste of maror.

He wrapped them

both of them together

in a fiber,

which grows around the palm,

and swallowed them, he has not even fulfilled the obligation of matza.

For there was no substance of it in his mouth, neither this one nor that one.

Rav Shimi bar Ashi said: Matza

must be placed

before each person.

For their practice was to recline on beds, and before each person there was a small table; therefore, one must place matza for each person on his table. [But we, who recline beside one table, need place it only before the leader of the Seder, and he will distribute matza and maror to each person].

And likewise

the maror

must be placed

before each and every person.

And

likewise

the charoset

must be placed

before each and every person.

And they do not remove the table [for it is a mitzva to remove the table when they begin the Haggada, as follows],

except before the one who recites the Haggada

the greatest among them, who discharges everyone’s obligation.

the most prominent among them, who enables everyone to fulfill the obligation.

Rav Huna says: All of them,

matza, maror, and charoset,

also

are not placed except

before the one who recites the Haggada.

And the halakha is according to Rav Huna!

And we inquire about it:

Why do they remove the table?

And we answer:

The school of Rabbi Yannai said: So that the children will notice and ask

why they remove the table before the eating. [And they immediately return it. Tosafot, s.v. “They brought,” 114a].

Abaye,

when he was a child,

would sit before Rabba.

He saw

that

they were lifting the tray from before him,

that they were removing the table from before him.

He said to them: We have not yet eaten, and they have come to remove the table from before us?

And why are they already removing the table from before us?

Rabba said to him: You have exempted us from saying

“What has changed,”

for in your words there is already the question, “What has changed about this night, that they remove the table?” And we need only answer, “We were slaves”; therefore, we perform all these things.

Shmuel said: “For seven days you shall eat matzot upon it,

“bread of affliction”

is written,

that is

bread over which many things are answered,

for they recite the Haggada and the Hallel over it.

It was also taught likewise: “Bread of affliction,” bread over which many things are answered.