Pesachim 115b (קטו:) — the Talmud in English

Rav Pappa said: Learn from this: As for this lettuce

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

he must immerse it in the charoset.

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

because of the poison—

in order to neutralize the venom in the lettuce, as the sap in lettuce contains venom, like an onion.

And when he immerses all of it, he necessarily touches the liquid in the charoset with his hand. Therefore, he must perform netilat yadayim before the first dipping, in accordance with the law governing an item whose dipping is in liquid.

If you would say that he need not immerse it, why do I need netilat yadayim? He did not touch

the liquid with his hand!

And we reject this:

Perhaps, actually, I can say that he need not immerse it, and the poison is neutralized by its scent—

the scent of the charoset alone already “kills” [neutralizes] the venom of the lettuce, even without immersing all of it.

But then why do I need netilat yadayim?

Perhaps he will immerse it—

the Sages instituted netilat yadayim lest he immerse all of it, in which case his hand would touch the liquid.

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

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

lest, on account of the pungency

sweetness

of the spices

in the charoset,

it neutralize the maror—

the bitterness of the maror will be neutralized—

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

He appointed

the eminent

Rav Ḥisda appointed Ravina 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 Ḥisda

was said generally,

with regard to dippings during the rest of the year, which are not fixed ritual practices. Therefore, even though he washed his hands for the first dipping, he must wash again for the second dipping, because when he performed the first washing he did not know that he would dip a second time, and he diverted his attention from the washing.

If you would say that here [

with regard to the dippings on the night of the Seder

it was said, why do I need netilat yadayim twice?

He has already 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, it was said here!

If you would say that it was said generally, why do I need two dippings?

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

And as for your question,

rather, what

if

it was said here, why do I need netilat yadayim twice?

He has already washed his hands once.

They said

I will answer you:

Since he needs to recite

between the two dippings

the Haggada and Hallel,

the Haggada and the first half of Hallel,

perhaps he will divert his attention from it and touch

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

Rava said: If one swallowed matza

without chewing it,

he has fulfilled

the mitzva of eating matza. Although he did not taste the taste of matza, his eating is considered eating for the sake of the mitzva, and he fulfilled “In the evening you shall eat matzot” [but he fulfills the obligation only after the fact, since ideally he must taste the taste of matza. Rashbam].

But if he

swallowed maror, he has not fulfilled his obligation!

For with 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 mitzva of matza,

since with matza one need not taste its taste. But

he has not fulfilled the mitzva of maror,

because he did not taste the taste of maror.

If he wrapped them

both together

in a fiber,

which grows around the palm tree,

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

For there was no actual substance of it in his mouth, neither of them.

Rav Shimi bar Ashi said: Matza

must be placed

before each person.

Their custom was to recline on couches, and each person had a small table before him. Therefore, matza must be placed on each person’s table. [But we, who recline at one table, need place it only before the leader of the Seder, who will distribute matza and maror to each person].

And likewise

maror

must be placed

before each and every person.

And

likewise

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 will be stated below],

except before the one who recites the Haggada

the eldest among them, who enables them all to fulfill their obligation.

Rav Huna says: All of them

matza, maror, and charoset

also

are placed only

before the one who recites the Haggada.

And the halakha is in accordance with Rav Huna!

And we raised a question about this:

Why do they remove the table?

And we answer:

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

why the table is removed before the meal. [And they immediately return it. Tosafot s.v. “Havi’u,” 114a].

Abaye,

when he was a child,

used to sit before Rabba.

He saw

that he

was lifting the table from before him,

as they were removing the table from before him.

He said to them: We have not yet eaten, and they are already removing the table from before us?

Why are they already removing the table from before us?

Rabba said to him: You have exempted us from reciting

“What has changed?”

For your words already contain the question, “What has changed about this night, that the table is removed?” We need only answer, “We were slaves,” and therefore we perform all these actions.

Samuel said: “For seven days you shall eat matzot with it,

bread of affliction”

is written,

that is,

bread over which many things are answered—

upon which the Haggada and Hallel are recited.

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