Pesachim 116a (קטז.) — the Talmud in English

Alternatively: “bread of affliction”—the word for “affliction” is written

without a vav, and we derive:

Just as it is the practice of a poor person to eat a piece of bread,

so too here, a piece of bread.

Thus, one recites the blessing “concerning the eating of matza” over a matza that is not whole.

In addition, he brings two other whole matzot for lechem mishneh, as on every Festival, recites “Who brings forth bread from the earth” over them, and breaks one of them.

Alternatively: Just as it is the practice of a poor person, he heats

the oven

and his wife bakes.

She prepares the dough while he is occupied with heating the oven, so that as soon as he finishes heating it, he can place the dough in the oven, because he fears that, due to the small quantity of wood, the oven may cool in the meantime.

So too here: He heats the oven and his wife bakes,

and he places the dough in the oven immediately, so that it will not become leavened.

We learned in the Mishna:

“Although haroset is not a mitzva.”

And we raised a difficulty concerning this:

“And if it is not a mitzva,

it,

why does he bring it?”

And we answer:

Rabbi Ami said: Because of the poison.

The haroset “kills” and neutralizes the venom found in the sap of the lettuce.

Rav Asi said: The poison of lettuce

—one who ate lettuce and was harmed by its venom should take as a remedy

ḥama,

radish.

The poison of ḥama,

one who ate radish and feels discomfort should eat

karti,

leeks.

The poison of leeks:

one who feels discomfort from eating leeks should drink

ḥamimei,

hot water.

The poison of all of them

—the remedy for the venom of all vegetables is

ḥamimei, hot water.

hot water.

Meanwhile,

while he is waiting to drink the hot water,

let him say this:

let him recite this incantation:

“Poison, poison! I remember you,”

I remember you,

“and your seven daughters,”

and your seven daughters,

“and your eight daughters-in-law,”

and your eight daughters-in-law.

We learned in the Mishna:

“Rabbi Eliezer bar Rabbi Tzadok says:

the haroset is

a mitzva.”

And we raised a difficulty concerning this:

“What mitzva?”

What mitzva is there in haroset?

And we answer:

Rabbi Levi says: It is a commemoration of the apple tree,

for the Jewish women in Egypt would go out to the fields and give birth there beneath an apple tree without pain, so that the Egyptians would not notice them. [As it is stated in the Song of Songs: “Beneath the apple tree I aroused you.”]

And Rabbi Yoḥanan says: It is a commemoration of the mortar

with which the Israelites worked in Egypt.

Abaye said: Therefore, it must be made sharp,

by adding apples and wine, which have an acidic taste,

and it must be made thick,

by making it thick through pounding many vegetables into it.

To make it sharp, a commemoration of the apple tree.

And it must be made thick, a commemoration of the mortar,

which is dense and thick.

It was taught in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yoḥanan

that haroset is a commemoration of the mortar, as it was taught:

“Spices,”

the vegetables placed in the haroset,

are a commemoration of the straw

with which Israel worked in Egypt.

“Haroset,”

that which is pounded finely and finely, is done as

a commemoration of the mortar.

Rabbi Eliezer bar Rabbi Tzadok said: This is what the spice merchants in Jerusalem used to say,

the shopkeepers who sat beside their windows and sold spices [“spice merchant” derives from the expression “peering through the lattice”]:

“Come and take for yourselves

spices for the mitzva

of haroset.”

Mishna:

They pour him the second cup.

And here,

after the second cup has been poured,

the son asks

his

father, “What is different” now, as he is prompted to ask why the second cup is poured before the meal?

And if the son does not have the understanding

to ask on his own,

his father teaches him

to ask:

“Why is this night different from all other nights?”

a.

For on all other nights we eat leavened bread and matza,

whereas

on this night, only matza?”

b.

“For on all other nights we eat other vegetables; on this night, bitter herbs?”

c.

“For on all other nights we eat roasted, boiled

[cooked extensively]

and cooked meat; on this night, only roasted meat”

[this question is asked only while the Temple is standing], because the Paschal offering is eaten roasted.

d.

“For on all other nights we are not obligated to dip even once; on this night, twice.”

The first time, other vegetables by means of a dipping; and the second time, bitter herbs in haroset.

And according to the understanding of the son,

according to his ability to comprehend,

his father teaches him

the miracles and mighty acts of the Exodus from Egypt.

He begins with disgrace

of Israel [that they were slaves in Egypt, or that our ancestors were idol worshippers, as the Gemara explains]

and concludes with praise,

for now the Omnipresent has brought us near to His service.

And he expounds

the passage recited by those who bring the first fruits [in the passage “When you enter”]

from “An Aramean sought to destroy my father” until he completes the entire passage.

Gemara:

The Sages taught: If the son was

wise,

his son asks him

the father.

And if

the son

is not wise, his wife asks him.

And if not, he asks himself.

And even two Torah scholars who know the laws of Passover ask one another.

We learned in the Mishna:

“Why is this night different from all other nights?”

“For on all other nights we dip once; on this night, twice.”

Rava raised an objection to this: Is it so that every day it is impossible not to dip once?

Are people obligated to dip once every day, such that you say, “On all other nights we dip once”?

Rather, Rava said: This is what it teaches: For on all other nights we are not obligated to dip even once;

on this night, twice.

Rav Safra raised an objection:

Is the dipping twice that we perform

an obligation?

Is it not done only as a sign

for the children,

so that we do this?

Rather, Rav Safra said: This is what it teaches: We do not dip even once; on this night, twice.

We learned in the Mishna:

“He begins with disgrace and concludes with praise.”

And we raised a difficulty concerning this:

“What is the disgrace?”

With which disgrace does he begin?

And we answer:

Rav said: “At first our ancestors were idol worshippers.”

And Shmuel said: “We were slaves.”

Rav Naḥman said to Daru,

the name of his slave,

“A slave whom his master takes out to freedom

whose master brought him out to freedom,

and gives him silver and gold,

and gave him silver and gold,

what should he say to him?”

What should he say to his master?

He said to him,

his slave:

“He should thank him and praise him.”

He must thank him and praise him.

He said to him,

Rav Naḥman:

“You have exempted us from reciting

‘Why is this night different’!”

He began and said: “We were slaves”

and continued with the Haggada. That is, this is what the Holy One, blessed be He, did for us: He brought us out of Egypt, and we must thank Him and praise Him.

Mishna:

Rabban Gamliel used to say: Whoever has not stated these three matters on Passover ,

who has not explained the reasons for the three mitzvot listed below,

has not fulfilled his obligation.