Pesachim 116a — the Talmud in English

Alternatively: “bread of affliction,” “affliction” is written

without a vav, and we interpret it:

Just as the way of a poor person is with a piece, ![](pamud.bmp "

precise page-column position")

so here too, with a piece.

For he recites “concerning the eating of matza” over a matza that is not whole. [

And besides this, he brings another two whole ones for lechem mishneh, as on every Yom Tov, and recites “Who brings forth bread” over them and breaks one of them.]

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

the oven

and his wife bakes,

she prepares the dough while he is occupied with heating the oven, so that immediately when he finishes heating it he can put the dough into the oven, because he is afraid that, on account of the small amount of wood, the oven may cool in the meantime.

So here too, he heats and his wife bakes,

and he puts the dough into the oven immediately so that it will not become chametz.

We learned in the Mishna:

“Even though charoset is not a mitzva.”

And we raised it as a problem:

“And if it is not a mitzva”

it

“on account of what does he bring it?”

And we answer:

Rabbi Ami said: On account of kappa.

For the charoset “kills” and neutralizes the venom found in the sap of the maror.

Rav Asi said: The kappa of ḥasa,

one who ate ḥazeret and was afflicted by its venom, his remedy is that he should eat

ḥama,

radish.

The kappa of ḥama,

one who ate radish and it troubles him, he should eat

karti,

leeks. [

The kappa of karti,

one who is troubled by eating leeks should drink

ḥamimei,

hot water.]

The kappa of all of them,

the venom of all vegetables, their remedy is in

ḥamimei,

hot water.

Meanwhile,

in the meantime, until he drinks the hot water,

let him say this,

let him say this incantation:

“Kappa, kappa! 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 son of Rabbi Tzadok says,

the charoset

is a mitzva.

And we raised it as a problem:

“What is the mitzva?”

What mitzva is there in charoset?

And we answer:

Rabbi Levi says: A remembrance of the apple,

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

And Rabbi Yoḥanan says: A remembrance of the mortar

in which the Children of Israel labored in Egypt.

Abaye said: Therefore, it is necessary to make it sharp

by putting into it apples and wine that have acidity,

and it is necessary to thicken it

by making it thick through pounding many vegetables into it.

To make it sharp, a remembrance of the apple.

And it is necessary to thicken it, a remembrance of the mortar,

which is thick and dense.

It was taught in accordance with Rabbi Yoḥanan

that the charoset is a remembrance of the mortar, for it was taught:

Spices,

vegetables that they put in the charoset,

a remembrance of straw

with which Israel labored in Egypt.

The charoset,

that which they pound finely and finely, on account of

a remembrance of the mortar.

Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Tzadok said: This is what the merchants of the window used to say in Jerusalem,

shopkeepers who sat beside their windows and sold [“window,” from the expression “peering through the windows”]:

“Come and take for yourselves”

“spices for the mitzva

of charoset.

Mishna:

They mixed for him the second cup.

And here,

after mixing the second cup,

the son asks

his

father, “What has changed”

now, that he is aroused to ask why the second cup is mixed before the eating?

And if the son does not have the understanding

to ask on his own,

his father teaches him

to ask:

“How different is this night from all the nights?”

1.

“For on all nights we eat chametz and matza,

whereas

“this night is entirely matza?” 2.

B.

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

3.

“For on all nights we eat roasted, boiled

[cooked extensively]

and cooked meat; this night is entirely roasted”

[this question is asked only while the Temple exists], for the Pesach offering is eaten roasted.

4.

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

The first time, other vegetables with a dipping, and the second time, maror in charoset.

And according to the understanding of the son,

according to the extent of his comprehension,

his father teaches him

miracles and mighty deeds of the Exodus from Egypt.

He begins with disgrace

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

and concludes with praise,

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

And he expounds

the passage that those who bring the first fruits say [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 Pesach ask one another.

We learned in the Mishna:

“How different is this night from all the nights,”

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

Rava raised an objection against it: Is it so that every day it is not sufficient unless one dips once?

Is one obligated to dip once every day, such that you say, “We dip once”?

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

this night, twice.

Rav Safra raised an objection against it:

Is the dipping twice that we perform

an obligation?

Is it not only on account of recognition

for the children

that we do this?

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

We learned in the Mishna:

“He begins with disgrace and concludes with praise.”

And we raised it as a problem:

“What is the disgrace?”

With what disgrace does he begin?

And we answer:

Rav said: “At first our ancestors were idolaters.”

And Shmuel said: “We were slaves.”

Rav Naḥman said to Daru,

[the name of his slave]

his slave: “A slave whose master brings him out to freedom

whose master brought him out to freedom,

and gives him silver and gold,”

and gave him silver and gold,

“what does he need to say to him?”

What must he say to his master?

He said to him,

his slave:

“He needs to thank him and praise him,”

he must thank him and praise him.

He said to him,

Rav Naḥman:

“You have exempted us from saying

‘How different.’”

He began and said: “We were slaves,”

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

Mishna:

Rabban Gamliel used to say: Whoever has not said these three things on Pesach,

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

has not fulfilled his obligation.