Matzah on Erev Pesah

ByHaim Ovadia חיים עובדיה

Joyful and Easy Pesah

משנה תורה, הלכות חמץ ומצה ו׳:י״ב

(יב) אָסְרוּ חֲכָמִים לֶאֱכֹל מַצָּה בְּעֶרֶב הַפֶּסַח כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הֶכֵּר לַאֲכִילָתָהּ בָּעֶרֶב. וּמִי שֶׁאָכַל מַצָּה בְּעֶרֶב הַפֶּסַח מַכִּין אוֹתוֹ מַכַּת מַרְדּוּת עַד שֶׁתֵּצֵא נַפְשׁוֹ. וְכֵן אָסוּר לֶאֱכֹל עֶרֶב הַפֶּסַח מִקֹּדֶם הַמִּנְחָה כִּמְעַט. כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּכָּנֵס לַאֲכִילַת מַצָּה בְּתַאֲוָה. אֲבָל אוֹכֵל הוּא מְעַט פֵּרוֹת אוֹ יְרָקוֹת וְלֹא יְמַלֵּא כְּרֵסוֹ מֵהֶן. וַחֲכָמִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים הָיוּ מַרְעִיבִין עַצְמָן עֶרֶב הַפֶּסַח כְּדֵי לֶאֱכֹל מַצָּה בְּתַאֲוָה וְיִהְיוּ מַצּוֹת חֲבִיבוֹת עָלָיו. אֲבָל בִּשְׁאָר עַרְבֵי שַׁבְּתוֹת אוֹ עַרְבֵי יָמִים טוֹבִים אוֹכֵל וְהוֹלֵךְ עַד שֶׁתֶּחְשַׁךְ:

Mishneh Torah, Leavened and Unleavened Bread 6:12

(12) The sages have forbidden the eating of matzah on the day preceding Pesaḥ, in order to make it conspicuous at night. If one ate matzah on Erev Pesah he gets lashes until he dies. One is also not allowed to eat on Erev Pesah a little before Minha so he will arrive at eating matzah with appetite. But one can eat some fruit and vegetables, though he should not fill up with them. The ancient sages used to go hungry on the day preceding Pesaḥ, so that they might eat the matzah with appetite. But on the eve of Shabbat or other holidays one can eat until darkness falls.

תלמוד ירושלמי פסחים י׳:א׳:ג׳

א"ר לוי האוכל מצה בערב הפסח כבא על ארוסתו בבית חמיו והבא על ארוסתו בבית חמיו לוקה.

Jerusalem Talmud Pesachim 10:1:3

Rabbi Levi said, "One who eats matsa on the eve of Passover is like one who has intercourse with his betrothed in the house of his father-in-law; and the one who has intercourse with his betrothed in the house of his father-in-law is lashed."

פסחים צ״ט ב:א׳-ב׳

מתני׳ ערב פסחים סמוך למנחה לא יאכל אדם עד שתחשך אפילו עני שבישראל לא יאכל עד שיסב ולא יפחתו לו מארבע כוסות של יין ואפילו מן התמחוי: גמ׳ מאי איריא ערבי פסחים אפילו ערבי שבתות וימים טובים נמי דתניא לא יאכל אדם בערבי שבתות וימים טובים מן המנחה ולמעלה כדי שיכנס לשבת כשהוא תאוה דברי רבי יהודה רבי יוסי אומר אוכל והולך עד שתחשך

Pesachim 99b:1-2

MISHNA: On the eve of Passover, adjacent to minḥa time, a person may not eat until dark, so that he will be able to eat matza that night with a hearty appetite. Even the poorest of Jews should not eat the meal on Passover night until he reclines on his left side, as free and wealthy people recline when they eat. And the distributors of charity should not give a poor person less than four cups of wine for the Festival meal of Passover night. And this halakha applies even if the poor person is one of the poorest members of society and receives his food from the charity plate. GEMARA: The Gemara expresses surprise at the mishna’s statement that one may not eat on Passover eve from the time that is adjacent to minḥa. Why discuss this halakha particularly with regard to the eves of Passover? Even on the eves of Shabbat and other Festivals it is also prohibited to eat in the late afternoon, as it was taught in a baraita: A person should not eat on the eves of Shabbat and Festivals from minḥa time onward, so that he will enter Shabbat when he has a desire to eat and he will enjoy the Shabbat meal; this is the statement of Rabbi Yehuda. Rabbi Yosei says: One may continue eating until dark.

פסחים צ״ט ב:ג׳-ד׳

אמר רב הונא לא צריכא אלא לרבי יוסי דאמר אוכל והולך עד שתחשך הני מילי בערבי שבתות וימים טובים אבל בערב הפסח משום חיובא דמצה מודה רב פפא אמר אפילו תימא רבי יהודה התם בערבי שבתות וימים טובים מן המנחה ולמעלה הוא דאסיר סמוך למנחה שרי אבל בערב הפסח אפילו סמוך למנחה נמי אסור

Pesachim 99b:3-4

Rav Huna said: The mishna was necessary only according to the opinion of Rabbi Yosei, who said that one may continue eating until dark. According to his opinion, the mishna is necessary to emphasize that this applies only on the eves of Shabbat and Festivals. But on the eve of Passover, due to the obligation to eat matza, Rabbi Yosei concedes that one must refrain from eating in the afternoon, so that he will eat matza with a good appetite. Rav Pappa said: Even if you say that the mishna is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda, there is still a difference between the eves of Shabbat and other Festivals, as compared with the eve of Passover. There, on the eves of Shabbat and other Festivals, it is only from minḥa time onward that it is prohibited to eat, but adjacent to minḥa time it is permitted. However, on the eve of Passover, even adjacent to minḥa time, it is also prohibited to eat. For this reason, the mishna is referring specifically to the eve of Passover.

פסחים צ״ט ב:ד׳-ה׳

רב פפא אמר אפילו תימא רבי יהודה התם בערבי שבתות וימים טובים מן המנחה ולמעלה הוא דאסיר סמוך למנחה שרי אבל בערב הפסח אפילו סמוך למנחה נמי אסור ובערב שבת סמוך למנחה שרי והתניא לא יאכל אדם בערב שבת וימים טובים מתשע שעות ולמעלה כדי שיכנס לשבת כשהוא תאוה דברי רבי יהודה רבי יוסי אומר אוכל והולך עד שתחשך

Pesachim 99b:4-5

Rav Pappa said: Even if you say that the mishna is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda, there is still a difference between the eves of Shabbat and other Festivals, as compared with the eve of Passover. There, on the eves of Shabbat and other Festivals, it is only from minḥa time onward that it is prohibited to eat, but adjacent to minḥa time it is permitted. However, on the eve of Passover, even adjacent to minḥa time, it is also prohibited to eat. For this reason, the mishna is referring specifically to the eve of Passover. The Gemara asks: And on the eve of Shabbat adjacent to minḥa time, is it permitted to eat? But wasn’t the following taught in a baraita? A person may not eat on the eve of Shabbat and Festivals from nine hours onward, so that he will enter Shabbat when he is filled with the desire to eat; this is the statement of Rabbi Yehuda. Rabbi Yosei says: One may continue eating until dark. According to the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda, even on Shabbat eve one may not eat from before the time of the lesser minḥa, which is at nine and a half hours of the day.

פסחים צ״ט ב:ה׳

ובערב שבת סמוך למנחה שרי והתניא לא יאכל אדם בערב שבת וימים טובים מתשע שעות ולמעלה כדי שיכנס לשבת כשהוא תאוה דברי רבי יהודה רבי יוסי אומר אוכל והולך עד שתחשך

Pesachim 99b:5

The Gemara asks: And on the eve of Shabbat adjacent to minḥa time, is it permitted to eat? But wasn’t the following taught in a baraita? A person may not eat on the eve of Shabbat and Festivals from nine hours onward, so that he will enter Shabbat when he is filled with the desire to eat; this is the statement of Rabbi Yehuda. Rabbi Yosei says: One may continue eating until dark. According to the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda, even on Shabbat eve one may not eat from before the time of the lesser minḥa, which is at nine and a half hours of the day.

פסחים צ״ט ב:ו׳

אמר מר זוטרא מאן לימא לן דמתרצתא היא

Pesachim 99b:6

Mar Zutra said: Who will say to us that this version of the baraita is accurate?

פסחים נ״ה א:ה׳

מתני׳ וחכמים אומרים ביהודה היו עושין מלאכה בערבי פסחים עד חצות ובגליל לא היו עושין כל עיקר הלילה בית שמאי אוסרים ובית הלל מתירין עד הנץ החמה:

Pesachim 55a:5

MISHNA: Apropos the discussion of performing labor on Passover eve, differences in other customs were cited. And the Rabbis say: In Judea, people would perform labor on Passover eves until midday, and in the Galilee people would not perform labor on Passover eve at all. With regard to performing labor on the night before Passover eve, the night between the thirteenth and fourteenth of Nisan, Beit Shammai prohibit performing labor, and Beit Hillel permit doing so until sunrise.

מכילתא דרבי ישמעאל בא - מסכתא דפסחא פרשה יז

והגדת לבנך. שומע אני מראש חדש? תלמוד לומר ביום ההוא. אי ביום ההוא יכול מבעוד יום? תלמוד לומר בעבור זה בשעה שיש מצה ומרור מונחים לפניך על שולחנך:

Mekhilta of Rabbi Yishmael, Bo, Masekhta De-Pis-ha, 17:

You shall tell your son, I hear [understand] from Rosh Hodesh? The verse teaches me: on that day. If that day, can it be early in the day? the verse teaches me: because of this! When the Matzah and Maror are in front of you on the table.

משנה כתובות א׳:ה׳

(ה) הָאוֹכֵל אֵצֶל חָמִיו בִּיהוּדָה שֶׁלֹּא בְעֵדִים, אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִטְעֹן טַעֲנַת בְּתוּלִים, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמִּתְיַחֵד עִמָּהּ. אַחַת אַלְמְנַת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאַחַת אַלְמְנַת כֹּהֵן, כְּתֻבָּתָן מָנֶה. בֵּית דִּין שֶׁל כֹּהֲנִים הָיוּ גוֹבִין לַבְּתוּלָה אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת זוּז, וְלֹא מִחוּ בְיָדָם חֲכָמִים:

Mishnah Ketubot 1:5

(5) He who eats [the betrothment meal] at his father-in-law's [home] in Judea without witnesses [present], cannot make a claim of her [lack] of virginity, because he enters into seclusion with [his wife]. With regard to both a widow, [the daughter] of an Israelite, as well as a widow, [the daughter] of a kohen, her ketubah is a maneh. The court of kohanim would collect [as the ketubah] four hundred zuz [a specific amount of money] for a virgin, and the Sages did not protest.