Seudah Shlishit Pesah Sources from Rambam

(1) The Torah commands us to put away the ḥametz before the time when it is forbidden to eat it, as it is written: "On the first day you shall put away leaven out of your houses" (Exodus 12:15); according to the traditional interpretation, the first day in this verse refers to the fourteenth of Nisan. This is obvious from what is written in the Torah: "You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven" (Exodus 34:25), which means: "You shall not slaughter the paschal lamb while leavened bread still exists"; the time for slaughtering the paschal lamb is the afternoon of the fourteenth day of Nisan.

(2) What is meant by the biblical term putting away? It means that one should regard the ḥametz as nonexistent or as mere dust of the earth, impressing on his mind that he has no ḥametz in his possession and that all the ḥametz in his possession is equivalent to dust or something entirely useless.

(3) By rabbinic enactment, one must search for ḥametz in hiding-places and holes, and remove it from his entire domain. Also, by rabbinic enactment, one should search and remove the ḥametz by lamplight at night, at the beginning of the night preceding the fourteenth day of Nisan, because all the people are then at home and lamplight is best for searching. And we do not fix study at the end of the thirteenth day [of Nissan]. And likewise should a sage not begin to read at that time, lest he be drawn [by it] and be prevented from searching for chamets at the beginning of its time.

(4) 4 We do not search by the light of the moon, nor by the light of the sun nor by the light of a torch, but rather by the light of a lamp. To what are these words applicable? To holes and hiding places. But if one searched in a veranda - the light in which is great - by the light of the sun, it is enough for it. And the middle of a courtyard does not need searching, since birds are common there; and they eat all of the chamets that one drops there.

(7) We do not concern ourselves lest a weasel dragged chamets to a place in which we do not introduce chamets. For if we concern ourselves from [one] house to [another], we will concern ourselves from [one] city to [another] and [then] there is no end to the matter. If one searched on the fourteenth, and [then] left ten loaves but only found nine - such a one must surely concern himself and needs to search a second time. For surely [in this case] a weasel or mouse certainly dragged it.

(1) According to a biblical positive command, we must tell on the night preceding the fifteenth day of Nisan all about the miracles and wonders that were performed for our forefathers in Egypt. As it is stated (Exodus 13:3), "Remember this day that you went out of Egypt"; just as it is stated (Exodus 20:8), "Remember the day of the Shabbat." And from where [do we know] that [the remembering] is on the night of the fifteenth? [Hence,] we learn to say (Exodus 13:8), "And you shall recount to your son on that day, saying, 'Because of this'" - at the time that there is matsa and bitter herbs (being 'this') laying in front of you. And [this is the case] even though he does not have a son. Even great scholars are required to tell about the exodus from Egypt. Anyone who relates at length about the events that occurred deserves praise.

(2) It is one's duty to inform the children even if they ask no questions, as it is written: "You shall tell your son" (Exodus 13:8). The father should instruct his son according to the child's understanding. For example, he should say to one small or foolish: "My son, all of us were slaves in Egypt, like this maidservant or like this manservant, and on this night God redeemed and liberated us." If the son is grown up and intelligent, he should inform him about everything that happened to us in Egypt, and about the miracles that were wrought for us by our teacher Moses; all in accordance with the son's understanding.

(3) On the first night of Pesaḥ, one should introduce some change at the table, so that the children who will notice it may ask, saying: "Why is this night different from all other nights?" And he in turn will reply: "This is what happened." In what manner, for example, should he introduce a change? He may distribute parched grain or nuts to the children; remove the table from its usual place; snatch the unleavened bread from hand to hand, and so on. If he has no son, his wife should ask the questions; if he has no wife, they should ask one another: "Why is this night different?"—even if they are all scholars. If one is alone, he should ask himself: "Why is this night different?"

(4) And one must begin with disgrace and conclude with praise. How is that? He begins and recounts that in the beginning, our ancestors at the time of Terach and before him, were heretics, erring after emptiness and pursuing idolatry. And he concludes with the true religion that the Omnipresent brought us close to Him, separated us from the nations and brought us close to His unification. And likewise does he begin and lets it be known that we were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt and all of the evil that he did to us. And he concludes with the miracles and with the wonders that were done for us and with our freedom. And that is that he should expound from "My father was a wandering Aramean" (Deuteronomy 26:5), until he finishes all of [that] section. And anyone who adds and speaks at length in expounding this section, he is surely praiseworthy.

(5) Anyone who has not said these three things on the night of the fifteenth has not fulfilled his obligation, and these are them: The Passover sacrifice; matsa; and marror. The Passover sacrifice for the sake of (to commemorate) that the Omnipresent passed over the homes of our ancestors in Egypt; as it is stated (Exodus 12:27), "And you shall say, 'It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, etc.'" Bitter herbs [to commemorate] that the Egyptians embittered the lives of our ancestors in Egypt. Matsa [to commemorate] that they were delivered. And these thing are called Haggadah (Recounting).

(6) In every generation, one must show himself as if he personally had come out from the subjugation of Egypt; as it is stated (Deuteronomy 6:23), "And He took us out from there, etc." And regarding this, the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded in the Torah (Deut. 5:15, 15:15, 24:22), "Remember that you were a slave" - meaning to say, as if you yourself had been a slave, came out to freedom, and were redeemed.

(7) Hence when a person eats on that night, he must eat and drink while he is reclining in the way of freedom. And each and every one - whether man or woman - is obligated to drink four cups of wine on this night. We do not lessen them for him. And even for a poor person that is sustained from charity do we not lessen the four cups for him. The requisite amount of each of these cups is a reviit.

(8) Even a poor person among Israel should not eat until he reclines. A woman does not need to recline; but if she is an important woman, she does need to recline. And a child with his father; and a butler in front of his master need to recline. But a student in front of his teacher may not recline unless his teacher gave him permission. And reclining of the right [side] is not reclining. And likewise one who reclines on his back or on his face - it is not reclining. And when do we need reclining? At the time of eating a kazayit of matsa and drinking these four cups. And if he reclines [during] the rest of his eating and drinking, he is surely praiseworthy. But if not, he does not need [to do so].

(9) [Regarding] these four cups, one must mix them in order that the drink be pleasant - it is all according to the wine and according to the opinion of the drinker. One should not have less than a reviit of undiluted wine in all four of them (together). [If] one drank these four cups from wine that was not mixed, he has fulfilled the [obligation to drink] the four cups, but he has not fulfilled [the obligation to drink in a way that expresses] freedom. [If] one drank them all at once, he has fulfilled [the obligation to drink wine as an expression of] freedom, but he has not fulfilled the [obligation to drink] four cups. And if he drank the majority of each cup, he has fulfilled [his obligation].

(10) One recites a blessing over each and every one of these four cups on its own. [In addition:] One recites the sanctification of the day (Kiddush) over the first cup; one reads the Haggadah over the second cup; one recites the Grace over the Meal over the third cup; [and] one completes the Hallel and recites the blessing on the song over the fourth cup. And if one wants to drink between these cups, he may drink. [However,] between the third and fourth, he may not drink.

(11) Charoset is a commandment from the words of the Scribes (rabbinic), in remembrance of the clay with which they would work in Egypt. And how do we make it? We take dates or dried fig bulk or raisins and that which is similar to them and crush them. Then we put vinegar into it and add spices, such that it be like clay with straw. And we put it on the table on the [first two] nights of Passover.

(12) The eating of bitter herbs is not a commandment from the Torah on its own, but is rather dependent upon the eating of the Passover sacrifice. For it is a commandment to eat the meat of the Passover sacrifice over matsa and bitter herbs. And it is from the words of the Scribes (rabbinic) to eat bitter herbs by itself on this night, even [when] the Passover sacrifice is not there.

(13) The bitter herbs mentioned in the Torah are lettuce, endives, chervil, field eryngo, and marror. All five of these types of vegetables are called bitter herbs. And if he ate a kazayit from one of them or from [all] five of them, he has fulfilled [the commandment]. And that is so long as they are fresh. But if he boiled them, pickled them or cooked them, he has not fulfilled [the commandment] with them.