Page 301 - Tzurba M'Rabanan Volume1

ןנברמ אברוצ ׳א רדסה ליל תוכלה · 299

Motzee-Matza

The consumption of matza is another one of the primary mitzvot of the Seder night and is mentioned
explicitly in the Torah. But the Gemara in Masechet Pesachim cites a dispute whether the eating of matza
nowadays without the korban pesach (Paschal offering) is a Torah or rabbinic obligation.

h Masechet Pesachim 120a .כק םיחספ תכסמ . 39

Rava said: The mitzva of matza nowadays, even after the רורמו אתיירואד הזה ןמזב הצמ :אבר רמא
destruction of the Temple, applies by Torah law; but the mitzva תוצמ לע ביתכד רורמ אנש יאמו – .ןנברד
to eat bitter herbs applies by rabbinic law. And in what way is ןמזבו ,רורמ שי – חספ אכיאד ןמזב םיררמו
the mitzva of bitter herbs different from matza? As it is written, אה ימנ הצמ .רורמ אכיל – חספ אכילד
with regard to the Paschal offering: “They shall eat it with matzot רדה רדהימ הצמ – !םיררמו תוצמ לע ביתכ
and bitter herbs” (Bamidbar 9:11). When there is an obligation רב אחא ברו .תצמ ולכאת ברעב ארק היב
to eat the Paschal offering, there is likewise a mitzva to eat
bitter herbs; and when there is no obligation to eat the Paschal .ןנברד הז דחאו הז דחא :רמא בקעי
offering, there is also no mitzva to eat bitter herbs.
But if so, the same reasoning should apply to matza as well, as it is written: “With matzot and bitter herbs.”
The verse repeats the obligation to eat matza, as it states: “In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the
month in the evening, you shall eat matzot” (Shemot 12:18). This verse establishes a separate obligation to
eat matza, unrelated to the Paschal offering. And Rav Acha bar Ya’akov said: Nowadays, both this, the mitzva
to eat matza, and that, the mitzva to eat bitter herbs, apply by rabbinic law.

The Rambam rules that eating matza is a Torah obligation, which is the ruling accepted by the other
Rishonim.

r Rambam, Hilchot Chametz Umatza 6:1 א:ו הצמו ץמח ׳לה | ם”במר . 40
There is a Torah commandment to eat matza on the night of the לילב הצמ לוכאל הרותה ןמ השע תוצמ
fifteenth day [of Nisan], as it is written: “In the evening, you shall ,”תוצמ ולכאת ברעב“ רמאנש רשע השמח
eat unleavened bread” (Shemot 12:18), everywhere and for all time. וז הליכא הלת אלו ,ןמז לכבו םוקמ לכב
It did not render the eating dependent upon the Paschal offering. המצע ינפב הוצמ וז אלא חספה ןברקב
Rather, this is an independent mitzva and the mitzva is in effect the לגרה ראשב לבא ,הלילה לכ התוצמו
entire night. But on the rest of the festival eating matza is optional; הצר הצמ לכוא הצר תושר הצמ תליכא
if one wants, one eats matza, if one wants he eats rice… But on the
night of the fifteenth alone there is an obligation, and when one eats דבלב רשע השמח לילב לבא …זרוא לכוא
a kezayit (olive-size piece), one has fulfilled one’s obligation. .ותבוח ידי אצי תיזכ לכאשמו הבוח

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