Hilchot Tefilla - Arve Pesachim (III)

What is the period in which the Pesach (meal) must be concluded?

דיני אכילת האפיקומן.
לאחר גמר כל הסעודה אוכלים ממצה השמורה תחת המפה כזית כל אחד זכר לפסח הנאכל על השובע ויאכלנו בהסיבה ולא יברך עליו ויהא זהיר לאכלו קודם חצות: (ויקדים עצמו שגם ההלל יקרא קודם חצות) (ר"ן פרק ע"פ וס"ב דמגילה):

Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 477:1

After eating the whole meal, each person eats a kezayit from the shemura matza that was wrapped up. This is done to remember the Korban Pesach which eaten on a full stomach. One should eat the afikomen reclining. Do not make a bracha on eating the afikomen. Be sure to eat the afikomen before halachic midnight. Rema: Try to finish Hallel before halachic midnight as well.

משנה ברורה תע״ז:ז׳

(ז) שגם ההלל - ר"ל עם ברכתו שמברך לאחריה יאמר לכתחלה קודם חצות:

Mishnah Berurah 477:7

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משנה זבחים ה׳:ח׳

הַבְּכוֹר וְהַמַּעֲשֵׂר וְהַפֶּסַח, קָדָשִׁים קַלִּים, שְׁחִיטָתָן בְּכָל מָקוֹם בָּעֲזָרָה… הַפֶּסַח אֵינוֹ נֶאֱכָל אֶלָּא בַלַּיְלָה, וְאֵינוֹ נֶאֱכָל אֶלָּא עַד חֲצוֹת

Mishnah Zevachim 5:8

The firstborn offering, the animal tithe offering, and the Paschal offering are offerings of lesser sanctity. Their slaughter is anywhere in the Temple courtyard, and their blood requires one placement, provided that the priest places it so that the blood goes on the base of the altar. The halakha differs with regard to their consumption. The firstborn offering is eaten by the priests, and the animal tithe offer-ing is eaten by any person, i.e., any ritually pure Jew. And they are eaten throughout the city of Jerusalem, prepared in any manner of food preparation, for two days and one night. The Paschal offering is eaten only at night, and it is eaten only until midnight, and it is eaten only by its registrants, i.e., those who registered in advance to partake of the offering, and it is eaten only roasted, not prepared in any other manner.

משנה פסחים י׳:ט׳

הַפֶּסַח אַחַר חֲצוֹת, מְטַמֵּא אֶת הַיָּדָיִם.

Mishnah Pesachim 10:9

The Sages further said: The Paschal lamb after midnight renders one’s hands ritually impure, as it becomes notar, an offering that remained after the time when they may be eaten has expired; and the Sages ruled that both piggul, offerings that were invalidated due to inappropriate intent while being sacrificed, and notar render one’s hands ritually impure. If one recited the blessing over the Paschal lamb, which is: Who sanctified us with His mitzvot and commanded us to eat the Paschal lamb, he has also exempted himself from reciting a blessing over the Festival offering. The blessing for the Festival peace-offering of the fourteenth of Nisan is: Who sanctified us with His mitzvot and commanded us to eat the offering. However, if he recited the blessing over the Festival offering, he has not exempted himself from reciting a blessing over the Paschal lamb. This is the statement of Rabbi Yishmael. Rabbi Akiva says: This blessing does not exempt one from reciting a blessing over this one, and that blessing does not exempt that one, as there is a separate blessing for each offering.

ברטנורא על משנה פסחים י׳:ט׳:א׳

הפסח אחר חצות מטמא את הידים. דהא נותר הוא מחצות ואילך, ורבנן גזרו על הנותר שיטמא את הידים כדי שלא יתעצלו באכילתו. ומנלן דפסח לאחר חצות הוי נותר, דכתיב בפסח (שמות י״ב:ח) "וְאָכְלוּ אֶת־הַבָּשָׂר בַּלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה", וכתיב התם (שמות י״ב:י״ב, כ"ט) "וְעָבַרְתִּי בְאֶרֶץ־מִצְרַיִם בַּלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה... וַיְהִי בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה", מה להלן עד חצות, אף כאן עד חצות:

Bartenura on Mishnah Pesachim 10:9:1

הפסח אחר חצות מטמא את הידים – for it is considered as Notar/portions of sacrifices left over beyond the legal time and bound to be burnt, from midnight onward, and the Rabbis decreed concerning “Notar” that it defiles the hands, as it is written concerning the Passover sacrifice (Exodus 12:8): “They shall eat the flesh that same night,” and it is written there (Exodus 12:12): “For that I night I will go through the land of Egypt…” Just as there, it is until midnight, so also here, until midnight.

Is eating the "Afikoman" an obligation?

פסקי הרא"ש על פסחים י׳:ל״ד:ב׳

גמ' מאי אפיקומן… נראה לי דאותה מצה אינה לשם חובה, אלא אוכלין אותה זכר לפסח שהיה נאכל על השובע באחרונה ולפי שהוא זכר לפסח, יש ליתן לה דין הפסח שלא לאכול אחריה

Rosh on Pesachim 10:34:2

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רשב"ם על פסחים קי״ט ב:י׳:ג׳

אין מפטירין אחר המצה אפיקומן - שצריך לאכול מצה בגמר סעודתו זכר למצה הנאכלת עם הפסח בכריכה וזו היא מצה הבצועה שאנו אוכלין באחרונה לשם חובה… ואחר אותה מצה אין נפטרין ממנה באכילת דבר אחר, שלא לשכח טעמה

Rashbam on Pesachim 119b:10:3

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The Haggadah as a response to the Christian appropriation of Pesach / Easter

הגדה של פסח, מגיד, דיינו א׳

כַּמָה מַעֲלוֹת טוֹבוֹת לַמָּקוֹם עָלֵינוּ!

אִלּוּ הוֹצִיאָנוּ מִמִצְרַיִם וְלֹא עָשָׂה בָהֶם שְׁפָטִים, דַּיֵּנוּ.

Pesach Haggadah, Magid, Dayenu 1

How many degrees of good did the Place [of all bestow] upon us!

Fun fact: Dayenu has 15 couplets, corresponding to the 15 steps (מַעֲלוֹת) in front of the Temple. Dayenu begins with a reference to the מַעֲלוֹת and ends whith an explicit reference to the בֵּית הַבְּחִירָה.

משנה ברכות א׳:ה׳

מַזְכִּירִין יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם בַּלֵּילוֹת. אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה, הֲרֵי אֲנִי כְּבֶן שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה, וְלֹא זָכִיתִי שֶׁתֵּאָמֵר יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם בַּלֵּילוֹת, עַד שֶׁדְּרָשָׁהּ בֶּן זוֹמָא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים טז) לְמַעַן תִּזְכֹּר אֶת יוֹם צֵאתְךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ. יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ, הַיָּמִים. כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ, הַלֵּילוֹת. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ, הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ, לְהָבִיא לִימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ:

Mishnah Berakhot 1:5

It is a mitzva by Torah law to mention the exodus from Egypt at night, but some held that this mitzva was, like phylacteries or ritual fringes, fulfilled only during the day and not at night. For this reason it was decided: The exodus from Egypt is mentioned at night, adjacent to the recitation of Shema. Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya said: I am approximately seventy years old, and although I have long held this opinion, I was never privileged to prevail (Me’iri) and prove that there is a biblical obligation to fulfill the accepted custom (Ra’avad) and have the exodus from Egypt mentioned at night, until Ben Zoma interpreted it homiletically and proved it obligatory. Ben Zoma derived it as it is stated: “That you may remember the day you went out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life” (Deuteronomy 16:3). The days of your life, refers to daytime alone; however, the addition of the word all, as it is stated: All the days of your life, comes to add nights as well. And the Rabbis, who posit that there is no biblical obligation to mention the exodus from Egypt at night, explain the word, all, differently and say: The days of your life, refers to the days in this world, all is added to include the days of the Messiah.

ירמיהו ל״א:ל״א-ל״ג

(לא) הִנֵּ֛ה יָמִ֥ים בָּאִ֖ים נְאֻם־ה' וְכָרַתִּ֗י אֶת־בֵּ֧ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל וְאֶת־בֵּ֥ית יְהוּדָ֖ה בְּרִ֥ית חֲדָשָֽׁה׃ (לב) לֹ֣א כַבְּרִ֗ית אֲשֶׁ֤ר כָּרַ֙תִּי֙ אֶת־אֲבוֹתָ֔ם בְּיוֹם֙ הֶחֱזִיקִ֣י בְיָדָ֔ם לְהוֹצִיאָ֖ם מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲשֶׁר־הֵ֜מָּה הֵפֵ֣רוּ אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֗י וְאָנֹכִ֛י בָּעַ֥לְתִּי בָ֖ם נְאֻם־ה'׃ (לג) כִּ֣י זֹ֣את הַבְּרִ֡ית אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶכְרֹת֩ אֶת־בֵּ֨ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אַחֲרֵ֨י הַיָּמִ֤ים הָהֵם֙ נְאֻם־ה' נָתַ֤תִּי אֶת־תּֽוֹרָתִי֙ בְּקִרְבָּ֔ם וְעַל־לִבָּ֖ם אֶכְתְּבֶ֑נָּה וְהָיִ֤יתִי לָהֶם֙ לֵֽאלֹקִ֔ים וְהֵ֖מָּה יִֽהְיוּ־לִ֥י לְעָֽם׃

Jeremiah 31:31-33

(31) See, a time is coming—declares GOD —when I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah. (32) It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors, when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, a covenant that they broke, though I espoused them—declares GOD. (33) But such is the covenant I will make with the House of Israel after these days—declares GOD: I will put My Teaching into their inmost being and inscribe it upon their hearts. Then I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Yirmeyahu meant to express with a 'new covenant' that the Jewish people would be transformed by God 'in their inmost being' and as a result they would finally be able to obey their covenant with God, unlike the covenant made at the time of the Exodus, that time and again was betrayed. The use of the word Torah emphasizes that Yirmeyahu's new covenant stands in complete continuity with the former one. [Dalit Rom-Shiloni]

The Christians radically re-interpreted all of this: 'In speaking of a new covenant, he has made the first one obsolete, and what is obsolete and growing old will soon disappear.' (Hebrews 8:13). The Christian Passover/Easter now deals with the story of the new redemption, where Jesus in their view is the 'Lamb of God' (Agnus Dei) replacing the Korban Pesach. The term 'New Testament' indeed means 'new covenant'.

Reaction of the Jewish Sages in the Mishnah: even when the second redemption by the Mashiach will have become a reality, we continue to relate on Pesach about the story of the first redemption from Egypt, for all eternity!

Betzet Yisra'eel - All about water, from the Reed Sea to the Jordan

תהילים קי״ד:ה׳

(ה) מַה־לְּךָ֣ הַ֭יָּם כִּ֣י תָנ֑וּס הַ֝יַּרְדֵּ֗ן תִּסֹּ֥ב לְאָחֽוֹר׃

Psalms 114:5

(5) What alarmed you, O sea, that you fled,
Jordan, that you ran backward,

תהילים קי״ד:ז׳-ח׳

(ז) מִלִּפְנֵ֣י אָ֭דוֹן ח֣וּלִי אָ֑רֶץ מִ֝לִּפְנֵ֗י אֱל֣וֹקַּ יַעֲקֹֽב׃ (ח) הַהֹפְכִ֣י הַצּ֣וּר אֲגַם־מָ֑יִם חַ֝לָּמִ֗ישׁ לְמַעְיְנוֹ־מָֽיִם׃

Psalms 114:7-8

(7) Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob, (8) who turned the rock into a pool of water,
the flinty rock into a fountain.

שמות י״ז:ו׳

הִנְנִ֣י עֹמֵד֩ לְפָנֶ֨יךָ שָּׁ֥ם ׀ עַֽל־הַצּוּר֮ בְּחֹרֵב֒ וְהִכִּ֣יתָ בַצּ֗וּר וְיָצְא֥וּ מִמֶּ֛נּוּ מַ֖יִם וְשָׁתָ֣ה הָעָ֑ם וַיַּ֤עַשׂ כֵּן֙ מֹשֶׁ֔ה לְעֵינֵ֖י זִקְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Exodus 17:6

I will be standing there before you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock and water will issue from it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

יהושע ג׳:י״ג

וְהָיָ֡ה כְּנ֣וֹחַ כַּפּ֣וֹת רַגְלֵ֣י הַכֹּהֲנִ֡ים נֹשְׂאֵי֩ אֲר֨וֹן ה' אֲד֤וֹן כׇּל־הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ בְּמֵ֣י הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן מֵ֤י הַיַּרְדֵּן֙ יִכָּ֣רֵת֔וּן הַמַּ֥יִם הַיֹּרְדִ֖ים מִלְמָ֑עְלָה וְיַעַמְד֖וּ נֵ֥ד אֶחָֽד׃

Joshua 3:13

When the feet of the priests bearing the Ark of GOD, the Sovereign of all the earth, come to rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan—the water coming from upstream—will be cut off and will stand in a single heap.”

שמות ט״ו:י״ד

שָֽׁמְע֥וּ עַמִּ֖ים יִרְגָּז֑וּן חִ֣יל אָחַ֔ז יֹשְׁבֵ֖י פְּלָֽשֶׁת׃

Exodus 15:14

The peoples hear, they tremble;
Agony grips the dwellers in Philistia.

Note that אָ֭דוֹן ח֣וּלִי אָ֑רֶץ alludes to the אֲד֤וֹן כׇּל־הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ in the story of the passing of the Jordan river. Note furthermore that ח֣וּלִי has a double meaning: a) to dance, b) to tramble. In its first sense, it may refer back to הֶהָרִים רָקְדוּ כְאֵילִים. In its second sense, it may allude to חִ֣יל אָחַ֔ז יֹשְׁבֵ֖י פְּלָֽשֶׁת. Note finally how the imagery of the Splitting of the Sea, the drawing of water from a rock and the passing of the Jordan river have been transposed in the Psalm from the later history back to the moment of the Exodus out of Egypt itself

A further Parallel between Halleel and the Shirat Hayam

תהילים קי״ד:א׳-ב׳

(א) בְּצֵ֣את יִ֭שְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם בֵּ֥ית יַ֝עֲקֹ֗ב מֵעַ֥ם לֹעֵֽז׃ (ב) הָיְתָ֣ה יְהוּדָ֣ה לְקׇדְשׁ֑וֹ יִ֝שְׂרָאֵ֗ל מַמְשְׁלוֹתָֽיו׃

Psalms 114:1-2

(1) When Israel went forth from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange speech, (2) Judah became His sanctuary Israel, His dominion.

שמות ט״ו:י״ז

תְּבִאֵ֗מוֹ וְתִטָּעֵ֙מוֹ֙ בְּהַ֣ר נַחֲלָֽתְךָ֔ מָכ֧וֹן לְשִׁבְתְּךָ֛ פָּעַ֖לְתָּ ה' מִקְּדָ֕שׁ אדושם כּוֹנְנ֥וּ יָדֶֽיךָ׃

Exodus 15:17

You will bring them and plant them in Your own mountain,
The place You made to dwell in, ה,
The sanctuary, O my lord, which Your hands established.

Some keen linguistic insights by Rashi in his commentary on this psalm

רש"י על תהילים קי״ד:א׳:א׳

מעם לועז. עם שפת לשון אחר שאינו לה"ק, וחבירו אֶת־עַם נוֹעָז לֹא תִרְאֶה עַם עִמְקֵי שָׂפָה וגו' (שם לג), ונו"ן ולמד נחלפות זו בזו כמו נִשְׁכָּה שהוא לִשְׁכָּה בספר עזרא (נחמיה יג):

Rashi on Psalms 114:1:1

a people of a strange tongue With another language, which is not the Holy Tongue. A similar expression is (Isa. 33:19): “A people of a strange tongue you shall not see, a people of speech too obscure, etc.” The “nun” and the “lammed” are interchangeable, like נִשְׁכָּה, chamber, which is [equivalent to] לִשְׁכָּה, in the Book of Ezra (Neh. 13:7).

The modern Comparative Grammar of the Semitic Languages by Moscati agrees with Rashi:

With regards to Lo'ez, note the similar word in ancient Greek bárbaros, “foreign, non-Greek, strange”, possibly onomatopoeic (mimicking foreign languages, akin to English blah blah)