פסחים 115 — Soncino English Talmud

¹To this R. Hisda demurred: After filling his stomach with it he returns and recites a blessing over it! — Rather, said R. Hisda: On the first occasion he recites over it, ‘Who createst the fruit of the ground,’ and, ‘concerning the eating of bitter herbs,’ and eats, while subsequently he eats the lettuce without a blessing. In Syria they acted in accordance with R. Huna, while R. Shesheth the son of R. Joshua acted according to R. Hisda. And the law is in accordance with R. Hisda. R. Aha the son of Raba used to go in search of other vegetables, so as to avoid controversy. Rabina said, R. Mesharsheya son of R. Nathan told me: Thus did Hillel say on the authority of tradition: A man must not make a sandwich of mazzah and bitter herbs together and eat them, because we hold that mazzah nowadays is a Biblical obligation, whereas bitter herbs are a Rabbinical requirement and thus the bitter herbs, which are Rabbinical, will come and nullify the mazzah, which is Biblical. And even on the view that precepts cannot nullify each other, that applies only to a Biblical [precept] with a Biblical [precept], or a Rabbinical [precept] with a Rabbinical [precept], but in the case of a Scriptural and a Rabbinical [precept], the Rabbinical [one] comes and nullifies the Scriptural [one]. Which Tanna do you know [to hold] that precepts do not nullify each other? — it is Hillel. For it was taught, it was related of Hillel that he used to wrap them together, for it is said, they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. R. Johanan observed: Hillel's colleagues disagreed with him. For it was taught: You might think that he should wrap them together and eat them, in the manner that Hillel ate it, therefore it is stated, they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, [intimating] even each separately. To this R. Ashi demurred: If so, what is [the meaning of] ‘even’? Rather, said R. Ashi, this Tanna teaches thus: You might think that he does not discharge his duty unless he wraps them together and eats them, in the manner of Hillel therefore it is stated, they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, [intimating] even each separately. Now that the law was not stated either as Hillel or as the Rabbis, one recites the blessing. ‘[Who hast commanded us] concerning the eating of unleavened bread’ and eats; then he recites the blessing, ‘concerning the eating of bitter herbs,’ and eats; and then he eats unleavened bread and lettuce together without a blessing. in memory of the Temple, as Hillel [did]. R. Eleazar said in R. Oshaia's name: Whatever is dipped in a liquid requires the washing of the hands. Said R. Papa: Infer from this that the lettuce^ᵃ^ᵇ^ᶜ^ᵈ^ᵉ^ᶠ^ᵍ^ʰ^ⁱ^ʲ^ᵏ^ˡ^ᵐ

^ᵃnote:Lit., ‘to exclude himself from a controversy’.
^ᵇnote:The reference is to R. Hillel, the fourth century Babylonian amora, and not to Hillel, the great Nasi who flourished in the first century B.C.E.
^ᶜnote:I.e., it came to him anonymously; Kaplan, Redaction of the Talmud, p. 227.
^ᵈnote:I.e., after the destruction of the Temple and the cessation of sacrifices.
^ᵉnote:Hillel 1.
^ᶠnote:Place the paschal meat of bitter herbs between mazzah.
^ᵍnote:Num. IX, 11.
^ʰnote:This is deduced from the sing. ‘it.’
^ⁱnote:‘Even’ shows that they may certainly be eaten together.
^ʲnote:Though the aforementioned Tanna does not disagree with Hillel, as R. Ashi has shown, it was nevertheless held that some Rabbis did disagree.
^ᵏnote:This he acts on both views, by eating them first separately and then together.
^ˡnote:Vegetables, which are dipped into vinegar.
^ᵐnote:Unwashed hands are, unclean in the second degree and therefore disqualify terumah (v. Mishnah supra 14a and note a.l.), and whatever disqualifies teruma defiles liquids in the first degree (supra 14b). Therefore the hands must be washed.

²must be plunged right into the haroseth to counteract the kappa. For if you should think that it need not be sunk into it, why is the washing of the hands required? Surely he does not touche [the haroseth]? Yet perhaps I may maintain that in truth it need not be sunk [into the haroseth], the kappa dying from its smell; yet why is washing of the hands required? In case he plunges it in. R. Papa also said: A man must not keep the bitter herbs [an appreciable time] in the haroseth, because the sweetness of its ingredients [sc. the haroseth] my neutralize its bitterness, whereas the taste of bitter herbs is essential, but it is then absent. R. Hisda brought Rabbana ‘Ukba and he lectured: If he washed his hands at the first dipping- he must wash his hands at the second dipping [too]. The Rabbis discussed this before R. Papa: This was stated in general, for if you should think that it was stated here [in connection with Passover], why must he wash is hands twice? Surely he has [already] washed his hands once? Said R. Papa to them: On the contrary, it was stated here, for if you should think that it was stated in general, why two dippings? What then? it was stated here? Then why must he wash his hands twice: surely he has [already] washed his hands once? — I will tell you: since he is to recite the Haggadah and Hallel, he may let his thoughts wander and touch [something unclean]. Raba said: If he swallows ,unleavened bread, he discharges his duty; if he swallows bitter herbs, he does not discharge his duty. If he swallows unleavened bread and bitter herbs [together], he discharges his duty of unleavened bread, [but] not his duty of bitter herbs. If he wraps them in bast and swallows them, he does not discharge his duty of unleavened bread either. R. Simi b. Ashi said: unleavened bread [must be set] before each person [of the company]. bitter herbs before each person. and haroseth before each person, but we remove the table only from before him who recites the Haggadah. R. Huna said: All these too [are Set only] before him who recites the Haggadah. And the law is as R. Huna. Why do we remove the table? — The School of R. Jannai said: So that the children may perceive [the unusual proceeding] and enquire [its reasons]. Abaye was sitting before Rabbah, [when] he saw the tray taken up from before him. Said he to then: We have not yet eaten, and they have [already] come [and] removed the tray from before us! Said Rabbah to him: You have exempted us from reciting, ‘Why [is this night] different?’ Samuel said: Bread of [‘oni] [means] bread over which we recite [‘onin] many words. It was taught likewise: ‘Bread of [‘oni]’ means bread over which we recite [‘onin] many words. Another interpretation: ‘Bread of [‘oni]’: ‘ani [poverty] is written: just as a beggar generally has a piece,^ⁿ^ᵒ^ᵖ^ᵠ^ʳ^ˢ^ᵗ^ᵘ^ᵛ^ʷ^ˣ^ʸ^ᶻ^ᵃᵃ^ᵃᵇ^ᵃᶜ^ᵃᵈ^ᵃᵉ^ᵃᶠ^ᵃᵍ

^ⁿnote:which is a liquid.
^ᵒnote:A poisonous substance in the hazereth.
^ᵖnote:For the first dipping, v. infra.
^ᵠnote:With his hand, if the lettuce is only dipped lightly in it.
^ʳnote:vhrcst .
^ˢnote:‘Rabbana’ is a Babylonian title, probably the equivalent of the Palestinian ‘Rabban’ lit., ‘our teacher,’ which is a peculiar title of honour, higher than ‘Rabbi.’
^ᵗnote:When a man eats vegetables at other times of the year. Since the eating of vegetables then is not statutory, each time he eats them (after dipping) even at the same meal counts as a separate act, for when he ate the first time he did not intend eating them again; hence he must wash his hands at each.
^ᵘnote:Knowing that he would eat vegetables a second time; hence once should suffice.
^ᵛnote:The vegetable having been dipped once into vinegar, it need not be dipped again.
^ʷnote:The narrative of the exodus, which is an essential part of the ritual.
^ˣnote:‘Praise,’ i.e., Ps. CXIII-CXVIII.
^ʸnote:I.e., not think about keeping is hands clean.
^ᶻnote:Of eating unleavened bread, though he has not chewed it.
^ᵃᵃnote:Because he has not tasted its bitterness, which is essential. Rashi reads: if he swallows bitter herbs, he has discharged his duty because even then he cannot altogether avoid tasting its bitterness.
^ᵃᵇnote:V. p. 535, n. 7.
^ᵃᶜnote:Since the meal has not yet commenced it is sufficient to place the food before one.
^ᵃᵈnote:V. Mishnah infra 116a. By your observation you have in fact asked that question.
^ᵃᵉnote:E.V. ‘affliction’. Deut. XVI, 3.
^ᵃᶠnote:v. supra p. 166, n. 10.
^ᵃᵍnote:Defective, though it is read plene, denoting ‘reciting’.