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Pesachim (פסחים)

The tractate Pesachim addresses the laws of the Jewish Passover, including the regulations for the elimination of chametz (leavened matter), the paschal sacrifice, and the conduct of the Seder.

Moed10 chapters
Ricerca e annullamento del chametz (bedikat e bittul) (Mishnah 1:1–7)
V.
Hebrew
Orthodox reading
1:1
אוֹר לְאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר, בּוֹדְקִין אֶת הֶחָמֵץ לְאוֹר הַנֵּר. כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין מַכְנִיסִין בּוֹ חָמֵץ אֵין צָרִיךְ בְּדִיקָה. וְלָמָה אָמְרוּ שְׁתֵּי שׁוּרוֹת בַּמַּרְתֵּף, מָקוֹם שֶׁמַּכְנִיסִין בּוֹ חָמֵץ. בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, שְׁתֵּי שׁוּרוֹת עַל פְּנֵי כָל הַמַּרְתֵּף. וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, שְׁתֵּי שׁוּרוֹת הַחִיצוֹנוֹת שֶׁהֵן הָעֶלְיוֹנוֹת:
ⓘ, one performs the ⓘ by candlelight. Any place into which ⓘ is not brought does not require inspection. For what reason did they establish two rows in the wine cellar? Because it is a place into which leavened matter is brought. Beit Shammai state: two rows across the entire front of the wine cellar. And Beit Hillel state: the two outer rows, which are the highest.
1:2
אֵין חוֹשְׁשִׁין שֶׁמָּא גָרְרָה חֻלְדָּה מִבַּיִת לְבַיִת וּמִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם, דְּאִם כֵּן, מֵחָצֵר לְחָצֵר וּמֵעִיר לְעִיר, אֵין לַדָּבָר סוֹף:
There is no reason to fear that perhaps a weasel may have dragged (leavened bread) from one house to another or from one place to another — for if that were so, (one would have to fear that it dragged it) from one courtyard to another courtyard and from one city to another city, and the matter would never have an end.
1:3
רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, בּוֹדְקִין אוֹר אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר וּבְאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר שַׁחֲרִית וּבִשְׁעַת הַבִּעוּר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, לֹא בָדַק אוֹר אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר, יִבְדֹּק בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר. לֹא בָדַק בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר, יִבְדֹּק בְּתוֹךְ הַמּוֹעֵד. לֹא בָדַק בְּתוֹךְ הַמּוֹעֵד, יִבְדֹּק לְאַחַר הַמּוֹעֵד. וּמַה שֶּׁמְּשַׁיֵּר, יַנִּיחֶנּוּ בְצִנְעָא, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא צָרִיךְ בְּדִיקָה אַחֲרָיו:
Rabbi Yehudah states: one performs the ⓘ on the night of the fourteenth (of Nisan), and on the fourteenth in the morning, and at the time of the ⓘ. The Sages state: one who has not performed the search on the night of the fourteenth, let him perform it on the fourteenth; one who has not performed it on the fourteenth, let him perform it during the ⓘ; one who has not performed it during the festival, let him perform it after the festival. As for the leaven that remains, let him set it aside in a concealed place, so that it will not be necessary to perform the search afterward.
1:4
רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר, אוֹכְלִין כָּל חָמֵשׁ, וְשׂוֹרְפִין בִּתְחִלַּת שֵׁשׁ. וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, אוֹכְלִין כָּל אַרְבַּע, וְתוֹלִין כָּל חָמֵשׁ, וְשׂוֹרְפִין בִּתְחִלַּת שֵׁשׁ:
Rabbi Me'ir states: one may consume (the leavened) throughout the fifth (hour), and burns it at the beginning of the sixth. And Rabbi Yehudah states: one may consume throughout the fourth (hour), leaves it in suspense throughout the fifth, and burns it at the beginning of the sixth.
1:5
וְעוֹד אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, שְׁתֵּי חַלּוֹת שֶׁל תּוֹדָה פְסוּלוֹת מֻנָּחוֹת עַל גַּג הָאִצְטַבָּא. כָּל זְמַן שֶׁמֻּנָּחוֹת, כָּל הָעָם אוֹכְלִים. נִטְּלָה אַחַת, תּוֹלִין, לֹא אוֹכְלִין וְלֹא שׂוֹרְפִין. נִטְּלוּ שְׁתֵּיהֶן, הִתְחִילוּ כָל הָעָם שׂוֹרְפִין. רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר, חֻלִּין נֶאֱכָלִין כָּל אַרְבַּע, וּתְרוּמָה כָּל חָמֵשׁ, וְשׂוֹרְפִין בִּתְחִלַּת שֵׁשׁ:
Rabbi Yehudah further establishes: two loaves ⓘ, declared invalid, were placed on the roof of the ⓘ. As long as both remained placed there, all the people ate (the leavened bread). Once one was removed, ⓘ: one neither eats nor burns. Once both were removed, all the people began to burn (the leavened bread). Rabban Gamliel (of Yavneh) states: ⓘ may be eaten throughout the fourth hour; ⓘ throughout the fifth; and one burns at the beginning of the sixth.
1:6
רַבִּי חֲנִינָא סְגַן הַכֹּהֲנִים אוֹמֵר, מִימֵיהֶם שֶׁל כֹּהֲנִים לֹא נִמְנְעוּ מִלִּשְׂרֹף אֶת הַבָּשָׂר שֶׁנִּטְמָא בִוְלַד הַטֻּמְאָה עִם הַבָּשָׂר שֶׁנִּטְמָא בְאַב הַטֻּמְאָה, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁמּוֹסִיפִין טֻמְאָה עַל טֻמְאָתוֹ. הוֹסִיף רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא וְאָמַר, מִימֵיהֶם שֶׁל כֹּהֲנִים לֹא נִמְנְעוּ מִלְּהַדְלִיק אֶת הַשֶּׁמֶן שֶׁנִּפְסַל בִּטְבוּל יוֹם בְּנֵר שֶׁנִּטְמָא בִטְמֵא מֵת, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁמּוֹסִיפִין טֻמְאָה עַל טֻמְאָתוֹ:
Rabbi Ḥanina, prefect of the priests, states: the priests never refrained from burning flesh that had become contaminated by means of ⓘ together with flesh that had become contaminated by means of ⓘ, even though in so doing they were adding impurity to its impurity. Rabbi Akiva added and established: the priests never refrained from lighting oil that had become ritually unfit by means of a ⓘ in a lamp contaminated by ⓘ, even though in so doing they were adding impurity to its impurity.
1:7
אָמַר רַבִּי מֵאִיר, מִדִּבְרֵיהֶם לָמַדְנוּ, שֶׁשּׂוֹרְפִין תְּרוּמָה טְהוֹרָה עִם הַטְּמֵאָה בְּפֶסַח. אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי יוֹסֵי, אֵינָהּ הִיא הַמִּדָּה. וּמוֹדִים רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, שֶׁשּׂוֹרְפִין זוֹ לְעַצְמָהּ וְזוֹ לְעַצְמָהּ. עַל מַה נֶּחֱלְקוּ, עַל הַתְּלוּיָה וְעַל הַטְּמֵאָה, שֶׁרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, תִּשָּׂרֵף זוֹ לְעַצְמָהּ וְזוֹ לְעַצְמָהּ, וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר, שְׁתֵּיהֶן כְּאֶחָת:
Rabbi Me'ir states: "From their own words we have learned that they are burned together, on Pesach, the ⓘ that is pure and the one that is impure." Rabbi Yosei replied to him: "This is not the rule." However, Rabbi Eli'ezer and Rabbi Yehoshua' agree that each is burned separately. On what do they disagree? On the ⓘ and on that which is impure: Rabbi Eli'ezer states that each is burned separately, and Rabbi Yehoshua' states that both are burned together.
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Historical-halakhic study

Historical-halakhic context

The opening pericope of tractate Pesachim establishes the fundamental norms for bedikat chametz, the ritual inspection for leavened bread before the festival of Pesach. Within the system of tannaitic self-understanding, this legislation constitutes the practical implementation of the biblical command in Exodus 12:15: "You shall remove leaven from your houses." The masters named here belong to two distinct generations: Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel represent the schools of the first century CE, whose controversy regarding the extent of inspection in the wine cellar (m1) reflects the pre-destruction debate still alive in normative memory. Rabbi Yehudah bar Ilai, Rabbi Me'ir, Rabbi Akiva, Rabbi Eli'ezer, and Rabbi Yehoshua' are tannaim of the Yavneh and Usha generation (second century CE), while Rabban Gamliel of Yavneh presides over the academy during the phase of post-70 reorganization. The figure of Rabbi Ḥanina Segan ha-Kohanim (m6), deputy to the High Priest, transmits direct memory of Temple practice, conferring priestly authority upon the norms concerning the burning of contaminated flesh.

The socio-political context is that of the Jewish community which, following the destruction of the Temple, transfers to the house of Israel the purification procedures that had previously been concentrated in the sanctuary. The Mishnaic codification thus preserves both operative halakhah and the memory of sacred service.

Internal halakhic dialogue

The Babylonian Talmud (b.Pesachim 2a-21b) extensively develops the pericope, first clarifying the meaning of or ("evening") in m1: the gemara establishes that this refers to night, not day, since lamplight is more effective in darkness. The Beit Shammai–Beit Hillel controversy concerning the cellar (m1) is discussed in b.Pesachim 8b, where the amoraim examine whether the "two outer upper rows" of Beit Hillel constitute a leniency (qulah) or reflect a different assessment of the probability of leaven having been deposited there.

Tosefta Pesachim 1:1-4 expands the casuistry of places requiring inspection, including crevices, under-stair spaces, and storage rooms. The Jerusalem Talmud (j.Pesachim 1:1, 27b) discusses the validity of inspection performed by minors or women, a question not made explicit in the Mishnah.

Regarding the controversy between Rabbi Me'ir and Rabbi Yehudah concerning the hours for consumption and burning (m4-m5), b.Pesachim 11b-12a examines the reasoning behind each position: Rabbi Yehudah introduces the hour of suspension (fifth hour) as a precautionary margin, while Rabbi Me'ir permits consumption until the last permissible moment. The halakhah follows Rabbi Yehudah (Maimonides, Hilkhot Chametz u-Matzah 1:9).

The dispute between Rabbi Eli'ezer and Rabbi Yehoshua' concerning the burning of priestly terumah of uncertain status together with impure terumah (m7) is taken up in b.Pesachim 14a-15b, where the gemara analyzes the degrees of ritual impurity and the principle that one should not cause additional impurity to sacred objects unless strictly necessary.

Roots in the New Testament

The metaphor of leaven as moral impurity finds documented resonance in Paul of Tarsus. In 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, the apostle exhorts: "Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be new dough, for you are unleavened. For Christ, our Pesach, has been sacrificed." Pauline language presupposes the recipients' familiarity with the practice of bedikat chametz: the scrupulous inspection that removes every trace of leaven from the house becomes a figure of the examination of conscience that purifies the community from sin.

The technical vocabulary reflects continuity: the Greek verb ekkathairó ("cleanse out") corresponds functionally to the Hebrew bi'ur, the ritual destruction of leaven. The exhortation "for you are unleavened" (azymoi) presupposes that believers, like Israel at Pesach, are already constitutively pure and must maintain this state through active vigilance.

It is essential to note that Paul does not abrogate Jewish practice nor declare it superseded: the metaphor functions precisely because bedikat chametz retains its normative value. The Pauline appeal constitutes a paraenetic application of the halakhic category, not its replacement.

Practical observance

The observance of bedikat chametz is articulated in concrete gestures marked out in time. On the evening of 14 Nisan, at nightfall, the head of household inspects every room of the house by candlelight, searching for leavened bread in crevices, cupboards, and shelves. The use of a lamp responds to a halakhic principle: artificial light penetrates corners better than daylight. Before the inspection, the blessing is recited: Barukh... asher qiddeshanu be-mitzvotav ve-tzivvanu 'al bi'ur chametz.

On the morning of 14 Nisan, by the end of the fifth hour, the leaven found is burned (bi'ur). The ritual destruction is accompanied by the formula of nullification (bittul): "Any leaven in my possession, whether I have seen it or not, shall be nullified and considered as dust of the earth."

This practice of domestic purification finds correspondence in the New Testament category of Spiritual Vigilance: just as the inspection for leaven requires methodical and timely attention, so the believer is called to examine one's own conduct with constancy (cf. 2 Corinthians 13:5: "Examine yourselves"). The communal dimension further evokes Holiness: the purification of the house prepares the sacred space in which the seder will be celebrated, just as the community is called to be "a holy temple in the Lord" (Ephesians 2:21).

The mitzvah of searching for leaven remains a living expression of the Sinaitic covenant, observed each year in the houses of Israel as the fulfillment of the command: "For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses" (Exodus 12:19).