Daf 40b (דַּף מ׳ ע״ב)

And if you should say: why did Moshe not fulfill it for them? (וְאִי תֵּימָא מֹשֶׁה הֵיךְ לָא פָּרַע לְהוּ) Rather, it was so that Yisrael would not be delayed there until they were healed (אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְעַכְּבוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל תַּמָּן עַד דְּיִתְסִיאוּ). And for this reason it is written: “Seven days shall you eat upon it matzot, bread of affliction” (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב: שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תֹּאכַל עָלָיו מַצּוֹת לֶחֶם עֹנִי) (Deuteronomy 16). Why is it called lechem oni? (מַאי טַעֲמָא לֶחֶם עֹנִי) Because “with haste you went out...” (מִשּׁוּם כִּי בְּחִפָּזוֹן יָצָאתָ וְגוֹ') and it is written: “And they were not able to delay” (וּכְתִיב: וְלֹא יָכְלוּ לְהִתְמַהְמֵהַּ) (Exodus 12).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): when Yisrael entered the Land (כַּד עָאלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְאַרְעָא), the decrees entered and were fulfilled (עָאלוּ גְּזִירִין וְאִתְפְּרָעוּ). And what is written? “A land wherein you shall not eat bread in poverty” (וּמַה כְּתִיב: אֶרֶץ אֲשֶׁר לֹא בְּמִסְכֵּנוּת תֹּאכַל בָּהּ לֶחֶם) (Deuteronomy 8). What is “in poverty—bread of affliction” (מַאי בְּמִסְכֵּנוּת-לֶחֶם עֹנִי). Why is it called bread of affliction? (אֲמַאי אִקְרֵי לֶחֶם עֹנִי) Because the moon was in a state of defect (מִשּׁוּם דְּקַיְּימָא סִיהֲרָא בִּפְגִימוּתָא), and it was not blessed from the sun (וְלָא מִתְבָּרְכָא מִשִּׁמְשָׁא), and it was not illuminated by the sun (וְלָא מִתְנַהֲרָא מִן שִׁמְשָׁא), as it is said: “For all is in the heavens and the earth” (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר: כִּי כֹל בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ) (I Chronicles 29), and it was not illuminated from the yovel (וְלָא אִתְנַהֲרָא מִיּוֹבְלָא).

Why? (מַאי טַעֲמָא) Because it had not yet been fulfilled (מִשּׁוּם דְּלָא אִתְפְּרָעוּ). But here (אֲבָל הָכָא), where Yisrael were decreed and it was fulfilled (דְּאִתְגְּזָרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאִתְפְּרָעוּ), it is written: “You shall lack nothing in it” (לֹא תֶחְסַר כֹּל בָּהּ) (Deuteronomy 8). And for this reason it is written: “You shall not eat bread in poverty in it” (וְעַל דָּא: לֹא בְּמִסְכֵּנוּת תֹּאכַל בָּהּ לֶחֶם). Why? (מַאי טַעֲמָא) Because “you shall lack nothing in it” (מִשּׁוּם דְּלֹא תֶחְסַר כֹּל בָּהּ), unlike what they lacked in Egypt (כְּמָה דְּחָסְרוּ לֵיהּ בְּמִצְרָיִם). And in every year and year, Yisrael perform the remembrance of Egypt (וּבְכָל שַׁתָּא וְשַׁתָּא דּוּכְרָנָא דְּמִצְרַיִם קָא עַבְדֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל), and they eat it, and it is not removed from generation to generation (וְאַכְלֵי וְלָא אִשְׁתְּצֵי מִדָּרֵי דָּרִין). And because it was not fulfilled here in Egypt (וּבְגִין דְּלָא אִתְפְּרָעוּ הָכָא בְּמִצְרַיִם), that kol was lacking (חַסְרוּ לֵיהּ לְהַאי כָּל), and the moon stood in defect (וְקַיְּימָא סִיהֲרָא בִּפְגִימוּתָא), and it was called bread of affliction (וְאִקְרֵי לֶחֶם עֹנִי). Oni-as its Targum: poverty (עֹנִי: כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ מִסְכֵּנוּת). And what they ate there in the Land (וּמַאי דְּאַכְלוּ לֵיהּ תַּמָּן בְּאַרְעָא), was for the sake of the remembrance of Egypt (בְּגִין דּוּכְרָנָא דְּמִצְרַיִם הֲוָה), and this is for all generations (וְהַאי לְדָרֵי דָּרִין). And in the future time it is written: “Your sun shall no longer set, and your moon...” (וּלְזִמְנָא דְּאָתֵי כְּתִיב: לֹא יָבֹא עוֹד שִׁמְשֵׁךְ וִירֵחֵךְ וְגוֹ') (Isaiah 60).

It was taught, Rabbi Shimon said (תַּנָּא אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): it is written, “On the tenth of this month they shall take for themselves...” (כְּתִיב: בֶּעָשׂוֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה וְיִקְחוּ לָהֶם וְגוֹ') (Exodus 12), and it is written: “Only on the tenth of this seventh month, it is Yom haKippurim” (וּכְתִיב: אַךְ בֶּעָשׂוֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי הַזֶּה יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים הוּא) (Leviticus 23). It follows, as was said, that it is written: “On the tenth of this month” (אִשְׁתְּמַע כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר: דִּכְתִּיב: בֶּעָשׂוֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה). What does it teach? (מַאי קָא מַיְירֵי) Rather, on the tenth—this matter depends on the tenth (אֶלָּא בֶּעָשׂוֹר, מִלָּה דָּא בֶּעָשׂוֹר תַּלְיָא). It should have said: in this month (bachodesh hazeh) (לַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה-בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ), Rather, when the ordinance came to this level (אֶלָּא, כַּד אָתָא נִימוּסָא לְהַאי דַּרְגָּא), it is written “this month” precisely (כְּתִיב לַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה דַּיְקָא). “And they shall take for themselves each man a lamb for his father’s house, a lamb for each household” (וְיִקְחוּ לָהֶם אִישׁ שֶׂה לְבֵית אָבוֹת שֶׂה לַבָּיִת) (Exodus 12).

It was taught: these are three bindings-firstborn of beast, firstborn of captivity, firstborn of maidservant (תָּנָא: תְּלַת קִשְׁרִין אִינּוּן: בְּכוֹר בְּהֵמָה, בְּכוֹר הַשְּׁבִי, בְּכוֹר הַשִּׁפְחָה). For all others are bound through these three upper aspects (דְּכָל שְׁאַר מִתְקַשְּׁרֵי בְּהוּ בְּאִלֵּין תְּלַת גַּוְונֵי דִּלְעֵילָּא). And in this that it is called “flock,” everything is bound together (וּבְהַאי דְּאִתְקְרֵי צֹאן, אִתְקָשַּׁר כֹּלָּא), and everything is included within the flock (וְכֹלָּא כָּלִיל בַּצֹּאן), The flock is bound within the flock (אִתְקָשַּׁר צֹאן בַּצֹּאן), and it cannot be separated from its bonds (וְלָא יָכִיל לְאִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִקִּטְרוֹי), and in this all were bound (וּבְהַאי כֻּלְּהוּ אִתְקַשָּׁרוּ).

And for this reason it is written: “It shall be for you for a guarding” (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב: וְהָיָה לָכֶם לְמִשְׁמֶרֶת) (Exodus 12), bind it in binding (קְטִירוּ לֵיהּ בִּקְטִירוּתָא), and it shall be delivered into your hands, into your domain (וִיהֵא אִתְמְסָר בִּידֵיכוֹן בִּרְשׁוּתְכוֹן), until you bring it in and perform judgment upon it (עַד דְּתַנְכְסוּ לֵיהּ וְתַעְבְּדוּן בֵּיהּ דִּינָא). And in the time to come it is written: “Who is this coming from Edom...” (וּלְזִמְנָא דְּאָתֵי כְּתִיב: מִי זֶה בָּא מֵאֱדוֹם) (Isaiah 63). And it is written: “For a sacrifice to Hashem in Botzrah” (וּכְתִיב: כִּי זֶבַח לַיְיָ' בְּבָצְרָה) (Isaiah 34). And it is written: “And Hashem shall be King over all the earth; on that day Hashem shall be One and His Name One” (וּכְתִיב: וְהָיָה יְיָ' לְמֶלֶךְ עַל כָּל הָאָרֶץ, בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִהְיֶה יְיָ' אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד) (Zechariah 14).

Ra‘ya Meheimna

“And the people took their dough before it was leavened...” (וְיִשָּׂא הָעָם אֶת בְּצֵקוֹ טֶרֶם יֶחְמָץ וְגוֹ׳) (Exodus 12:34). This is the twenty-fifth commandment (כ״ה פִּקּוּדָא דָּא): to remove Chametz [Leaven] (לְבָעֵר חָמֵץ). For this commandment was entrusted to Yisrael (דְּהָא פִּקּוּדָא דָּא אִתְמְסַר לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל): “And the people took their dough before it was leavened” (וְיִשָּׂא הָעָם אֶת בְּצֵקוֹ טֶרֶם יֶחְמָץ) (Exodus 12:34). And it is written (וּכְתִיב): “Leaven shall not be found in your houses” (שְּׂאוֹר לֹא יִמָּצֵא בְּבָתֵּיכֶם) (Exodus 12:19).

And the companions have already established this (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּא), and we have established the mystery (וְרָזָא אוֹקִימְנָא) of the difference between Chametz [Leaven] and Matzah [Unleavened Bread] in many places (בֵּין חָמֵץ וּמַצָּה דְּכַמָּה דּוּכְתֵּי): this is the Yetzer Ra [Evil Inclination], and this is the Yetzer Tov [Good Inclination] (דָּא יֵצֶר רַע, וְדָא יֵצֶר טוֹב). The twenty-sixth commandment, after this one (כ״ו פִּקּוּדָא בָּתַר דָּא), is to recount the praise of the Exodus from Egypt (לְסַפֵּר בִּשְׁבָחָא דִּיצִיאַת מִצְרָיִם), for it is an obligation upon a person to recount this praise forever (דְּאִיהוּ חִיּוּבָא עַל בַּר נָשׁ לְאִשְׁתָּעֵי בְּהַאי שְׁבָחָא לְעָלְמִין).

Thus we have established (הָכִי אוֹקִימְנָא): whoever recounts the Exodus from Egypt (כָּל בַּר נָשׁ דְּאִשְׁתָּעֵי בִּיצִיאַת מִצְרָיִם), and rejoices in that account with joy (וּבְהַהוּא סִפּוּר חַדֵּי בְּחֶדְוָה), is destined to rejoice with the Shekhinta in the World to Come (זַמִּין אִיהוּ לְמֶחֱדֵי בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי), which is joy above all (דְּהוּא חֵדוּ מִכֹּלָּא). For this is the person who rejoices in his Master (דְּהַאי אִיהוּ בַּר נָשׁ דְּחַדֵּי בְּמָרֵיהּ), and Kudsha Berikh Hu rejoices in that account (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חַדֵּי בְּהַהוּא סִפּוּר).

At that moment (בֵּיהּ שַׁעֲתָא), Kudsha Berikh Hu gathers all His heavenly retinue (כָּנִישׁ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְכָל פָּמַלְיָיא דִּילֵיהּ), and says to them (וְאָמַר לוֹן): “Go and hear the account of My praise, which My children are recounting, and they rejoice in My redemption” (זִילוּ וּשְׁמָעוּ סִפּוּרָא דִּשְׁבָחָא דִּילִי, דְּקָא מִשְׁתָּעוּ בָּנַי, וְחַדָּאן בְּפוּרְקָנִי). Then they all gather together (כְּדֵין כֻּלְּהוּ מִתְכַּנְּשִׁין), come and join with Yisrael (וְאַתְיָין וּמִתְחַבְּרִין בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל), and hear the account of praise (וּשְׁמָעוּ סִפּוּרָא דִּשְׁבָחָא), that they rejoice in the joy of their Master's redemption (דְּקָא חַדָּאן בְּחֶדְוָה דְּפוּרְקָנָא דְמָרֵיהוֹן). Then they come and give thanks to Kudsha Berikh Hu (כְּדֵין אַתְיָין וְאוֹדָן לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), for all those miracles and mighty deeds (עַל כָּל אִינּוּן נִסִּין וּגְבוּרָן), and they give thanks to Him for the holy people whom He has upon the earth (וְאוֹדָן לֵיהּ עַל עַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא דְּאִית לֵיהּ בְּאַרְעָא), who rejoice in the joy of their Master's redemption (דְּחַדָּאן בְּחֶדְוָה דְּפוּרְקָנָא דְּמָארִיהוֹן).