פירוש על שמות 12:9

אל תאכלו ממנו נא DO NOT EAT OF IT HALF-DONE — flesh that is not roasted as much as it should be is called נא in the Arabic language (cf. Pesachim 41a).

EAT NOT OF IT RAW, NOR SODDEN AT ALL WITH WATER. This commandment applies for all generations [and not merely for the Passover at the time of the exodus], for all commandments here relate to the body of the Passover-offering and therefore apply for all times. But the commandments concerning those that eat thereof — such as your loins girded, etc.,¹⁷⁹Verse 11. and the blood which is to be on the lintel¹⁸⁰Further, Verse 22. — apply only to the Passover of Egypt. And so Scripture says concerning the second Passover-offering: They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs; They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break a bone thereof; according to all the statute of the Passover they shall keep it.¹⁸¹Numbers 9:11-12. [The expression, according to all the statute, etc.], refers to the law of roasting with fire, and that it is not to be eaten either raw or sodden.¹⁸²These strictures not clearly mentioned in connection with the Second Passover-offering are nevertheles included within the expression, according to all the statute of the Passover they shall keep it.

נא, I believe this means a type of frying in a pot but in its own juice (including the blood) not involving water known as צלי קדר, not roasting directly on the fire, as required by our verse here [so that the blood drips off. Ed.].

כי אם צלי אש, “but only when roasted on the fire.” Seeing the meat had to be consumed in a hurry, and boiling meat takes longer than roasting it.

The Torah tells us ובשל מבושל to include anything boiled. In other words, since it is written ,מים we would think that boiling is forbidden only in water. Therefore it says [the repetitive term] ובשל מבושל , to include all liquids [in the prohibition]. You might ask: Let the verse omit מים and [thereby eliminate the need to say] מבושל , and mention only נא and ובשל ? Re”m answers: Cooking includes roasting, as it is written [later about the korbon Pesach], “You shall cook it and eat it” (Devarim 16:7), and Rashi there explains, “Roasting is also called cooking.” That is why our verse needed to state that only מים [is forbidden to cook with], but not roasting [which is permitted, and consequently Scripture needed to forbid all liquids]. This was needed even though it is written, “But only roasted over fire,” and we would know that here, cooking does not include roasting.

V. 9. נא, (von נוא: gestört werden, in einer angefangenen Bewegung unterbrochen werden, daher נָא: die bittend entgegentretende Partikel, und הניא: die Ausführung einer Absicht hindern): unfertig, halbgar. Der Gegensatz ist: בשל מבושל במים, Garmachung durch Zusatz von Wasser oder sonstigen Flüssigkeiten. Ihr erhaltet die Freiheit fertig aus Gottes Händen und es bedarf dazu nicht erst noch menschlichen Zusatzes. Und ihr erhaltet die Freiheit auf einmal כולו כאחד (siehe Raschi Peßachim 74 a. Mischna) ראשו על כרעיו ועל קרבו, von Kopf und Hand und Fuß und der Tätigkeit der Ernährung und des Lebens fallen die Fesseln mit dem Ganzen zugleich. Dies ראשו וגו׳ vindiziert ihm den symbolischen Charakter.

אל תאכלו ממנו נא, “do not eat any of it while it is still raw;” according to Ibn Ezra, the reason for this prohibition is that seeing that we had slaughtered an animal that was an abomination for the Egyptians the Israelites would not dare to roast or cook it for a long time in order that the Egyptians would not become aware of what they were doing; the Torah insists that everything they were doing should be performed in such a way that the Egyptians would be completely aware of it, hence the line: ראשו על כרעיו ועל קרבו, “its head with its legs with its entrails.” It must not be boiled in a pot as then it would not be seen by the Egyptians, as the pots had lids.

אל תאכלו ממנו נא, “do not eat from it while it is still raw,” if an Egyptian comes along do not remove it from the fire by saying that it is already well done while in effect it is still rare; you might be induced to say something like that out of fear; therefore I command you not to be afraid.

ובשל מבשל NOR SODDEN AT ALL — All this belongs to the prohibition, “Do not eat of it” (The text is, therefore, to be translated as above, and not: Do not eat of it half done, but boiled etc. The words אל תאכלו are to be supplied before בשל and כי אם צלי אש) (Pesachim 41b).

He roasts it all as one with its head together with its legs together with its inner parts. Rashi is clarifying the meaning of the verse, for we might have said that the korbon Pesach’s head, legs and inner parts are all roasted together, and the rest of the sheep by itself. Therefore Rashi explains that the entire sheep is roasted as one.

ובשל מבושל, “nor eat it boiled in water;” according to the plain meaning of the text the prefix ו in the word: ובשל is superfluous; the line means: “please do not eat it boiled in water to hide what it really is.” I want you to roast it on the fire in order that it achieve maximum visibility and smell; the word

במים [BOILED] IN WATER — Whence may it be deduced that this prohibition extends to other liquids also? Because Scripture states here ובשל מבשל, “or boiled at all” (Pesachim 41a.).

And he places its intestines inside after having rinsed them. Re”m writes: “This is true only according to R. Yosi HaGelili, while R. Akiva disagrees and says that this would be like cooking — the intestines should rather be suspended outside the sheep. But it is puzzling that Rashi follows R. Yosi HaGelili’s view rather than R. Akiva’s, when the Halachah generally follows R. Akiva’s view over that of any single Sage who disagrees with him.” The Nachalas Yaakov writes: If Rashi was following R. Yosi’s view, then why would he say that only the intestines are placed inside? He should have said that even the legs are placed inside! Rather, it seems to me that according to Rashi, [all views agree that the intestines are placed inside,] just as all agree that the head is [not] placed inside. And the only disagreement is over the legs. (see Nachalas Yaakov)

נא introduces a request as opposed to a command.

כי אם צלי אש BUT ROAST WITH FIRE — Above (in the preceding verse) Scripture promulgates the law regarding this in the form of an affirmative command; here it adds to that a negative command: Do not eat of it … except roasted by fire. (Consequently one who eats of it in in any manner except roasted by fire is liable to the punishment laid down for transgressing a negative command as well as to that for the infringement of a positive command) (Pesachim 41b).

ראשו על כרעיו ועל קרבו, “its head, legs, and entrails over the fire.” Here too the word על means “with.” Even at the time it is being roasted it should be whole, not cut up. This too is to ensure maximum visibility.

ראשו על כרעיו ITS HEAD WITH ITS LEGS — One roasts it all in one, with its head and with its legs and with its inward parts, and one places its entrails inside it after having rinsed them (Pesachim 74a). The expression על קרבו, is like the expression, (Exodus 6:26) “על צבאותם”, which is the same as בצבאותם, “with their hosts”, which means, “just as they are” (every one of the Israelites). So, too, this phrase means: they shall roast the flesh just as it is — all its flesh, whole.

Roasted.