Komentarz do Wyjścia 12:34

טרם יחמץ BEFORE IT WAS LEAVENED — The Egyptians would not allow them to stay long enough for the dough to become leavened.

בצקו, a construction from the root בצק, just as כתפו, “his shoulder,” is derived from the root כתף.

משארותם צרורות בשמלותם על שכמם, “their leftovers bundled up in their garments, flung over their shoulders.” Ibn Ezra understands the word משארותם as referring to wooden bowls used to knead dough in. The word appears in this context in Deuteronomy 28,17 טנאך ומשארתך, “your fruit basket and your kneading bowl.” They flung this over their shoulders as their donkeys were fully loaded with all the fancy garments they had taken from the Egyptians. I find this illogical, for would it not have been simpler for them to place the heavy wooden bowls on the donkeys and to carry the lighter garments on their shoulders?

The Egyptians did not let them procrastinate long enough to become chametz. But [the reason they took it before it was leavened] was not on account of the prohibition against chametz, because for the Pesach in Egypt there was no prohibition against having chametz in the home. Alternatively, Rashi’s comment may be understood as follows. He is answering the question: Why is it written, “Before it was leavened”? It should have said, “Before they baked it.” Therefore Rashi explains: “The Egyptians did not let them. . .” I.e., by writing “Before it was leavened,” the Torah is informing us the extent to which the Egyptians were hurrying B’nei Yisrael.

(Ibid. 34) "And the people took their dough before it leavened": We are hereby apprised that they kneaded the dough, which had not risen to (become) chametz before they were redeemed. And thus (i.e., a similar metaphor) do you find in time to come, viz. (Hoshea 7:4) "they are all adulterers, like an oven fired by a baker, their arousing (the evil inclination) ceasing, (only) from the kneading of the dough until its leavening," (when they commit the act). And (Ibid. 5) "On the day of (the ascension of) our king, the princes took sick with wine, etc." (Exodus 12:34) "their remnants": of matzoh and maror. You say this, but perhaps (the reference is to) remnants of the Paschal lamb? (Ibid. 10) "And you shall not leave over anything of it (the Paschal lamb)" already accounts for the Paschal lamb. How, then, am I to understand "their remnants bound up in their clothes"? As referring to the remnants of matzoh and maror. ("their remnants) bound up in their clothes on their shoulders": R. Nathan says: Were there no beasts there (to carry the remnants)? Is it not written (Ibid. 38) "And also a great multitude went up with them, and flocks and herds"? Why, then, "on their shoulders"? To betoken their love of the mitzvoth.

V. 34. Das V. 15 und weiter gegebene siebentägige Chamezverbot galt nur, wie es V. 14. ausgesprochen ist, für die künftige Gedächtnisfeier der Erlösung. פסה מצרים אין חמוצו נוהג אלא יום אחד, am Erlösungstage selbst war das Verbot höchstens nur für diesen Tag, den 15. Nissan (siehe Peßachim 96 b. und 28 b.) und zwar, wie da ersichtlich, לא יאכל חמץ היום אתם יוצאים, war nur das Essen des Chamez, nicht aber der Besitz untersagt (siehe ר׳׳ץ zum ריף zur Mischna ר׳ג היה אומר וכו׳). Sie hatten daher sowohl das Bedürfnis als die Absicht, sich gehöriges Brot für die Wanderung zu bereiten, allein die drängende Eile der Ägypter litt es nicht (siehe V. 39). — בצק, wohl verwandt mit פסג, wovon פסגה, die Anhöhe: hoch werden, und פשק, strecken: der im Aufgehen begriffene Teig, so auch vom Fuß רגלך לא בצקה: ist nicht angeschwollen. — משארתם scheint von שאר, die Speise, Nahrung, das Speisebereitungsgefäß: der Trog zu bedeuten, wie oben ובתנוריך ובמשארותיך (Kap. 7, 28). —- על שכמם, sie hatten alle andern Habseligkeiten bereits verpackt und auf Lasttiere geladen und waren nur noch mit Brotbacken beschäftigt. Allein so drängend war die Angst der Ägypter, dass man ihnen nicht einmal Zeit ließ, die Tröge mit dem Teig den Tieren aufzuladen. Sie mussten sie so auf die Schultern nehmen und hinauseilen.

צרורות בשמלותם, “bundled up inside their garments.” This line is the reason why we have the practice of wrapping the afikomen” in a serviette or tablecloth after breaking it and saving it for being eaten at the end of the Seder meal.

משארתם (from the root שאר “to be left over”) denotes the leavings (what was left) of the unleavened bread and bitter herbs (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 12:34).

משארותם, the container in which the dough is placed while it is allowed to rise before being baked. We know this from Deuteronomy 28,5 ברוך טנאך ומשארתך, “blessed will be your basket and your kneading bowl.” Just as the טנא is the basket in which fruit are placed, so משארת is the bowl in which the dough is kneaded. The Torah in Deuteronomy uses these two items as prototypes for G’d extending His blessing to the utensils used by the Jewish people in pursuing their daily efforts at securing their livelihood.

What was left of their matzoh and maror. But not what was left of the korbon Pesach, because any leftovers from the korbon Pesach must be burned. [see 12:10]

על שכמם, “over their shoulders.” The donkeys of the Israelites were already loaded with so much “loot” that they could not burden the animals with additional weight.

על שכמם UPON THEIR SHOULDER — Although they took many cattle with them yet they bore this upon their shoulders because the commands of God were so dear unto them (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 12:34).

על שכמם, “on their shoulder.” They had many animals (which could have served as beasts of burden) as the Torah wrote in verse 38 “and much livestock.” They carried the dough personally to demonstrate their love for the fulfillment of G’d’s commandment.