Comentário sobre Êxodo 12:8

את הבשר AND THEY SHALL EAT] THE FLESH — but not the sinews and bones (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 12:8:1).

AND UNLEAVENED BREAD, ‘AL’ (WITH) BITTER HERBS THEY SHALL EAT IT. The purport of the verse is as follows: And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and with unleavened bread with bitter herbs, they shall eat it. [The word al here thus means “with,” and not “upon,” as it generally does.] Similarly: ‘al’ unleavened bread and bitter herbs¹⁶⁹Numbers 9:11. Mentioned in connection with the Second Passover-offering. means “with”; And they came both men ‘al’ women¹⁷⁰Further, 35:22. [means “with” the women]; its head ‘al’ its legs ‘v’al’ the inwards thereof¹⁷¹Verse 9. [means its head “with” its legs “and with” the inwards thereof]. Scripture does not say im (with) [but instead uses al] in order to instruct that it is not obligatory to wrap them together, [i.e., insert the paschal meat and the bitter herbs between the unleavened bread], and eat them.¹⁷²Hillel in fact did wrap them together and eat them. The Sages, however, differed with him and held it not to be obligatory to eat them in that way (Pesachim 115a). As is known, nowadays at the performance of the Seder on the night of Passover, the wrapping together of unleavened bread and bitter herbs is observed “according to the custom of Hillel.” Thus [the word umatzoth (and unleavened bread)] is missing the letter beth, [which would make it ubematzoth (and with unleavened bread)], similar to the expressions: they shall wash ‘mayim’ (water)¹⁷³Further, 30:20. [the word missing a beth, which would make it b’mayim, (with water)]; And Seled died ‘lo’ (no) children,¹⁷⁴I Chronicles 2:30. [the word lo missing a beth, which would make it b’lo (without) children]. Thus Scripture teaches that there is no commandment for eating the bitter herbs alone, but only with the eating of the flesh of the Passover-offering.¹⁷⁵Thus nowadways when we have no Passover-offering, we are not obligated by law of the Torah to eat bitter herbs. It is by law of the Rabbis that we are now obligated to eat bitter herbs at the Seder (Mishneh Torah, Hilchoth Chametz Umatzah, 7:12). Concerning unleavened bread, however, Scripture repeated it by commanding, At even ye shall eat unleavened bread,¹⁷⁶Verse 18. even by itself [when there is no Passover-offering], as is the opinion of our Rabbis.¹⁷⁷Pesachim 120a.
A more correct interpretation is that we say that the word, umatzoth (and unleavened bread), is connected with the earlier part of the verse: And they shall eat the flesh … and unleavened bread. The verse then continues to command that the flesh mentioned be eaten with bitter herbs. Thus He commanded the eating of the flesh with the eating of the unleavened bread, but He did not command the eating of bitter herbs, except by saying that they should eat the meat with bitter herbs, thus hinting that there is no [separate] commandment regarding the bitter herbs. It is only that the meat must be eaten with them, and when there is no Passover-offering there is no specific commandment [of the Torah] regarding the eating of the bitter herbs. It also teaches us that the bitter herbs do not invalidate the meat. Thus, if one ate the meat of the Passover-offering and did not eat bitter herbs, he has [nevertheless] fulfilled his duty of eating the Passover-offering, since the commandment concerning the eating of the Passover-offering is like the commandment of eating unleavened bread, each one an independent commandment in itself.¹⁷⁸For further discussion of this topic, see “The Commandments,” Soncino, Vol. I, pp. 65-67.

"And you shall eat the meat": The verse begins with eating and concludes with eating "with bitter herbs you should eat it", hinting that eating is necessary twice; eating the Pascal lamb and the eating of the Chagiga offering.