Талмуд к Шмот 12:17

HALAKHAH: “At nightfall of the fourteenth,” etc. It is written⁵Ex. 12:17–18.: You shall guard the mazzot, because on this same day I took out your multitudes fromthe Land of Egypt. On the first, on the fourteenth of the month, in the evening, you shall eat mazzot, etc. Where do we hold⁶What means on the first? Does it mean on the first month, or on the first day of the holidays?? If for eating mazzah, is it not already written, seven days you shall eat mazzot⁷Ex. 12:15.? Or if to say that one starts on the Fourteenth, is it not written, until the twenty-first of the month⁵Ex. 12:17–18.? But if it is not needed as a reference to the eating of mazzah, take it as a reference to the elimination of leavened matter⁸As usual, the argument partially refers to parts of the verse which are not quoted in the text. It says in 12:15, seven days you shall eat mazzot, only on the first day you shall eliminate sour dough from your houses. No calendar date has been given. One could read v. 17 to state that mazzot have to be eaten and leavened matter eliminated on the 14^th. This is impossible since the same verse states that the seventh day is the 21^st. Therefore the obligation to eat mazzot starts in the evening preceding the 15^th. Since it is accepted doctrine that the calendar day starts at nightfall of the preceding night, the reference to the 14^th cannot possibly refer to eating, but must give the date of the elimination of leavened matter for which the search in the preceding night is a preparation..

Why by candlelight? Rebbi Samuel bar Rav Isaac said, because a candle permits checking everywhere⁹In holes and crevices which are dark in daytime (Babli 8a). The “candle” mentioned here is a small clay vessel filled with oil.. Why in the night? Rebbi Yose said, because checking with a candle is exact only during night time¹⁰As stated later, candle light is not effective during daytime.. Rebbi Mana did not say so: And guard this day for your generations as an eternal law⁵Ex. 12:17–18., see to it that day and night be guarded¹¹The entire day should be dedicated to the elimination of leavened matter.. Then should one not start on the Thirteenth that day and night be guarded? He also agrees with the statement of Rebbi Yose¹²One cannot say that R. Mana disagrees with R. Yose; he adds to his statement.. Then should one start in the evening of the Thirteenth? If so, he could even check on the beginning of the month¹³Since checking two weeks in advance would be useless, so is checking a full day in advance. Since checking should be done at nighttime, the only remaining date is the evening of the 14^th of Nisan (preceding the day)..

The argument of Rebbi Jehudah seems inverted⁹⁴It is not spelled out what other opinion of R. Jehudah is in conflict with his statement in the Mishnah. It seems that while he is stringent in the requirement of triple checking before the holiday he is lenient in not requiring anything afterwards if checking was not done by the time of elimination.. As we have stated, “Rebbi Jehudah says, one checks at nightfall of the Fourteenth, and on the mourning of the Fourteenth, and at the time of elimination⁵Ex. 12:17–18.. But the Sages say, if he did not check at nightfall of the Fourteenth, he has to check on the Fourteenth.” Does he have to check three times? Since at a time before its term of elimination you are saying that he has to check three times, at the moment of the term of elimination not so much more? ⁹⁵The text in parentheses was deleted by the corrector and therefore is not found in the printed texts. It is a necessary component of the argument.(No, it need not be so. If he did not check on the Fourteenth, he has to check on the holiday. Does he have to check three times? Since at a time before its term of elimination you are saying that he has to check three times, at the moment of the term of elimination not so much more?) No, it need not be so. If he did not check on the holiday, he has to check after the holiday⁹⁶The answer to the question was that certainly R. Jehudah would agree with the Sages that checking during or after the holidays is required if it was not done beforehand (a position rejected by the Babli 10b–11a.) The only question is whether in these cases also R. Jehudah requires triple checking. Since he does not spell out his position, an attempt to determine this by inferences is unsuccessful. Since practice does not follow R. Jehudah, a final answer is not given..