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Pesachim ( he, פְּסָחִים, lit. "Paschal lambs" or "Passovers"), also spelled Pesahim, is the third
tractate A tractate is a written work dealing formally and systematically with a subject; the word derives from the Latin ''tractatus'', meaning treatise. One example of its use is in citing a section of the Talmud, when the term ''masekhet'' () is used i ...
of ''
Seder Moed Moed ( he, מועד, "Festivals") is the second Order of the Mishnah, the first written recording of the Oral Torah of the Jewish people (also the Tosefta and Talmud). Of the six orders of the Mishna, Moed is the third shortest. The order of M ...
'' ("Order of Festivals") of the
Mishnah The Mishnah or the Mishna (; he, מִשְׁנָה, "study by repetition", from the verb ''shanah'' , or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions which is known as the Oral Tor ...
and of the
Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ('' halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the ce ...
. The tractate discusses the topics related to the
Jewish holiday Jewish holidays, also known as Jewish festivals or ''Yamim Tovim'' ( he, ימים טובים, , Good Days, or singular , in transliterated Hebrew []), are holidays observed in Judaism and by JewsThis article focuses on practices of mainst ...
of Passover, and the Passover sacrifice, both called ''"Pesach"'' in Hebrew language, Hebrew. The tractate deals with the laws of '' matza'' (unleavened bread) and '' maror'' (bitter herbs), the prohibitions against owning or consuming ''
chametz ''Chametz'' (also ''chometz'', ', ''ḥameṣ'', ''ḥameç'' and other spellings transliterated from he, חָמֵץ / חמץ; ) are foods with leavening agents that are forbidden on the Jewish holiday of Passover. According to halakha, Jews ...
'' ( leaven) on the festival, the details of the Paschal lamb that used to be offered at the
Temple in Jerusalem The Temple in Jerusalem, or alternatively the Holy Temple (; , ), refers to the two now-destroyed religious structures that served as the central places of worship for Israelites and Jews on the modern-day Temple Mount in the Old City of Jeru ...
, the order of the feast on the first evening of the holiday known as the
Passover seder The Passover Seder (; he, סדר פסח , 'Passover order/arrangement'; yi, סדר ) is a ritual feast at the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover. It is conducted throughout the world on the eve of the 15th day of Second Pesach". Two reasons are given for the name of the tractate ''Pesachim'' being in the plural: either because the tractate originally comprised two parts, one dealing with the Passover sacrifice, and the second with the other aspects of the holiday, before they were combined into a single tractate named ''Pesachim'' during the Geonic period (by 1040 CE), or, because the tractate deals with the two occasions for offering the Passover sacrifice, namely, the 14th of the month of Nisan on the eve of the holiday, and one month later, the " second Pesach" on the 14th of Iyar for those who were unable to offer the sacrifice on the original date. The basis for the
laws Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vari ...
included in this tractate are derived from the
Torah The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the ...
, largely from the
Book of Exodus The Book of Exodus (from grc, Ἔξοδος, translit=Éxodos; he, שְׁמוֹת ''Šəmōṯ'', "Names") is the second book of the Bible. It narrates the story of the Exodus, in which the Israelites leave slavery in Biblical Egypt through ...
, in , , and , as well as , and , and . The tractate consists of ten chapters and has a
Gemara The Gemara (also transliterated Gemarah, or in Yiddish Gemo(r)re; from Aramaic , from the Semitic root ג-מ-ר ''gamar'', to finish or complete) is the component of the Talmud comprising rabbinical analysis of and commentary on the Mishnah ...
– rabbinical analysis of and commentary on the Mishnah – in both the Babylonian and
Jerusalem Talmud The Jerusalem Talmud ( he, תַּלְמוּד יְרוּשַׁלְמִי, translit=Talmud Yerushalmi, often for short), also known as the Palestinian Talmud or Talmud of the Land of Israel, is a collection of rabbinic notes on the second-century ...
. There is also a
Tosefta The Tosefta ( Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: תוספתא "supplement, addition") is a compilation of the Jewish oral law from the late 2nd century, the period of the Mishnah. Overview In many ways, the Tosefta acts as a supplement to the Mishnah ( ...
for this tractate. Apart from the Passover sacrifice, the Jewish religious laws derived from this tractate regarding Passover have continued to be observed, with minor variations according the interpretations of later halakhic authorities, by traditional Jewish communities since ancient times until the present. The observances include the prohibitions on eating, benefiting from or possessing any leaven, and the sale or search for and removal of leaven from the house before Passover; the practices of the Seder night, including eating matza and bitter herbs, drinking four cups of wine, and reciting the Haggadah recalling the Exodus from Egypt; as well as the observances of the entire holiday, including the eating of matza and the recitation of the Hallel prayer.


Etymology

The name of the tractate ''Pesachim'' is the Hebrew plural of the name of the Passover festival ''Pesach'', and there are two explanations given for this: Firstly, the tractate contains two distinct parts, which were originally separate, until combined into a single tractate during the Geonic period (by 1040 CE). Until then, the tractate was divided into two parts called ''Pesaḥ Rishon'' ("First Passover" or "Passover I") and ''Pesaḥ Sheni'' ("Second Passover" or "Passover II"). After the two parts were combined, the tractate was called ''Pesachim'', in the plural. One part, now comprising chapters one to four and chapter ten, addresses the laws of Passover that apply always and everywhere, such as the removal of chametz from the home, the eating of matzah, and the Seder on Passover night. The second part, now chapters five to nine, concern the laws of how the Passover sacrifice was offered and eaten at the
Temple in Jerusalem The Temple in Jerusalem, or alternatively the Holy Temple (; , ), refers to the two now-destroyed religious structures that served as the central places of worship for Israelites and Jews on the modern-day Temple Mount in the Old City of Jeru ...
while it existed. This part is more relevant thematically to '' Seder Kodashim'', the order of the Mishna concerned mainly with the sacrificial offerings in the Temple. In the only surviving manuscript that contains the complete text of the Babylonian Talmud, known as the Munich Codex, the current tenth chapter appears as the fourth, so that the chapters concerning the practical observances of the festival follow one another consecutively. The early medieval Jewish commentators, known as the ''
Rishonim ''Rishonim'' (; he, ; sing. he, , ''Rishon'', "the first ones") were the leading rabbis and '' poskim'' who lived approximately during the 11th to 15th centuries, in the era before the writing of the ''Shulchan Aruch'' ( he, , "Set Table", a ...
'', also refer to the first part of the tractate as "''Pesach Rishon''", and the second part about the sacrifices as "''Pesach Sheni''". The Meiri (1249–1315) states clearly in his introduction to the tractate that during the immediately preceding Geonic period, ''Pesachim'' was divided into two tractates. This distinction is also marked explicitly in the Vilna edition in the Hadran at the end of the fourth chapter () and ninth chapter () of the tractate. A second reason given for the plural name of the tractate is that there are, in fact, two Passovers: the " second Pesach" on the 14th of Iyar was instituted a month after Passover for those who were unable to offer the Passover sacrifice on the eve of the holiday on 14th of the month of Nisan, in accordance with . Accordingly, the title of the tractate in the plural recognizes this, although the Mishnah almost entirely concerns the first or "Great" Passover.


Subject matter

The subject matter of this tractate covers the various laws of all the aspects of the Passover holiday. The Mishna follows a mostly sequential order, beginning with the search for ''
chametz ''Chametz'' (also ''chometz'', ', ''ḥameṣ'', ''ḥameç'' and other spellings transliterated from he, חָמֵץ / חמץ; ) are foods with leavening agents that are forbidden on the Jewish holiday of Passover. According to halakha, Jews ...
'' (leaven) on the evening of the thirteenth of Nisan, the day before Passover, and the prohibition of leaven in all its aspects; the details of the Passover sacrifice on the eve of the holiday; and the laws of matzah and bitter herbs with which the sacrifice was to be eaten, during the ritual meal on Passover night, known as
the Seder The Passover Seder (; he, סדר פסח , 'Passover order/arrangement'; yi, סדר ) is a ritual feast at the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover. It is conducted throughout the world on the eve of the 15th day of [isan in the Hebrew c ...
, with which the tractate concludes. The topics discussed in this tractate are derived from the
Torah The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the ...
in the
Book of Exodus The Book of Exodus (from grc, Ἔξοδος, translit=Éxodos; he, שְׁמוֹת ''Šəmōṯ'', "Names") is the second book of the Bible. It narrates the story of the Exodus, in which the Israelites leave slavery in Biblical Egypt through ...
, , , and , as well as , and , and . Other Biblical references to the subject matter are found in , , , , , and .


Structure and content

In all the editions of the Mishnah, Pesachim is the third tractate of the order Mo'ed. The tractate comprises ten chapters and 89 paragraphs (''mishnayot''). It has a
Gemara The Gemara (also transliterated Gemarah, or in Yiddish Gemo(r)re; from Aramaic , from the Semitic root ג-מ-ר ''gamar'', to finish or complete) is the component of the Talmud comprising rabbinical analysis of and commentary on the Mishnah ...
– rabbinical analysis of and commentary on the Mishnah, of 121 folio (double-sided) pages in the Babylonian Talmud and 71 folio pages in the
Jerusalem Talmud The Jerusalem Talmud ( he, תַּלְמוּד יְרוּשַׁלְמִי, translit=Talmud Yerushalmi, often for short), also known as the Palestinian Talmud or Talmud of the Land of Israel, is a collection of rabbinic notes on the second-century ...
. There is a
Tosefta The Tosefta ( Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: תוספתא "supplement, addition") is a compilation of the Jewish oral law from the late 2nd century, the period of the Mishnah. Overview In many ways, the Tosefta acts as a supplement to the Mishnah ( ...
of ten chapters on this tractate. Tractate Pesahim can be divided into three sections: The first four chapters dealing primarily with laws concerning the removal of leaven (''chametz''); the next five chapters dealing with the Passover sacrifice and the tenth and final chapter describing the procedure for
the Seder The Passover Seder (; he, סדר פסח , 'Passover order/arrangement'; yi, סדר ) is a ritual feast at the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover. It is conducted throughout the world on the eve of the 15th day of search for leaven (''bedikat chametz'') and its removal, when and where it is necessary, and how and when ''chametz'' is to be destroyed, and the time limit for eating leavened food on the day before Passover; it describes the signal on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem to notify the people when they were required to destroy their ''chametz''; and concludes with regulations about burning unclean sacred food. * Chapter 2 continues the subject of ''chametz'', such as the time from which any benefit from leavened food other than eating it is forbidden, the status of leaven which was kept until after Passover, including the status of leaven pawned or as pledges for monetary loans to non-Jews; it then discusses the making of the matzah, plants that can be used as '' maror'' and the circumstances under which they may be eaten, and means to prevent substances becoming leaven during the festival. * Chapter 3 lists various foods regarded as ''cḥametẓ'', and which are not chametz themselves but contain leaven and for which a person failing to destroy them is guilty of transgressing the Biblical prohibitions, the search for leaven and its removal when the eve of Passover occurs on a
Sabbath In Abrahamic religions, the Sabbath () or Shabbat (from Hebrew ) is a day set aside for rest and worship. According to the Book of Exodus, the Sabbath is a day of rest on the seventh day, commanded by God to be kept as a holy day of rest, as ...
, cases in which travelers, who have set out on a journey and remember that they had not destroyed leavened food at home must return to do so; and by association, cases in which a pilgrims returning home from Jerusalem, discovers that they are carrying sacrificial meat, must go back to burn it at the
Temple in Jerusalem The Temple in Jerusalem, or alternatively the Holy Temple (; , ), refers to the two now-destroyed religious structures that served as the central places of worship for Israelites and Jews on the modern-day Temple Mount in the Old City of Jeru ...
. * Chapter 4 begins with the statement that refraining from work on the eve of Passover depends on local custom (''minhag'') and discusses the strength of local customs in making and determining law; it then digresses to discuss various laws which depend on local customs and the binding force of customs in several different matters, and references practices of which the Rabbis did not approve and the extent to which they were able to stop them. * Chapter 5 begins the discussion of the Passover sacrifice and other aspects of the sacrificial service at the
Temple in Jerusalem The Temple in Jerusalem, or alternatively the Holy Temple (; , ), refers to the two now-destroyed religious structures that served as the central places of worship for Israelites and Jews on the modern-day Temple Mount in the Old City of Jeru ...
, including the timing of the daily sacrifice (''tamid'') on the eve of Passover, and time for the sacrifice of the Passover sacrifice and circumstances which disqualify a lamb for use as the Passover sacrifice; it continues to describe the ceremonies in the Temple accompanying the slaughtering of the Passover sacrifice, the rows of
priests A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
, the accompanying music, and the three groups of the people who are required to recite the ''"
Hallel Hallel ( he, הַלֵּל, "Praise") is a Jewish prayer, a verbatim recitation from Psalms which is recited by observant Jews on Jewish holidays as an act of praise and thanksgiving. Holy days Hallel consists of six Psalms (113–118), which ...
"'' and finally, the manner of slaughtering the sacrifice when the eve o Passover falls on a Sabbath, and further preparation of the paschal lamb. * Chapter 6 continues to discuss the sacrificial arrangement when Passover falls on a
Sabbath In Abrahamic religions, the Sabbath () or Shabbat (from Hebrew ) is a day set aside for rest and worship. According to the Book of Exodus, the Sabbath is a day of rest on the seventh day, commanded by God to be kept as a holy day of rest, as ...
, and with related issues such as when another animal must be sacrificed together with the paschal lamb, animals used for this sacrifice, and cases in which slaughtering the Passover sacrifice on the Sabbath is forbidden. * Chapter 7 begins with the methods for roasting the Passover sacrifice, and examines problems regarding ritual impurity (''tumah'') affecting a person participating in the sacrifices, including those sacrifices which a person who is in a state of ''tumah'' may offer but not eat; the position when either the community or the sacrifice or parts of it become ritually impure; the time when the inedible parts of the offering such as the bones, and other remnants of the sacrifice must be burned, what part of the animal can be eaten, and the regulations about separate groups eating their sacrificial meat together in the same location. * Chapter 8 considers the questions of who may offer the Passover sacrifice on behalf of another, the position of women, slaves, mourners, and the ritually impure in respect of the Passover offering, and the requirement of registering for a particular sacrifice and being permitted to eat only of that sacrificial animal’s meat, and by association with this, other laws of registration are also discussed. * Chapter 9 begins with the regulations for those who are ritually impure or on a distant journey and unable to observe the Passover sacrifice at the proper time and are required to observe the
Second Passover Pesach_Sheni_( Hebrew:_פסח_שני,_translation.html" ;"title="Hebrew_language.html" "title="Passover Pesach Sheni (Hebrew language">Hebrew: פסח שני, translation">trans. ''Second Passover'') occurs every year on 14 Iyar. This is exact ...
a month later, the difference between the first and the second Passover and the difference between the Passover which was celebrated in Egypt during
the Exodus The Exodus (Hebrew: יציאת מצרים, ''Yeẓi’at Miẓrayim'': ) is the founding myth of the Israelites whose narrative is spread over four books of the Torah (or Pentateuch, corresponding to the first five books of the Bible), namely E ...
and all subsequent Passovers; the chapter transitions to discuss a variety of other problems, such as the exchange ''(" temurah")'' of a Passover sacrifice, offering of a female animal, mixing of the Passover sacrifice with other sacrifices, and cases in which the animal designated as a Passover sacrifice has been lost or exchanged. * Chapter 10 reviews the arrangements and regulations for the Passover night meal,
the Seder The Passover Seder (; he, סדר פסח , 'Passover order/arrangement'; yi, סדר ) is a ritual feast at the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover. It is conducted throughout the world on the eve of the 15th day of blessings_recited_over_them,_the_questions_asked_and_the_narrative_response_to_them_(from_which_the__Haggadah_is_compiled),_as_well_as_additional_blessings_and_the_recitation_of_the_''"Hallel_ Hallel_(_he,_הַלֵּל,_"Praise")_is_a__Jewish_prayer,_a_verbatim_recitation_from_Psalms__which_is_recited_by_observant_Jews_on_Jewish_holidays_as_an_act_of_praise_and_thanksgiving. _Holy_days Hallel_consists_of_six_Psalms_(113–118),_which__...
"''_thanksgiving_praise.


_Historical_context_and_significance

The_Mishna_was_composed_towards_the_end_of_the_
blessings_recited_over_them,_the_questions_asked_and_the_narrative_response_to_them_(from_which_the__Haggadah_is_compiled),_as_well_as_additional_blessings_and_the_recitation_of_the_''"Hallel_ Hallel_(_he,_הַלֵּל,_"Praise")_is_a__Jewish_prayer,_a_verbatim_recitation_from_Psalms__which_is_recited_by_observant_Jews_on_Jewish_holidays_as_an_act_of_praise_and_thanksgiving. _Holy_days Hallel_consists_of_six_Psalms_(113–118),_which__...
"''_thanksgiving_praise.


_Historical_context_and_significance

The_Mishna_was_composed_towards_the_end_of_the_Tannaim">Mishnaic_period_(_30_BCE_-_200__CE)_in_the_Roman_province_of_ blessings_recited_over_them,_the_questions_asked_and_the_narrative_response_to_them_(from_which_the__Haggadah_is_compiled),_as_well_as_additional_blessings_and_the_recitation_of_the_''"Hallel_ Hallel_(_he,_הַלֵּל,_"Praise")_is_a__Jewish_prayer,_a_verbatim_recitation_from_Psalms__which_is_recited_by_observant_Jews_on_Jewish_holidays_as_an_act_of_praise_and_thanksgiving. _Holy_days Hallel_consists_of_six_Psalms_(113–118),_which__...
"''_thanksgiving_praise.


_Historical_context_and_significance

The_Mishna_was_composed_towards_the_end_of_the_Tannaim">Mishnaic_period_(_30_BCE_-_200__CE)_in_the_Roman_province_of_Judea_(Roman_province)">Judea_ Judea_or_Judaea_(_or_;_from__he,_יהודה,__Standard_''Yəhūda'',__Tiberian_''Yehūḏā'';__el,_Ἰουδαία,_;__la,_Iūdaea)_is_an_ancient,_historic,__Biblical_Hebrew,_contemporaneous_Latin,_and_the_modern-day_name_of_the_mountainous_so_...
_and_forms_an_early_part_in_the_lengthy_development_of_Jewish_law_regarding_the_observance_of_the__Passover_holiday. The_Passover_holiday_was_a_central_Three_Pilgrimage_Festivals.html" ;"title="Judea_(Roman_province).html" "title="Tannaim.html" ;"title="Berakhah.html" ;"title="san in the Hebrew c ...
, in detail, including the four cups of wine, and the
blessings_recited_over_them,_the_questions_asked_and_the_narrative_response_to_them_(from_which_the__Haggadah_is_compiled),_as_well_as_additional_blessings_and_the_recitation_of_the_''"Hallel_ Hallel_(_he,_הַלֵּל,_"Praise")_is_a__Jewish_prayer,_a_verbatim_recitation_from_Psalms__which_is_recited_by_observant_Jews_on_Jewish_holidays_as_an_act_of_praise_and_thanksgiving. _Holy_days Hallel_consists_of_six_Psalms_(113–118),_which__...
"''_thanksgiving_praise.


_Historical_context_and_significance

The_Mishna_was_composed_towards_the_end_of_the_Tannaim">Mishnaic_period_(_30_BCE_-_200__CE)_in_the_Roman_province_of_Judea_(Roman_province)">Judea_ Judea_or_Judaea_(_or_;_from__he,_יהודה,__Standard_''Yəhūda'',__Tiberian_''Yehūḏā'';__el,_Ἰουδαία,_;__la,_Iūdaea)_is_an_ancient,_historic,__Biblical_Hebrew,_contemporaneous_Latin,_and_the_modern-day_name_of_the_mountainous_so_...
_and_forms_an_early_part_in_the_lengthy_development_of_Jewish_law_regarding_the_observance_of_the__Passover_holiday. The_Passover_holiday_was_a_central_Three_Pilgrimage_Festivals">pilgrimage_festival_of_the_Jews_when_the_Temple_in_Jerusalem_ The_Temple_in_Jerusalem,_or_alternatively_the_Holy_Temple_(;_,_),_refers_to_the_two_now-destroyed_religious_structures_that_served_as_the_central_places_of_worship_for_Israelites_and_Jews_on_the_modern-day__Temple_Mount_in_the__Old_City_of_Jeru_...
_still_stood.__Passover_was_a_unique_combination_of_a_home_and_Temple_holiday_—_although_the_paschal_lamb_was_slaughtered_in_the_Temple,_it_was_not_consumed_by_the_ blessings_recited_over_them,_the_questions_asked_and_the_narrative_response_to_them_(from_which_the__Haggadah_is_compiled),_as_well_as_additional_blessings_and_the_recitation_of_the_''"Hallel_ Hallel_(_he,_הַלֵּל,_"Praise")_is_a__Jewish_prayer,_a_verbatim_recitation_from_Psalms__which_is_recited_by_observant_Jews_on_Jewish_holidays_as_an_act_of_praise_and_thanksgiving. _Holy_days Hallel_consists_of_six_Psalms_(113–118),_which__...
"''_thanksgiving_praise.


_Historical_context_and_significance

The_Mishna_was_composed_towards_the_end_of_the_Tannaim">Mishnaic_period_(_30_BCE_-_200__CE)_in_the_Roman_province_of_Judea_(Roman_province)">Judea_ Judea_or_Judaea_(_or_;_from__he,_יהודה,__Standard_''Yəhūda'',__Tiberian_''Yehūḏā'';__el,_Ἰουδαία,_;__la,_Iūdaea)_is_an_ancient,_historic,__Biblical_Hebrew,_contemporaneous_Latin,_and_the_modern-day_name_of_the_mountainous_so_...
_and_forms_an_early_part_in_the_lengthy_development_of_Jewish_law_regarding_the_observance_of_the__Passover_holiday. The_Passover_holiday_was_a_central_Three_Pilgrimage_Festivals">pilgrimage_festival_of_the_Jews_when_the_Temple_in_Jerusalem_ The_Temple_in_Jerusalem,_or_alternatively_the_Holy_Temple_(;_,_),_refers_to_the_two_now-destroyed_religious_structures_that_served_as_the_central_places_of_worship_for_Israelites_and_Jews_on_the_modern-day__Temple_Mount_in_the__Old_City_of_Jeru_...
_still_stood.__Passover_was_a_unique_combination_of_a_home_and_Temple_holiday_—_although_the_paschal_lamb_was_slaughtered_in_the_Temple,_it_was_not_consumed_by_the_Kohanim">priests_ A_priest_is_a__religious_leader_authorized_to_perform_the_sacred_rituals_of_a_religion,_especially_as_a_mediatory_agent_between_humans_and_one_or_more_deities._They_also_have_the_authority_or_power_to_administer_religious_rites;_in_particu_...
_but_rather_by_groups_of_Jews_called_''havurot''_—_fellowship_groups,_and_the_rules_of_composition_for_these_groups_are_detailed_in_the_tractate._The_tenth_chapter_of_the_tractate,_containing_the_descriptions_and_instructions_for_the_Seder_ The_Passover_Seder_(;__he,_סדר_פסח_,_'Passover_order/arrangement';__yi,_סדר_)_is_a_ritual_feast_at_the_beginning_of_the_Jewish_holiday_of_Passover._It_is_conducted_throughout_the_world_on_the_eve_of_the_15th_day_of_[isan_in_the_Hebrew_c_...
,_as_it_became_known_in_the_post-Talmudic_period,_has_been_of_continued_importance_from_the_time_of_its_composition_in_antiquity,_describing_as_it_does_one_of_the_most_carefully_observed_rituals_of_all_Jewish_communities_until_modern_times. By_the_time_the_Mishnah_was_compiled_in_the_second_century_C.E.,_significant_parts_of_Haggadah.html" ;"title="Kohanim.html" "title="Berakhah">blessings recited over them, the questions asked and the narrative response to them (from which the Haggadah is compiled), as well as additional blessings and the recitation of the ''"
Hallel Hallel ( he, הַלֵּל, "Praise") is a Jewish prayer, a verbatim recitation from Psalms which is recited by observant Jews on Jewish holidays as an act of praise and thanksgiving. Holy days Hallel consists of six Psalms (113–118), which ...
"'' thanksgiving praise.


Historical context and significance

The Mishna was composed towards the end of the Tannaim">Mishnaic period ( 30 BCE - 200 CE) in the Roman province of Judea (Roman province)">Judea Judea or Judaea ( or ; from he, יהודה, Standard ''Yəhūda'', Tiberian ''Yehūḏā''; el, Ἰουδαία, ; la, Iūdaea) is an ancient, historic, Biblical Hebrew, contemporaneous Latin, and the modern-day name of the mountainous so ...
 and forms an early part in the lengthy development of Jewish law regarding the observance of the Passover holiday. The Passover holiday was a central Three Pilgrimage Festivals">pilgrimage festival of the Jews when the
Temple in Jerusalem The Temple in Jerusalem, or alternatively the Holy Temple (; , ), refers to the two now-destroyed religious structures that served as the central places of worship for Israelites and Jews on the modern-day Temple Mount in the Old City of Jeru ...
still stood. Passover was a unique combination of a home and Temple holiday — although the paschal lamb was slaughtered in the Temple, it was not consumed by the Kohanim">priests A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
 but rather by groups of Jews called ''havurot'' — fellowship groups, and the rules of composition for these groups are detailed in the tractate. The tenth chapter of the tractate, containing the descriptions and instructions for
the Seder The Passover Seder (; he, סדר פסח , 'Passover order/arrangement'; yi, סדר ) is a ritual feast at the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover. It is conducted throughout the world on the eve of the 15th day of [isan in the Hebrew c ...
, as it became known in the post-Talmudic period, has been of continued importance from the time of its composition in antiquity, describing as it does one of the most carefully observed rituals of all Jewish communities until modern times. By the time the Mishnah was compiled in the second century C.E., significant parts of Haggadah">the Haggadah, the traditional Passover narrative, were already formulated and in use as they are today. What are now the "Four Questions" originate in the Mishnah (Pesahim 10:4), and includes the question "On all other nights we eat meat roasted, stewed, or cooked; why on this night only roast meat?" The "Questions" were thus already part of the Seder during the period of the
Second Temple The Second Temple (, , ), later known as Herod's Temple, was the reconstructed Temple in Jerusalem between and 70 CE. It replaced Solomon's Temple, which had been built at the same location in the United Kingdom of Israel before being inherited ...
when the Passover lamb was sacrificed as an offering and roasted and eaten at the home celebrations. After the destruction of the Temple, the question concerning leaning was substituted for the one about the roast offering, which had by then lost its immediate relevance to the evening’s ceremonial meal. The question about bitter herbs was also a later addition. The annual retelling of the story of the redemption from Egypt, as prescribed by the Mishnah, formed an ongoing reiteration of the Jewish belief in God’s past and ongoing protection. Throughout history, the story of the Exodus continued to capture the imagination of Jews, and non-Jews, who drew inspiration from it to strive for their freedom and the connection of their history to the future.


Liturgical uses

The structure and content of most of the liturgical selections used at the Seder were defined during the period of the Mishnah, and with some minor variations, came to comprise the traditional Haggadah that is used by Jewish communities to this day. The Talmudic passages of this tractate formed the basis for one of the earliest known partial texts of the Haggadah, included by Amram Gaon ( 850 C.E.) in his daily prayer book, and the prayer book of
Saadia Gaon Saʻadiah ben Yosef Gaon ( ar, سعيد بن يوسف الفيومي ''Saʻīd bin Yūsuf al-Fayyūmi''; he, סַעֲדְיָה בֶּן יוֹסֵף אַלְפַיּוּמִי גָּאוֹן ''Saʿăḏyāh ben Yōsēf al-Fayyūmī Gāʾōn''; ...
(10th century) presents the earliest complete text of the Haggadah, although it begins differently from today's version. By the 11th century, the version in ''
Mahzor Vitry Simhah ben Samuel of Vitry ( he, שמחה בן שמואל מויטרי; died 1105) was a French Talmudist of the 11th and 12th centuries, pupil of Rashi, and the compiler of ''Machzor Vitry''. He lived in Vitry-le-François. ''Machzor Vitry'' ...
'' is almost the same as that in use today. By the time
Maimonides Musa ibn Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (); la, Moses Maimonides and also referred to by the acronym Rambam ( he, רמב״ם), was a Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah ...
(1135-1204) published it in his ''
Mishneh Torah The ''Mishneh Torah'' ( he, מִשְׁנֵה תּוֹרָה, , repetition of the Torah), also known as ''Sefer Yad ha-Hazaka'' ( he, ספר יד החזקה, , book of the strong hand, label=none), is a code of Rabbinic Jewish religious law ('' ...
'', the text of the Haggadah was essentially the same as the one in present use. The opening words of the Haggadah, after the
Kiddush Kiddush (; he, קידוש ), literally, "sanctification", is a blessing recited over wine or grape juice to sanctify the Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Additionally, the word refers to a small repast held on Shabbat or festival mornings after th ...
that is recited at all holiday meals, is a declaration in
Aramaic The Aramaic languages, short Aramaic ( syc, ܐܪܡܝܐ, Arāmāyā; oar, 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; arc, 𐡀𐡓𐡌𐡉𐡀; tmr, אֲרָמִית), are a language family containing many varieties (languages and dialects) that originated i ...
that appears to have been added to the Seder liturgy after the destruction of the Temple, commencing with the words ("this is the bread of affliction") describing the matzo, and inviting the poor to join the meal. It ends with the declaration "This year we are here; next year may we be in the
Land of Israel The Land of Israel () is the traditional Jewish name for an area of the Southern Levant. Related biblical, religious and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land, the Holy Land, and Palestine (see also Isr ...
; this year we are slaves, next year may we be free people", encapsulating an essential theme of the Seder’s message. The text of '' Ma Nishtana'' ("How is this night different") and now known as "The Four Questions" originates in the Mishnah (Pesachim 10:4) as a set of statements said after the meal and not before it, by the father rather than the child (). It passed through several stages, notably after the destruction of the Temple, when the statements were posed as questions designed to maintain the attention of the children during the telling of the Passover story which now took place before the meal; the statement about the roast offering was replaced by the one concerning reclining, and the question about bitter herbs was added. The passage ''Avadim Hayinu'' ("We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt") begins the formal telling of the story of the exodus from Egypt, following the Mishnah’s directive to "begin with the shame and end with the praise" (Pesachim 10:4). The Talmud records the views of two third-century Talmudic sages,
Rav ''Rav'' (or ''Rab,'' Modern Hebrew: ) is the Hebrew generic term for a person who teaches Torah; a Jewish spiritual guide; or a rabbi. For example, Pirkei Avot (1:6) states that: The term ''rav'' is also Hebrew for ''rabbi''. (For a more nuan ...
and Shmuel, regarding the starting point and content of the narrative (), either "We were slaves..." or "In the beginning our ancestors were idol worshippers..." At different times one or the other introduction was used, but both views were finally accommodated in the Haggadah, beginning with the answer according to Shmuel. The account in the Haggadah of five leading sages of the Mishnah the second century C.E., Rabbis
Eliezer Eliezer (, "Help/Court of El") was the name of at least three different individuals in the Bible. Eliezer of Damascus Eliezer of Damascus () was, according to the Targums, the son of Nimrod. Eliezer was head of the patriarch Abraham's house ...
,
Joshua Joshua () or Yehoshua ( ''Yəhōšuaʿ'', Tiberian: ''Yŏhōšuaʿ,'' lit. 'Yahweh is salvation') ''Yēšūaʿ''; syr, ܝܫܘܥ ܒܪ ܢܘܢ ''Yəšūʿ bar Nōn''; el, Ἰησοῦς, ar , يُوشَعُ ٱبْنُ نُونٍ '' Yūšaʿ ...
, Eleazar ben Azariah, Akiba and
Tarfon Rabbi Tarfon or Tarphon ( he, רבי טרפון, from the Greek Τρύφων ''Tryphon''), a Kohen, was a member of the third generation of the Mishnah sages, who lived in the period between the destruction of the Second Temple (70 CE) and t ...
, who spent the entire night in
Bnei Brak Bnei Brak or Bene Beraq ( he, בְּנֵי בְּרַק ) is a city located on the central Mediterranean coastal plain in Israel, just east of Tel Aviv. A center of Haredi Judaism, Bnei Brak covers an area of 709 hectares (1752 acres, or 2.7 ...
talking about the Exodus from Egypt, is found only in the Haggadah, but the debate is cited in the Mishnah (Berachot 1: 5) and in the
Midrash ''Midrash'' (;"midrash"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. he, מִדְרָשׁ; ...
, and a similar story is found in Tosefta of this tractate (Pesachim 10:12). Following the ruling prescribed in the Mishnah "that according to the understanding of the child, the father instructs him" (Pesachim 10:4), the Haggadah liturgy includes the section of The Four Sons from the
Jerusalem Talmud The Jerusalem Talmud ( he, תַּלְמוּד יְרוּשַׁלְמִי, translit=Talmud Yerushalmi, often for short), also known as the Palestinian Talmud or Talmud of the Land of Israel, is a collection of rabbinic notes on the second-century ...
and the midrashic Mekhilta de-Rabbi Ishmael. Although there are differences between the versions in the Talmud and the Haggadah, the text incorporates the four biblical verses describing the Exodus (Ex. 12:26, 13:8, 13:14, and Deut. 6:20) and associates them with four archetypical children who are to be instructed according to their temperaments. The statements of Rabban Gamaliel explaining the significance of the Passover sacrifice, the matzah, and the bitter herbs (Pesachim 10:5), are included in the Haggadah. These were formulated into a question and answer arrangement in the text of the Haggadah after the Talmudic period. From the same Mishnah, a fundamental passage of the Haggadah, "Every person in every generation must regard themselves as having been personally freed from Egypt…" is also quoted directly. The text concluding the narration of the story and introducing the first part of the
Hallel Hallel ( he, הַלֵּל, "Praise") is a Jewish prayer, a verbatim recitation from Psalms which is recited by observant Jews on Jewish holidays as an act of praise and thanksgiving. Holy days Hallel consists of six Psalms (113–118), which ...
thanksgiving prayer, beginning "Therefore it is our duty to thank…" is also directly quoted from this Mishnah.


References


External links


Full Hebrew and English text of the Mishnah for tractate Pesachim
on
Sefaria Sefaria is an online open source, free content, digital library of Jewish texts. It was founded in 2011 by former Google project manager Brett Lockspeiser and journalist-author Joshua Foer. Calling itself "a living library of Jewish texts", Sefa ...
{{Authority control Jewish sacrificial law Land of Israel laws in Judaism Mishnah Negative Mitzvoth Positive Mitzvoth Passover Tabernacle and Temples in Jerusalem Talmud