Mitzvah —
408
To eat the Paschal Lamb with Matzah and Maror on the night of the 15th of Nissan
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וְאָכְל֥וּ אֶת־הַבָּשָׂ֖ר בַּלַּ֣יְלָה הַזֶּ֑ה צְלִי־אֵ֣שׁ וּמַצּ֔וֹת עַל־מְרֹרִ֖ים יֹאכְלֻֽהוּ׃ אַל־תֹּאכְל֤וּ מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙ נָ֔א וּבָשֵׁ֥ל מְבֻשָּׁ֖ל בַּמָּ֑יִם כִּ֣י אִם־צְלִי־אֵ֔שׁ רֹאשׁ֥וֹ עַל־כְּרָעָ֖יו וְעַל־קִרְבּֽוֹ׃ - פָּרָשַׁת בֹּא
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Exodus 12:8-9 - "And on this night, they shall eat the flesh, roasted over the fire, and unleavened cakes; with bitter herbs they shall eat it. You shall not eat it rare or boiled in water, except roasted over the fire its head with its legs and with its innards."
This Mitzvah's Summary
מִצְוָה עֲשֵׂה - Positive Commandment
מִצְוָה לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה - Negative Commandment
Sacrifices – קָרְבָּנוֹת
The Korban Pesach must be eaten on the night of 15 Nissan, roasted with fire, together with matzah and maror.
This mitzvah commands that the meat of the Korban Pesach be eaten specifically at night, roasted, and together with matzah and maror. Rambam (Hilchot Korban Pesach 8:3–4) codifies that all three elements — Pesach, matzah, and maror — must be eaten in unison, fulfilling the Torah’s requirement.
Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 6) teaches that these foods are symbolic: matzah recalls the haste of redemption, maror recalls the bitterness of slavery, and the lamb recalls Hashem’s salvation. Talmud (Pesachim 120a) establishes the halachic obligation to combine them. Rashi (Ex. 12:8) stresses the unity of the three elements, which together embody the full memory of the Exodus. Ramban highlights that eating the Pesach in groups also reinforces Israel’s communal identity in covenant.
Commentary & Classical Explanation:
- Rambam (Hilchot Korban Pesach 8:3–4): Requires Pesach, matzah, and maror eaten together.
- Sefer HaChinuch (6): Explains the symbolic significance of each food.
- Talmud (Pesachim 120a): Obligation to eat them in unison.
- Rashi (Ex. 12:8): Stresses their unity as one ritual.
- Ramban (Ex. 12:8): Links the meal to covenantal group identity.
Contrast with Eating Pesach Sheni (Mitzvah 409):
- The first Pesach requires matzah and maror; Pesach Sheni (Num. 9:11) also requires them but without the broader festival prohibitions.
- Rambam explains the first Pesach has communal, covenantal emphasis, while the second is primarily individual repair.
- Talmud (Pesachim 95a) emphasizes that Pesach Sheni retains the eating mitzvah but lacks full festival sanctity.
Parallel to Eating Matzah on the First Night (Mitzvah 114):
- Eating matzah (Mitzvah 114) is independent, even without Pesach; this mitzvah requires matzah with Pesach.
- Sefer HaChinuch (21) distinguishes: matzah itself testifies to redemption, while matzah-with-Pesach testifies to Hashem’s complete salvation and covenant.
Commentaries
(Source: Chabad.org)
Applying this Mitzvah Today
Notes on this Mitzvah's Fundamentals
Pesach – פֶּסַח
- Sefer HaChinuch (6) explains that eating the Pesach with matzah and maror ensures the Exodus is remembered in fullness: the lamb recalls Hashem’s salvation, matzah recalls the speed of redemption, and maror recalls the bitterness of slavery. Talmud (Pesachim 120a) requires eating all three together, teaching that redemption is never separated from its struggles.
Temple – בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ
- Rambam (Korban Pesach 8:3) rules this mitzvah applies fully only in the Mikdash, where korban, matzah, and maror were united. Ramban emphasizes that the Temple provided the space for Israel to reenact covenantal memory through food and ritual together.
Sacrifices – קָרְבָּנוֹת
- Talmud (Pesachim 120a) emphasizes that the Pesach sacrifice is distinct in requiring communal eating with accompaniments, unlike most korbanot. Sefer HaChinuch highlights that the eating itself was part of the avodah, showing that Israel’s redemption was meant to be “tasted” and internalized.
Community – קְהִלָּה
- Ramban (Ex. 12:8) explains that Pesach groups (chaburot) were required to eat together, binding each household into the covenant. Mishnah (Pesachim 7:2) details how group assignments ensured everyone participated in the mitzvah, making matzah and maror communal symbols as much as sacrificial ones.
Faith – אֱמוּנָה
- Midrash (Shemot Rabbah 18:10) links matzah to faith: Israel trusted Hashem enough to leave Egypt with unrisen dough. Eating matzah with Pesach reaffirms that faith. Rambam (Guide for the Perplexed III:43) adds that maror recalls slavery, ensuring faith isn’t abstract but tied to lived memory of deliverance.
Gratitude – הוֹדָיָה
- Talmud (Pesachim 116b) places the Haggadah narrative within this meal, transforming Pesach with matzah and maror into a thanksgiving ritual. Sefer HaChinuch stresses that eating in memory of both bitterness and redemption leads to deeper gratitude for Hashem’s compassion and salvation.
Compassion – רַחֲמִים
- Midrash Tanchuma (Bo 6) teaches that Hashem redeemed Israel in compassion, relieving them from the bitterness symbolized by maror. By eating Pesach with matzah and maror, Israel recalls not only suffering but the compassion that turned slavery into redemption.
Holiness – קְדֻשָּׁה
- Zohar (II:39a) explains that combining Pesach, matzah, and maror creates a mystical unification of judgment and mercy, sanctifying Israel’s meal. Rambam emphasizes that holiness here is expressed in detail — roasting, timing, and unity of foods.
Bein Adam L’Makom – בֵּין אָדָם לְמָקוֹם
- Ramban comments that publicly eating the lamb — Egypt’s deity — with matzah and maror was an act of loyalty to Hashem alone. Talmud (Pesachim 120a) stresses that this mitzvah was a covenantal declaration before Heaven, binding Israel directly to G-d.
