Pesachim 116b

שְׁלֹשָׁה דְּבָרִים אֵלּוּ בַּפֶּסַח לֹא יָצָא יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן: פֶּסַח, מַצָּה, וּמָרוֹר. פֶּסַח — עַל שׁוּם שֶׁפָּסַח הַמָּקוֹם עַל בָּתֵּי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בְּמִצְרַיִם, [שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַאֲמַרְתֶּם זֶבַח פֶּסַח הוּא לַה׳ אֲשֶׁר פָּסַח וְגוֹ׳״].

these three matters on Passover has not fulfilled his obligation: The Paschal lamb, matza , and bitter herbs. When one mentions these matters, he must elaborate and explain them: The Paschal lamb is brought because the Omnipresent passed over [ pasaḥ ] the houses of our forefathers in Egypt, as it is stated: “That you shall say: It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Paschal offering for He passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses” (Exodus 12:27).

מַצָּה — עַל שׁוּם שֶׁנִּגְאֲלוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם, [שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיֹּאפוּ אֶת הַבָּצֵק אֲשֶׁר הוֹצִיאוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם וְגוֹ׳״]. מָרוֹר — עַל שׁוּם שֶׁמֵּרְרוּ הַמִּצְרִיִּים אֶת חַיֵּי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בְּמִצְרַיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: [״וַיְמָרְרוּ אֶת חַיֵּיהֶם וְגוֹ׳״].

Rabban Gamliel continues to explain: The reason for matza is because our forefathers were redeemed from Egypt, as it is stated: “And they baked the dough that they took out of Egypt as cakes of matzot , for it was not leavened, as they were thrust out of Egypt and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual” (Exodus 12:39). The reason for bitter herbs is because the Egyptians embittered our forefathers’ lives in Egypt, as it is stated: “And they embittered their lives with hard service, in mortar and in brick; in all manner of service in the field, all the service that they made them serve was with rigor” (Exodus 1:14).

בְּכׇל דּוֹר וָדוֹר חַיָּיב אָדָם לִרְאוֹת אֶת עַצְמוֹ כְּאִילּוּ הוּא יָצָא מִמִּצְרַיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְהִגַּדְתָּ לְבִנְךָ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לֵאמֹר בַּעֲבוּר זֶה עָשָׂה ה׳ לִי בְּצֵאתִי מִמִּצְרָיִם״.

The tanna of the mishna further states: In each and every generation a person must view himself as though he personally left Egypt, as it is stated: “And you shall tell your son on that day, saying: It is because of this which the Lord did for me when I came forth out of Egypt” (Exodus 13:8). In every generation, each person must say: “This which the Lord did for me,” and not: This which the Lord did for my forefathers.

לְפִיכָךְ אֲנַחְנוּ חַיָּיבִים לְהוֹדוֹת, לְהַלֵּל, לְשַׁבֵּחַ, לְפָאֵר, לְרוֹמֵם, לְהַדֵּר, לְבָרֵךְ, לְעַלֵּה וּלְקַלֵּס לְמִי שֶׁעָשָׂה לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְלָנוּ אֶת כׇּל הַנִּסִּים הָאֵלּוּ. הוֹצִיאָנוּ מֵעַבְדוּת לְחֵרוּת, מִיָּגוֹן לְשִׂמְחָה, וּמֵאֵבֶל לְיוֹם טוֹב, וּמֵאֲפֵלָה לְאוֹר גָּדוֹל, וּמִשִּׁעְבּוּד לִגְאוּלָּה. וְנֹאמַר לְפָנָיו הַלְלוּיָהּ.

The mishna continues with the text of the Haggadah. Therefore we are obligated to thank, praise, glorify, extol, exalt, honor, bless, revere, and laud [ lekales ] the One who performed for our forefathers and for us all these miracles: He took us out from slavery to freedom, from sorrow to joy, from mourning to a Festival, from darkness to a great light, and from enslavement to redemption. And we will say before Him: Halleluya . At this point one recites the hallel that is said on all joyous days.

עַד הֵיכָן הוּא אוֹמֵר? בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים: עַד ״אֵם הַבָּנִים שְׂמֵחָה״. וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים: עַד ״חַלָּמִישׁ לְמַעְיְנוֹ מָיִם״. וְחוֹתֵם בִּגְאוּלָּה. רַבִּי טַרְפוֹן אוֹמֵר: אֲשֶׁר גְּאָלָנוּ וְגָאַל אֶת אֲבוֹתֵינוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם, וְלֹא הָיָה חוֹתֵם.

Since one does not complete hallel at this point in the seder, the mishna asks: Until where does one recite hallel ? Beit Shammai say: Until “Who makes the barren woman dwell in her house as a joyful mother of children, halleluya ” (Psalms 113:9). And Beit Hillel say: Until “Who turned the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a fountain of waters” (Psalms 114:8). And one concludes this section of hallel with a blessing that refers to redemption. Rabbi Tarfon says that although one should recite: Who redeemed us and redeemed our forefathers from Egypt, one who did so would not conclude with the formula: Blessed are You, Lord.

רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר: ״כֵּן ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ יַגִּיעֵנוּ לְמוֹעֲדִים וְלִרְגָלִים אֲחֵרִים הַבָּאִים לִקְרָאתֵנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם, שְׂמֵחִים בְּבִנְיַן עִירֶךָ, וְשָׂשִׂים בַּעֲבוֹדָתֶךְ. וְנֹאכַל שָׁם (מִן הַפְּסָחִים וּמִן הַזְּבָחִים) כּוּ׳״, עַד ״בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ גָּאַל יִשְׂרָאֵל״.

Rabbi Akiva says that one recites a different version of this blessing: So too, the Lord our God and the God of our forefathers will bring us to future holidays and Festivals in peace, happy over the building of Your city and joyous in Your service. And there we will eat from the Paschal lamb and other offerings, etc., until: Blessed are You, Lord, Who redeemed Israel.

גְּמָ׳ אָמַר רָבָא: צָרִיךְ שֶׁיֹּאמַר ״וְאוֹתָנוּ הוֹצִיא מִשָּׁם״. אָמַר רָבָא: מַצָּה — צָרִיךְ לְהַגְבִּיהַּ, וּמָרוֹר — צָרִיךְ לְהַגְבִּיהַּ. בָּשָׂר — אֵין צָרִיךְ לְהַגְבִּיהַּ. וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא שֶׁנִּרְאֶה כְּאוֹכֵל קָדָשִׁים בַּחוּץ.

GEMARA: Rava said: When mentioning the exodus from Egypt one must say: And He took us out from there. Furthermore, Rava said: When one mentions matza in the list of the three matters one must recall during the seder, he must lift it for display before the assembled company. Likewise, when discussing bitter herbs, one must raise them. However, nowadays one need not raise the meat. And not only that, but it is prohibited to do so, for if one lifts the meat it appears as though he is eating sacrificial meat outside the Temple. An observer might think he is presenting it as the meat of a Paschal lamb, and it is prohibited by Torah law to slaughter a sheep as a Paschal lamb outside the Temple.

אָמַר רַב אַחָא בַּר יַעֲקֹב: סוֹמֵא פָּטוּר מִלּוֹמַר הַגָּדָה. כְּתִיב הָכָא: ״בַּעֲבוּר זֶה״, וּכְתִיב הָתָם: ״בְּנֵנוּ זֶה״. מַה לְּהַלָּן — פְּרָט לְסוֹמֵא, אַף כָּאן — פְּרָט לְסוֹמִין.

Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov said: A blind person is exempt from reciting the Haggadah. The proof is that it is written here, with regard to the Paschal lamb: “And you shall tell your son on that day saying, it is because of this which the Lord did for me when I came forth out of Egypt” (Exodus 13:8), and it was written there, with regard to the stubborn and rebellious son, that his parents say: “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he does not listen to our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard” (Deuteronomy 21:20). The Gemara explains the verbal analogy of the word “this”: Just as there, in the case of the rebellious son, the Sages expound that the verse excludes a blind person, as a blind parent cannot say: This son of ours, for he cannot point to him; so too here, in the case of the recitation of the Passover Haggadah, the word “this” excludes blind people.

אִינִי? וְהָאָמַר מָרִימָר, שְׁאֵלְתִּינְהוּ לְרַבָּנַן דְּבֵי רַב יוֹסֵף: מַאן דְּאָמַר אַגָּדְתָּא בֵּי רַב יוֹסֵף? אֲמַרוּ: רַב יוֹסֵף. מַאן דְּאָמַר אַגָּדְתָּא בֵּי רַב שֵׁשֶׁת? אָמְרוּ: רַב שֵׁשֶׁת. קָסָבְרִי רַבָּנַן, מַצָּה בִּזְמַן הַזֶּה — דְּרַבָּנַן.

The Gemara asks: Is that so? But didn’t Mareimar say: I asked the Sages from the school of Rav Yosef, who was blind: Who recited the Haggadah in the house of Rav Yosef? They said to him: Rav Yosef himself recited it. Mareimar subsequently asked: Who recited the Haggadah in the house of Rav Sheshet, who was also blind? They said to him: Rav Sheshet himself recited it. This indicates that a blind person is obligated to recite the Haggadah. The Gemara answers: These Sages, Rav Yosef and Rav Sheshet, maintain that nowadays the halakhot of eating matza and the recitation of the Haggadah that accompanies it apply by rabbinic law. For this reason, blind people can recite the Haggadah for others.

מִכְּלָל דְּרַב אַחָא בַּר יַעֲקֹב סָבַר מַצָּה בִּזְמַן הַזֶּה דְּאוֹרָיְיתָא? וְהָא רַב אַחָא בַּר יַעֲקֹב הוּא דְּאָמַר: מַצָּה בִּזְמַן הַזֶּה דְּרַבָּנַן! קָסָבַר: כֹּל דְּתַקּוּן רַבָּנַן — כְּעֵין דְּאוֹרָיְיתָא תַּיקּוּן.

The Gemara asks: Does this prove by inference that Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov maintains that eating matza nowadays applies by Torah law? But isn’t Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov the one who said that eating matza nowadays applies by rabbinic law? Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov apparently contradicts himself. The Gemara answers: Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov maintains that everything the Sages instituted through their decrees, they instituted similar to the model established by Torah law. In other words, although the obligations to eat matza and recite the Haggadah are rabbinic, the stringencies and restrictions that apply to Torah mitzvot apply here as well. Therefore, a blind person is exempt from reciting the Haggadah.

לְרַב שֵׁשֶׁת וּלְרַב יוֹסֵף נָמֵי, הָא וַדַּאי כׇּל דְּתַקּוּן רַבָּנַן — כְּעֵין דְּאוֹרָיְיתָא תַּיקּוּן?

The Gemara asks: According to the opinion of Rav Sheshet and Rav Yosef too, certainly everything the Sages instituted through their decrees, they instituted similar to the model established by Torah law. Why, then, did these blind Sages recite the Haggadah themselves?

הָכִי הַשְׁתָּא?! בִּשְׁלָמָא הָתָם, מִדַּהֲוָה לֵיהּ לְמִיכְתַּב ״בְּנֵנוּ הוּא״, וּכְתִיב ״בְּנֵנוּ זֶה״ — שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ: פְּרָט לְסוֹמִין הוּא דַּאֲתָא. אֲבָל הָכָא, אִי לָאו ״בַּעֲבוּר זֶה״, מַאי לִכְתּוֹב? אֶלָּא בַּעֲבוּר מַצָּה וּמָרוֹר הוּא דַּאֲתָא.

The Gemara rejects this difficulty: How can these cases, the verses dealing with rebellious son and the Passover Haggadah, be compared? Granted, there, in the case of the rebellious son, as the verse could have written: He is our son, and instead it is written: “This son of ours,” I can learn from it that the parents must point with a finger to their son, which comes to exclude blind parents. However, here, if the verse did not use the phrase “because of this,” what could it have written in reference to matzot and bitter herbs? Rather, this verse comes because of the matza and bitter herbs. Consequently, there is no need to actually point with one’s finger in this instance, and therefore the blind are also obligated to recite the Haggadah.

לְפִיכָךְ אֲנַחְנוּ חַיָּיבִים.

The mishna states: Therefore we are obligated to thank.