Rambam - 1 Chapter a Day

Hilchot Kri’ at Shema 1 :3 mentions that it is a mitzvah to recall the Exodus from Egypt twice daily. The Rambam makes no further mention of that mitzvah in the Mishneh Torah, nor does he mention it in Sefer HaMitzvot. There is a basic difference between these two obligations. Throughout the year, a brief recollection is all that is required. On Pesach night, we must elaborate, relating the entire story of the Exodus.

ln Sefer HaMitzvot (ibid.), the Rambam states “the beginning of the night,” implying that we should begin telling the story of the Exodus in the first portion of the night.

the night of the plague of the firstborn, when Pharaoh gave the Jews permission to leave Egypt.

the ftfteenth of Nisan

implying that we are commanded to commemorate the day of the Exodus.

This addition is a quote from the Mechiltah and Shemot Rabbah. Nevertheless, the commentators have questioned its necessity. Some explain that the word רוכז does not follow the grammatical f orm usually used f or commandments, and hence the comparison with the Sabbath is valuable.
Likkutei Sichot, Vol. 21, explains that Shemot Rabbah states that the remembrance of the Sabbath is תישארב השעמל,רכז “a commemoration of the work of creation.” The remembrance of the exodus, it continues, must also emphasize the wonders and miracles that God perf ormed.
What is the common point between the Sabbath and the exodus? Both emphasize how God is above nature and, hence, can change nature according to His will.
This quality is also reflected in our service. At the very beginning of Hilchot Shabbat, the Rambam emphasizes how the observance of the Sabbath is connected with a positive mitzvah: rest. A Jew steps beyond his weekday activities and devotes his energies to spiritual activites bond with God.
Similarly, the recollection of the exodus from Egypt must take us beyond our everyday activities to the extent that as stated in Halachah 7:6 “He presents himself as if he, himself, is leaving the slavery of Egypt.”

relating the story of the Exodus

The Mechiltah interprets this as a reference to matzah and maror. Thus, the verse is

of relating the story of the exile

i.e., on the night of the fifteenth of Nisan, when it is a mitzvah to eat matzah, as explained in Halachah 6:1.

This clause is necessary because from the expression “and you shall tel1 your son,” one might imply that the mitzvah only applies to a person with children.

to quote the Haggadah: “Even if we are all wise, all men of understanding, all Sages, all knowledgeable about the Torah, it is a mitzvah incumbent upon us to relate the Exodus from Egypt.” Many commentaries explain that the story the Haggadah quotes concerning Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua, and the other Sages is brought to demonstrate and prove this point.

Sefer HaMitzvot (ibid.) praises: “Whoever adds further statements and elaborates more on the greatness of what God did f or us and the wickedness and violence with which the Egyptians treated us, and how God took His revenge upon them... “

Though Exodus 13:14 states: “And it shall come to pass that your son will ask you:...,” the verse quoted demonstrates that the father’s explanations need not necessarily come in response to his son’s questions (Mechiltah d’Rashbi).

Commenting on this statement, the Ramah (Orach Chayim 473:6) relates that if a person’s family is unable to understand the Haggadah in Hebrew, he should translate it into a language they do understand.

To this author’s knowledge, this phraseology is the Rambam’s original choice of words. He attempts to provide us with an easily applicable example of how to fulfill this mitzvah.

The Haggadah (based on the Mechiltah) also explains. that a wise son should be taught the halachot of Pesach.

The latter phrase, a quote from Pesachim 116a, is interpreted differently by some other commentators. They maintain that the father teaches the son how to ask relevant questions, whose nature depends on the son’s ability to understand. The Shulchan Aruch HaRav (473:40,42) combines both these interpretations.

the f ather or person conducting the seder

have their curiosity piqued

have their curiosity piqued

The question הנתשנ המ and, similarly, three of the four questions asked by the children are mentioned in the Mishnah, Pesachim 116a.

relating the story of the Exodus by reciting the Haggadah.

Pesachim 109a notes that Rabbi Akiva would follow this practice.

Pesachim 115b relates that one Pesach, Abaye was sitting bef ore Rab. bah, and the latter suddenly picked up the table as if he had finished eating. Abaye exclaimed: “We have not begun to eat and you have already picked up the table!” (See also Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 473:6. See Halachah 8 :2.)

The Rambam’s statements are quoted from Pesachim 109a. However, Rashi, the Ra’avad, and others interpret תוצמ םיפטוח to mean that the matzot are eaten hurriedly. The Rambam’s interpretation is the source for the custom of stealing matzah at the Seder.

The custom of pouring the second cup of wine directly after reciting אינע המחל אה is cited by the Shulchan Aruch (ibid.:7) as another practice instituted to arouse curiosity.

The Sages stressed that the Haggadah should be recited as a response to questions. We show greater interest in learning about a subject when questions have first been raised in our minds.

as mentioned in the previous halachah.

Since the question and answer approach is the most desirable way to recite the Haggadah, everyone must f ollow this pattern, even if he must ask himself the questions.

This principle is taken from the Mishnah, Pesachim 116a. The commentaries off er several rationales in its explanation. Among them:
a) The contrast between our nation’s humble roots and the majestic level they reached through the Exodus make us more conscious of God’s great kindness (Tosefot Rid).
b) Mention of our roots prevents us from becoming overly haughty (Maharshah).

Abraham’s father

The Rambam is alluding to the passage “Originally, our ancestors were idol-worshipers.”

See Hilchot Avodat Kochavim 1:1-3.

The redemption from Egypt representing the birth of the J ews as a nation and the beginning of their service of God as a people.

by giving us the Torah.

The Rambam’s statements are based on Pesachim 116a, which mentions a debate between Rav and Shmuel concerning the interpretation of “One must begin [the narrative describing our ancestors’] base [roots] and conclude with [their] praise.”
Rav maintains that it is proper to begin from “Originally, our ancestors were worshipers of idols,” placing the emphasis on our degrading spiritual roots. Shmuel (according to the Maggid Mishneh, Ravvah) maintains that we should begin from “We were slaves to Pharaoh, stressing the humble material origins from which our people stem. Customarily, we f ollow both opinions in our recitation of the Haggadah (Rav Yitzchak Alfasi), and hence the Rambam includes both opinions in this halachah.
There is, nonetheless, a certain difficulty with the Rambam’s statements. All texts of the Haggadah begin with “We were slaves,” and then relate the passage “Originally, our ancestors were idol worshipers.” Here, the Rambam reverses that order. Perhaps he made this choice because the Talmud uses this order when mentioning these two opinions. Alternatively, chronologically, our ancestors’ worship of idols preceded the Egyptian exile.

relating the story of the Exodus.

bringing other verses to explain and clarify the statements of this passage as f ound in the Haggadah.

This passage served as the statement of thanksgiving recited by the farmers bringing bikkurim (the first fruits) to the Temple. The Mishnah (Pesachim 116a) mentions that it was instituted as the basis of the Haggadah.

i.e., until Deuteronomy 26:8.

beyond the accepted text

to relate the story of the Exodus. The commentators question if a person who does not mention these three concepts is not considered to have fulfilled the mitzvah at all, or rather, is the intent that he has not fulfilled the mitzvah in a desirable manner?

From the verse quoted below: “And you shall say: ‘lt is the Paschal sacrifice to God,”’ Tosefot, Pesachim 116b, derives that the Paschal sacrifice must be among the things spoken about on Pesach. Since the Paschal sacrifice must be eaten “with matzot and bitter herbs,” there is also an obligation to mention them.

Saving them from the plague of the slaying of the firstborn.

Here and in Halachah 8:4, the Rambam changes the order f ound in our text of the Mishnah and in the Haggadah (including even his own text of the Haggadah). Rabbenu Mar.. רach maintains that this was the order found in the Rambam’s text of the Mishnah.

The questions asked in Halachah 3 and the explanations referred to in this and the previous halachah.

Pesachim 116b explains that the mitzvah of relating the story of the Exodus cannot remain on the intellectual level alone. Rather, it must aff ect a person to the extent that he personally feels that he is leaving Egypt.
There is a slight difficulty with the Rambam’s statements. Pesachim (ibid.), the commonly accepted text of the Haggadah, and even the Rambam’s own text of the Haggadah, read לראות (see himself), and not להראות (present himself)—i.e., show others that he feels this way. Why does the Rambam alter the text here?
Likkutei Sichot, Vol. XII, notes that the following halachot emphasize how the obligation of recalling the Exodus applies, not only to the recitation of the Haggadah, but to all the practices perf ormed on Pesach. Since we must recite the Haggadah to others, as implied by the question-and-answer approach required by Halachah 3, the manner in which a person perf orms all the other Passover practices must also demonstrate to others his personal experience of the Exodus.

the ·words, “himself’ and “now” are also additions to the Mishnah.

Here, also, the Rambam alters the text, adding the words “the slavery. יי Since the Rambam is addressing people who may never have seen the physical land of Egypt, it is not possible to demand that they f eel as if they left that country, but rather, that they left backbreaking slavery as experienced by our people in Egypt.

This and the verse quoted below were stated forty years after the redemption from Egypt, to the Jews who were prepared to enter Eretz Yisrael. They had not tasted Egyptian sla’very.

This verse is quoted by Ravvah, Pesachim 116b. However, the Mishnah (and our text of the Haggadah) derive this concept from Exodus 13:8: “And you shall tel1 your son... : ‘It is because of this, that God acted for me... “’ Nevertheless, the Rambam’s text of the Mishnah and the Haggadah do not include that verse.

It is necessary to quote this verse in addition to the one mentioned previously. The previous verse teaches us that the redemption from Egypt is a continuous ·activity, affecting us at present as well. This verse emphasizes that we are obligated to recognize and recall that fact.

even though physically, you did not experience this slavery.

The meal served at the Seder should be festive. The Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 472:2, states that a person should set the table with the most attractive utensils he can aff ord.

The Talmud mentions two practices as characteristic of freedom: reclining and drinking f our cups of wine. The Rambam mentions the general principles applying to these obligations in this halachah, and explains each of the practices in particular in the f ollowing halachot.

on couches

In his commentary on the Mishnah (Pesachim 10:1), the Rambam relates that this was the practice of “kings and great people.”
The commentaries quote the Rambam’s expression as a proof that reclining) הביסה (
is not merely a particular law, describing the manner in which the matzah and the fourcups of wine must be eaten and drunk, but rather a unique requirement on its own. Theref ore, as explained in the f ollowing halachah, it is praiseworthy for a person toeat the entire Seder meal while reclining.

Even a person who has difficulty drinking wine must observe this practice. Nedarim 49b relates that Rabbi Yehudah bar Illai would have to bind his sides from Pesach to Shavuot because of the aftereffects of the four cups of wine he drank at the seder. Nevertheless, each year he fulfilled the mitzvah.

Generally, women are not bound to fulfill any mitzvot that have a specific time limitation. However, an exception to this principle is made regarding the mitzvot associated with the seder night. Since the women had a full share in the miracles of the Exodus, they must participate fully in the commemoration of the Exodus (Pesachim 108b).

Most halachic authorities require that this wine have some alcoholic content. Hence, grape juice alone should not be used.

There is some controversy about the conversion of that figure into modern measure. According to Shiurei Torah, a revi’it is 86 cc, while according to Chazon Ish, it is 150 cc.

The Ramah, Orach Chayim 472:4, and other Ashkenazic authorities write: “All our women are considered important. Nevertheless, it is not customary for them to recline.”

At present, this obligation applies also to eating the korech (sandwich of matzah and maror) and the afikoman.

However, the Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 473:3, recommends not drinking between the first and second cups. The Darchei Mosheh states that this is the accepted Ashkenazic custom. See also Mishnah Berurah 473:13-15.
No restrictions are placed on drinking between the second and third cups, since this is the time of the seder meal.

The Shulchan Aruch HaRav (473:32) suggests using apples, nuts, or pomegranates and fruits used as metaphors for the Jewish people in the Bible.

The Ramah (473:5) suggests using red wine to recall the Jewish blood spilled by the Egyptians.

Ginger or cinnamon (However, in certain communities, it is customary not to use these spices on Pesach).

Pesachim 39a explains that even though the leaves of this species are sweet, it is preferable to fulfill the mitzvah of bitter herbs with this species than with any other. Just as the Egyptian exile began in a favorable way and ended in bitter oppression, similarly the leaves of this plant are sweet, but its root bitter. Furthermore, its Aramaic name, חַסָּא, also means compassion and alludes to God’s mercy for our people. From a halachic perspective, it is easiest to consume the required measure of maror when using this species.

Since the consumption of maror is a Rabbinic commandment, the more lenient view—in terms of modern measurements, between 16.6 and 24 grams, depending on different halachic opinions—may be relied upon.

The Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 473:5, excludes the use of roots. However, the Magen Avraham (473:11) maintains that the main root extending from the stem may also be used. Indeed, the most common custom in European communities where Romaine lettuce was difficult to obtain, was to use a horseradish root.