Text

Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 128

Can copy this into an AI, or connect the whole library to your assistant. For deeper learning, you can directly use the original seforim, sites, and apps.

(דברים טז א) וְעָשִׂיתָ פֶּסַח, שֶׁתְּהֵא עֲשִׂיָּתוֹ לְשֵׁם פֶּסַח; שֶׁאִם שְׁחָטוֹ שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁמוֹ – פָּסוּל.

Sefaria Community Translation

(Devarim 16:1) "And you shall make the Pesach (offering)": Its "making" must be to that end. If he offered it not in its name, it is invalid.

אֵין לִי אֶלָּא שְׁחִיטָתוֹ; מִנַּיִן לְרַבּוֹת קִבּוּל דָּמוֹ וּזְרִיקַת דָּמוֹ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: וְעָשִׂיתָ. יָכוֹל שֶׁאֲנִי מְרַבֶּה צְלִיָּתוֹ וַהֲדָחַת קְרָבָיו? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (דברים טז ב): ״וְזָבַחְתָּ״. זְבִיחָה בִּכְלָל הָיְתָה, וְלָמָּה יָצְאָה? לְהַקִּישׁ אֵלֶיהָ: מָה זְבִיחָה מְיֻחֶדֶת, שֶׁהִיא לְשֵׁם עֲבוֹדָה – יָצְאוּ אֵלּוּ, שֶׁאֵינָן לְשֵׁם עֲבוֹדָה.

Sefaria Community Translation

I might think that this also applies to its roasting and rinsing; it is, therefore, written (Ibid. 2) "And you shall slaughter a Pesach": Slaughtering was in the general category (of "making"). Why did it leave (that category for special mention)? To serve as the basis for a comparison, viz.: Just as slaughtering is expressly for the (altar) service, so all such "makings" (must be specifically to the end of "Pesach"), to exclude those (like roasting and rinsing) which are not altar-oriented.

לַה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ – לַשֵּׁם הַמְיֻחָד.

Sefaria Community Translation

"to the L-rd your G-d": for His name's sake.

כִּי בְּחֹדֶשׁ הָאָבִיב – חֹדֶשׁ שֶׁהוּא כָּשֵׁר: לֹא חַם וְלֹא צוֹנֵן, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (תהלים סח ז): ״אֱלֹהִים מוֹשִׁיב יְחִידִים בַּיְתָה מוֹצִיא אֲסִירִים בַּכּוֹשָׁרוֹת״.

Sefaria Community Translation

"for in the month of Aviv": a propitious month, one which is neither too hot nor too cold. And thus is it written (Psalms 68:7) "G-d settles (the scattered) individuals (of Israel) in a (single) house (i.e., a united congregation). He releases the prisoners (from Egypt) in an equable (month" [neither too hot nor too cold]).

הוֹצִיאֲךָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ מִמִּצְרַיִם לָיְלָה, וְכִי בַלַּיְלָה יָצְאוּ? וַהֲלֹא לֹא יָצְאוּ אֶלָּא בַּיּוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר לג ג): ״מִמָּחֳרַת הַפֶּסַח״! אֶלָּא מְלַמֵּד שֶׁנִּגְאֲלוּ בַּלַּיְלָה.

Sefaria Community Translation

"the L-rd your G-d took you out of Egypt at night": Now did they leave at night? Did they not leave in the daytime, as it is written (Bamidbar 33:3) "On the morrow of the Pesach the children of Israel went out, etc."? We are hereby taught that the redemption began in the evening.

Next →