Gemara Clarity

Pesachim 120a

פסחים ק״כ ע״א

Learn Pesachim 120a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Pesachim 120a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Eating after the מצה; whether מצה and מרור are Torah or rabbinic obligations today; falling asleep during the פסח meal.

Overview

This עמוד first finishes a debate over two versions of שמואל's ruling about eating after-meal foods (אפיקומן) after the מצה. Each time, the גמרא answers a proof or a challenge by showing that a source only mentions the more surprising case ('לא מיבעיא'). Then רבא rules that eating מצה today is a Torah obligation, but מרור is only rabbinic, because the Torah ties מרור to the קרבן פסח while it commands מצה again in a separate verse, 'בערב תאכלו מצות'. רב אחא בר יעקב disagrees and holds that both are rabbinic today. He uses that verse to teach that a טמא or someone on a דרך רחוקה must still eat מצה and מרור. רבא answers that this is already known from the ערל and the בן נכר, and רב אחא בר יעקב replies that both cases need their own verse. A ברייתא then supports רבא: eating מצה is optional during the week of פסח, but on the first night it is a fixed obligation, even without a בית המקדש. Finally, a new משנה begins about people who fall asleep in the middle of eating the קרבן פסח.

Opening lines

בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה לָא.

But first — no.

לָא מִיבַּעְיָא קָאָמַר.

It is speaking in a 'needless to say' style.

לָא מִיבַּעְיָא בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה —

Needless to say, first (eating matza before) —

דְּקָאָכֵיל לְתֵיאָבוֹן,

since he eats it with an appetite (it is fine);

The steps (27)

  1. ProofThe proof ends: eating מצה first is not good
  2. RejectionRejecting the proof: the ברייתא is teaching the bigger חידוש
  3. Statementמר זוטרא's version: one may eat אפיקומן after מצה
  4. ProofTrying to support מר זוטרא's version from the משנה
  5. RejectionRejecting the proof: the משנה teaches the harder case
  6. ChallengeChallenge to מר זוטרא's version from the ברייתא
  7. ResolutionThe ברייתא Teaches That Even Eating מצה Last Works
  8. Statementרבא: מצה Today Is Torah Law, מרור Is Rabbinic
  9. QuestionWhy Is מרור Different?
  10. Responseמרור Depends on the קרבן פסח
  11. ChallengeBut מצה Is in the Same Verse
  12. Resolutionמצה Has Its Own Separate Verse
  13. Statementרב אחא בר יעקב: Both Are Rabbinic Today
  14. ChallengeBut What About the Separate מצה Verse?
  15. ResolutionThe Verse Teaches About the Impure and the Distant Traveler
  16. Resolutionרבא explains why he does not need the verse for a טמא
  17. ProofA ברייתא proves that an ערל eats מצה and מרור
  18. QuestionHow does רב אחא בר יעקב respond?
  19. ResponseBoth cases need their own verse
  20. ProofA ברייתא supporting רבא begins: eating מצה all week is optional
  21. QuestionWhy does the seventh day teach about all the days?
  22. ResponseThe rule: something taken out of a general rule teaches about the whole rule
  23. QuestionMaybe the first night is also optional
  24. ResponseThe first night is required, from the verse about the קרבן פסח
  25. QuestionWhat about when there is no בית המקדש
  26. ConclusionThe Torah made מצה an obligation on its own
  27. StatementThe new משנה about falling asleep during the meal