הלכות קרבן פסח

Partaking of the meat of the Paschal sacrifice on the night of the fifteenth of Nisan is a positive commandment, as Exodus 12:8 states: "And you shall eat the meat on this night, roasted on the fire. With matzot and bitter herbs shall you eat it."

Matzah and bitter herbs are not indispensable elements of the mitzvah. If one did not find matzah or bitter herbs, he fulfills his obligation by eating the meat of the Paschal sacrifice alone. There is no mitzvah to partake of bitter herbs without the Paschal sacrifice, as implied by Numbers 9:11: "Eat it with matzot and bitter herbs."

The optimum manner of performing the mitzvah is to partake of the Paschal sacrifice in a manner leading to satiation. Therefore if one sacrificed festive peace-offerings on the fourteenth of Nisan, one should partake of them first and then partake of the meat of the Paschal sacrifice to be satiated from the festive offering. Even if one does not eat more than an olive-size portion, he fulfills his obligation.Similarly, partaking of the second Paschal sacrifice on the fifteenth of the month of Iyar is a positive commandment, as stated: "Eat it with matzot and bitter herbs."

Both of them are eaten only roasted with fire. One who partakes of an olive-sized portion from their meat lightly-roasted or cooked in liquid on the nights of Pesach is liable for lashes, as Exodus 12:9 states: "Do not partake of it lightly-roasted or cooked in water." If one partook of a Paschal sacrifice that was both lightly-roasted and cooked, he is liable for only one set of lashes, because both these forbidden activities are included in one prohibition.If, before nightfall, one partakes of a Paschal sacrifice that was lightly-roasted or cooked, he is not liable for lashes, as can be inferred ffrom the continuation of the above verse: "except roasted in fire." Implied is that at the time it is a mitzvah to partake of the sacrifice roasted, one is liable for partaking of it lightly-roasted or cooked. If one partook of a sacrifice prepared in this manner while it was still day, he is exempt.

If one partook of an olive-sized portion of a roasted Paschal sacrifice while it is still day, he violates a positive commandment, as Exodus 12:8 states: "And they shall eat the meat on that night," i.e., at night and not during the day. A prohibition resulting from a positive commandment is considered as a positive commandment.

The term na which the Torah mentioned in its prohibition refers to meat which began to be subjected to fire. It became roasted slightly, but was not yet fit for human consumption. If, however, one partakes of the meat of the Paschal sacrifice while raw, he is not liable for lashes, but he did nullify a positive commandment, for it is written: "roasted with fire." Implied is that if it is not roasted, it is prohibited.If one roasted it to the full extent until it became charred, he is exempt.

The term "cooked" which the Torah mentioned in its prohibition refers to cooking the meat in water, other liquids, or fruit juice. The use of the phrase bashail mevushal by Exodus 12:9 includes all types of cooking.

If one roasted it and afterwards cooked it, cooked it and afterwards, roasted it, or pot-roasted it, and partook of it, he is liable. It is, however, permitted to baste it with wine, oil, honey, all other liquids, and fruit juice — except water. After it is roasted, it is permitted to dip the meat in liquids and in fruit juice.

One may not roast the Paschal sacrifice on a stoneware utensil or a metal utensil, for it is written: "roasted with fire," i.e., and not roasted by anything else. Therefore if the utensil was perforated so that the fire could affect the meat, one may roast with it. One may not roast it with a metal spit, because the entire spit will be hot and will roast the meat where it touches it.

When one kindles an oven, removes all the fire, and then hangs the Paschal sacrifice in the oven and roasts it, it is forbidden to partake of it, because this is not "roasted with fire." If the sacrificial animal was cut up and hung over coals, it is considered "roasted with fire." If he roasted it over lime, clay, or the hot springs of Tiberias, it is forbidden, because this is not "roasted with fire."How is the animal offered as a Paschal sacrifice roasted? One pierces it from its mouth until its anus with a wooden spit and hangs it in an oven with the fire beneath it.. One hangs its legs and its intestines in the oven, outside of it. One should not place them inside of its body cavity, for this is comparable to cooking. They would choose a pomegranate spit to roast it so that it will not cast its sap into the meat and cook it.

The following laws apply if one applied oil that is terumah to the Paschal sacrifice. If the company was made up of priests, they should partake of it. If the company was made up of Israelites and the meat is still raw, it should be washed and dried and then it may be roasted. If it has been roasted, the outer portion should be skinned off.If oil from the second tithe was applied to it, one should not charge the other members of the company for its value, for the second tithe should not be redeemed in Jerusalem, as explained in the appropriate place.We do not roast two Paschal sacrifices together lest they become intermingled. This applies even to a goat and a lamb.

We already stated in several places that the Paschal sacrifice should be eaten only until midnight to distance a person from transgression. According to Scriptural Law, one may partake of it throughout the entire night until dawn.We already explained in Hilchot Chametz UMatzah that the Paschal sacrifice requires the recitation of Hallel during the time that it is being eaten and that the members of the company do not partake of the meat after they fell asleep, even if they did so at the beginning of the night.