"In the Manner that Kings Eat": The Mitzva to Eat the Korban Pesach and Matza

By Prof. Alan Jotkowitz [Har Etzion Alumnus '82]

********************************************
Dedicated in memory of HaRav HaGaon R. Chaim Heller zt"l,
whose yahrzeit falls on the 14th of Nissan,
by Vivian S. Singer.
********************************************
********************************************
In memory of Pinhas ben Shalom (Paul) Cymbalista z”l 
Niftar 20 Nissan 5752.
Dedicated by his family.
********************************************
********************************************
Dedicated in memory of Sidney Gontownik, 
brother of Jerry Gontownik, 
on the occasion of Sidney's upcoming thirteenth Yahrzeit, 
on the 24th of Nissan. May his memory be for a blessing.
The Gontownik Family
********************************************

In a previous shiur,[1] we discussed how the mitzva of matza represents the transition from slavery to freedom. We saw that matza as a mitzva object is defined as lechem oni, bread of affliction. The Gemara in Pesachim 36a asks, "For what purpose does the Torah state that matza is the bread of affliction? To exclude the making of matza from a dough kneaded with wine, oil, or honey." But the Gemara also teaches us that we have to eat on Pesach night as a poor man does:

Rav Pappa said: All agree that on Pesach, one places the broken piece [of matza] inside the whole [matza] and then breaks [them]. What is the reason? Because “bread of affliction” is written [in the Torah]. (Berakhot 39b)

Based on this Gemara, I suggested that the phrase lechem oni does not only define the matza itself, as an object (cheftza), but also mandates how a person (gavra) eats the matza: like a poor man. Perhaps this is the reason there is a special halakha to limit one's eating on Erev Pesach, or even to fast as Rav Sheshet did (Pesachim 108a) – to mimic the behavior of a poor man. I also suggested that eating matza at the end of the meal on a full stomach mimics the behavior of a free person, as the holiday is a celebration of our freedom.

However, that shiur did not address the halakhic basis for the assertion that there is an obligation at the end of the seder to eat the afikoman as free men and women. That is the purpose of this shiur. 

Eating with “Greatness”

The Mishna (Pesachim 10:8) teaches: “ein maftirin achar hapesach afikoman – one does not conclude after the korban pesach with afikoman.” Rather, the rest of the meal should be eaten before the korban pesach, so that one eats it when already satiated and has nothing more after it.

The Yerushalmi (Pesachim 6:4) explains the reason for eating the korban pesach on a full stomach: because we don’t want people to break the bones of the korban pesach while eating, which they might do if they are hungry. The Rashbam (Pesachim 119b s.v. kegon) comments on Shmuel’s explanation of afikoman with a different reason: the prohibition against eating anything after the afikoman is based on the obligation to eat sacrificial meat "in the manner that kings eat." Kings do not only eat when they are ravenous; therefore, one is required to eat the korban pesach when one is satiated, like a king.

This law of eating like kings is derived from a verse which states regarding gifts given to the priests:

The Lord told Aaron: Behold, I have given you the charge of My gift [offerings]. I have given you all the holy things of the children of Israel for distinction, and for your sons, as an eternal portion. (Bamidbar 18:8)  

The Gemara says these gifts must be eaten roasted because of the law of "greatness": 

R. Chisda said: The priestly dues may be eaten only roasted and only with mustard. What is the reason? Scripture says: “for distinction” – [as a mark] of greatness – [they must therefore be eaten] just as kings eat. (Chullin 132b)

Tosafot (ad loc. s.v. Ein) comment that if a kohen prefers to eat these gifts not roasted, he is allowed to, based on the halakha that a kohen can eat consecrated meat in any way he wants, because of the law of "greatness”: 

[The Mishna says:] “And with all of these [offerings], the priests are permitted to deviate [in how they eat them.”

What is the reason? Scripture says, “[I have given you all the holy things of the children of Israel] “for distinction” – [as a mark of] greatness – [so that they can be eaten] just as kings eat. (Zevachim 91a)

It appears that Tosafot feel the halakha of "greatness" is not related to the cheftza of the consecrated meat or the priestly gifts, but to the manner of eating – and the kohen, like a king, can choose how he eats his portion; in other words, this is a halakha of the gavra.

Rashi (Yoma 14a s.v. Mi) expands this gavra obligation and maintains, based on the principle of "greatness," that one is required to eat korbanot in a state of happiness. Similarly, Tosafot (Yoma 25a s.v. Ein) explain that one sits while eating korbanot, even in the azara (an area of the Temple where sitting is not typically permitted), because of the law of "greatness." Both of these halakhot relate to the person, not the cheftza.

Now we can understand why the Rashbam expanded the definition of "greatness" to include eating al hasova (when already satiated), which is also a halakha of the gavra. The Rashbam also maintains that the law of "greatness" applies to a non-kohen eating kodashim, which is not at all self-evident. 

The Gemara in Zevachim 28a suggests that the skin of a sheep’s tail is not considered akhilat kodashim (eating sanctified sacrificial meat), because of "greatness": 

It might enter your mind to say that [the halakhic equation between the skin of the tail and the tail itself] applies only regarding impurity, as the skin is soft and counts together with the tail; but here, I would say [the Torah writes] “for distinction” – [as a mark of] greatness [so that they must be eaten] just as kings eat – and kings do not eat [the skin of the tail; I would say [that it is] not [considered like the tail itself]. Therefore, [the Mishna] informs us [that it is]. 

Excluding the skin of the tail because of “greatness” would clearly be a matter of the cheftza of the korban. However, that suggestion is only a hava amina (what someone might initially have thought). The Gemara rejects it – possibly because "greatness" is a rule of the gavra, not the cheftza.  

The Rashbam’s explanation of the reason the korban pesach is eaten al hasova includes three halakhic innovations: 

1. The law of "greatness" applies to korbanot as well as to priestly gifts. 
2. It applies to Israelites as well as to kohanim.
3. The law of "greatness" explains the requirement to eat korbanot al hasova. 

The Rambam

The position of the Rambam on the halakha of "greatness" is not clear at all. The only time the Rambam quotes this halakha explicitly is to echo Rav Chisda’s statement:  

The priests should only eat the gifts roasted, with mustard, as it is stated, "for distinction" [i.e., “greatness”] – the way kings eat. (Hilkhot Bikkurim 9:22)

Tosafot (Zevachim 75b s.v. bechor) maintain that the law of "greatness" only applies to priestly gifts, and the Mishneh Lamelekh (Hilkhot Ma’aseh Hakorbanot 10:10) feels that this is the view of the Rambam as well. This position is difficult, however, because the Gemara in Zevachim 91, quoted above, explicitly applies the law of “greatness” to kodashim.

The Rambam does say, like the Rashbam, that kohanim have to eat korbanot when already satiated (Hilkhot Ma’aseh Hakorbanot 10:11):

If they had only a small amount [of sacrificial meat] to eat, they eat ordinary food and teruma with it so that it will be eaten in a satisfying manner (im hasova). If they had a large amount [of sacrificial meat] to eat, they should not eat ordinary food and teruma with it, so that one will not have overeaten (akhila gasa). And thus with regard to what remains of meal offerings.

However, the Kessef Mishneh (ad loc. s.v. hayeta) maintains that Rambam learns this rule from another Gemara, not from "greatness":

Why does the Torah state: They shall eat? This teaches [us] that if there was only a little quantity [of the meal-offering] the priests may eat hullin and terumah with it in order that it may make a satisfying meal. (Temura 23a)

It is possible to explain that the Rambam feels "greatness" is a halakha of the cheftza, not of the gavra, and thus cannot teach the law of al hasova.

When the Rambam rules in Ma’aseh Hakorbanot 10:10 that a kohen can eat kodashim any way he likes, the Mishneh Lamelekh points out that with regard to the priestly gifts, he rules that it must be roasted with mustard, based on "greatness"; this led him to the conclusion that the Rambam must maintain that "greatness" only applies to priestly gifts. If there is a personal preference involved, it makes much more sense that it is a halakha of the gavra; since the Rambam feels "greatness" is a halakha of the cheftza, it can't apply to regular kodashim. The problem with the Mishneh Lamelekh’s approach, however, is that the Gemara in Zevachim 91a learned that a kohen can eat the meat of kodashim in any way he wants from the principle of "greatness." 

Alternatively, one can suggest that that the Rambam feels the law of “greatness” is a halakha of the cheftza with regard to priestly gifts and of the gavra with regard to kodashim. The rationale for this distinction is that there can only be a halakha of the gavra when there is a mitzva for the person to eat the food. There is no mitzva for the kohen to eat the priestly gifts of the zeroa, lechayayim and keiva (the foreleg, cheeks and abomasum, given from any slaughtered animal), but there is a mitzva to eat sacrificial meat:

It is a positive commandment for the sin offerings and the guilt-offerings to be eaten, as [Shemot 29:33] states: "And they shall eat [the sacrifices] which convey atonement." The priests eat the sacrifices, and the owners receive atonement. This also applies to other sacrifices that are eaten by the priests; partaking of them is a mitzva. (Hilkhot Ma’aseh Hakorbanot 10:1) 

How far does “greatness” go?

The Rambam rules about the korban pesach:

The optimal manner of performing the mitzva is to partake of the Paschal sacrifice in a manner of satiation. Therefore, if one sacrificed festive peace-offerings on the fourteenth of Nisan, one should eat them first and then eat the meat of the Paschal sacrifice, so he will be satiated from it. Even if one does not eat more than an olive-size portion, he fulfills his obligation. (Hilkhot Korban Pesach 8:3)

Reb Chaim Soloveitchik explains that this is a special halakha of the korban pesach (Chiddushei HaGrach al HaShas p.167). There is otherwise no halakha of al hasova for a non-kohen; if there were, it would apply to the korban chagiga as well. 

The disagreement between Rashbam and the Rambam about whether there is a halakha of al hasova for a non-kohen might depend on another dispute: whether there is a mitzva to for a non-kohen to eat kodashim. Rashi (Pesachim 59a) rules that there is a mitzva for even a non-kohen to eat kodashim, while the Rambam apparently feels this mitzva is limited to kohanim (above, 10:1). However, on Pesach night, when there is a mitzva for all Jews to eat the korban pesach, the halakha of al hosova, based on the principle of "greatness," would apply. 

The Rishon who takes the halakhic principle of "greatness" to the greatest extreme is the Sefer Hachinukh, who uses it to explain many of the laws of korban pesach:

And the reason we were commanded to eat it [the korban pesach] roasted is because children of kings and officers eat roasted meat because it is good and tasty. (Positive Mitzva #7)

And the reason we were commanded not to leave over [from the korban pesach] is because kings and officers do not need to leave over [their food] for the next day. (Positive Mitzva #8)

And this [not breaking the bones] also follows from the previously discussed principle, that it is not honorable for children of kings and advisors of the land to gnaw at the bones or break them like dogs. (Positive Mitzva #16)

“Greatness” Today

There is one more halakha that depends on "greatness": The Gemara in Sota 15a. maintains that a meal-offering has to be eaten with honey and oil. The Rambam codifies this halakha as follows:

All of the meal-offerings that are brought to the altar are matza (unleavened). Similarly, the remaining portions of the meal-offerings, that are eaten by the priests – although they may be eaten with all foods and with a sweetener, they may not be eaten leavened, as [Vayikra 6:10] states: "It shall not be baked leavened; their portion...." [Implied is that] even their portion may not be leavened. (Hilkhot Ma’aseh Hakorbanot 12:14)

The halakha of "greatness" teaches that the matza of the mincha can be mixed with honey – in other words, matza ashira. The Mordechai (page 34 in the pages of the Rif) teaches that matza should be eaten al hasova. Matza, according to this perspective, is eaten like kings. Our lechem oni is turned into the food of kings on Pesach night, because all of Israel are treated like royalty on this night and must eat like kings do. The matza is transformed and so should we be.  

When I wrote the previous shiur about eating matza first as poor men and then as free men, it was at the height of the first wave of the Covid pandemic. We all understood what it meant to eat matza as poor men, and for some of us, that meant even celebrating the holiday alone. Now, hopefully we can once again observe the holiday with our families and loved ones, and eat matza as free men and women – as transformed people. 

It has always been difficult for me to fulfill the commandment on Pesach night to feel as if I personally was freed from the slavery of Egypt. But Rav Medan has taught that we should apply that principle to our own lives. If not us directly, then certainly our parents and grandparents have witnessed a redemption in their lifetimes – from the horrors of the Sho’a to the miracle of the birth of the State of Israel. The pandemic has taught us that even with all our scientific and technological prowess, we are not truly in control of our own destinies. Like our forefathers in Egypt, we need to look to our Father in Heaven for salvation and redemption. This requires of us that we free ourselves from our personal servitudes, whatever they may be, and act as free men – in "greatness" and with gratitude to the One above.