Zichru Daf Simanim
Siman - Pesachim Daf 91
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  • Shechting a pesach for a prisoner that is going to be released

The next Mishnah states that we may shecht a pesach for an onein, someone clearing a pile of rubble from upon a person trapped in a collapsed building, someone who has been promised to be released from prison by nightfall, as well as a choleh or a zakein who can eat a kezayis. Even though that they might become unfit to partake of the korban when the time comes to eat it, they are presently fit and therefore, it may be shechted. The Mishnah stipulates, על כלם אין שוחטין עליהם בפני עצמן שמא יביאו את הפסח לידי פסול – We do not shecht the pesach for them alone, out of concern that they may become unfit and bring to an invalidation. Rather, they may bring it in partnership with others.

Rabbah bar Rav Huna said in the name of Rebbe Yochanan, regarding the prisoner, לא שנו אלא בית האסורין דעובדי כוכבים – The Rabbanon did not teach this latter law, except with regard to a prison of nochrim, since they cannot be trusted to keep their word. אבל בית האסורין דישראל שוחטין בפני עצמו – But if he is held in a Jewish prison, we may shecht a pesach for him alone. Since they promised him release, they will surely release him, as it says in the passuk, שארית ישראל לא יעשו עולה ולא ידברו כזב – The remnant of Yisroel will not perform iniquity and will not speak lies.

  • Machlokes whether a pesach can be shechted for a single individual

The next Mishnah introduces a machlokes between Rebbe Yehudah and Rebbe Yose whether a pesach can be shechted for a single individual. Rebbe Yehudah says it cannot whereas Rebbe Yose permits it. The Gemara brings a Baraisa that taught, מנין שאין שוחטין את הפסח על היחיד – From where do we know that we do not shecht a pesach for a single individual? The Torah states, לא תוכל לזבח את הפסח באחד שעריך – You may not shecht the pesach in one of your cities. Rashi explains that the superfluous word באחד, in one, is referring to one who wishes to bring a pesach on his own. These are the words of Rebbe Yehudah. Rebbe Yose says if a single individual is able to eat it, which Rashi explains means a kezayis, then it is shechted for him. Whereas for a group of ten that are unable to consume it, we do not shecht it for him. The Gemara goes on to clarify that Rebbe Yose learns from the passuk that the prohibition of shechting a pesach on a bamas yachid only applies during a period of issur bamos.

Machlokes regarding women bringing the pesach rishon and pesach sheini

There is a three-way machlokes regarding women bringing the pesach:

- Rebbe Yehuda: אשה בראשון שוחטין עליה בפני עצמה ובשני עושין אותה טפילה לאחרים – For a woman, on the first pesach we can shecht for her alone since it is a chiyuv, but on pesach sheini we make her an adjunct to a group of others, since a pesach sheini for her is only a reshus.

- Rebbe Yose holds that a woman is chayav in pesach rishon and pesach sheini, so in both cases the pesach may be brought for her alone.

- Rebbe Shimon says that a woman may only be part of a group of others for pesach rishon since it is only a reshus, and she may not be part of a pesach sheini at all, even as a reshus.

The Gemara goes through an extensive analysis of each of these opinions.

Siman – Exit Sign. The prisoner standing under the exit sign "erev Pesach," anxiously waiting to be released from prison, saw a commotion in the distance as one individual was about to bring a pesach while a group of women were being told they had to offer theirs as part of a group.

Rabbi Avraham Goldhar

Rabbi Avraham Goldhar has been designing and teaching Jewish literacy courses for over thirty years. His knowledge frameworks for Biblical mastery, Jewish History, Talmudic Law & Jewish Holidays enable students of all backgrounds to better integrate Jewish concepts and learn systematically. After serving as the Educational Director of Aish HaTorah New York, Avraham launched GoldharSchool.com, Home of Big Picture Jewish Education, featuring Jewish literacy content for schools and individuals. He is the developer of the Goldhar Method, a revolutionary learning system that integrates memory into the learning process and has trained over 80,000 students, teachers and professionals. He lectures internationally on the topic of academic mastery and the solutions required to raise the bar in education. Avraham learned in Aish HaTorah, Mir, and Chaim Berlin and received his ordination under the tutelage of Rabbi Yitzchok Berkovits in Jerusalem.