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Why does Erev Pesach (פסח) have a shorter pre-meal restriction than regular Erev Shabbos (שבת), and what does "eating matzah with ta'avah" actually mean? The shiur argues that ta'avah refers to genuine enjoyment rather than mere hunger, making the hidur mitzvah (מצוה) about savoring the matzah experience. This reframes whether different types of matzah throughout Pesach require the same hasayvah standards.
This shiur examines Pesachim 99b, focusing on the Mishna's statement "Erev Pesach (פסח) samuch l'minchah lo yochel adam ad shetechshach" - that one may not eat close to minchah time on Erev Pesach until dark. Rabbi Zweig begins by analyzing the fundamental machlokes between the commentators regarding the precise timing. Rashi (רש"י) interprets "samuch l'minchah" as "kodem l'minchah me'at" (shortly before minchah), while Rashbam specifies this as half an hour, and the Rambam (רמב"ם) also uses the term "me'at" (a little). Rabbi Zweig questions how half an hour can be considered "me'at," arguing that such a duration is quite significant rather than minimal. The shiur explores the Gemara (גמרא)'s answer that distinguishes between Erev Pesach and other Erev Yom Tov/Shabbos (שבת) occasions. According to Rabbi Yehuda's position, on Erev Shabbos and Erev Yom Tov the restriction begins "min minchah u'maylah" (from minchah onwards), while on Erev Pesach it's only "me'at" before. This creates a puzzling scenario where the restriction on Erev Pesach (3:28) is actually less stringent than on regular Erev Shabbos (3:30), raising questions about the underlying reasoning.
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Pesachim 99b
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