Soul Nutrition – Pesach 5773

When eating the Korbon Pesach the Torah tells us that we must not break any bones. The Chinuch explains that perhaps the reason for this is that when we eat the Korbon Pesach we need to eat it like rich people, not like poor people who break and chew the bones to get every last bit out. This might also be the reason that we must eat the entire Korbon Pesach the night of Pesach and not leave any leftovers for the next day like a poor person who rations his food and saves some for later. —From HaRav Shlomo Zalman Ullman

The Medrash says on the posuk ואמרתם זבח פסח הוא that 30 days before Pesach people need to start learning the laws of Pesach. “Cutting (זבח)” the word פסח you will see that פ = 80, ס= 60 and ח=8. Cutting the value of each letter in half would be מ=40, ל=30 and ד=4. These letters spell the word למד (lamed), which means “thirty”, and למד (lameid), which means “to learn”.

Have you ever wondered why we don’t recite the whole Hallel every day of Pesach just as we do on Sukkos? Mah nishtana…why is the holiday of Pesach different from Sukkos?
On Sukkos the number of korbonos (sacrifices) that are brought to the Beis HaMikdash each day changes. Therefore, every day can be considered like a unique holiday so we recite Hallel every day. However, on Pesach the exact same number of korbonos is brought each day so we don’t recite the whole Hallel.
The Torah says בנפול אויביך אל תשמח “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,” therefore, Hallel is not recited on the 7th day of Pesach, the day the Egyptians were drowned in the sea. It doesn’t feel right to rejoice and sing Hallel on Chol HaMoed (intermediate days) and not on Shevi’i Shel Pesach, so Hallel is only recited the first day in Israel and the first 2 days in the Diaspora.