7. “A potsherd?” “Sufficient to put between two beans,”—the words of Rabbi Judah; Rabbi Meier says, “sufficient to take away fire with it;” Rabbi José says, “sufficient to receive in it the fourth of a log.” Said Rabbi Meier, “Although there is no visible proof of the matter, there is an indication of the matter, as is said, ‘there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take fire from the hearth.’ ”[124] Rabbi José said to him, “thence is the visible proof, ‘or to take water out of the pit.’ ”[125]
On The Passover
Searching for Leaven—How Leaven Is to be Put Away—Restrictions with Regard to It—What Things Make Leaven—Leavening—Work on the Eve of the Passover—Trades Allowed—Men of Jericho—Hezekiah—The Daily Offering—Intention—Slaughter of Passover Offering—Mode of Proceeding—The Passover on a Sabbath—Discussion Between R. Akiba and R. Eleazar—Roasting the Passover—Various Contingencies—Hindrances—Rules and Directions—How the Passover Is to be Eaten—Praise and Thanksgiving.
Chapter I
1. On the eve of the fourteenth day of Nisan[126] men search for leaven by candlelight. Every place where men do not bring in leaven, there is no need of search. “And wherefore do they say, two lines of barrels in the wine cellar?” “The place is meant into which persons bring leaven.” The school of Shammai say, “two rows in front of the whole cellar.” But the school of Hillel say, “the two outer lines on the top.”
2. People need not suspect, lest perchance the weasel have slipped (with leaven) from house to house or from place to place. If so, from court to court, from city to city, there is no end to the matter.
3. Rabbi Judah said, “men search on the eve of the fourteenth and on the morning of the fourteenth day, and at the time of burning it.” But the Sages say, “if one did not search on the eve of the fourteenth, he must search on the fourteenth; if he did not search on the fourteenth, he must search during the feast; if he did not search during the feast, he must search after the feast; and whatever remains, he shall leave well concealed, that there be no further need of search after it.”