Derasha on Bo 12:15 — Torah Temimah note 3

Parashas Bo · Shemos 12:15 · TT note 3

The Complete Passuk

שִׁבְעַ֤ת יָמִים֙ מַצּ֣וֹת תֹּאכֵ֔לוּ אַ֚ךְ בַּיּ֣וֹם הָרִאשׁ֔וֹן תַּשְׁבִּ֥יתוּ שְּׂאֹ֖ר מִבָּתֵּיכֶ֑ם כִּ֣י ׀ כׇּל־אֹכֵ֣ל חָמֵ֗ץ וְנִכְרְתָ֞ה הַנֶּ֤פֶשׁ הַהִוא֙ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מִיּ֥וֹם הָרִאשֹׁ֖ן עַד־י֥וֹם הַשְּׁבִעִֽי׃

Source Citation

Torah Temimah on Shemos 12:15, note 3 (on שִׁבְעַת יָמִים מַצּוֹת תֹּאכֵלוּ) links to Shemos 12:18 for nights as well as days.

Sefaria — Exodus 12:15
Sefaria — Torah Temimah on Exodus 12:15
Sefaria — Exodus 12:18

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text — via Torah Temimah (12:18)
אֵין לִי אֶלָּא יָמִים — לֵילוֹת מִנַּיִן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״בָּרִאשׁוֹן בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ בָּעֶרֶב תֹּאכְלוּ מַצֹּת עַד יוֹם הָאֶחָד וְעֶשְׂרִים לַחֹדֶשׁ בָּעָרֶב״.

English: I have only days — from where [do we know] nights? Scripture says: “In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat matzos, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening.”

Type of Learning

Expansion from “days” to nights via the evening-to-evening span of 12:18.

What Is Learned

Matzah is eaten nights as well as days throughout the seven-day period.