RABBI YAKOV YOSEF SCHECHTER
רמב"ם – Hilchos Korban Pesach 1:1 “מצות עשה לשחוט הפסח בארבעה עשר לחדש ניסן אחר חצות”
“There is a mitzvas aseh to shecht the Pesach on the fourteenth of the month of Nissan, after chatzos.” The Rambam uses the lashon of “לשחוט,” while in regard to all other korbanos, the Rambam always uses a lashon of “להקריב,” that it is a mitzvah to shecht it. Why does the Rambam write “לשחוט” by Korban Pesach, and why is it in fact different than all other korbanos? Why do we split the Hallel on the Seder night, something we do not do any other time of the year?
If you have a Korban Pesach that no one could eat, then it is posul, while by other such korbanos, it would still be kosher. The difference is that the ikar part of the Korban Pesach is that it was to be brought a korban, to be shechted, in order to eat it. Other korbanos, although some of them are eaten, that was not the ikar part of the korban. Rather, the ikar was it being brought to Hashem as a יוצר, to come seek the favor of Hashem. This is why the Rambam says the lashon of “לשחוט,” because it was different than all other korbanos in that the ikar part of the Korban Pesach was so that Klal Yisroel could eat it. (אמת ליעקב)
The very first mitzvah that Hashem gave to all Klal Yisroel was Korban Pesach. Korbanos are generally initiated by man. He sinned and needs to bring a Korban Chatas, or he wants to thank Hashem and brings a Korban Todah. However, the Korban Pesach is initiated by Hashem. He tells us that we must bring a Korban Pesach. What happens to that Korban Pesach? While there are some korbanos that the one bringing the korban does get to partake in the eating of it, it is not the main part of the bringing of the korban. However, with the Korban Pesach, the main part is the shechting it in order to eat it. Hashem was letting us know right at the outset, from the very first mitzvah, that we should know that in truth, every mitzvah that we perform is all for our benefit. Hashem gives us the mitzvos so that we can receive reward.
We are told by the first mitzvah that the main part is for us to eat it. The mitzvah that we are doing for Hashem is really for us. While by other mitzvos, we may not be able to see it so clearly, this is true by all mitzvos. This is why the main part of the mitzvah of Korban Pesach is to eat it, to teach us that all the mitzvos that we do for Hashem are really all for us.
Hashem does not need our mitzvos; they are all in place for our benefit. We know specifically that the afikomen we eat is k’neged the Korban Pesach. Our eating in the middle of Hallel is not separating Hallel; rather, it is part of Hallel. We thank Hashem for everything He did for us, and we eat, further thanking and showing Hashem that we recognize that we need to thank Him for the mitzvos that we are given, for they too are for us. It is all for us to eat and enjoy.
We can now also understand why we call the Yom Tov “Pesach,” while Hashem calls the Yom Tov “Chag Hamatzos.” We focus on what Hashem does for us. He gives us a Korban “Pesach” and shows us that everything that we do for Him, is all for us. Hashem focuses on what we did for Hashem, that we had emunah in Hashem and left Mitzrayim quickly, so that we only had “matzos.” The Yom Tov of Pesach is a time for us to strengthen our emunah in Hashem and work on serving Him with pure joy, for we must know that He loves us, and everything that He does is for us.
