We previously discussed that one cannot fulfill the mitzvos of the seder before nightfall. The matza and marror must be eaten at night, at the time when one can eat the korban pesach.
But why can’t we start the haggada before nightfall, and get the ball rolling? The Brisker Rav says that this question is actually raised in the haggada: "יכול מבעוד יום" – One may have thought that the mitzvah can be fulfilled while it is still day, in a case that a person was mekabel yom tov early. Since it is already Pesach, one would think that he can start performing the mitzvah of sippur yetzias mitzrayim, just as one can make an early Shabbos and recite kiddush.
The answer to the question is also provided by the baal hagada: "ת"ל בעבור זה – בשעה שיש מצה ומרור מונחים לפניך". The mitzvah of sipur yetzias mitzrayim must be done at the time that the matza and marror is in front of him. In other words, the matza and marror, which are ready to be used for the mitzvah, have to be there in front of you. This is the pasuk we tell the שאינו יודע לשאול – the child that has no idea what is happening. We show him the matza and marror at the time of the sippur, which serves as a visual-aid, a way of helping the child understand what is happening.
In other words, according to the Brisker Rav, this prerequisite: "בשעה שיש מצה ומרור מונחים לפניך" – at the time that the matza and maror are there,” means that they must actually be there in front of you on the table. He proves this from the expression used by the Mechilta: “at the time that the matza and marror are in front of you on the table,” which means that they must physically be there in front of you.
According to this understanding, if a person were to be stuck somewhere without matza and marror, he would not be able to fulfill the mitzvah of sippur yetzias mitzrayim, either. He also proves this from the fact that the matza is called “lechem oni – lechem she’onim alav devarim harbei – bread that we relate many things [i.e., sippur yetzias mitzrayim] over it.”
The Gemara explains that one of the connotations of the word oni is an expression of talking, which means that we relate the story over the matzos. In other words, the matzos being on the table is an integral part of the seder.
He adds that even after the mitzvah was done, and the matzos were eaten, one can still fulfill this prerequisite by having matza on the table, since it is the time of the mitzvah. For this reason, the Tosefta tells us that when the students of the great rabbis in Bnei Brak came in to tell them that the morning had arrived, they cleared the table and left. Why is it necessary to tell us about the cleaning crew? The Brisker Rav explains that the Tosefta is teaching us that the table had to have the matzos there the entire night, in order to continue to fulfill the mitzvah of sippur.
The Minchas Chinuch, on the other hand, asserts that it is only שיש מצה מרור מונחים לפניךבשעה " at the time that the matza and maror are בשעה meant to be there, meaning that they do not actually need to physically be there.
Summary
One must wait until nightfall to start the hagada because that is the time that the matza and maror are there in front of you on the table.
There are a number of Kuntreisim available – both in English and in Hebrew, including: 1. Baking Matzos 2. Mechiras Chometz 3. Leil Haseder and Daled Kosos Hard copies are available at the shul, or you can send an email to: [email protected].
by Rabbi Nachum Scheiner, Night Kollel & Morning Kollel
