פירוש על פסחים 2:1

כל שעה שמותר לאכול – since it (i.e., the Mishnah) does not say, “every hour that he eats, he may feed,” and took it with these two linguistic forms, implies that it is referring to two people. And this is how it should be understood: Every hour that the Kohen is permitted to eat Terumah/priest’s due, an Israelite may feed non-sacred food to his cattle. And our Mishnah is according to Rabban Gamaliel, for Rabban Gamaliel states that non-sacred food is eaten all of the [first] four hours [of the day before Passover], and Terumah is eaten all of the fifth hour (see Chapter 1, Mishnah 5). But the Halakha is not according to him, but whether [speaking] of Terumah or non-sacred food, we eat them all the [first] four hours, and hold them in suspense throughout the fifth hour and burn them at the beginning of the sixth [hour].

Introduction The second chapter continues chronologically where the first chapter left off with rules concerning the removal of chametz.

מאכיל לבהמה ולחיה ולעופות – And it is necessary [to state all three]. For had the Mishnah [only] taught “cattle,” I might think that cattle [only] which leaves food out, it is [clearly] visible and we must certainly remove it [out of existence], but beasts like marten, a cat or mole/weasel which has the practice of hiding it, I might say not. And if the Mishnah [only] taught “beasts,” I might say that a beast if it leaves something over, it hides it and does not violate “that it be seen,” I would say that it is fine, but cattle that sometimes leaves something and it is not our intention to remove it and transgresses, “that it should be seen,” I might say not, this comes to inform us [that the logic we have presumed is incorrect]. And “fowl” – for since the Mishnah teaches “cattle” and “beasts,” it also teaches “fowl.”

Any hour in which one is permitted to eat [chametz], one may feed it to cattle, beasts and birds, and one may sell it to a gentile, and benefit from it is permitted. When its time has passed benefit from it is forbidden, and he may not [even] fire an oven or a stove with it. As long as one may eat chametz on the day before Pesah, one may still derive benefit from it (see 1:4). This mishnah is opposed to Rabbi Judah’s opinion above in 1:4, where he states that during the fifth hour it is forbidden to eat chametz, but it is still permitted to derive benefit from it. The mishnah lists two of the most common ways to derive benefit from a food item without eating it giving it to animals and selling it to non-Jews. Once the time has passed, he may derive no benefit from the chametz. Even while he is burning it in order to destroy it, he may not put it in an oven or stove to use it as fuel. In other words, he must burn it in such a way that he derives no benefit.

ומוכרו לנכרי – to exclude [the position] of the School of Shammai which states that a person should not sell his heaven to a non-Jew other than if knows that it will be finished prior to Passover, for they hold that I am commanded to remove it from the world and not that it would [continue] to exist.

Rabbi Judah says: there is no removal of chametz except by burning; But the sages say: he may also crumble it and throw it to the wind or cast it into the sea. In this section the rabbis dispute how chametz is to be removed in order to fulfill the commandment found in Exodus 12:15, “you shall remove leaven from your house.” According to Rabbi Judah the chametz must be burned. This is how he interprets the word “remove” in the verse. The sages are more flexible and accept other means by which to remove/destroy the chametz casting it into the sea or by crumbling it up and throwing it into the wind. The important thing is that he not be able to recover the chametz and eat it, or even possess it.

ומותר בהנאתו – with the benefit of its ashes, such as if he parched/roasted it with fire prior to the time of its being prohibited, it is permitted to derive benefit from its ashes even after the time of its being prohibited.

עבר זמנו – when the sixth hour arrives, even though that its prohibition is not other than through the words of the Scribes, it is prohibited to derive benefit from it, as is it was from the prohibitions of benefit of the Torah [itself]. And if he betrothed a woman with it (i.e., Hametz), we are not troubled by his Kiddushin/betrothal, for even with a leavened substance that is unfit for food , such as grain upon which drippings from the roof had fallen (see Talmud Pesahim 39b), and similar things to it, for on Passover itself, the prohibition is only from the words of the Scribes, for if he betrothed a woman on the fourteenth [of Nisan] once the sixth hour arrived, we are not troubled by his betrothal.

ולא יסיק בו תנור וכירים – it is necessary for Rabbi Yehuda, for he said, that there is no removal of Hametz other than by burning, for you might have thought that together with when burning it , he derives benefit from it. It comes to teach us that this is not the case, and even in the manner of removal, it is prohibited to derive benefit from it when the time comes for its being prohibited.

ר"י אומר אין ביעור חמץ אלא שריפה – which he derived from the [concept of] portions of sacrifices left over beyond the legal time and bound to be burnt, which are forbidden to derive benefit from and are punishable with extirpation the same as [possession of[ Hametz [during Passover], and its command is through burning and not in any other way. But the Rabbis do not derive from “Notar”/portions of sacrifices left over beyond the legal time and bound to be burnt, for the fat the ox that is stoned proves it, for it is prohibited to eat or derive benefit from it and it is punishable by extirpation and does not require burning.