R. Meir dice: Mangiamo tutti e cinque (ore il quattordicesimo) e lo bruciamo all'inizio del sesto. [Anche se per la legge della Torah è consentita l'intera sesta ora, i rabbini hanno decretato di non mangiarlo, per non sbagliare e venire a confondere la settima ora con la sesta; ma non verrebbero a confondere il settimo con il quinto, per cui è permesso.] E R. Yehudah dice: Mangiamo tutti e quattro, sospendiamo tutti il quinto e lo bruciamo all'inizio del sesto [e noi non mangiare il quinto, un decreto a causa della possibilità di una giornata nuvolosa in cui potrebbero errare e confondere la settima ora con la quinta. Tuttavia, non è necessario bruciarlo e può essere nutrito con la propria bestia. Ma nella sesta ora è vietata anche la derivazione del beneficio, un decreto in ragione del settimo. L'halachah è conforme a R. Yehudah.
Bartenura on Mishnah Pesachim
ושורפין בתחלת שש – And even though that the entire sixth hour, according to the Torah is permissible [to burn the Hametz], the Rabbis decreed on it, lest they err and think about the seventh [hour] that it is the sixth [hour]. But [regarding] the fifth hour, they would not err to say [about] the seventh hour that is the fifth [hour], and it is permitted.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Pesachim
Introduction
After having discussed the search for chametz, the Mishnah begins to discuss burning the chametz, the most common and preferred way of destroying it.
All of the sages agree that from the seventh hour and onwards (daylight was divided into twelve hours, so the seventh hour is roughly speaking 1 PM, but would change depending on latitude and time of year) it is forbidden to eat or possess chametz. This is derived from Exodus 12:15 which says that one must destroy the chametz “on the first day” the first day is interpreted to be the 14th of Nissan, the day on which the Pesah lamb is sacrificed. Chametz is forbidden from the beginning of the seventh hour of that day because it is at this time that the Pesah sacrifice may be brought, and Exodus 34:25 (“You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with anything leavened”) is interpreted as prohibiting the offering of the Pesah sacrifice while one is in possession of chametz.
In our mishnah Rabbi Judah and Rabbi Meir dispute how much earlier than the seventh hour one must cease from eating chametz. They both agree, however, that the chametz is burned at the beginning of the sixth hour.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Pesachim
תולין כל חמש – and he doesn’t eat [Hametz], as a decree because on a cloudy day, that they would err and think about the seventh [hour] is the fifth [hour]. But however, he doesn’t have to burn it, and can feed it to his cattle. But [during] the sixth [hour], even deriving benefit is prohibit from the Rabbis, as a decree because of the seventh hour. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yehuda.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Pesachim
Rabbi Meir says: one may eat [chametz] the whole of the five [hours] and must burn [it] at the beginning of the sixth. According to Rabbi Meir, through the fifth hour one may continue to eat chametz. So if daylight began at we call 6 AM and the daylight hours were equal to the hours of darkness, then one could eat chametz until 11 AM. At the beginning of the sixth hour they must begin to burn the chametz, since from the seventh hour and onwards it is prohibited from the Torah to eat it. Rabbi Meir gives a one hour cushion in order to prevent people from erring and accidentally eating chametz after the Torah has already prohibited it. The cushion is necessary because it is difficult to determine precisely when the sun has completed its rising and has begun to set.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Pesachim
Rabbi Judah says: one may eat the whole of the four [hours], suspend it the whole of the fifth, and must burn it at the beginning of the sixth. Rabbi Judah provides an even larger cushion between the time when it is prohibited to eat chametz and the time when this prohibition becomes toraitic. Although the prohibition is only toraitic from the seventh hour and onwards, he says that after four hours it is forbidden to eat chametz. Rabbi Judah agrees with Rabbi Meir that the chametz need not be burned until the sixth hour. During the fifth hour it is “suspended” meaning it is neither eaten nor burned. One may still derive benefit from the chametz at this time; for instance one may feed it to animals. According to the Talmud the extra hour of cushion was because it was difficult to determine the precise time on a cloudy day (and in Israel there are still clouds during Pesah).
