1,129. The Obligation to Eat Mitzvah

Chometz u’Matzah 6:1

There is a Torah commandment to eat matzah on the night of 15 Nisan, as per Exodus 12:18, “In the evening, you shall eat matzah.” This mitzvah applies in every time and place. Eating matzah does not depend on bringing the Passover offering; it is an independent mitzvah. The obligation to eat matzah may be fulfilled the entire night. On the other days of Passover, eating matzah is optional; if one wants to eat matzah, he may do so. If he prefers, he may eat rice, millet, roasted seeds or fruits. [Some of these things are not eaten on Passover according to the Ashkenazi practice.] Only on the night of 15 Nisan is eating matzah obligatory. Once a person has eaten an olive-sized portion of matzah, he has fulfilled his obligation.

Chometz u’Matzah 6:2

If a person swallows matzah without chewing it, he fulfills his obligation; if he swallows maror without chewing it, he does not fulfill his obligation. If a person swallows matzah and maror together without chewing them, he fulfills the obligation to eat matzah but not the obligation to eat maror. In this instance, the maror is considered subordinate to the matzah. If one wraps it in strings or something similar and swallows it, he does not even fulfill the obligation to eat matzah.