Siman - Pesachim Daf 2
- Checking chametz with candles on the ‘or’ of the fourteenth
The opening Mishnah of the Masechta begins, אור לארבעה עשר בודקין את החמץ לאור הנר – The night of the fourteenth of Nissan, we search for the chametz by the light of a candle. Rashi explains that the bedikah is done so one does not transgress the prohibitions of בל יראה ובל ימצא – You may not see chametz in your possession, and you may not find chametz in your possession.
The Gemara begins by asking, מאי אור – What is the meaning of “or”? Rav Huna says נגהי – it means light, which the Gemara presently understands to mean daytime, and Rav Yehudah says, לילי – it means night. Rashi explains that according to Rav Huna, one would begin the bedikah when it begins to get light in the morning of the fourteenth. A candle is used because the sky is mostly dark at that time . The Gemara poses several challenges to each position.
- The light of the stars is also called ‘or’
The Gemara challenged Rav Huna from the passuk, הללוהו כל כוכבי אור – Praise Him all the stars of ‘or’. This apparently means all the stars which appear at night, and therefore we see that ‘or’ means night. The Gemara answers that the passuk means, הללוהו כל כוכבים המאירים – Praise him, all the stars that give light. The Gemara asks that even the stars that do not give light should praise HaKadosh Baruch Hu and explains that really all of the stars give light, and rather the passuk means to teach, דאור כוכבים נמי אור הוא – that the light of the stars is also called ‘or’. This is relevant in regard to if someone made a neder not to benefit from ‘or’, it would be forbidden to him to benefit from the light of the stars.
- When night became light for Dovid Hamelech
The Gemara challenged Rav Yehudah from the passuk, ואמר אך חשך ישופני ולילה אור בעדני – I had said, “Only darkness will shadow me,” but the night became ‘or’ around me. Rashi explains that Dovid Hamelech thought that he would die in the darkness of his troubles, but then night became day for him and his troubles disappeared. Since ‘or’ is contrasted with night, it seemingly means day.
The Gemara answers that what Dovid meant was, אני אמרתי אך חשך ישופני לעולם הבא – I had said, “Only darkness would shadow me even in the World to Come, שהוא דומה ליום – which is analogous to day,” עכשיו העולם הזה שהוא דומה ללילה אור בעדני – But now, even this world which is analogous to night, has become light around me. Rashi explains that Dovid expected that it would be dark for him in Olam Habah because of his sin with Bas Sheva. In the end, even Olam Hazeh became light for him when it was shown that he was forgiven in front of his detractors when the doors of the Beis HaMikdash would not open until Shlomo Hamelech mentioned they should open in the merit of Dovid. Therefore, the meaning the word “or” here does not mean day, but rather light.
