on--Slaughter of Passover Offering--Mode of
Proceeding--The Passover on a Sabbath--Discussion Between R. Akiba
and R. Eleazar--Roasting the Passover--Various
Contingencies--Hindrances--Rules and Directions--How the Passover Is
to be Eaten--Praise and Thanksgiving.

Chapter I

1. On the eve of the fourteenth day of Nisan(126) men search for leaven by
candlelight. Every place where men do not bring in leaven, there is no
need of search. "And wherefore do they say, two lines of barrels in the
wine cellar?" "The place is meant into which persons bring leaven." The
school of Shammai say, "two rows in front of the whole cellar." But the
school of Hillel say, "the two outer lines on the top."

2. People need not suspect, lest perchance the weasel have slipped (with
leaven) from house to house or from place to place. If so, from court to
court, from city to city, there is no end to the matter.

3. Rabbi Judah said, "men search on the eve of the fourteenth and on the
morning of the fourteenth day, and at the time of burning it." But the
Sages say, "if one did not search on the eve of the fourteenth, he must
search on the fourteenth; if he did not search on the fourteenth, he must
search during the feast; if he did not search during the feast, he must
search after the feast; and whatever remains, he shall leave well
concealed, that there be no further need of search after it."

4. Rabbi Meier said, "men may eat it till five o'clock,(127) and burn it
at the beginning of six." Rabbi Judah said, "they may eat it till four,
and they are in suspense about five, but they burn it at the beginning of
six."

5. And again said R. Judah, "two loaves of the disallowed praise-offering
were placed on the portico of the Temple inclosure; whilst they were
placed there, all the people might eat leaven. If one were taken down they
were in suspense; they neither ate nor burned it. When both were taken
down they began to burn it." Rabban Gamaliel said, "men may eat ordinary
food till four o'clock, and the heave-offering till five o'clock, but they
burned the leaven at six o'clock."

6. Rabbi Chanina, the deputy of the priesthood, said, "from the (first)
days of the priesthood the priests did not object to burn the flesh
rendered legally unclean(128) with the second degree of uncleanness, with
the flesh rendered legally unclean with the first degree of uncleanness.
Even though they should add legal uncleanness to legal un