To not eat chamets after midday: To not eat chamets after midday on the fourteenth day of Nissan. And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 16:3), “You shall not eat chamets upon it.” Rambam, may his memory be blessed, wrote (Sefer HaMitzvot, Negative Commandments 199), “The word ‘upon it,’ refers back to the Pesach lamb, the obligation of which to slaughter was in the afternoon of the fourteenth day. And they said from the moment that the time of its sacrifice arrives, ‘You shall not eat chamets upon it.’ And in Pesachim 28b, they, may their memory be blessed, said, ‘From where [do I know] that one who eats chamets from six hours and onward is [transgressing] a negative commandment? As it is stated, “You shall not eat chamets upon it.”’ And there (Pesachim 4b) it is said, ‘According to everyone, however, chamets is prohibited by Torah writ from six hours and onward.’ So have we found the language of all the precise textual variants that were read by the elders of the Talmud. And there is it said about the reason for the prohibition of chamets within the sixth hour, ‘The rabbis made an extra distancing, so as not to reach a Torah prohibition.’ And one who transgresses and eats chamets after midday is lashed.” To here [are his words].
It is from the roots of the commandment [that it is] because the matter of the prohibition of chamets on Pesach is an extremely weighty prohibition, from the angle that it is a great foundation in our religion; since the exodus from Egypt is a sign and wonder that necessitates [there having been] a creation of the world, which is a great pillar upon which the chambers of the Torah rest — as we have written several times. And therefore any commandment that is in commemoration of the exodus from Egypt is weighty for us and very beloved. Hence from the angle of the great weightiness that there is to it, the Torah warned us to begin it six hours before the set time for that miracle, which is the beginning of the (holiday) fifteenth day. And all of this is in order that we put the weightiness of the commandment and the greatness of its content into our hearts, in our seeing that the Torah makes a fence for us around it.
From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Pesachim 11b) that we eat chamets all [the first] four hours of this day, and we suspend [it] all of the fifth — meaning to say that we do not eat [it], due to the decree because of a cloudy day, and we do not burn [it], but rather we [can] benefit from it, to feed it to any creature or to sell it to a person — and we burn it at the beginning of the sixth hour. And this is an ordinance of the Sages regarding the commandment, in order to distance a person from sin, so that he will not stumble to eat it at the beginning of the seventh hour — which is a Torah prohibition, as we have said. And [it is] also like they, may their memory be blessed expounded from another verse; as they said there in Pesachim 4b, “It is written (Exodus 12:19), ‘Seven days leaven, etc.,’ yet it is [also] written (Exodus 12:15), ‘but on the first day, etc.’ Behold, how is this? [It is] to include the fourteenth day for destruction [of chamets].” And [so] the understanding of “first” (rishon) would be like [its usage], “Were you born rishon Adam?” (Job 15:7), the understanding of which is “before.” And from that which the verse obligated to dispose of it on that day, we knew that part of that day would necessarily be permitted, as it is impossible to determine the exact first instant of a day and dispose of it then. And since it is like this: That part of the day is permitted, and Scripture did not elucidate which part of it is permissible, we divided it equally from true logic — as if you divide in [any] other way, there will be no foundation to the thing at all. And that is what they said over there, “[The word,] ‘but (akh),’ divides.” And those that explained that akh is chats (divide) in [the letter susbtitution pattern called], “ach”s, bet”aa” did not understand the words of the Sages. [This] and the rest of the details of the commandment are in Tractate Pesachim in the first chapter.
And it is practiced by males and females in all places and at all times, even at this time when we do not have the Pesach sacrifice. And one who transgresses it and eats a kazayit of chamets after midday is liable for lashes, according to the opinion of Rambam, may his memory be blessed. [This is] because he holds (Sefer HaMitzvot, Negative Commandments 199) that the law is like Rabbi Yehudah, who said that one who eats chamets before Pesach — [by which] I mean on the fourteenth day of Nissan from midday and onward — violates the negative commandment that we mentioned. But Ramban, may his memory be blessed, disagrees with him (in his glosses to the Sefer HaMitzvot, Negative Commandments 199). And according to his opinion, there is no negative commandment in this, since the law is like Rabbi Shimon, who disagrees with Rabbi Yehudah. [Rabbi Shimon] says, “Whether it is before its time or whether after its time, he does not violate anything.” And he expounds the matter from that which it is written (Deuteronomy 16:3), “‘You shall not eat chamets upon it, seven days shall you eat matsot upon it’; at the time that a man is in the positive commandment of ‘eat matsot,’ there is the prohibition of ‘do not eat chamets,’ and at the time that he is not in the commandment of eat matsah — which is whether before the time of Pesach or whether afterwards — he is not in the prohibition of ‘do not eat chamets.’” And according to the opinion of Rabbi Shimon, the word, “upon it,” refers back to the eating of the Pesach sacrifice, which is eaten in the evening. And so is it explicit in the Talmud Yerushalmi Pesachim 1:4 that according to the words of Rabbi Yehudah, the word, “upon it,” refers back to its slaughter; and according to the words of Rabbi Shimon to its eating, as it was eaten in the evening. And that which appears in the Gemara, “According to everyone, however, chamets is prohibited,” and so [too,] what they said, “The rabbis made an extra distancing, so as not to reach a Torah prohibition” — all of this is true, that there is a Torah prohibition to benefit from chamets after six hours. However, the prohibition that comes upon it is from the commandment to dispose [of chamets] from Torah writ from six hours onward, but certainly there is no negative commandment in it at all — like Rabbi Shimon, like whom we hold. And so is it explicit there in the Gemara, “[That] according to everyone, however, chamets is by Torah writ from six hours and onward, from where do we [know it]? Abbaye said, ‘Two verses are written, etc.’” And the end of his words there are, “Behold, how is this? [It is] to include the fourteenth day for destruction [of chamets].” Behold, it is clear that there is no prohibition about it after midday — according to the [legal conclusion] — except for the Torah commandment of disposing [of it]. Behold, according to the opinion of [Ramban], may his memory be blessed, this negative commandment of “You shall not eat,” is not included in the tally of the commandments. Extend your ear, my son, and listen to the words of the sages — ‘these and those are the words of the living God.’ And know that there are seventy faces to Torah, and [that] they are all correct.
שֶׁלֹּא לֶאֱכֹל חָמֵץ אַחַר חֲצוֹת – שֶׁלֹּא נֹאכַל חָמֵץ אַחַר חֲצוֹת בְּיוֹם אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר בְּנִיסָן, וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר (דברים טז ג) לֹא תֹאכַל עָלָיו חָמֵץ. כָּתַב הָרַמְבַּ"ם זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה (בסהמ"צ ל"ת קצט) מִלַּת "עָלָיו" שָׁבָה עַל כֶּבֶשׂ הַפֶּסַח, שֶׁהַחוֹבָה בִּזְבִיחָתוֹ בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם בְּיוֹם אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר וְאָמְרוּ מֵעֵת שֶׁיַּגִּיעַ זְמַן זְבִיחָתוֹ לֹא תֹאכַל עָלָיו חָמֵץ. וּבִפְסָחִים (כח ב) אָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה מִנַּיִן לְאוֹכֵל חָמֵץ מִשֵּׁשׁ שָׁעוֹת וּלְמַעְלָה שֶׁהוּא בְּלֹא תַּעֲשֶׂה? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לֹא תֹאכַל עָלָיו חָמֵץ וְשָׁם (ד ב) נֶאֱמַר לְכֻלֵּי עָלְמָא מִיהַת חָמֵץ מִשֵּׁשׁ שָׁעוֹת וּלְמַעְלָה דְּאוֹרָיְתָא, כֵּן מָצָאנוּ לְשׁוֹן כָּל הַנֻּסְחָאוֹת הַמְּדֻיָּקוֹת שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ עַל זִקְנֵי הַתַּלְמוּד. וְשָׁם נֶאֱמַר בְּטַעַם אִסּוּר הֶחָמֵץ בְּשָׁעָה שִׁשִּׁית, עֲבַדוּ רַבָּנָן הַרְחָקָה יְתֵרָה כִּי הֵיכִי דְּלָא לִגַּע בְּאִסּוּרָא דְּאוֹרָיְתָא. וּמִי שֶׁיַּעֲבֹר וְיֹאכַל חָמֵץ אַחַר חֲצוֹת לוֹקֶה, עַד כָּאן.
To not eat chamets after midday: To not eat chamets after midday on the fourteenth day of Nissan. And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 16:3), “You shall not eat chamets upon it.” Rambam, may his memory be blessed, wrote (Sefer HaMitzvot, Negative Commandments 199), “The word ‘upon it,’ refers back to the Pesach lamb, the obligation of which to slaughter was in the afternoon of the fourteenth day. And they said from the moment that the time of its sacrifice arrives, ‘You shall not eat chamets upon it.’ And in Pesachim 28b, they, may their memory be blessed, said, ‘From where [do I know] that one who eats chamets from six hours and onward is [transgressing] a negative commandment? As it is stated, “You shall not eat chamets upon it.”’ And there (Pesachim 4b) it is said, ‘According to everyone, however, chamets is prohibited by Torah writ from six hours and onward.’ So have we found the language of all the precise textual variants that were read by the elders of the Talmud. And there is it said about the reason for the prohibition of chamets within the sixth hour, ‘The rabbis made an extra distancing, so as not to reach a Torah prohibition.’ And one who transgresses and eats chamets after midday is lashed.” To here [are his words].
מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי הַמִּצְוָה. לְפִי שֶׁעִנְיָן אִסּוּר חָמֵץ בְּפֶסַח הוּא אִסּוּר חָמוּר בְּיוֹתֵר, מִצַּד שֶׁעִנְיָן זֶה יְסוֹד גָּדוֹל בְּדָתֵנוּ, כִּי יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם הוּא אוֹת וּמוֹפֵת מֻכְרָח בְּחִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהוּא הָעַמּוּד הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁאוּלַמֵּי הַתּוֹרָה נִסְמָכִים בּוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַבְתִּי כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים, וְעַל כֵּן כָּל מִצְוָה שֶׁהִיא לְזֵכֶר יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם חֲמוּרָה עָלֵינוּ וַחֲבִיבָה הַרְבֵּה. עַל כֵּן מִצַּד הַחֹמֶר הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁבָּהּ תַּזְהִירֵנוּ הַתּוֹרָה לְהַתְחִיל בָּהּ שֵׁשׁ שָׁעוֹת קֹדֶם הַגִּיעַ זְמַן הַנּוֹעָד לְאוֹתוֹ הַנֵּס שֶׁהוּא הַתְחָלַת יוֹם חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר, וְכָל זֶה, לְמַעַן נִתֵּן אֶל לִבֵּנוּ חֹמֶר הַמִּצְוָה וְגֹדֶל עִנְיָנָהּ בִּרְאוֹתֵינוּ כִּי הַתּוֹרָה תַּעֲשֶׂה לָנוּ גָּדֵר סָבִיב לָהּ.
It is from the roots of the commandment [that it is] because the matter of the prohibition of chamets on Pesach is an extremely weighty prohibition, from the angle that it is a great foundation in our religion; since the exodus from Egypt is a sign and wonder that necessitates [there having been] a creation of the world, which is a great pillar upon which the chambers of the Torah rest — as we have written several times. And therefore any commandment that is in commemoration of the exodus from Egypt is weighty for us and very beloved. Hence from the angle of the great weightiness that there is to it, the Torah warned us to begin it six hours before the set time for that miracle, which is the beginning of the (holiday) fifteenth day. And all of this is in order that we put the weightiness of the commandment and the greatness of its content into our hearts, in our seeing that the Torah makes a fence for us around it.
מִדִּינֵי הַמִּצְוָה. מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (שם יא, ב) שֶׁאוֹכְלִין חָמֵץ כָּל אַרְבַּע שָׁעוֹת מִיּוֹם זֶה, וְתוֹלִין כָּל חָמֵשׁ, כְּלוֹמַר לֹא אוֹכְלִין גְּזֵרָה מִשּׁוּם יוֹם הַמְעֻנָּן, וְלֹא שׂוֹרְפִין, אֶלָּא נֶהֱנִין לְהַאֲכִילוֹ לְכָל בְּרִיָּה אוֹ לְמָכְרוֹ לְאָדָם, וְשׂוֹרְפִין אוֹתוֹ בִּתְחִלַּת שָׁעָה שִׁשִּׁית, וְזוֹ הִיא תַּקָּנַת חֲכָמִים בַּמִּצְוָה, כְּדֵי לְהַרְחִיק הָאָדָם מִן הָעֲבֵרָה, שֶׁלֹּא יִכָּשֵׁל לְאָכְלוֹ בִּתְחִלַּת שָׁעָה שְׁבִיעִית, שֶׁהוּא אָסוּר מִן הַתּוֹרָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁדָּרְשׁוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה גַּם מִכָּתוּב אַחֵר, שֶׁאָמְרוּ שָׁם בִּפְסָחִים (ד, ב) כְּתִיב (שמות יב יט) שִׁבְעַת יָמִים שְׂאוֹר וְגוֹ' וּכְתִיב (שם טו) אַךְ בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן וְגוֹ' הָא כֵיצַד? לְרַבּוֹת אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר לַבִּעוּר, וְיִהְיֶה פֵּרוּשׁ רִאשׁוֹן, כְּמוֹ הֲרִאשׁוֹן אָדָם תִּוָּלֵד (איוב טו, ז) שֶׁפֵּרוּשׁוֹ קֹדֶם. וּמִמָּה שֶׁחִיֵּב הַכָּתוּב לְהַשְׁבִּיתוֹ בְּאוֹתוֹ יוֹם, יָדַעְנוּ שֶׁמִּקְצָת הַיּוֹם הוּא מֻתָּר בְּהֶכְרֵחַ, שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְכַוֵּן רֶגַע הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל יוֹם וּלְהַשְׁבִּיתוֹ בּוֹ, וְאַחַר שֶׁכֵּן, מִקְצָתוֹ שֶׁל יוֹם מֻתָּר, וְלֹא בֵּאֵר לָנוּ הַכָּתוּב, אֵיזֶה חֵלֶק מִמֶּנּוּ הוּא שֶׁמֻּתָּר, נְחַלְּקֵהוּ אֲנַחְנוּ בְּשָׁוֶה מִן הַסְּבָרָא הָאֲמִתִּית, שֶׁאִם תְּחַלְּקֵהוּ בְּעִנְיָן אַחֵר, לֹא יִהְיֶה שֹׁרֶשׁ בַּדָּבָר כְּלָל, וְזֶהוּ אָמְרָם שָׁם, אַךְ חִלֵּק. וְהַמְּפָרְשִׁים כִּי מִלַּת אַךְ באח"ס בט"ע חָץ, לֹא יָבִינוּ דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים. וְיֶתֶר פְּרָטֵי הַמִּצְוָה, בְּמַסֶּכֶת פְּסָחִים פֶּרֶק רִאשׁוֹן.
From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Pesachim 11b) that we eat chamets all [the first] four hours of this day, and we suspend [it] all of the fifth — meaning to say that we do not eat [it], due to the decree because of a cloudy day, and we do not burn [it], but rather we [can] benefit from it, to feed it to any creature or to sell it to a person — and we burn it at the beginning of the sixth hour. And this is an ordinance of the Sages regarding the commandment, in order to distance a person from sin, so that he will not stumble to eat it at the beginning of the seventh hour — which is a Torah prohibition, as we have said. And [it is] also like they, may their memory be blessed expounded from another verse; as they said there in Pesachim 4b, “It is written (Exodus 12:19), ‘Seven days leaven, etc.,’ yet it is [also] written (Exodus 12:15), ‘but on the first day, etc.’ Behold, how is this? [It is] to include the fourteenth day for destruction [of chamets].” And [so] the understanding of “first” (rishon) would be like [its usage], “Were you born rishon Adam?” (Job 15:7), the understanding of which is “before.” And from that which the verse obligated to dispose of it on that day, we knew that part of that day would necessarily be permitted, as it is impossible to determine the exact first instant of a day and dispose of it then. And since it is like this: That part of the day is permitted, and Scripture did not elucidate which part of it is permissible, we divided it equally from true logic — as if you divide in [any] other way, there will be no foundation to the thing at all. And that is what they said over there, “[The word,] ‘but (akh),’ divides.” And those that explained that akh is chats (divide) in [the letter susbtitution pattern called], “ach”s, bet”aa” did not understand the words of the Sages. [This] and the rest of the details of the commandment are in Tractate Pesachim in the first chapter.
וְנוֹהֶגֶת בִּזְכָרִים וּנְקֵבוֹת בְּכָל מָקוֹם וּבְכָל זְמַן וַאֲפִלּוּ בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה שֶׁאֵין לָנוּ קָרְבַּן פֶּסַח. וְהָעוֹבֵר עַל זֶה וְאָכַל כַּזַּיִת חָמֵץ אַחַר חֲצוֹת חַיָּב מַלְקוּת לְדַעַת הָרַמְבַּ"ם זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה, כִּי הוּא סוֹבֵר, שֶׁהֲלָכָה כְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה דְּאָמַר דְּחָמֵץ לִפְנֵי זְמַנּוֹ אֶרְצֶה לוֹמַר: בְּיוֹם אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר בְּנִיסָן מֵחֲצוֹת הַיּוֹם וּלְמַעְלָה, עוֹבֵר עָלָיו הָאוֹכְלוֹ בְּלָאו זֶה שֶׁזָּכַרְנוּ. אֲבָל הָרַמְבַּ"ן זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה (בהשגותיו לסהמ"צ שם) חוֹלֵק עָלָיו, וּלְדַעְתּוֹ אֵין בָּזֶה לָאו, שֶׁהֲלָכָה כְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן דְּפָלֵג עֲלֵהּ דְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְאָמַר, בֵּין לִפְנֵי זְמַנּוֹ בֵּין לְאַחַר זְמַנּוֹ אֵינוֹ עוֹבֵר בְּלֹא כְּלוּם, וְדָרֵשׁ מִלְּתֵהּ, מִדִּכְתִיב לֹא תֹאכַל עָלָיו חָמֵץ, שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תֹּאכַל עָלָיו מַצּוֹת, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁיֶּשְׁנוֹ הָאָדָם בְּקוּם אֱכֹל מַצָּה יֶשְׁנוֹ בְּבַל תֹּאכַל חָמֵץ, וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁאֵינוֹ בְּקוּם אֱכֹל מַצָּה, דְּהַיְנוּ בֵּין לִפְנֵי זְמַן הַפֶּסַח בֵּין לְאַחֲרָיו, אֵינוֹ בְּאַזְהָרַת בַּל תֹּאכַל חָמֵץ. וּלְדַעַת רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, מִלַּת עָלָיו תָּשׁוּב עַל אֲכִילָתוֹ שֶׁל פֶּסַח, שֶׁהָיָה נֶאֱכָל לָעֶרֶב, וְכֵן הוּא מְפֹרָשׁ בַּיְּרוּשַׁלְמִי (פסחים א ד), שֶׁלְּדִבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, מִלַּת עָלָיו שָׁבָה עַל שְׁחִיטָתוֹ, וּלְדִבְרֵי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן עַל אֲכִילָתוֹ, שֶׁהָיָה נֶאֱכָל לָעֶרֶב. וְזֶה שֶׁבָּא בַּגְּמָרָא לְכֻלֵּי עָלְמָא מִיהַת חָמֵץ מִשֵּׁשׁ שָׁעוֹת וּלְמַעְלָה אָסוּר. וְכֵן מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ עֲבַדוּ רַבָּנָן הַרְחָקָה יְתֵרָה, דְּלֹא לִגַּע לִידֵי אִסּוּרָא דְּאוֹרָיְתָא, כָּל זֶה אֱמֶת, שֶׁיֵּשׁ אִסּוּר דְּאוֹרָיְתָא בְּנֶהֱנֶה מִן הֶחָמֵץ אַחַר חֲצוֹת, וְאָמְנָם הָאִסּוּר הוּא דְּקָאֵי עָלֶיהָ בְּמִצְוַת הַשְׁבָּתָה מִדְּאוֹרַיְתָא מִשֵּׁשׁ שָׁעוֹת וּלְמַעְלָה, אֲבָל וַדַּאי אֵין בּוֹ אִסּוּר לָאו כְּלָל, כְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן דְּקַיְמָא לַן כְּוָתֵהּ. וְכֵן הוּא מְפֹרָשׁ הָעִנְיָן שָׁם בַּגְּמָרָא שֶׁאָמְרוּ, דְּכֻלֵּי עָלְמָא מִיהַת חָמֵץ מִשֵּׁשׁ שָׁעוֹת וּלְמַעְלָה דְּאוֹרָיְתָא, מְנָא לַן? אָמַר אַבַּיֵּי תְּרֵי קְרָאֵי כְּתִיבֵי וְכוּ' וְסִיּוּם דְּבָרָיו שָׁם הָא כֵּיצַד? לְרַבּוֹת אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר לְבִעוּר. הִנֵּה זֶה מְבֹאָר שֶׁאֵין הָאִסּוּר בּוֹ אַחַר חֲצוֹת אַלִּבָּא דְּהִלְכְתָא זוּלָתִי מִצְוַת הַשְׁבָּתָה דְּאוֹרָיְתָא. הִנֵּה לְדַעְתּוֹ זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה אֵין לָאו זֶה דְּלֹא תֹאכַל בִּכְלַל מִנְיַן הַמִּצְוֹת, הַט בְּנִי אָזְנְךָ וּשְׁמַע דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים, אֵלּוּ וָאֵלּוּ דִּבְרֵי אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים, וְדַע כִּי יֵשׁ בַּתּוֹרָה שִׁבְעִים פָּנִים וְכֻלָּם נְכֹחִים.
And it is practiced by males and females in all places and at all times, even at this time when we do not have the Pesach sacrifice. And one who transgresses it and eats a kazayit of chamets after midday is liable for lashes, according to the opinion of Rambam, may his memory be blessed. [This is] because he holds (Sefer HaMitzvot, Negative Commandments 199) that the law is like Rabbi Yehudah, who said that one who eats chamets before Pesach — [by which] I mean on the fourteenth day of Nissan from midday and onward — violates the negative commandment that we mentioned. But Ramban, may his memory be blessed, disagrees with him (in his glosses to the Sefer HaMitzvot, Negative Commandments 199). And according to his opinion, there is no negative commandment in this, since the law is like Rabbi Shimon, who disagrees with Rabbi Yehudah. [Rabbi Shimon] says, “Whether it is before its time or whether after its time, he does not violate anything.” And he expounds the matter from that which it is written (Deuteronomy 16:3), “‘You shall not eat chamets upon it, seven days shall you eat matsot upon it’; at the time that a man is in the positive commandment of ‘eat matsot,’ there is the prohibition of ‘do not eat chamets,’ and at the time that he is not in the commandment of eat matsah — which is whether before the time of Pesach or whether afterwards — he is not in the prohibition of ‘do not eat chamets.’” And according to the opinion of Rabbi Shimon, the word, “upon it,” refers back to the eating of the Pesach sacrifice, which is eaten in the evening. And so is it explicit in the Talmud Yerushalmi Pesachim 1:4 that according to the words of Rabbi Yehudah, the word, “upon it,” refers back to its slaughter; and according to the words of Rabbi Shimon to its eating, as it was eaten in the evening. And that which appears in the Gemara, “According to everyone, however, chamets is prohibited,” and so [too,] what they said, “The rabbis made an extra distancing, so as not to reach a Torah prohibition” — all of this is true, that there is a Torah prohibition to benefit from chamets after six hours. However, the prohibition that comes upon it is from the commandment to dispose [of chamets] from Torah writ from six hours onward, but certainly there is no negative commandment in it at all — like Rabbi Shimon, like whom we hold. And so is it explicit there in the Gemara, “[That] according to everyone, however, chamets is by Torah writ from six hours and onward, from where do we [know it]? Abbaye said, ‘Two verses are written, etc.’” And the end of his words there are, “Behold, how is this? [It is] to include the fourteenth day for destruction [of chamets].” Behold, it is clear that there is no prohibition about it after midday — according to the [legal conclusion] — except for the Torah commandment of disposing [of it]. Behold, according to the opinion of [Ramban], may his memory be blessed, this negative commandment of “You shall not eat,” is not included in the tally of the commandments. Extend your ear, my son, and listen to the words of the sages — ‘these and those are the words of the living God.’ And know that there are seventy faces to Torah, and [that] they are all correct.