וְהִגַּדְתָּ לְבִנְךָ “AND YOU SHALL TELL YOUR CHILD” – One might have thought this meant from the beginning of the month.
And so it says, “on that day.”
Had it said only “on that day,” one might have thought [the obligation] applied during the day.
And so it also says, “Because of this” – “because of this” can only be said when matza and bitter herbs are there before you.
יָכוֹל מֵראשׁ חֹדֶשׁ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא. אִי בַיּוֹם הַהוּא יָכוֹל מִבְּעוֹד יוֹם? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר בַּעֲבוּר זֶה – בַּעֲבוּר זֶה לֹא אָמַרְתִּי, אֶלָּא בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁיֵּשׁ מַצָּה וּמָרוֹר מֻנָּחִים לְפָנֶיךָ.
וְהִגַּדְתָּ לְבִנְךָ “AND YOU SHALL TELL YOUR CHILD” –
One might have thought
this meant from the beginning of the month.
And so it says, “on that day.”
Had it said only “on that day,”
one might have thought [the obligation] applied during the day.
And so it also says, “Because of this” –
“because of this” can only be said
when matza and bitter herbs are there before you.