If the Household Is Too Small to Eat a Whole Lamb

"And if the household is too small" (Exodus 12:4): this teaches that they may keep diminishing in number, provided that one of the original company remains there; these are the words of Rabbi Yehudah. Rabbi Yose says: whether from the first company or from the last, provided they do not leave the Passover offering as it is. Scripture says "too small": by the measure of eating, and not by the measure of purchase. Rabbi [Yehudah HaNasi] says: even by the measure of purchase, that if he has nothing, others are added to his portion and unconsecrated coins, for from the outset they bought only on that condition. "Then he and his neighbor shall take": this teaches that each and every company takes for itself. From here they said: one does not slaughter the Passover at the outset for a single individual, as it is said, "You may not slaughter the Passover within one" (Deuteronomy 16:5); these are the words of Rabbi Yehudah. Rabbi Yose says: sometimes there is one individual and they slaughter for him, and sometimes there are ten and they do not slaughter for them. How so? One individual who is able to eat it, they slaughter it for him; ten who are not able to eat it, they do not slaughter it for them, so as not to bring the Passover offering to disqualification. "And his neighbor": Ben Bag Bag says: I might understand his neighbor in the fields; from where do we know his neighbor on the rooftops? Scripture says "the one near to his house": doorway to doorway. Rabbi says: all three were stated: "his neighbor," this is his neighbor in the fields; "his neighbor," this is his neighbor on the rooftops; "near," this is the one near to his house, adjacent to the doorway. The Passover of Egypt had "his neighbor near to his house," but the Passover of the generations did not have "his neighbor near to his house." Rabbi Shimon says: even the Passover of the generations has "his neighbor near to his house," and the Torah spoke all this only for the sake of the ways of peace, that a person should not leave his loved ones and his close neighbors and his acquaintances and his familiars and one of his townsmen, and go and make his Passover with others, to fulfill what is said, "Better a near neighbor than a distant brother" (Proverbs 27:10). "By the number": "number" means nothing but a count, and thus it says, "And their levy for the LORD was thirty-two souls" (Numbers 31:40). Might one think it is a commandment to slaughter it for those counted, and if he slaughtered it for those not counted he has transgressed a commandment but it is valid? Scripture says "by the number you shall count": Scripture repeated it to disqualify. Since it says "a man," I have only a man; from where do we know to include a woman and a minor? Scripture says "souls." If so, why is "a man" stated? Just as a man is one who can eat an olive's measure, so too a minor who can eat an olive's measure. Rabbi Yehudah says: just as a man knows the distinction of eating, so too a minor who knows the distinction of eating. What is the distinction of eating? Anyone to whom one gives an egg and he takes it, and a stone and he throws it away. "By the number you shall count": this teaches that they are counted and they count others. From here they said: members of a company who counted others onto their portion, the right is theirs; if they wished to withdraw and count others onto their portion, the right is theirs. One member of a company who counted one onto his portion, the right is his; if he wished to withdraw and count others onto his portion, the right is his. "According to what each can eat" (Exodus 12:4): excluding the sick, the uncircumcised, and the impure, who are not able to eat it. "For the lamb": Ben Bag Bag says: I might understand a live lamb or a slaughtered lamb. You may reason: it says "lamb" here and it says "lamb" elsewhere; just as the "lamb" said elsewhere is a live lamb and not a slaughtered lamb, so too the "lamb" said here is a live lamb and not a slaughtered lamb. From here they said: one is always counted onto the Passover and may withdraw from it until it is slaughtered.