Matzah Guarded for Its Own Sake and Not as an Offering

It has been taught: One might think a person fulfills his obligation with the loaves of a thanksgiving offering or the wafers of a nazirite. Scripture therefore says, "And you shall guard the unleavened breads" (Exodus 12:17): matzah that is guarded for the sake of being matzah, excluding this which is not guarded for the sake of matzah but for the sake of a sacrifice. It has been taught otherwise: One might think a person fulfills his obligation with the loaves of a thanksgiving offering or the wafers of a nazirite. Scripture says, "Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread" (above, verse 15): matzah that is eaten over seven days, excluding this which is not eaten over seven days but only for a day and a night. And let it be derived instead that such bread is not eaten in poverty, according to Rabbi Akiva who said the word is written 'oni' [poor man's bread]. And let it be derived that it is rich matzah. The quarter-log of oil is divided among many loaves. And let it be derived that it is not eaten in all dwellings. This proves that the loaves of a thanksgiving offering and the wafers of a nazirite are eaten in Nob and in Gibeon. If one made them to sell in the market, he fulfills his obligation with them. And what is the reason? Whatever is for the market, a person reconsiders: if I sell, I sell, and if not, I myself go out with it. Rava said: It is a commandment to moisten the grain, as it is written, "And you shall guard the unleavened breads" — for if not for moistening, what would the guarding be for? The guarding of the kneading is not a guarding, for Rav Huna said: a person may fill his belly with the doughs of gentiles, provided that in the end he eats an olive's measure of matzah. Then let us perform the guarding from the baking onward. Rather, learn from this that we require guarding from the very beginning. Rava said to those who turned the loaves: turn them for the sake of the commandment. "On this very day" (Exodus 12:17). This teaches that they went out only by day. "I brought your hosts out." These are the hosts of Israel. Or is it only the hosts of the ministering angels? When it says, "all the hosts of the LORD went out," the hosts of the ministering angels are already stated. So what does Scripture teach by saying "your hosts"? These are the hosts of Israel.