Untithed Produce, the Reading of Oni, and Moses Honoring the Elders

One might think a person could fulfill his obligation with tevel (untithed produce) that was not fully prepared, from which the poor man's tithe had not been taken. Scripture teaches, "You shall eat no leavened bread with it" (Deuteronomy 16:3): one whose prohibition is on account of "do not eat leaven" - this excludes that whose prohibition is on account of "do not eat tevel." One might think a person could fulfill his obligation with second tithe in Jerusalem; Scripture teaches, "bread of affliction" - that which is eaten in affliction, excluding this which is eaten not in affliction but in joy. These are the words of Rabbi Yose the Galilean. Rabbi Akiva says: "matzot, matzot" - the repetition is an inclusion; if so, what does "bread of affliction" teach? It excludes dough kneaded with wine, oil, and honey. What is Rabbi Akiva's reasoning? Is "oni" (with a full vav, meaning rich speech) written? "Oni" (affliction) is written. And Rabbi Yose the Galilean - is it read "oni" (affliction)? It is read "oni" (the other vocalization). And Rabbi Akiva: that it is read the latter way accords with Shmuel, who said, "bread of affliction" means bread over which many words are recited [the bread of the Haggadah]; and this applies on the first festival day, but on the second day they may knead with honey, as Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi told his sons: "On the first day do not knead for me with honey; from then on, knead for me with honey." One might think a person could fulfill his obligation with first fruits. Scripture teaches, "In all your dwellings you shall eat matzah" - matzah eaten in all dwellings, excluding first fruits, which are eaten only in Jerusalem. These are the words of Rabbi Yose the Galilean. Rabbi Akiva says: I might think I should exclude even second tithe; Scripture teaches "matzot, matzot" as an inclusion. What did you see to include second tithe and exclude first fruits? I include second tithe, which has a permitted use in all dwellings, as Rabbi Elazar said: from where do we learn that second tithe that became defiled may be redeemed even in Jerusalem? Scripture teaches, "for you are not able to carry it" (Deuteronomy 14:24), and "carrying" means only eating, as it says, "and he carried portions to them from before himself" (Genesis 43:34). And Rabbi Yose the Galilean derives it from "bread of affliction": that which is eaten in affliction, excluding this which is eaten in joy; he holds like Rabbi Shimon, who said first fruits are permitted to an onen (a mourner before burial). The Rabbis taught: "bread of affliction" excludes a scalded cake and the ashishah. One might think one fulfills the obligation only with coarse bran bread; Scripture teaches "matzot, matzot" as an inclusion - even bread as fine as Solomon's matzah suffices. Why does the Merciful One write "dwellings" by matzah? It was necessary, for you might have thought: since it is written, "they shall eat it with matzah and bitter herbs" (Numbers 9:11), in a time when there is a Passover offering, yes, but when there is no Passover offering, no; Scripture teaches us otherwise. "And Moses called all the elders of Israel" (Exodus 12:21). This tells that he made them a court. "And he said to them": the speech was from Moses' mouth, to be told to all Israel. These are the words of Rabbi Yoshiyah. Rabbi Yonatan says: the speech was from Moses' mouth to be told to the elders, and the elders to tell all Israel. Rabbi Yoshiyah said to him: how is this speech different from all the speeches in the Torah, where the speech is from Moses' mouth to be told to all Israel? And what does "and he said to them" teach? Only that Moses gave honor to the elders. And so the Holy One, blessed be He, told him: give honor to the elders, as it says, "Go and gather the elders of Israel" (Exodus 3:16); and so Moses and Aaron did, "and they gathered all the elders of the children of Israel" (Exodus 4:29). "Draw out and take for yourselves sheep" (Exodus 12:21). "Draw out" - one who has; "and take" - one who has not. Rabbi Yose the Galilean says: draw your hands away from idolatry and cling to the commandments. Rabbi Ishmael says: Scripture comes to teach you that one may always be counted upon a Passover offering and withdraw from it until it is slaughtered, provided he does not leave the Passover offering as it is without takers. Rabbi Yitzhak says: Scripture comes to teach concerning small livestock that it is acquired by drawing. "And slaughter the Passover." It is a commandment to slaughter it for its own sake; but if he slaughtered it not for its own sake, he transgressed the commandment. One might think it is still valid; Scripture teaches, "draw out and take" - Scripture repeats it to disqualify. From here they said: all sacrifices slaughtered not for their own sake are valid, except that they do not count for the owners as fulfillment of obligation, apart from the Passover offering and the sin offering.