The Torah commands regarding the Passover sacrifice: "you shall not take out of the house." But take what out of the house? The Mekhilta clarifies that Scripture is speaking specifically about the flesh of the lamb. The meat of the Pesach (Passover) offering must remain within the designated eating area — it cannot be carried outside to share with others or saved for later consumption elsewhere.
The rabbis then raised a natural objection. Perhaps the prohibition extends beyond flesh to include the bones as well. After all, bones are part of the animal. If you cannot take the meat out, maybe you cannot take any part of the sacrifice out.
The Mekhilta resolves this by pointing to the precise wording of the verse. The Torah does not simply say "you shall not take out of the house." It specifies "of the flesh." The explicit mention of flesh limits the prohibition to flesh alone. Bones, which contain no edible meat on their exterior, are not subject to this restriction.
This distinction may seem minor, but it carries real practical weight. After the Passover meal, families needed to dispose of the leftover bones. If bones were subject to the same rule as flesh, removal would be forbidden, creating a significant logistical problem. The Mekhilta's careful reading of "of the flesh" ensures that the law remains both sacred and workable — protecting the sanctity of the sacrificial meat while allowing ordinary cleanup of inedible remains.