Women and men are equally included in all prohibitions of the Torah, based on the verse “When a man or a woman sins against a fellow, thus being untrue to God...”. However, according to Rabbi Eliezer, they might still be permitted to eat chametz on Pesach. Why? Since the Torah said, “Do not eat any leaven, seven days eat matzah.” Now we know that women are free from any Torah commandment that has a fixed time for doing it due to their busy schedules. This would include eating matzah since it is applicable only on the seven days of Passover. And once they don't have to eat matzah, the “do not eat leaven” should not apply to them either.
A third source comes to reconcile these contradictory indications. There is an extra word “anything” in verse, “You must not eat anything leavened.” This extra word shifts the balance and is used by Rabbi Eliezer to obligate women to abstain from chametz. And once this is achieved, the connection between not eating chametz and eating matzah at the Seder is restored, and women become obligated to eat matzah.
However, Rabbi Eliezer could have used the word “anything” for a different law and derive from it that other foods mixed with chametz are equally forbidden. Why didn't he? – It is reasonable to say that in the context of “eaters,” we add another group of “eaters,” that is, women, not another group of what is being eaten, that is, mixtures.
Art: Washerwomen of Fouesnant by William-Adolphe Bouguereau
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