The Passover offering must be eaten “in the manner of kings.” Just as kings are never truly hungry, so one must eat it when he is more or less full. To fulfill this, there was another sacrifice at the Passover meal, called “holiday offering.” One ate this first and only then proceeded to the Passover lamb.
Before eating each of these sacrifices, one would have to say the blessing appropriate to it, such as “… Who has sanctified us and commanded to eat a holiday offering.” However, if one said the blessing on the Passover lamb, that already includes both blessings – these are the words of Rabbi Ishmael. Rabbi Akiva argues and says that not one of these two blessings includes the other. The essence of the disagreement goes back to the way these offerings were brought in the Temple. One required “throwing the blood,” while the other – just “putting the blood on the Altar.” According to Rabbi Ishmael, pouring includes such actions as throwing, and accordingly, one blessing covers both, but according to Rabbi Akiva, these are independent actions.
Still, on the subject of two blessings, the Talmud asks about the redemption of a firstborn. Here there are two blessings, “commanded us to redeem the firstborn sons” (by giving money to a Kohen) and “allowed us to live to this time.” Rabbi Simai attended the first-born feast, and they asked him who says these blessings. Perhaps the Kohen, who gets the money, says “allowed us to live to this time?” Rabbi Simai did not know and went to ask in the study hall. They told him, “The father of the son who is being redeemed – he says both blessings.”
Art: Portrait of a Father and His Son by Thomas De Keyser
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