By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5TJT.com The question was made famous by the author of the Mishkenos Yaakov, one of the greatest students of the Volozhin Yeshiva, Rabbi Yaakov Bruchin (1780-1844).  Rav Bruchin was the Rav of Karlin, was the premier student of Rav Chaim Volozhin and a grandson of Reb Boruch of Shklov – one of the Vilna Gaon’s top talmidim. ONLY UNTIL MIDNIGHT But let’s get back to his question.  R. Elazar Ben Azariah is of the position that the Mitzvos of eating the Korban Pesach and of eating Matzah are only until Chatzos – Halachic midnight (see Psachim 120b).  According to the drasha of “Baavur Zeh” the Mitzvah of Sippur Yetzias Mitzrayim would also only be to midnight. WHY WAS HE ONE OF THE FIVE? Why then in the Hagaddah, right after avadim hayinu, do we find Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah among the other four Rabbis Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Tarfon gathered in Bnei Brak telling the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim all night?  They did so until their students came and said, “The time to recite the morning Shema has arrived.” He held that the Mitzvah only lasted until midnight! ANSWERS What follows are seven different answers to the Mishkenos Yaakov’s question.  The final answer is given by Rav Yeruchem Olshin Shlita, one of the four Roshei Yeshiva of Beis Midrash Gavoah in Lakewood, New Jersey. THE SHAIM MISHMUEL’S ANSWER Rabbi Shmuel Bornstein (1855-1926) author of the Shaim MiShmuel in his hagaddah answers that R. Elazar Ben Azariah was in the hometown of the Rav of Bnei Brak – Rabbi Akiva.  The Gemorah in Sanhedrin (32b) tells us that Rabbi Akiva lived in Bnei Brak.  R. Elazar Ben Azariah conducted himself like Rabbi Akiva – when he was in Bnei Brak. THE MISHKENOS YAAKOV’S ANSWER Rav Yaakov Bruchin provides an answer to his own question (his sefer was printed in Vilna, in1838).  He says that there are two Mitzvos going on here.  They are: The Mitzvah on Pesach of Discussing or Sippur Yetzias Mitzrayim. The Mitzvah throughout the year of Remembering – zchiras Yetzias Mitzrayim. Rav Bruchin writes that present also there at Bnei Brak was the Nassi – Rabban Gamliel – who held that the Mitzvah of Sippur was all night.  The five Rabbis fulfilled Mitzvah #2 of Zchira that night specifically, so as not to disrespect Rabban Gamliel, and at the same time not to appear as if they are adding on to a Mitzvah in the Torah.  They, therefore, chose to fulfill Mitzvah #2 that night – so as not to create a maaris ayin of adding onto Mitzvah #1. THE NETZIV’S ANSWER Rav Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin (1816-1893) learns similarly to the Mishkenos Yaakov in that they were fulfilling Mitzvah #2, but he writes that they also fulfilled Mitzvah #1 simultaneously.  He held that one may continue fulfilling Mitzvah #1 – even later, but there is a caveat.  It may not appear to be adding onto a Mitzvah.  In other words, one may continue fulfilling a Mitzvah that ended at point X during point Y – but it may not appear to others that the Mitzvah extend from point W to point Y.  The only way to do that is to fulfill Mitzvah #2 as well. THE STEIPLER’S ANSWER […]

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