Sefer HaChinuch ספר החינוך

To not eat the Pesach sacrifice uncooked or boiled: To not eat from the meat of the Pesach sacrifice uncooked or boiled, but rather roasted with fire, as it is stated (Exodus 12:9), “Do not eat any of it raw (na), or surely boiled with water, but only roasted with fire.” The content of this is not to eat it before it is completely cooked, even if roasted. And this is the explanation of na (Pesachim 41a) — as the meat that the process of heating has begun upon and is roasted a bit but is not [yet] fit for a person to eat is still called na. But when it is completely raw — whereby the heating process has not begun upon it at all — it is not included in the prohibition of na; such as to administer lashes, because of “Do not eat any of it na.” But [it] is [still] prohibited by the Torah, as the Torah prohibited more generally anything that is not roasted with fire. And the explanation of “boiled” (literally, cooked) is that it is boiled in water or in any liquid or fruit juice; as it is stated, “surely boiled” — [to] include all [of these].

That which we have written about its slaughtering (Sefer HaChinukh 5) is from the roots of this commandment — to remember the miracle of the exodus from Egypt. And that which we have been commanded to specifically eat it roasted is because such is the way of the children of kings and ministers, to eat roasted meat — as it is a good and tasty food. And the rest of the people only eat the little meat that they [are able to acquire] boiled, in order to fill their stomachs. And it is certainly fitting for us — that eat the Pesach sacrifice [to remember] that we went out into freedom to be a nation of priests and a holy nation — to behave in a manner of freedom and lordship in its eating. [This is] besides (Guide for the Perplexed 3:46) that the eating of roast indicates the haste [with] which they left Egypt and could not delay, that it should cook in a pot.

The laws of the commandment — for example, what is its law if one made it as a pot roast, or [roasted it basted] with fruit juices or water or with tithed oil; and the rest of its details — are elucidated in Pesachim. (See Mishneh Torah, Laws of Paschal Offering 8.)

And [it] is practiced by males and females at the time of the [Temple]. And one who transgresses it and eats it uncooked or boiled is lashed. And so if he ate both of them, he is lashed one [set of] lashes — since both of them are [the same] negative prohibition, according to the opinion of Rambam (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Paschal Offering 8:4 and Sefer HaMitzvot, Shorashim 9). But Ramban, may his memory be blessed, (on Sefer HaMitzvot, Shorashim 9, s.v. hamin hashlishi) counted them as two [separate] negative commandments and wrote that one receives lashes for each one [of them]. As since it is written, “Do not eat [...] but only roasted with fire,” why do I [need] “raw and boiled?” It is understood from it that we should give lashes for each one of the components. And he, may he blessed, said that the count is like this with all of the commandments — that any that are specified individually, which are two separate things, are each counted in the tally of the commandments. [An] example is this of “uncooked and boiled”; and so [too], “the wage and the price”; and “leaven and honey,” and others [besides them].

However, regarding the matter of lashes, there is a difference between [the examples]. As all those [simply] specified in one negative commandment only receive one [set of] lashes — for example, “the wage of a harlot and the price of a dog” (Deuteronomy 23:19); and “leaven and [...] honey” (Leviticus 2:11); “the case of a stranger [or] an orphan” (Deuteronomy 24:17), and all that is similar to them. But the negative commandments that [also] have a general category and are specified at the beginning or end [of the category] — for example, this negative commandment that specified “uncooked and boiled” and is [then] generalized, “Do not eat [...] but only roasted with fire”; and so [too], with a nazerite (Numbers 6:4), “from anything that is obtained from the grapevine [...] may he not eat,” and afterwards it specifies, “seeds [...] or skin,” (“and grapes wet and dry,” Numbers 6:3) — with these and those similar to them, we give lashes for each and every one. [This is] because the inclusion of the specification that was not needed indicates lashes for each one [of them], as we have said. And the teacher was prolific in his proofs about this in the ninth shoresh in his Book of the Commandments — that the calculation of commandments is not the same as the calculation of [which commandments require] lashes [independently]. And that which I have said that Ramban, may his memory be blessed, will count each of the ones specified by their names individually — each one by itself — only when they are separate in their content, as we have written; [it] is, for example, [in the case of] “leaven and honey,” [and] “the wage and the price.” But in a case where it is the same content — even if they are specified by different names — they are only counted as one commandment. For example, “All male firstborns that are born in your herd and in your flock” (Deuteronomy 15:19) is only one commandment to sanctify all of the firstborns; and the specification is [also] only one commandment. And so [too], “All tithes of the herd or flock” (Leviticus 27:32) is only one commandment to separate to give the tithes of these animals. And so [too], “Judges and officers” (Deuteronomy 16:18) is only that we should establish justice through these people and it is one commandment. And so [too], “An honest balance, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin” (Leviticus 19:36) is all one commandment, that we should not lie about measures.