Daily Halacha Podcast - Daily Halacha By Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

The Terumat Ha'deshen (Rav Yisrael Isserlin, 1390-1460), in a famous responsum (139), writes that there is a Misva Min Ha'mubhar (especially high standard of performing the Misva) to swallow the Ke'zayit of Masa at the Seder all at once. Meaning, one chews the Masa as he puts it in his mouth without swallowing, and only after the entire Ke'zayit is in his mouth, he swallows all of it at the same time. The Terumat Ha'deshen bases this view on a comment of the Mordechi. There is a debate among the Halachic authorities as to whether the Shulhan Aruch accepted this position of the Terumat Ha'deshen. Hacham Bension Abba Shaul (Israel, 1923-1998) understood the Shulhan Aruch's comments (Orah Haim 475:1) as suggesting that one should ideally swallow the Ke'zayit all at once, following the Terumat Ha'deshen's position. Other Aharonim similarly understood the Shulhan Aruch's ruling in this fashion, including Rav Zalman of Liadi, the Aruch Ha'shulhan, and the Magen Abraham. Hacham Ovadia Yosef, however, in Hazon Ovadia