By Rabbi Berach Steinfeld
In Shmos 12:46 the Torah tells us that the Pesach should be eaten in one house. Regarding Pesach we can kler two questions. The first question is; did the people shechting the korban Pesach on Erev Pesach make a shehecheyanu on the Pesach? The second question is may the Pesach be eaten in a courtyard, or does it need to be eaten in the house?
The Nesiv Chaim 432 writes that while they shechted the Pesach, they did not recite a Shechecheyanu. They relied on the Shehecheyanu they say during the Seder. This would be like the building of the Sukka where we wait to say Shehecheyanu during kiddush on the first night of Sukkos.
The Shailos Utshuvos Shevet Halevi 3:65 questions the Nesiv Chaim. When it comes to building the Sukka, where the Gemara in Sukka 46a says that really one is supposed to make a bracha while he builds the Sukka. We don’t make the bracha, as we consider the building of the Sukka a hechsher mitzva and not the mitzvah itself, hence we wait to make the bracha till kiddush, which is when the actual mitzvah takes place. This same rule would apply to bedikas chametz according to those that hold that the issur of baal yeiroeh is not until it is Yom Tov already. Therefore, the bedika serves as a meniya not to be oveir the lav but in it of itself is not a mitzvah. Therefore, we do not say a Shehecheyanu during the bedika. On the other hand, the shechita of korban Pesach is a mitzvah on its own. As a matter of fact, the minyan hamitzvos count achilasPesach and shechitas Pesach as two separate mitzvos. Based on this sevara we should make a shehecheyanu on ErevPesach while they shecht the Pesach.
The Shevet Halevi 9:113 was asked that we know that one who shechts for the first time makes a Shehecheyanu on the kisui hadam and not on the shechita since shechting the animal hurts the animal. Why when it comes to Pesach the Shevet Halevi says to make a Shehecheyanu despite the fact the animal is being killed? The Shevet Halevi differentiates in the two cases. When it comes to the first shecita of chullin where one is shechting for his own personal pleasure as he wants to eat meat then one does not say Shehecheyanu for hurting the animal. Whereas regarding korban Pesach which is a mitzvah to shecht then one would and should make a Shehecheyanu.
There is a machlokes between Rashi and Tosfos if the first time a Kohen brings a mincha he makes a bracha according to Rashi or as Tosfos says that a korban that was only brought twice a year the Kohen makes the bracha Shecheyanu the first time his mishmar brings the mincha. It is meduyak the discussion is only on mincha which does not hurt an animal but on shechita which is not toluy in zman and it hurts the animal one would not say a Shehecheyanu.
The Mechilta says that one can eat the Pesach in his courtyard. The Ohr Sameach explains that the Torah upon saying it shall be eaten in one house does not come to tell us that it must be eaten in the house but rather in one place with one chaburah.
May we all be zocheh to make the Shehecheyanu on shechitas Pesach and enjoy the korban Pesach picnic!