The commandment to slaughter the Pesach sacrifice: To slaughter on the day of the fourteenth of Nissan in the late afternoon an unblemished one-year-old male lamb, or kid, in the Chosen House (Temple), and this is called the Pesach (Passover) sacrifice, as it is stated (Exodus 12:6), “The entire assembly of the congregation of Israel shall slaughter it in the afternoon.” The content of this commandment is that all the people of Israel divide into assemblages, take from the market or from their houses an unblemished one-year-old male kid or lamb, and slaughter it in the courtyard of the Temple on the fourteenth day of Nissan in the afternoon. Afterwards in the evening, they eat it, [dividing it up] amongst themselves, after [eating their other] food; since its commandment is that it should be eaten while satiated (Pesachim 70a).
From the roots of this commandment are so that the Jews will remember forever the great miracles that God performed for them during the exodus from Egypt.
The laws of this commandment — for example, the time of slaughter (Pesachim 58a); that it is slaughtered in three groups in the Temple courtyard (Pesachim 64a); that it supersedes the Sabbath (Pesachim 65b); the laws of its designating [the members of the assemblage]; the recitation of Hallel over it; the blowing of the trumpets; and the rest of its details — are explained in Tractate Pesachim. (See Mishneh Torah, Laws of Paschal Offering 1:12.)
And [it] is practiced by males and by females at the time of the [Temple]. And one who transgresses it volitionally and does not offer the Pesach sacrifice is liable for excision. [One who transgresses] inadvertently does not bring a sacrifice, since this [commandment] is one of three sins whose volitional transgression is punishable by excision, but whose inadvertent transgression does not [mandate bringing] a sin-offering. And they are this one, one who blasphemes and one who negates circumcision.
מִצְוַת שְׁחִיטַת הַפֶּסַח – לִשְׁחֹט בְּיוֹם אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר בְּנִיסָן בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם שֶׂה תָמִים זָכָר בֶּן שָׁנָה, אוֹ גְּדִי בְּבֵית הַבְּחִירָה, וְזֶה נִקְרָא קָרְבַּן הַפֶּסַח, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות יב ו) וְשָׁחֲטוּ אֹתוֹ כֹּל קְהַל עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל בֵּין הָעַרְבָּיִם. וְעִנְיַן הַמִּצְוָה הוּא, שֶׁמִּתְקַבְּצִים אֲנָשִׁים מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל לַחֲבוּרוֹת וְלוֹקְחִין מִן הַשּׁוּק אוֹ מִבֵּיתָם גְּדִי אֶחָד אוֹ שֶׂה תָמִים זָכָר בֶּן שָׁנָה, וְשׁוֹחֲטִין אוֹתוֹ בְּעֶזְרַת בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ בְּיוֹם י"ד בְּנִיסָן בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם, וְאַחַר כָּךְ לָעֶרֶב אוֹכְלִין אוֹתוֹ בֵּין כֻּלָּם אַחַר מַאֲכָלָם, שֶׁמִּצְוָתוֹ לְאָכְלוֹ עַל הַשּׂבַע. (פסחים ע, א)
The commandment to slaughter the Pesach sacrifice: To slaughter on the day of the fourteenth of Nissan in the late afternoon an unblemished one-year-old male lamb, or kid, in the Chosen House (Temple), and this is called the Pesach (Passover) sacrifice, as it is stated (Exodus 12:6), “The entire assembly of the congregation of Israel shall slaughter it in the afternoon.” The content of this commandment is that all the people of Israel divide into assemblages, take from the market or from their houses an unblemished one-year-old male kid or lamb, and slaughter it in the courtyard of the Temple on the fourteenth day of Nissan in the afternoon. Afterwards in the evening, they eat it, [dividing it up] amongst themselves, after [eating their other] food; since its commandment is that it should be eaten while satiated (Pesachim 70a).
מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי מִצְוָה זוֹ, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּזְכְּרוּ הַיְּהוּדִים לְעוֹלָם הַנִּסִּים הַגְּדוֹלִים שֶׁעָשָׂה לָהֶם הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ בִּיצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם.
From the roots of this commandment are so that the Jews will remember forever the great miracles that God performed for them during the exodus from Egypt.
דִּינֵי הַמִּצְוָה, כְּגוֹן זְמַן שְׁחִיטָתוֹ בַּיּוֹם אֵימַת, (שם נח, א) וְשֶׁהוּא נִשְׁחָט בְּשָׁלֹשׁ כִּתּוֹת בָּעֲזָרָה, (שם סד, א) וְכִי דּוֹחִין שַׁבָּת עָלָיו, (שם סה, ב) וְדִינֵי מְנוּיָיו, וּקְרִיאַת הַהַלֵּל עָלָיו, וּתְקִיעַת חֲצוֹצְרוֹת, וְיֶתֶר פְּרָטֶיהָ מְבֹאָרִים בְּמַסֶּכֶת פְּסָחִים. (עי' רמב"ם הלכות קרבן פסח א יב).
The laws of this commandment — for example, the time of slaughter (Pesachim 58a); that it is slaughtered in three groups in the Temple courtyard (Pesachim 64a); that it supersedes the Sabbath (Pesachim 65b); the laws of its designating [the members of the assemblage]; the recitation of Hallel over it; the blowing of the trumpets; and the rest of its details — are explained in Tractate Pesachim. (See Mishneh Torah, Laws of Paschal Offering 1:12.)
וְנוֹהֶגֶת בִּזְכָרִים וּבִנְקֵבוֹת בִּזְמַן הַבַּיִת. וְהָעוֹבֵר עָלֶיהָ בְּמֵזִיד וְלֹא עָשָׂה פֶּסַח, חַיָּב כָּרֵת. בְּשׁוֹגֵג אֵינוֹ מֵבִיא קָרְבָּן, לְפִי שֶׁזֶּה הוּא אֶחָד מִשְּׁלֹשָׁה חֲטָאִים שֶׁבִּזְדוֹנָן כָּרֵת וְאֵין בְּשִׁגְגָתָן חַטָּאת, וְהֵן זֶה, מְגַדֵּף וּמְבַטֵּל מִילָה.
And [it] is practiced by males and by females at the time of the [Temple]. And one who transgresses it volitionally and does not offer the Pesach sacrifice is liable for excision. [One who transgresses] inadvertently does not bring a sacrifice, since this [commandment] is one of three sins whose volitional transgression is punishable by excision, but whose inadvertent transgression does not [mandate bringing] a sin-offering. And they are this one, one who blasphemes and one who negates circumcision.