Pesachim 198:1

מתני׳ <big><strong>ערב</strong></big> פסחים סמוך למנחה לא יאכל אדם עד שתחשך אפילו עני שבישראל לא יאכל עד שיסב ולא יפחתו לו מארבע כוסות של יין ואפילו מן התמחוי:

ON THE EVE OF PASSOVER<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'on the eve of Passovers'. Tosaf. suggests that this may mean either on the eve when Passover-offerings are sacrificed, or on the eve of the first and second Passovers. But there is a variant reading ON THE EVES OF PASSOVER, the whole being in the plural; its meaning will then be on the eve of (every) Passover, as translated in the text, Heb. often using the plural in this way.');">¹</span> CLOSE TO MINHAH<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos.; i.e., from just before minhah.');">²</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> מאי איריא ערבי פסחים אפי' ערבי שבתות וימים טובים נמי דתניא לא יאכל אדם בערבי שבתות וימים טובים מן המנחה ולמעלה כדי שיכנס לשבת כשהוא תאוה דברי רבי יהודה רבי יוסי אומר אוכל והולך עד שתחשך

A MAN MUST NOT EAT UNTIL NIGHTFALL. EVEN THE POOREST MAN IN ISRAEL MUST NOT EAT [ON THE NIGHT OF PASSOVER] UNTIL HE RECLINES;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As a sign of freedom, this being the practice in ancient days.');">³</span>

אמר רב הונא לא צריכא אלא לר' יוסי דאמר אוכל והולך עד שתחשך הני מילי בערבי שבתות וימים טובים אבל בערב הפסח משום חיובא דמצה מודה

AND THEY<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashbam and Tosaf.: the charity overseers.');">⁴</span> SHOULD GIVE HIM NOT LESS THAN FOUR CUPS [OF WINE],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which every Jew must drink on the night of Passover. These correspond to the four expressions of redemption employed in Ex. VI, 6f: I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments; and I will take you to me for a people (commentaries and Jerusalemi) .');">⁵</span>

רב פפא אמר אפילו תימא רבי יהודה התם בערבי שבתות וימים טובים מן המנחה ולמעלה הוא דאסיר סמוך למנחה שרי אבל בערב הפסח אפילו סמוך למנחה נמי אסור

AND EVEN [IF HE RECEIVES RELIEF] FROM THE CHARITY PLATE.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Tamhuy, daily distributed food collected from contributors, soup kitchen (Jast.) . This was available only to the poorest of the poor, for he who had enough even for two meals only might not receive from the tamhuy (Pe'ah VIII, 7) ; even such must drink four cups of wine on the night of Passover.');">⁶</span> <big><b>GEMARA: </b></big>Why particularly THE EVE OF PASSOVER?

ובערב שבת סמוך למנחה שרי והתניא לא יאכל אדם בערב שבת וימים טובים מתשע שעות ולמעלה כדי שיכנס לשבת כשהוא תאוה דברי רבי יהודה רבי יוסי אומר אוכל והולך עד שתחשך

Even the eves of Sabbaths and Festivals too [are subject to this law]? For it was taught: A man must not eat on the eves of Sabbaths and Festivals from minhah and onward, so that he may enter [i.e., commence] the Sabbath with an appetite [for food]: [these are] the words of R'Judah.

אמר מר זוטרא מאן לימא לן דמתרצתא היא

R'Jose said: He may go on eating until nightfall! - Said R'Huna: This [our Mishnah] is necessary only on the view of R'Jose, who said: He may go on eating until nightfall: that is only on the eves of Sabbaths and [other] Festivals; but with respect to the eve of Passover he agrees [with R'Judah], because of the duty of [eating] unleavened bread.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For since the eating of unleavened bread on the first night of Passover is compulsory (v. Ex. XII, 18) it is unfitting that should be eaten when one is already satisfied.');">⁷</span> R'Papa said: You may even say [that it must be taught on] R'Judah['s view too]: there, on the eve of Sabbaths and Festivals, it is forbidden only from minhah and after, but close to minhah it is permitted; whereas on the eve of Passover it is forbidden even close to minhah too. Now is it permitted just before minhah on the eve of the Sabbath and Festivals? Surely it was taught: A man must not eat on the eve of the Sabbath or Festivals from nine hours<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., about three p.m., whereas minhah time was nine and a half hours, about half past three p.m., two and a half hours before nightfall.');">⁸</span> and onwards, in order that he may enter the Sabbath with an appetite: [these are] the words of R'Judah. R'Jose said: He may go on eating until nightfall? - Said Mar Zutra: Who is to tell us that this is authentic?