Pesachim 215

בין הכוסות הללו אם רצה לשתות ישתה בין שלישי לרביעי לא ישתה ואי אמרת מסעד סעיד אמאי ישתה הא קא אכיל למצה אכילה גסה אלא שמע מינה מגרר גריר

Between these cups,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The first and second, and the second and third.');">¹</span> if he wishes to drink [more] he may drink; between the third and the fourth he must not drink.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The third cup is drunk in connection with grace after meals. Having died already, he has no need to drink for his appetite, and if he now drinks more he will appear to be adding to the statutory number (four) of cups. T.J. states that drink after the meal (apart from the two which are still to be drunk to make up the four) intoxicates and makes the person unfit to recite the hallel.');">²</span>

רב ששת הוה יתיב בתעניתא כל מעלי יומא דפסחא נימא קא סבר רב ששת סמוך למנחה גדולה תנן ומשום פסחא הוא דילמא מימשך ואתי לאימנועי מלמעבד פיסחא הוא

Now if you say that it [wine] satisfies, why may he drink? Surely he will merely gorge on the unleavened bread! Hence this proves that it sharpens the appetite.

וסבר לה כי הא דאמר רבי אושעיא אמר ר"א מכשיר היה בן בתירא בפסח ששחטו שחרית בארבעה עשר לשמו ומצפרא זמן פסחא הוא דכולי יומא חזי לפסחא

R'Shesheth used to fast<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., sit in a fast'.');">³</span> the whole of the eve of passover.

דסבר (שמות יב, ו) בין הערבים בין ערב דאתמול לערב דהאידנא

Shall we say that R'Shesheth holds [that] we learned, Close TO the great MINHAH, the reason being on account of the Passover [sacrifice], lest he prolong [the meal] and refrain from performing the Passover [-offering]; and he [also] holds as R'Oshaia, who said: 'The son of Bathyra used to declare valid the Passover [-offering] which one slaughtered in its own name<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' i.e., as a Passover, and not as a different sacrifice.');">⁴</span> on the morning of the fourteenth'; and from the morning it is the time for the Passover, for the whole day is the time for the Passover, as he holds, [and the whole assembly.

אמרי לא שאני רב ששת דאיסתניס הוה דאי טעים בצפרא מידי לאורת' לא הוה מהני ליה מיכלא:

shall kill it] between the evenings<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XII, 6 (E.V. (at dusk) .');">⁵</span> [means any time] between yesterday evening and this evening?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the evenings commencing the fourteenth and the fifteenth. The night must be omitted, since offerings cannot be sacrifices at night. - Though of course sacrifices lead altogether ceased by the time of R. Shesheth, yet if on this view one had to fast when the temple stood, it would still be necessary, because the interdict had never formally been rescinded.');">⁶</span>

ואפילו עני שבישראל לא יאכל עד שיסב: איתמר מצה צריך הסיבה מרור אין צריך הסיבה יין איתמר משמיה דרב נחמן צריך הסיבה ואיתמר משמיה דרב נחמן אין צריך הסיבה

- I will tell you [that is] not [so R'Shesheth was different, for he was delicate, and if he ate anything in the morning his food would not benefit him in the evening.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., he would have no appetite in the evening.');">⁷</span> EVEN THE POOREST MAN IN ISRAEL MUST NOT EAT UNTIL HE RECLINES.

ולא פליגי הא בתרתי כסי קמאי הא בתרתי כסי בתראי אמרי לה להאי גיסא ואמרי לה להאי גיסא אמרי לה להאי גיסא תרי כסי קמאי בעו הסיבה דהשתא הוא דקא מתחלא לה חירות תרי כסי בתראי לא בעו הסיבה מאי דהוה הוה

It was stated: [For the eating of] the unleavened bread reclining is necessary; for the bitter herbs reclining is not necessary.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' the former symbolizes freedom; the latter, bondage. Bitter herbs may not be eaten while reclining.');">⁸</span> [As for the drinking of] the wine, - It was stated in R'Nahman's name [that] reclining is necessary, and it was stated in R'Nahman's name that reclining is not necessary.

ואמרי לה להאי גיסא אדרבה תרי כסי בתראי בעו הסיבה ההיא שעתא דקא הויא חירות תרי כסי קמאי לא בעו הסיבה דאכתי עבדים היינו קאמר השתא דאיתמר הכי ואיתמר הכי אידי ואידי בעו הסיבה

Yet they do not disagree: one [ruling] refers to the first two cups, and the other ruling refers to the last two cups. Some explain it in one direction, others explain it in the other direction.

פרקדן לא שמיה הסיבה הסיבה ימין לא שמה הסיבה ולא עוד אלא שמא יקדים קנה לוושט ויבא לידי סכנה

[Thus:] some explain it in one direction: for the first two cups reclining is necessary, because it is at this point that freedom commences; for the last two cups reclining is necessary, [because] what has been has been.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The last two cups come after the meal, by which time the whole narrative of Israel's liberation has been completed. Hence there is no need then to emphasize the theme of freedom.');">⁹</span> Others explain it in the contrary direction: on the contrary, the last two cups necessitate reclining, [because] it is precisely then that there is freedom; the first two cups do not necessitate reclining, [because] he is still reciting 'we were slaves.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. infra 116a.');">¹⁰</span>

אשה אצל בעלה לא בעיא הסיבה ואם אשה חשובה היא צריכה הסיבה בן אצל אביו בעי הסיבה איבעיא להו תלמיד אצל רבו מאי

Now that it was stated thus and it was stated thus, both [the first and the last ones]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' var. lec.: all.');">¹¹</span> necessitate reclining.

ת"ש (אמר) אביי כי הוינן בי מר זגינן אבירכי דהדדי כי אתינן לבי רב יוסף אמר לן לא צריכתו מורא רבך כמורא שמים

Lying on the back is not reclining; reclining on the right side is not reclining.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since he must eat with his right hand.');">¹²</span> Moreover he may put [his food] into the windpipe before the gullet,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' if he eats lying on his back may go down the wrong way.');">¹³</span>

מיתיבי עם הכל אדם מיסב ואפילו תלמיד אצל רבו כי תניא ההיא בשוליא דנגרי

and thus endanger himself. A woman in her husbands [house] need not recline,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because she stands under his authority.');">¹⁴</span>

איבעיא להו שמש מאי תא שמע דאמר ריב"ל השמש שאכל כזית מצה כשהוא מיסב יצא מיסב אין לא מיסב לא שמע מינה בעי הסיבה שמע מינה

but if she is a woman of importance she must recline.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isserles (O.H. 472, 4 Gloss) remarks that women nowadays are of high worth.');">¹⁵</span> A son in his father's [house] must recline.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He does not sense his father's authority so strongly.');">¹⁶</span>

ואמר ר' יהושע בן לוי נשים חייבות בארבעה כוסות הללו

The scholars asked: What about a disciple in his teacher's presence? - Come and hear, for Abaye said: When we were at the Master's [Rabbah B'Nahman's] house, we used to recline on each other's knees. When we came to R'Joseph's house he remarked to us, 'You do not need it: the fear of your teacher is as the fear of Heaven.' An objection is raised: A man must recline with all [people], and even a disciple in his master's presence? - That was taught of a craftsman's apprentice. The scholars asked: What about an attendant? - Come and hear, [or R'Joshua B'Levi said: A attendant, who ate as much as an olive of unleavened bread while reclining has discharged [his duty]. Thus, only while reclining, but not if he was not reclining. This proves that he must recline. This proves it. R'Joshua B'Levi also said: Women are subject to [the law of] these four cups