Save
Copy
Add to Collection
Export to Google Docs
Share(א) עַרְבֵי פְסָחִים סָמוּךְ לַמִּנְחָה, לֹא יֹאכַל אָדָם עַד שֶׁתֶּחְשָׁךְ. וַאֲפִלּוּ עָנִי שֶׁבְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יֹאכַל עַד שֶׁיָּסֵב. וְלֹא יִפְחֲתוּ לוֹ מֵאַרְבַּע כּוֹסוֹת שֶׁל יַיִן, וַאֲפִלּוּ מִן הַתַּמְחוּי:
(1) On the eve of Passover, adjacent to minḥa time, a person may not eat until dark, so that he will be able to eat matza that night with a hearty appetite. Even the poorest of Jews should not eat the meal on Passover night until he reclines on his left side, as free and wealthy people recline when they eat. And the distributors of charity should not give a poor person less than four cups of wine for the Festival meal of Passover night. And this halakha applies even if the poor person is one of the poorest members of society and receives his food from the charity plate.
Why might the Mishnah emphasize that even the poor must recline? That even the poorest of the poor be provided with sufficient means for 4 cups of wine? Is the reason for these two stipulations the same or different?
Below, we read a discussion regarding when during the seder one reclines.
We learned in the mishna that even the poorest of Jews should not eat until he reclines. It was stated that amora’im discussed the requirement to recline. Everyone agrees that matza requires reclining, i.e., one must recline when eating matza, and bitter herbs do not require reclining. With regard to wine, it was stated in the name of Rav Naḥman that wine requires reclining, and it was also stated in the name of Rav Naḥman that wine does not require reclining.
Matzah requires reclining - as free people, which is to remember the redemption.
...Maror does not require reclining as it is to remember the slavery.
What follows is the gemara discussion regarding whether and when to recline for the four cups. Two opposite opinions are given, both in the name of Rav Nachman. The gemara will reconcile these by stating that statements refer to different cups.
And these two statements do not disagree with each other: This statement is referring to the first two cups, and that statement is referring to the last two cups. However, it was not clear which two cups require reclining according to Rav Naḥman.
Before we continue: -- which two cups do you think might require reclining, and which would not?
(nb: the four cups are said over different sections of the Seder. 1. Kiddush over the day. 2. Telling the Story. 3. The Meal. 4. Hallel)
...Some say the explanation in this manner and some say it in that manner. The Gemara elaborates: Some say it in this manner, that the first two cups require reclining, as it is now that freedom begins. Since reclining is a sign of freedom, while discussing the exodus from Egypt it is appropriate to drink while reclining. By contrast, the last two cups do not require reclining, because what was already was. In other words, by this point one has completed the discussion of the Exodus and has reached the latter stages of the seder.
1. Ra'avya (Germany, 12th C.)
And one sits in a reclining position. And nowadays that people do not generally recline in our country, as generally free people do not recline, one sits as one normally does.
-----
2. Aruch HaShulchan (Rabbi Yechiel Michal Epstein - Russia, 19th C.)
In my humble opinion it seems that since there is a mitzvah to do things differently on this night, as the Rambam says that one needs to do things differently so that the children ask, if so, there is no greater change than reclining as we are not used to doing that and now we do. And a proof for this is that in the mishna on Pesachim 116 int he question "ma nishtana" it did not mention the question of reclining and in our version it does. And the reason is that in the time of the mishna it was not different and there was nothing for the child to ask about this, but now the child asks about this change. And therefore, the main opinion is like those who rule that one is obligated to recline.