Pesachim 102b (קב:) — the Talmud in English

And when they

finished

their meal, they bring him two cups.

With the first cup, he recites Birkat HaMazon.

And with the second he recites the sanctity of the day.

And the Gemara asks concerning Rabbi Yosei:

Why

does he require two separate cups, one for Birkat HaMazon and one for kiddush?

Let him recite both of them over a single cup!

[Granted, according to Rabbi Yehuda there is no difficulty, since he interrupts by removing the table between kiddush and Birkat HaMazon, and therefore he requires two cups.] And we answer:

Rav Huna said that Rav Sheshet said: One does not recite two sanctities

two mitzvot

over a single cup!

And the Gemara explains:

What is the reason?

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: Because one does not perform mitzvot as “bundles of mitzvot,”

as this gives the impression that they are a burden upon him and that he is hurrying to rid himself of his burden; the mitzvot appear like bundles of burdens that he is removing from his shoulder.

And we object:

A

if

not

that we find that two sanctities are recited over a single cup?

But it was taught in a beraita: One who enters his home on the conclusion of Shabbat

recites a blessing over the wine

first, when he performs havdala [because the blessing over wine is more frequent than the other blessings of havdala, and the principle is: When one is more frequent than another, the more frequent one takes precedence].

And

afterward he recites a blessing

over the luminary

“Who creates the lights of the fire.”

And

afterward he recites a blessing

over the spices [

This beraita follows the view of Beit Shammai, whereas Beit Hillel holds that the blessing over the spices is recited before the blessing over the luminary, as is our practice].

And afterward he recites havdala over the cup,

because it is an extended blessing, while the other blessings are brief blessings; therefore, he recites it last.

And if he has only a single cup

and no wine will remain for the cup of Birkat HaMazon after his meal at the conclusion of Shabbat

he sets it aside until after the meal, and he strings them together [

from the language of a chain], joining them

all

afterward!

That is, he recites all the blessings after Birkat HaMazon, over that same cup.

Thus, two blessings—havdala and Birkat HaMazon—are recited over a single cup?!

And we answer:

If he has none—

that is different!

If he has only a single cup, he is permitted to recite two sanctities over one cup. Our statement that two sanctities may not be recited over a single cup applies when he has enough wine for two cups.

The difficulty nevertheless remains:

But

the night of

the first day of the Festival

of Pesaḥ

that occurs after Shabbat, when he has

wine, since every Jew has sufficient wine, as even a poor person in Israel is given wine for the four cups,

and Rav said: YKNH

that the order of the blessings is wine, kiddush, candle, havdala [the initial letters of which are YKNH]. And we initially understand that he is speaking of the night of the first day of the Festival of Pesaḥ that occurs on Saturday night.

Thus, even though he has wine, he is permitted to recite two blessings—kiddush and havdala—over a single cup? And we answer:

They said: Since Rav did not say

Rav

“the time,”

that is, since he did not mention in the order of the blessings the blessing of Sheheḥeyanu, which is recited on the first night of Pesaḥ,

by inference, he was discussing the seventh day of Pesaḥ,

when Sheheḥeyanu is not recited.

Perhaps he is a poor person,

for whatever he had

already

he consumed

during all the days of the Festival,

and he has none

left. That is, only a single cup of wine remains for him now. Therefore, he is permitted to recite two blessings over a single cup.

The difficulty nevertheless remains:

But

the night of

the first day of the Festival

of Pesaḥ,

when he has

wine,

and Abaye said: YKZNH.

The order is: wine, kiddush, Sheheḥeyanu, candle, havdala.

And Rava said: YKNEZ—

wine, kiddush, candle, havdala, Sheheḥeyanu.

And their statements were made with regard to the night of the first day of the Festival of Pesaḥ, since they mentioned Sheheḥeyanu as well.

Thus, kiddush and havdala are recited over a single cup even when he has wine! And we answer:

Rather, havdala and kiddush are one matter,

because the subject of both is the sanctity of the Festival [since in havdala as well he mentions the sanctity of the Festival, saying: “Blessed is the One who distinguishes between sacred and sacred”], and therefore he is permitted to recite them over a single cup.

But

Birkat HaMazon and kiddush—

are two different matters,

and they may not be recited over a single cup. Therefore, Rabbi Yosei requires two cups above, one for kiddush and one for Birkat HaMazon.

The body of the matter:

The night of

a Festival that occurs after Shabbat—

Rav said: YKNH.

The kiddush precedes havdala, either because the sanctity of the day takes precedence over havdala, or because, if he were to recite havdala first, it would appear as though the sanctity of Shabbat were a burden to him and he were hurrying to be rid of it. Therefore, the blessing over wine is first, as with every kiddush, since wine precedes kiddush because the blessing over wine is more frequent than kiddush. After kiddush, he recites the blessing over the candle and havdala, as with every havdala, since the candle precedes havdala.

And Shmuel said: YNHK.

He holds that havdala precedes kiddush, as he explains below: It is analogous to a king who departs and a ruler who enters. One first escorts the king, and afterward goes out to greet the ruler. So too, Shabbat is more important than the Festival, and one first escorts it with havdala. Therefore, he recites wine, candle, and havdala, following the order of every havdala, and afterward kiddush.