Pesachim 108a — the Talmud in English

As we learned: ![](pamud.bmp "

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between these cups,

between the first and second cups, or between the second and third cups, which are drunk on the night of the seder:

if he wishes to drink

wine,

he may drink.

So that the wine will stimulate his appetite for eating.

But between the

third and fourth cups, he may not drink.

Since the third cup is drunk after Birkat HaMazon, there is no longer any benefit in stimulating the appetite with wine. Therefore, it is preferable that he not drink, so that he will not appear to be adding to the cups.

And if you say that

the wine

satisfies,

nourishing and satiating a person—

why may he drink

between the first cups?

For he would then be eating the matza gluttonously!

Rather, conclude from this

that wine does not satiate. On the contrary,

it stimulates

the appetite for eating.

Rav Sheshet would fast

he would fast

on every eve of Passover.

Throughout the entire day of the eve of Passover.

And we raise an objection concerning this:

Let us say

that he did so because

Rav Sheshet held: A.

with regard to that which we learned: A person may not eat on the eves of Passover close to minha—

we learned this with regard to close to the greater minha.

B.

And it is because of the Paschal offering.

Perhaps he will continue

eating,

and consequently refrain from preparing the Paschal offering.

For they were concerned that he might refrain from offering the Paschal offering.

Therefore, the prohibition begins at the time when it is possible to offer the Paschal offering.

C.

And

also

Rav Sheshet held

Rav Sheshet

in accordance with that which Rabbi Oshaya said in the name of Rabbi Elazar:

Ben Beteira would deem valid

even

a Paschal offering that they slaughtered in the morning

in the morning,

on the fourteenth

of Nisan

for its sake [that is, when it was slaughtered in accordance with the law].

[то есть когда его зарезали надлежащим образом].

And

if so,

from the morning,

already from the morning—

the time

for the offering of

the Paschal offering has arrived.

For according to Ben Beteira,

the entire day

of the fourteenth of Nisan

is suitable for the Paschal offering.

For he held that the phrase stated with regard to the Paschal offering,

that which is written concerning the Paschal offering,

“between the evenings,”

means

between yesterday evening and this evening.

Between the end of the previous evening—that is, from dawn of the fourteenth day—until the evening of that day.

Therefore, Rav Sheshet would fast the entire day. [

And although there was no Paschal offering in his time, since during the time of the Temple it had been forbidden to eat throughout the entire day, the prohibition was never nullified.]

And we reject this:

They said: No

that is not his reason!

Rather,

Rav Sheshet was different, as he was delicate.

For if

he tasted anything in the morning,

if he even tasted something in the morning, then

in the evening,

in the evening,

the food would no longer be beneficial to him

he would no longer be able to eat matza with an appetite.

We learned in the Mishna:

And even the poorest person in Israel may not eat until he reclines.

It was stated: Matza requires reclining.

When one eats the matza of the mitzva on the night of the seder, he must eat it while reclining, as free people do, since the matza commemorates the redemption.

Maror—

does not require reclining.

For maror commemorates the enslavement.

Wine

of the four cups:

It was stated in the name of Rav Naḥman: It requires reclining.

And it was stated in the name of Rav Naḥman: It does not require reclining.

And they do not disagree!

This—

concerns the first two cups,

the first two cups.

This—

concerns the last two cups,

the last two cups.

For two of the cups one must recline, while for the other two one need not recline.

The members of the academy disagreed about this—

Some state it one way,

and some state it the other way.

Some state it this way: The first two cups require reclining,

because it is only now that the expression of freedom begins,

as one recites the Haggada and the blessing of redemption over them.

But

the last two cups do not require reclining.

Because

what has happened has happened.

For they have already spoken of the redemption before the meal.

And some state it the other way: On the contrary! The last two cups require reclining,

for

at that time there is freedom,

since they have already been redeemed, having already spoken of the redemption.

But

the first two cups do not require reclining.

For he is still saying, “We were slaves”!

And we conclude:

Now that this was stated and that was stated—

both this and that require reclining!

One must recline for all four cups because of the uncertainty.

The Gemara brings further laws concerning reclining on Passover—

one lying on his back,

lying on his back with his face upward,

is not considered reclining!

Reclining on one’s right side is not considered reclining!

For one must eat with his right hand.

Moreover,

not only has one who lies on his back failed to fulfill the obligation of reclining, but it is also forbidden to eat in this manner,

lest the windpipe precede the esophagus.

For when his neck is tilted backward, the membrane that seals the opening of the windpipe opens, and the windpipe rises,

and he may come into danger.

For the food may enter the windpipe and cause him to choke.

A woman in the presence of her husband does not require reclining!

For she is in awe of her husband and subordinate to him.

But if she is an important woman, she requires reclining.

A son in the presence of his father requires reclining!

For he is not so subordinate to his father.

They raised a dilemma before them: What is the law regarding a student in the presence of his teacher?

Must he recline?

Come and hear:

for

Abaye said: When we were in the presence of our master,

when we were with Rabba on the night of the seder,

we reclined on one another’s knees,

each one leaning on his fellow’s knees in order to fulfill the mitzva of reclining.

When we came to the house of Rav Yosef,

afterward, when Rav Yosef became the leading authority and we were with him on the night of the seder,

he said to us: You do not need to recline,

to recline, since

the awe of your teacher is like the awe of Heaven!

And it is not proper conduct to recline in the presence of one’s teacher.

An objection is raised:

It was taught in a beraita:

A person reclines in the presence of everyone, even a student in the presence of his teacher.

And this is difficult for Rav Yosef, who exempts a student in the presence of his teacher from reclining?

And we answer:

When that was taught,

that he requires reclining, it was not referring to a student who learns Torah from his teacher, but rather

to a carpenter’s apprentice,

the carpenter’s student, whom he teaches a trade.

They raised a dilemma before them: A waiter

who serves at the meal—

what is the law

as to whether he should recline?

Come and hear, as Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: A waiter who ate an olive-bulk of matza while reclining—

has fulfilled his obligation.

And we infer:

“While reclining”—yes.

Only then has he fulfilled his obligation. But

if he was not reclining—

no,

he has not fulfilled it.

Conclude from this:

a waiter

requires reclining.

And we conclude:

Indeed, conclude from this!