Pesachim 110a (קי.) — the Talmud in English

Ravina said: The Sages instituted four cups

because of

the manner of freedom. Each and every one -

is a mitzva in its own right,

and they do not combine with one another to be counted as pairs.

And concerning that which we learned:

“One should not attend to his needs in pairs,”

we raised the following question:

Why

not? After all,

he has changed his mind,

since the first act has already ended and his desire has dissipated, and it should not combine with the second.

And we answer:

Abaye said: This is what it means: One should not eat in pairs, and

not

drink in pairs, and one should not attend to his needs

after having eaten or drunk in pairs

even once.

That is, a person who has eaten or drunk an even number should not engage in intercourse afterward at all until a considerable time has passed,

lest he become weakened

through the intercourse

and his fortune deteriorate

because the pairs he consumed earlier will cause his fortune to deteriorate.

The Sages taught:

One who

drinks pairs

of cups—

his blood is upon his head!

The sin of his death is placed upon his head, since he caused it.

Rav Yehuda said: When

is he harmed?

When he has not seen the face of the marketplace,

when he has not gone out into the street between one cup and the next.

But if he has seen the face of the marketplace—

he has permission

to drink pairs.

Rav Ashi said: I saw Rav Hananya bar Beivai eating cups,

and after each cup

he would go out and look at the face of the marketplace,

he would go out and look at the face of the marketplace.

And we said

that pairs are harmful

only when one sets out on a journey,

when he sets out on a journey afterward.

But

if he remains at home,

no.

Rabbi Zeira said: And sleeping—

is considered like setting out on a journey!

And we object:

A

person who remains

at home is not

harmed by pairs?

But Rava used to count the beams.

When he drank, he would look at a different beam in the roof of his house with each cup, so that he would know the number of cups and would not come to drink in pairs, even though he did not subsequently set out on a journey.

And when Abaye drank one cup—

his mother would hand him

she would hold

two cups in her two hands,

so that together there would be three. She was concerned that he might forget and drink two. Since she held two cups in her hands, this served as a sign to prevent Abaye from coming to drink pairs.

And when Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak would drink two cups—

his attendant would hand him

his servant

one cup.

And when he would drink

one cup—

his attendant would hand him two cups in his two hands.

And they too did not set out on a journey, yet they were nevertheless careful regarding pairs?!

And we answer:

A distinguished person is different.

The demons devote themselves to harming such people, and therefore they must be especially careful.

Ulla said: Ten cups,

and all the more so more than ten—

are not subject to the prohibition of pairs!

Ulla follows his own reasoning. For Ulla said—and some say that it was taught in a baraita: They instituted ten cups

to drink

in the house of a mourner [

and the reason is explained in tractate Ketubot 8b].

And if it enters your mind that ten cups are subject to the prohibition of pairs, how could the Sages have stood by and instituted a practice that would lead

to

danger?

Rather, certainly ten cups are not subject to the prohibition of pairs.

But eight

cups—eight cups are still

subject to the prohibition of pairs.

Rav Ḥisda and Rabba bar Rav Huna both say:

Even eight are not subject to the prohibition of pairs. For

“peace”

is the seventh word in the final verse of the Priestly Blessing, and it stands to reason that in every instance the seventh does not cause harm, but

joins for the good.

For if he drank six cups, the seventh joins with them to nullify the pairs.

But

it does not join for harm,

for if he drinks an eighth cup afterward, it does not join with them to be counted as pairs.

But six

cups—six cups are still

subject to the prohibition of pairs.

Rabba and Rav Yosef both say:

Even six are not subject to the prohibition of pairs, for

“and may He show you favor”

is the fifth word in the second verse of the Priestly Blessing. Therefore, only

for the good

does it join;

it does not join for harm.

But four—

are subject to the prohibition of pairs.

Abaye and Rava both say:

Even four are not subject to the prohibition of pairs, for

“and safeguard you”

is the third word in the first verse of the Priestly Blessing. Therefore, only

for the good does it join; it does not join for harm.

And Rava follows his own reasoning.

For Rava would send the Sages away with four cups,

as he would often give his students drink when they were leaving him, and sometimes he would give them only four cups, since four are already not subject to the prohibition of pairs.

And

although Rava bar Livai was harmed [

one of the students]—

he was not concerned about it

Rava

as a matter of consequence. For he said: That one

was not harmed because of pairs, but

because he would place me

in a difficult position during the lecture, as he was accustomed to raise objections to me in the middle of the discourse and embarrass me in public.

Rav Yosef said: Yosef the demon told me

a demon:

Ashmedai,

who is

the king of the demons,

the king of the demons,

is appointed over all pairs.

And a king—

is not called “a harmful force.”

A king does not ordinarily cause harm, since it is beneath him to be called “a harmful force”; therefore, there is no need to be concerned about pairs, as it is uncommon for him to harm someone. He harms only occasionally. Therefore, only one who wishes to be stringent and impose an additional safeguard should avoid pairs.

Some say this version in the opposite direction: On the contrary,

this is what Yosef the demon told him:

He is an irascible king,

Ashmedai is hot-tempered—

whatever he wishes, he does! For a king breaks through a fence to make a path for himself, and no one can protest against him.

Rav Pappa said: Yosef the demon told me: With two,

one who drinks two cups—

we kill him

because of pairs.

One who drinks

four

cups

we do not kill

him.

Rather, one who drinks

four

cups—

we harm him.

We merely harm him.

And one who drinks

two

two cups,

whether

he drank

unwittingly or intentionally,

we harm him.

But one who drinks

four

cups: if

intentionally—

we do not

harm him. But if he drank

unwittingly—

we do not

harm him.

And if he forgot

and forgot

and it happened and he went out,

so that he ended up with a pair—

what is his remedy?

He should place his right thumb

on his right thumb

in his left hand

inside his left hand,

and his left thumb in his right hand. And he should say as follows: You and I,

you and I—

behold, three,

together we are three! That is, there is no pair here.

And if he hears

a voice, even the voice of a man or a woman,

saying: “You and I—behold, four!” he should say to it: “You and I—behold, five!”

so that he should not remain with a pair.

And if he hears

a voice

saying: “You and I—behold, six!” he should say to it: “You and I—behold, seven!”

There was an incident

in which the demon was counting pairs, and he continually added one more,

until one hundred and one, and the demon burst

from distress.

Ameimar said: The queen told me

the mistress

of the sorceresses,

who rules over them and teaches them:

If one encounters them, the sorceresses, he should say as follows:

Hot excrement

hot feces

in a contemptible basket,

in contemptible baskets—may they come

into your mouths,

into your mouths [another interpretation: may food come into your mouths],

you sorceresses,

sorcerous women!

May it be the will that those hairs of your heads with which you practice sorcery

become bald, become bald,

be plucked out!

And those crumbs of bread with which you practice sorcery—

may they be scattered, scattered!

The wind will carry them away.