Pesachim 110a — the Talmud in English

Ravina said: The Sages instituted four cups

because of

the manner of freedom. Each and every one - ![](pamud.bmp "

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is a mitzva in its own right,

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

And regarding what we learned:

“He should not attend to his needs two,”

we raised the matter:

Why

not? He

has changed his mind,

for the first act has already ended and his desire has ceased, and it does not join with the second.

And we answer:

Abaye said: This is what it is saying: He should not eat two, and

not

drink two, and he should not attend to his needs

after he has eaten or drunk in pairs

even once.

That is, a person who ate or drank an even number should not engage in intercourse afterward at all until a long time has passed,

lest he become weakened

because of the intercourse

and his fortune be impaired,

for the pairs he ate previously will cause his fortune to be impaired.

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,

for he did not go out into the street between one cup and the next.

But if he saw the face of the marketplace—

the authority is in his hands

to drink pairs.

Rav Ashi said: I saw Rav Hanania bar Bibi eating cups,

and after every cup

he would go out and see the face of the marketplace,

he would go out and see the face of the marketplace.

And we said

that pairs are harmful

only when going out on the road,

when he goes out on the road afterward.

But

if he remains in his house,

no.

Rabbi Zeira said: And sleeping—

is comparable to going out on the road!

And we raise an objection:

A

person who is

in his house is not

harmed by pairs?

But Rava would count beams.

When he was drinking, 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 pairs, even though he would not go out on the road afterward.

And when Abaye drank one cup—

his mother would take for him

she would hold

two cups in her two hands,

in her two hands, so that together there would be three. For she was concerned lest he forget and drink two. And since she held two cups in her hand, this was a sign in her hand to guard Abaye so that he would not come to drinking pairs.

And when Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak would drink two cups—

his attendant would take for him

his servant

one cup.

And when he would drink

one cup—

he would take for him two cups in his two hands.

And they too did not go out on the road, and nevertheless they were careful concerning pairs?!

And we answer:

A distinguished person is different,

for the demons devote themselves to harming them, and therefore they must be more careful.

Ulla said: Ten cups,

and all the more so more than ten—

there is no concern of pairs with them!

Ulla follows his own reasoning. For Ulla said, and some say: A baraita taught: 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 there is concern of pairs with ten cups, how did the Sages stand and institute a matter that leads

through it

to danger?

Rather, certainly, there is no concern of pairs with ten cups.

But eight

cups—eight cups—still

there is concern of pairs with them.

Rav Ḥisda and Rabba bar Rav Huna both say:

Even eight have no concern of pairs. For

“peace”

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

joins for good.

For if he drank six cups, it joins to nullify the pairs.

But

it does not join for harm,

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

But six

cups—six cups—still

there is concern of pairs with them.

Rabba and Rav Yosef both say:

Even six have no concern of pairs. For

“and favor you”

is the fifth word in the second verse of the Priestly Blessing, and therefore it joins only

for good

it joins,

it does not join for harm.

But four—

there is concern of pairs with them.

Abaye and Rava both say:

Even four have no concern of pairs. For

“and guard you”

is the third word in the first verse of the Priestly Blessing, and therefore only

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

And Rava follows his own reasoning.

For Rava would send the Sages away with four cups,

he would often give his students drink when they were departing from him, and sometimes he would give them only four cups, because with four there is no concern of pairs.

And

although Rava bar Livai was harmed [

one of the students]—

he did not concern himself with it,

Rava

with the matter. He said: That one

was not harmed because of pairs, but

because he would seat me in the lecture.

For he was accustomed to raise difficulties against me in the middle of the lecture and embarrass me in public.

Rav Yosef said: Yosef the demon said to 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 one.”

A king is not accustomed to cause harm, since it is disgraceful for him to be called “a harmful one”; therefore, there is no need to be concerned about pairs, for it is an uncommon matter that he should harm him. And only sometimes does he cause harm. Therefore, only one who wishes to be stringent and impose an extra safeguard should distance himself from pairs.

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

thus Yosef the demon said to him:

He is an angry king:

Ashmedai is quick-tempered—

whatever he wants, he does! For a king breaks through a fence to make a path for himself, and no one restrains him.

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

one who drinks two cups—

we kill him

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 only harm him.

And one who drinks

two,

two cups,

whether

he drank

unintentionally or intentionally,

we harm him.

But one who drinks

four

cups: if

intentionally—

no,

we do harm him. And if he drank

unintentionally—

not

do we harm him.

And if he forgot

and forgot

and it happened and he went out,

it happened that he ended up with pairs—

what is his remedy?

Let him take his right thumb

place his right thumb

in his left hand,

inside his left hand,

and his left thumb in his right hand. And let him say thus: You and I,

you and I—

here are three

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

And if he hears him

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

saying: “You and I—here are four!” let him say to him: “You and I—here are five!”

so that he does not remain with pairs.

And if he hears him

a voice

saying: “You and I—here are six!” let him say: “You and I—here are seven!”

There was an incident

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

until one hundred and one, and the demon burst

from great distress.

Ameimar said: The queen of

the women

sorceresses said to me,

who rules over them and teaches them:

“One who encounters them, the sorceress women, should say thus:

“Hot excrement

hot feces

in a contemptible basket,

in contemptible baskets—may they come

to your mouths,

to your mouths [another interpretation: may sustenance be for your mouths],

sorceress women,

sorceress 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—

be scattered, be scattered!

The wind will carry them away.