Pesachim 117b (קיז:) — the Talmud in English

Is that not the point of their disagreement

the tannaim in the two beraitot:

According to the one who says

in the statement of Beit Shammai,

“until ‘the mother of children rejoices,’” he holds that “Halleluyah”

which follows “the mother of children rejoices

is the beginning of the chapter

of “When Israel went forth.” Therefore, he did not state “until ‘When Israel went forth,’” since he would then have had to say “until ‘Halleluyah,’” and we would not know which “Halleluyah” was intended. See below, where the Gemara raises this difficulty].

And according to the one who says

in the statement of Beit Shammai,

“until ‘When Israel went forth,’”

he holds that

“Halleluyah”

is the end of the chapter

of the previous chapter. Therefore, he did not state “until ‘the mother of children rejoices,’” since he would then have had to say “until ‘Halleluyah’”].

And we reject this explanation:

Rav Ḥisda explains it according to his own reasoning: Everyone holds that

“Halleluyah”

is the end of the chapter.

The one who says

“until ‘When Israel went forth’”

is fine

as we have said.

And the one who says

“until ‘the mother of children rejoices’”

holds that

“until” includes the stated endpoint.

Therefore, he did not state “until ‘When Israel went forth,’” for this would imply that “When Israel went forth” must also be recited; instead, he stated “until ‘the mother of children rejoices,’” which too is included in what is recited.

And we challenge this:

Let him say

“until ‘Halleluyah,’”

since “Halleluyah” must also be recited, as it is the end of one chapter and belongs to the preceding chapter?

And if you would say

that this is why he did not state it,

because

we would not

know which

“Halleluyah”

was intended—which “Halleluyah”?

The difficulty nevertheless remains:

Let him say “until

until

‘the Halleluyah of “the mother of children rejoices”’?”

The difficulty remains unresolved!

But

Rabba bar Rav Huna explains it according to his own reasoning: Everyone holds that

“Halleluyah”

is the beginning of the chapter.

The one who says

“until ‘the mother of children rejoices’” is fine.

And the one who says

“until ‘When Israel went forth’”

holds

that “until” does not include the stated endpoint,

and therefore could not state “until ‘the mother of children rejoices,’” since that would imply that “the mother of children rejoices” need not be recited.

And we challenge this:

Let him say

“until ‘Halleluyah,’

since now it would be implied that “When Israel went forth” must be recited, and this would include “Halleluyah” as well; yet “Halleluyah” is the beginning of the chapter and need not be recited?

And if you would say

that this is why he did not state it,

because

we would not

know which

“Halleluyah” was intended?

The difficulty nevertheless remains:

Let him say

“until the Halleluyah of ‘When Israel went forth’”?

The difficulty remains unresolved!

We learned in the Mishna:

And he concludes with the blessing of redemption.

Rava said:

The blessing of redemption that follows

the recitation of the Shema, and the Hallel,

the blessing of redemption on Passover night, which is recited after the first portion of Hallel [according to Rabbi Akiva’s opinion, who concludes “Who redeemed Israel”], is formulated in the past tense:

“Who redeemed Israel,”

describing and praising the redemption of Israel that took place in the past.

That of the prayer,

the conclusion of the blessing of redemption in the Amida, is formulated as

“Who redeems Israel,”

in the present tense.

What is the reason?

Because

they are prayers for mercy,

as we are praying for the future.

Rabbi Zeira said: That of the sanctification,

in the Kiddush on Shabbat and Festivals, one says

“Who sanctified us with His mitzvot” [

“and commanded us,”

the Vilna Gaon deletes this, as it is not recited in Kiddush], because it is an acknowledgment of what has already occurred.

That of the prayer,

in the prayer of Shabbat and Festivals, one says

“Sanctify us with Your mitzvot.”

What is the reason?

Because

they are prayers for mercy;

since this blessing is recited in the midst of the prayer, it is fitting to recite it in the language of supplication.

Rav Aḥa bar Yaakov said: And one must mention

the Exodus from Egypt in the sanctification of the day,

whether in the Kiddush over the cup on Shabbat and Festivals, or in the blessing of the sanctity of the day in the Shabbat and Festival prayer.

It is written here,

“so that you will remember the day

you went forth from the land of Egypt,”

and it is written there,

“Remember the day of Shabbat, to sanctify it.”

And we derive by a gzera shava—“remembrance,” “remembrance”—Shabbat from Passover: Just as on Passover one must mention the Exodus from Egypt, so too on Shabbat one must mention the Exodus from Egypt. All the Festivals are learned by the principle of “what do we find” from Passover [Rashbam].

Rabba bar Sheila said: That of the prayer,

in the blessing “Cause the scion of David to flourish” in the Amida, one concludes

“Who causes the horn of salvation to flourish,”

as we ask that He cause the horn of salvation to flourish for Israel.

That of the haftarah,

in the blessing “Rejoice us with the kingdom of the house of David, Your anointed,” one concludes

“Shield of David.”

“And I will make your name great, like the names of the great ones” [II Samuel 7:9],

which the prophet Nathan said to David in the name of the Holy One, blessed be He:

Rav Yosef taught: This is what we say,

“Shield of David,”

just as we say “Shield of Abraham.”

Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: “And I will make you into a great nation,”

which the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abraham—

this is what we say,

“God of Abraham,”

in the first blessing of the Amida.

“And I will bless you”—this is what we say,

“God of Isaac.”

“And I will make your name great”—this is what we say,

“God of Jacob.”

One might have thought that they should conclude

the blessing

“with all of them”?

The verse states:

“And you shall be a blessing”—with you they conclude!

For we say “Shield of Abraham,”

and we do not conclude with all of them!

Rava said: I found the elders of Pumbedita,

Rav Yehuda and Rav Eina,

sitting and saying: On Shabbat, whether in the prayer,

in the prayer’s blessing of the sanctity of the day,

or in Kiddush,

he concludes

“Who sanctifies Shabbat.”

On a Festival, whether in the prayer or in Kiddush,

he concludes

“Who sanctifies Israel and the seasons.”

And I said to them: On the contrary!

In the prayer, whether on Shabbat or on a Festival,

he concludes

“Who sanctifies Israel.”

In Kiddush on Shabbat,

he concludes

“Who sanctifies Shabbat.”

On a Festival,

he concludes

“Who sanctifies Israel and the seasons.”

And I will explain my reasoning and your reasoning.

I will explain my reasoning and your reasoning.

Your reasoning is as follows: Shabbat is established and continues to exist,

for it was fixed and established from the six days of Creation and does not depend on the sanctification of the new month, by which the court determines when the new month begins. Therefore,

whether in the prayer or in Kiddush,

he concludes

“Who sanctifies Shabbat,”

and he does not mention the sanctity of Israel.

A Festival, which Israel establishes

when the Festival will occur, by

intercalating the months

and

determining the second month,

determining in which year there will be two months of Adar. Therefore, he concludes

“Who sanctifies Israel and the seasons,”

since the sanctity of the Festivals depends on the sanctity of Israel.

My reasoning is as follows: The prayer is recited in public,

as they pray as a congregation; he therefore concludes

“Who sanctifies Israel,”

out of respect for the public.

Kiddush is recited by an individual,

as an individual recites it in his home;

on Shabbat

he concludes

“Who sanctifies Shabbat.”

On a Festival

he concludes

“Who sanctifies Israel and the seasons,”

for the reason explained above.

And we challenge Rava:

That is not so!

For

is prayer not sometimes recited by an individual?

And is Kiddush not sometimes recited in public?

In the synagogue and at a wedding feast.

And Rava holds: Follow the primary usage,

for the primary form of prayer is in public, while the primary form of Kiddush is by an individual.

Ulla bar Rav went down before Rava,

and led the prayer before Rava on Shabbat or on a Festival.

He recited it in accordance with the elders of Pumbedita, and Rava did not say to him

Rava

anything at all.

Apparently,

it is evident that

Rava retracted

his disagreement with the elders of Pumbedita.

Rav Natan, the father of Rav Huna son of Rav Natan, went down before Rav Pappa.

He recited it in accordance with the elders of Pumbedita, and Rav Pappa praised him.

Ravina said: I happened to be in Sura before Marimar, and the prayer leader went down before him and recited it in accordance with the elders of Pumbedita, and everyone tried to silence him,

the congregation silencing him so that he would not recite it in accordance with the elders of Pumbedita, but rather in accordance with Rava.

He said to them,

Marimar:

“Leave him alone! The halakha is in accordance with the elders of Pumbedita!”

And they no longer tried to silence him

after that.

Mishna:

They poured him the third cup,

and then

he recites the blessing over his food,

the Grace after Meals, and drinks the cup after the Grace.

The

fourth cup: He completes Hallel over it,

which he began before the meal.

And he recites over it the blessing of the song.

The Gemara explains what this is.

Between these cups,

between the first and second cups, or between the second and third,

if he wishes to drink

wine,

he may drink,

because wine drunk before the meal or during the meal does not intoxicate.

But

between

the

third and fourth cups, he may not drink,

so that he will not become intoxicated and be unable to complete Hallel.

Gemara:

Rav Ḥanan said to Rava: Infer from this

from our Mishna that

the Grace after Meals requires a cup!

For the third cup is brought only for the Grace after Meals.

He said to him,

Rava: In fact, during the rest of the year the Grace after Meals does not require a cup. And here, too, the cup is not brought because of the Grace after Meals. Rather,

the Sages instituted four cups

to be drunk on the Seder night because of

the manner of freedom.

And

each one should be used for a mitzva,

it is fitting that a mitzva be performed with each cup [the first cup is used for Kiddush, the second for the Haggada, the third for the Grace after Meals, and the fourth for completing Hallel].

We learned in the Mishna:

“The fourth cup: He completes Hallel over it, and he recites over it the blessing of the song.”