Siman - Pesachim Daf 108

• When Is Leaning Required?

It was stated that Rav Nachman said the cups of wine at the seder require הסיבה, and it was stated that he said they do not require הסיבה. The Gemara explains that there is no dispute and that they are referring to different cups. Some say the first two require leaning דהשתא הוא דקא מתחלא לה חירות – because it is now that freedom begins, meaning, the redemption is discussed over those cups. The last two cups do not require it because מאי דהוה הוה – what happened has already happened. After the narrative is over it is no longer necessary. Others say the last two cups require leaning because ההיא שעתא דקא הויא חירות – it is at that time that freedom is a reality. The first two cups do not require leaning because we are still discussing our slavery with עבדים היינו, we were slaves to Paro in Mitzrayim.

The Gemara concludes: השתא דאיתמר הכי ואיתמר הכי – Now that it was stated like this and it was stated like this, אידי ואידי בעו הסיבה – both these [two cups] and these [two cups] require leaning.

• Who Must Lean?

The Gemara discusses who must lean:

·אשה אצל בעלה לא בעיא הסיבה ואם אשה חשובה היא צריכה הסיבה – A woman in the presence of her husband does not need leaning, but if she is a prominent woman she needs leaning. The Rashbam explains that a woman does not typically lean because she is apprehensive in her husband’s presence and subservient to him whereas a prominent woman generally will eat reclining.

·בן אצל אביו בעי הסיבה – A son in the presence of his father needs leaning. The Rashbam explains that a son is not as subservient to his father as a man’s wife is to him.

·Regarding a talmid in the presence of his rebbe, Abaye said: כי הוינן בי מר זגינן אבירכי דהדדי – When we were in the yeshivah of our master (Rabbah) we would lean on each other’s knees during the seder, כי אתינן לבי רב יוסף אמר לן לא צריכתו מורא רבך כמורא שמים – but when we came to the yeshivah of Rav Yosef, who became the head of the academy after Rabbah, he told us: You do not need to [lean, for] the fear of your rebbe is like the fear of Heaven.

• Halachos of the Dalet Kosos

Rav Yehudah, in the name of Shmuel, teaches several halachos about the dalet kosos, which the Gemara then explains:

·צריך שיהא בהן כדי מזיגת כוס יפה – They must contain enough [wine] to produce a “nice cup.” The Gemara [according to the version preferred by Rashbam] explains: היינו רביעית – this is a revi’is.

·שתאן חי יצא – If he drank them pure (meaning, without adding water to the wine) he fulfilled the mitzvah. Rava adds: ידי יין יצא ידי חירות לא יצא – he fulfilled [the mitzvah to drink] wine but he did not fulfill [the obligation to act in a manner that expresses] freedom. Rashbam explains that he did not fulfill the mitzvah completely because wine must be diluted to be considered prominent. [Rashbam also notes that our wines do not need to be diluted.]

·שתאן בבת אחת יצא – If he drank them all at once he fulfilled the mitzvah. Rav says:ידי יין יצא ידי ארבעה כוסות לא יצא – He fulfilled the mitzvah to drink wine (Rashbam explains that this is the mitzvah of simchas Yom Tov) but he did not fulfill the mitzvah of dalet kosos.

·השקה מהן לבניו ולבני ביתו יצא – If he gave his children and the members of his household to drink from them he fulfilled his mitzvah. Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak says: והוא דאשתי רובא דכסא – Only if he personally drank most of the cup.