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Week 24 - Shabbat - 13 May 2000

PESACHIM: CHAPTER 10 : MISHNA 7

They mixed for him the third cup, he recites the blessing over his food. The fourth, he completes over it the Hallel, and he says over it the blessing of the song. Between these cups, if one wishes to drink, he may drink, between the third and the fourth he may not drink.

Kehati

After the completion of the narrative section of the Haggadah, the reader recites the blessing over the wine and drinks the second cup. Afterwards he washes his hands, eats the matzah and the bitter herb, and eats the meal in the normal manner. This mishnah continues to teach the practices followed at the Seder after the meal.

They mixed for him the third cup - at the conclusion of the meal, and - - Grace After Meals, and he drinks the cup after Grace After Meals. They then mix for him - The fourth - cup, and - he completes over it the Hallel - the recitation of which he had begun before the meal, and he says over it the blessing of the song - the Gemara records a dispute among the Amoraim regarding this: according to one opinion, this is "All Your works will praise You, O Lord our God," with which every recitation of the Hallel is concluded, and he concludes this with "Blessed are You, O Lord, the King Who is glorified in praises"; this is the source of the term, "the blessing of the song," i.e., the blessing of praise (Rashbam). According to another opinion, "the blessing of the song" is the passage "The soul of every living thing": it is called "the blessing of the song" because it is recited on Shabbat after Pesukei de-Zimrah, the Verses of Song. The practice is to recite both of these passages. A baraita in the Gemara states that the Great Hallel is recited, i.e., "O give thanks to the Lord, for His kindness is enduring (Ps. 136); this is our practice.

Between these cups - between the first two cups and the last two (Rashbam), if one wishes to drink - more wine, <he may drink - because wine during the course of the meal does not intoxicate, but between the third - cup - and the fourth he may not drink - wine, lest he become intoxicated and will not complete the Seder, because wine after the meal does intoxicate. Wine before the meal, on the other hand, is regarded as wine during the meal, that does not intoxicate. Therefore, if he wants to drink between the first cup and the second one, he may do so, because the Tanna prohibits only drinking between the third cup and the fourth one (Rashbam).

PESACHIM: CHAPTER 10 : MISHNA 8

One may not conclude after the Pesah afikoman. If some of them slept - they may eat, all of them - they may not eat. Rabbi Yose says, if they dozed - they may eat, if they fell asleep - they may not eat.

Kehati

One may not conclude after the Pesah - with afikoman - as has already been mentioned, the obligation is to eat the korban pesah at the end of the meal, so that it will be eaten when satiated. Based on this, the mishnah teaches that "They may not conclude" - the meal - "with afikoman," i.e., with sweets or other delicacies eaten as dessert, because one may not eat anything after the pesah sacrifice, in order that its taste remain in his mouth. Afikoman is a Greek word, and means the banquet given after a meal, consisting of wine, fruits, and types of sweets (see Tosefot Rabbi Akiva Eiger and Tiferet Yisrael.) The Gemara expounded this word as an abbreviation of the two words afiko man - bring forth food. I.e., we do not say, bring forth kinds of sweets for dessert. There are also other interpretation of this sentence (see Pes. 119b, Gemara and Rashbam; see also Bartenura). The interpretation we have cited, however, is the primary interpretation, in the opinion of most of the commentators. The Gemara records a dispute whether or not a person may eat after the matzah afikoman at the present time. The halakhah follow the opinion that holds that just as one may not conclude after the korban pesah with afikoman, so, too, may one not conclude after the matzah with afikoman. I.e., we eat a ka-zayit of matzah at the conclusion of the meal, and nothing is eaten after this, so that there will be a distinct conclusion to the meal, with the taste of the matzah remaining in the person's mouth, for the eating of the matzah is obligatory (Rambam, Hil. Hametz u-Matzah 8:9). Since it is forbidden to conclude with afikoman (i.e., to eat anything) after the last ka-zayit of matzah, the piece of matzah eaten at the end of the meal has acquired the name of afikoman" (Shiltei he-Giborim, in the name of R. R. Yitzhak Alfasi).

If some of them - members of the group, slept - after they began eating the korban pesah, when they wake up, they may - continue to - eat - of it, since the attention of the other members of the group was not diverted from it; but if - all of them - slept, they may not eat - because their attention was diverted from the korban pesah. This is as if they were beginning after their sleep to eat the korban pesah in another place, and Rabbi Yehudah rules it is forbidden to eat the korban pesah in two places (see the introduction to 7:13, above).

Rabbi Yose says, if they dozed - they may eat - according to one interpretation, Rabbi Yose is more stringent than the First Tanna; he holds that even if only some of them slept, they may not eat, and they may eat only if they dozed. The Gemara explains that the term "dozing" refers to a person who responds if he is called, but who is incapable of providing, by himself, an argument that requires the employment of logic; if others remind him of such an argument, he remembers it; but - if they fell asleep - they may not eat - when they awaken from their sleep. According to another interpretation, Rabbi Yose is more lenient than the First Tanna, for even if they all slept, but only dozing, they may eat of the korban pesah; if, however, they all fell into a deep sleep, they may not eat (Hameiri; Rambam, Hil. Hametz u-Matzah 8:14). The halakhah is in accordance with Rabbi Yose (Rambam, ibid.).

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