פסחים 109 — Soncino English Talmud

¹parched ears of corn and nuts on the eve of Passover, so that they should not fall asleep, and ask [the ‘questions’]. It was related of R. Akiba that he used to distribute parched ears and nuts to children on the eve of Passover, so that they might not fall asleep but ask [the ‘questions’]. It was taught, R. Eliezer said: The mazzoth are eaten hastily on the night of Passover, on account of the children, so that they should not fall asleep. It was taught: it was related of R. Akiba [that] never did he say in the Beth Hamidrash, ‘It is time to rise [cease study]’, except on the eve of Passover and the eve of the Day of Atonement. On the eve of Passover, because of the children, so that they might not fall asleep. On the eve of the Day of Atonement,in order that they should give food to their children. Our Rabbis taught: A man is in duty bound to make his children and his household rejoice on a Festival, for it is said, And thou shalt rejoice it, thy feast, [thou and thy son, and thy daughter, etc.] Wherewith does he make them rejoice? With wine. R. Judah said: Men with what is suitable for them, and women with, what is suitable for them. ‘Men with what is suitable for them’: with wine. And women with what? R. Joseph recited: in Babylonia, with coloured garments; in Eretz Yisrael, with ironed lined garments. It was taught, R. Judah b. Bathyra said: When the temple was in existence there could be no rejoicing save with meat, as it is said, And thou shalt sacrifice peace-offerings, and shalt eat there; and thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God. But now that the Temple is no longer in existence, there is no rejoicing save with wine, as it is said, and wine that maketh glad the heart of man. R. Isaac said: The xestes for muries in Sepphoris was about equal to the Temple log, and thereby we gauge the rebi'ith of [wine for] Passover. R. Johanan said: The ancient tomanta which was in Tiberias exceeded this by a quarter, and thereby we gauge the rebi'ith of [wine for] Passover. R. Hisda said: The rebi'ith of the Torah is [the cubic content of a vessel] two fingerbreadths square by two and seven-tenths fingerbreadths in depth. As it was taught: Then he shall bathe all his flesh in water: [this intimates] that nothing must interpose between his flesh and the water; ‘in water’ [means] in the water of a mikweh; ‘all his flesh’ [implies sufficient] water for his whole body to be covered therein. And how much is that?^ᵃ^ᵇ^ᶜ^ᵈ^ᵉ^ᶠ^ᵍ^ʰ^ⁱ^ʲ^ᵏ^ˡ^ᵐ

^ᵃnote:v. infra 116a Mishnah.
^ᵇnote:Others: the plate containing the mazzoth is lifted, to draw the attention of the children to the unusual fare; others, the mazzoth are taken away from the children before they have eaten their fill, as a heavy meal conduces to sleep.
^ᶜnote:Var. lec.: so that they should ask ‘questions’. This agrees with the first alternative translation in the preceding note. R. Han. reads both: so that they should not fall asleep but ask.
^ᵈnote:In Suk. 28a this is attributed to R. Johanan b. Zakkai.
^ᵉnote:Deut. XVI, 14. Presumably the proof lies in the bracketed passage, which is absent in the text. Possibly too he reads: we-Simmakta (pi'el) ‘and thou shalt cause to rejoice’ instead of we-Samakta ‘and thou shalt rejoice. Tosaf.’s reading, however, and Maharsha emends text accordingly, is: and thou shalt rejoice, thou and thy household (ib. XIV 26). This refers to the eating of the second tithe in Jerusalem, and its teaching is applied here to Festivals.
^ᶠnote:Deut. XXVII, 7.
^ᵍnote:Ps. CIV, 15.
^ʰnote:A measure kept as a standard; it was somewhat less than a pint.
^ⁱnote:Required for the four cups.
^ʲnote:In respect to several Biblical laws a rebi'ith is specified by the Rabbis.
^ᵏnote:Lit., ‘ two and a half and a fifth.’
^ˡnote:Hence the volume of a rebi'ith is 2 X 2 X 27 == 108 cubic fingerbreadths.
^ᵐnote:Lev. XV, 16.

²A square cubit by three cubits’ depth, and the Sages estimated the standard of the water of a mikweh at forty se'ahs. R. Ashi said: Rabin b. Hinena told me, The Table in the Sanctuary was jointed. For if you should think that it was [permanently] fastened, how could one immerse a cubit in a cubit? What difficulty is this! Perhaps it was immersed in the sea which Solomon made. For R. Hiyya taught: The sea which Solomon made held one hundred and fifty clean [i.e., regulation-sized] mikwoth. AND THEY SHOULD GIVE HIM NOT LESS THAN FOUR [CUPS]. How could our Rabbis enact something whereby one is led into danger: Surely it was taught: A man must not eat in pairs, nor drink in pairs, nor cleanse [himself] twice nor perform his requirements twice? — Said R. Nahman: Scripture said, [it is] a night of guarding [unto the lord]: [i.e.,] it is a night that is guarded for all time from harmful spirits. Raba said: The cup of Grace [after meals] combines [with the others] for good, but does not combine for evil. Rabina said: Our Rabbis instituted four cups as symbolizing liberty: each one^ⁿ^ᵒ^ᵖ^ᵠ^ʳ^ˢ^ᵗ^ᵘ

^ⁿnote:1 se'ah == 6 kabs; 1 kab == 4 logs; 1 log == 4 rebi'ith; 1 cubit == 6 handbreadths; 1 handbreadth = 4 fingerbreadths. On this basis R. Hisda arrives at his estimate. Thus:1 Se'ah == 96 rebi'ith; 40 se'as == 96 X 40 == 3840 rebi'ith. Hence cubic capacity of mikweh is 3840 X 108 == 41472 fingerbreadths which is the equivalent of cubic capacity of 3 cubic cubits, 1 cubic cubit being equal to 243 ( == 13824 fingerbreadths), and 3 cubic cubits being equal to 3 X 13824 == 41472].
^ᵒnote:And the joints could be taken apart.
^ᵖnote:The Table was a cubit square, while a mikweh, as stated here, was likewise a cubit square; hence it would be impossible to immerse the Table in the mikweh if it became unclean and needed a ritual bath.
^ᵠnote:I.e., he must not eat or drink two or a multiple of two of anything, a malignant potency being ascribed to twos.
^ʳnote:A euphemism for intimacy.
^ˢnote:Ex. XII, 42.
^ᵗnote:Lit., ‘that is guarded and comes on.’
^ᵘnote:The third cup, which is drunk in collection with Grace after meals, combines with others to break the spell of evil which, might be caused by drinking the first two, but is not counted in the four for harm.