שמות א:טו-ב:י המילדות
יחזקאל טז:א-יג בדמייך חיי
§ Rav Avira taught: In the merit of the righteous women that were in that generation, the Jewish people were redeemed from Egypt. At the time when these women would go to draw water, the Holy One, Blessed be He, would materialize for them small fish that would enter into their pitchers, and they would draw pitchers that were half filled with water and half filled with fish. And they would come and place two pots on the fire, one of hot water for washing their husbands and one of fish with which to feed them.
And once the Egyptians would notice them, realizing that they were Jewish babies, they would come to kill them. But a miracle would occur for them and they would be absorbed by the earth. And the Egyptians would then bring oxen and would plow upon them, as it is stated: “The plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows” (Psalms 129:3). After the Egyptians would leave, the babies would emerge and exit the ground like grass of the field, as it is stated: “I caused you to increase even as the growth of the field” (Ezekiel 16:7).
And once they would grow, they would come like many flocks to their homes, as it is stated in the continuation of the verse: “And you did increase and grow up and you came with excellent beauty [ba’adi adayim]” (Ezekiel 16:7). Do not read the verse as: “Ba’adi adayim,” “with excellent beauty.” Rather, read it as: Be’edrei adarim, meaning: As many flocks.
And when the Holy One, Blessed be He, revealed Himself at the Sea, they recognized Him first, as it is stated: “This is my God, and I will glorify Him” (Exodus 15:2).
אם תשכבון בין שפתים, דרש רבי עקיבא בזכות נשים צדקניות יצאו ישראל ממצרים (ביחזקאל ברמז שנ"ד)...
And she took. Chazal already said that in the merit of righteous women, Israel left Egypt, because the women of the generation had greater merit than the men, as is written my sister is the bride of a locked garden, and therefore prophecy necessarily came from the women, and she is called the sister of Aaron as Chazal explained because she prophecized when she was still the sister of Aaron before the birth of Moshe, a boy will be born who will be the redeemer and the savior, and now that the prophecy had been fulfilled she took her tambourine in her hand.
And Miriam answered them. They said that all this was in the women's merit, and that is why they sang apart, because they had a part in these miracles.
וגם הנשים חייבות בארבע כוסות, ובכל המצות השייך לאותו לילה, כמו אכילת מצה ואמירת ההגדה. ואם אין יכולות להגיד בעצמן – ישמעו ההגדה. משום דכתיב: "לא תאכל עליו חמץ, שבעת ימים תאכל עליו מצות" – כל שישנו באכילת חמץ – ישנו באכילת מצה, והנשים ישנן באיסור חמץ, דלא תעשה – מצוות נשים כאנשים. ולכן חייבות גם באכילת מצה, אף על גב שזהו מצות עשה שהזמן גרמא.וממילא כיון שחייבות במצה – חייבות גם בפסח ומרור, שהרי איתקשו זה לזה, כדכתיב: "על מצות ומרורים יאכלוהו". ואף על גב דמרור בזמן הזה דרבנן, מכל מקום כל דתיקון רבנן – כעין דאורייתא תיקון, וממילא שגם חייבות בכל מצות הלילה, שכולן עניין אחד הן. ועוד: שהרי בזכות נשים צדקניות נגאלו אבותינו ממצרים, ולכן פשיטא שהחיוב עליהן בכל מצות הלילה, שהוא רק משום גאולת מצרים.ולכן צריך ליתן כוס לכל אחד מבני ביתו, הן זכרים הן נקיבות.
And woman are also obligated in the four cups, and in all mitzvot related to the night, like matzah and telling the story. And if they can't tell it themselves, they listen. Since it's written: Don't eat chametz on it, 7 days eat matzot. Everything related to eating chametz is related to eating matzah, and the women are included in chametz, since for commandments of prohibition, they're the same as men. And so they're obligated in matzah, even though it's a positive time-bound commandment.
And since they're obligated in matzah, they're obligated in Pesach and Maror, since they are all tied together...
And moreover: since in the merit of righteous women our fathers were redeemed from Egypt, therefore obviously they are obligated in every commandment of the night, since it's all a result of redemption from Egypt. And therefore one needs to give a cup to everyone in the household, men and women alike.