The Oral Talmud with Benay Lappe and Dan Libenson Episode 95

(1) On the eve of Passover, adjacent to minḥa [the time of the afternoon prayer], a person may not eat until dark. Even the poorest of Israel should not eat without reclining, and he should be given no less than four cups of wine--and even if he is so poor that this comes from the charity plate.

(2) They poured him the first cup: The House of Shammai say: He recites the blessing over the day [i.e., the kiddush blessing of "Who blesses Israel and the Festivals"], and thereafter he recites the blessing over the wine ["Who creates fruit of the vine"]. And the House of Hillel say: One recites the blessing over the wine and thereafter recites the blessing over the day.

(3) They brought before him, and he dips, the ḥazeret [green vegetable] before he reaches the bread. They brought before him matza and ḥazeret and ḥaroset, and two cooked dishes, although eating ḥaroset is not a commandment. Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Tzadok says it is a commandment. And in the Temple, they would bring before him the body of the Paschal lamb.

(4) They poured him a second cup, and here the son inquires of his father--and if the son does not have the intellectual capacity, his father teaches him: Why is this night different from all other nights? As on all other nights we eat leavened foods and matza; on this night only matza. As on all other nights we eat all the other vegetables; on this night -- maror [bitter herbs]. As on all other nights we eat roasted, stewed, or cooked meat; on this night only roasted. As on all other nights we dip once; on this night -- twice. And according to the intellectual capacity of the son, his father teaches him: He begins with disgrace and concludes with glory. And he expounds from the passage “My father was a wandering Aramean” (Deuteronomy 26:5) until he concludes the entire portion.

[Alternative translation: They poured him a second cup, and here the son inquires of his father. And if the son does not have the intellectual capacity, his father teaches him: Why is this night different from all other nights?...]

(5) Rabban Gamliel would say: Anyone who did not speak of these three matters on Passover has not fulfilled his obligation: The Paschal lamb, matza, and bitter herbs. The Paschal lamb [pesaḥ], for the Omnipresent passed over [pasaḥ] the houses of our ancestors in Egypt. The matza, for our ancestors were redeemed from Egypt. The bitter herbs, for the Egyptians embittered our ancestors’ lives in Egypt. In each and every generation a person must view himself as though he personally left Egypt, as it is stated: “And you shall tell your son on that day, saying: It is because of this which T[he Name] did for me when I left Egypt” (Exodus 13:8). As such, we are obligated to thank, praise, glorify, extol, exalt, honor, bless, revere, and laud the One who performed all these miracles for our ancestors and for us: He took us out from slavery to freedom, from sorrow to joy, from mourning to festival, from darkness to a great light, and from enslavement to redemption. And we will say before Him: Halleluya.

(6) How much of the hallel prayer of praise [a selection of Psalms] does he recite? The House of Shammai say: Until “Who makes the barren woman dwell in her house as a joyful mother of children, halleluya” (Psalms 113:9). And the House of Hillel say: Until “Who turned the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a fountain of waters” (Psalms 114:8). And one concludes this section of hallel with a blessing that refers to redemption. Rabbi Tarfon would say: "Who redeemed us and redeemed our forefathers from Egypt" and not conclude with the "Blessed are You, Lord" formula. Rabbi Akiva says that one recites a different version of this blessing: "So too, the Lord our God and the God of our ancestors will bring us to future holidays and Festivals in peace, happy over the building of Your city and joyous in Your service. And there we will eat from the Paschal lamb and other offerings, etc.," until: "Blessed are You, Lord, Who redeemed Israel."

(7) They poured him a the third cup, and he recites the blessing over his food [Grace After Meals]. A fourth cup, he completes hallel over it, and he also recites the blessing of the song at the end of hallel over it. Between these cups, if one wishes to drink more, he may drink; however, between the third cup and the fourth cup, he should not drink.

(8) And one does not conclude after the Paschal lamb with afikoman. If some of them fell asleep, they may eat from the Paschal lamb when they awake. If they all fell asleep, they may not eat any more. Rabbi Yosei says: If they dozed, they may eat, but if they fell asleep, they may not eat.

(9) The Paschal lamb after midnight renders one’s hands ritually impure, as it becomes notar, an offering that remained after the time when they may be eaten has expired; and the Sages ruled that both piggul, offerings that were invalidated due to inappropriate intent while being sacrificed, and notar render one’s hands ritually impure. If one recited the blessing over the Paschal lamb, he has also exempted himself from reciting a blessing over the Festival offering. However, if he recited the blessing over the Festival offering, he has not exempted himself from reciting a blessing over the Paschal lamb. This is the statement of Rabbi Yishmael. Rabbi Akiva says: This blessing does not exempt one from reciting a blessing over this one, and that blessing does not exempt that one, as there is a separate blessing for each offering.