(1) IT WAS A NIGHT OF WATCHING UNTO THE LORD. Since Scripture notes, it was a night of watching unto the Lord, and concludes by saying, this same night is a night of watching unto the Lord for all the children of Israel throughout their generations, the plain meaning of our verse appears to be: since God watched them and did not suffer the destroyer to come into their homes to plague them, the Lord commanded that this night be a night of watchingfor all the children of Israel throughout their generations through the eating of the paschal lamb according to its ordinance and the ingesting of unleavened bread and bitter herbs on this night. Others say that watching here has the same meaning as the word watching in The watchers of the walls (Cant. 5:7); its meaning is that they should not sleep on this night but should praise God and relate the might that the Lord displayed when they went out of Egypt. Our sages hinted at the latter meaning when they said, The time for the reading of the morning shema has arrived.

(4) The redemption from Egypt therefore came through Moshe, because the essence of redemption is through daat (know ledge), as it is written, “and you will know that it was God Who took you out of Egypt” (Exodus 16:6) ; “so that they might know” (Leviticus 23:43) .

From where the Four Cups? Rebbi Joḥanan in the name of Rebbi Benaiah: Corresponding to the four deliveries: Therefore, say to the Children of Israel, I am the Eternal, and I shall take you out, etc. And I shall take you as My people, etc. I shall take you, I shall save you, I shall free you, I shall take you. Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said, corresponding to the four cups of Pharao: The cup of Pharao was in my hand; I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharao ’s cup, and gave the cup in Pharao ’s hand. You will give the cup in the hand of Pharao. Rebbi Levi said, corresponding to the four kingdoms. But our teachers say, corresponding to the four cups of doom that the Holy One, praise to Him, will make the Gentiles drink at the end of days. Truly, so said the Eternal, the God of Israel, to me: take this cup of the wine of wrath. The golden cup of Babylon is in the hand of the Eternal. Truly a cup is in the hand of the Eternal, intoxicating wine, fully to be mixed; He shall sprinkle from it but its dregs shall be drunk, squeezed to the last, by all the wicked of the earth. He shall let coals rain on the wicked; fire, sulphur, and burning wind is the portion of their cup. What does the portion of their cup mean? R. Abun said: a double cup like the double cup taken after a thermal bath. And in accordance with this correspondingly the Holy One, praised be He, will let Israel drink four cups of consolation at the End of Days: The Eternal is the portion of my part and my cup. You anointed my head with oil; my cup is overflowing. I shall lift up the cup of salvations counts for two.

(3) CORRESPONDING TO FOUR CHILDREN, ETC. This seems to correspond to the four expressions of redemption, for the redemption was from all four of the exiles [Egypt, Babylonia, Greece, and Rome]. And these questions apply to every Jew. [Hacham] With regard to intellectual analysis, since through this means, the evil inclination doubts the hukkim. And to this, the answer must be prepared in the person's mind -- that carrying out the will of God, may He be blessed, brings greater pleasure (ta'am) and joy than understanding the rationale (ta'am) of the mitzva. And this is [the meaning of] "There is no after-party following the Pesah" (Ein maftirin ahar haPesah afikoman) -- that the pleasure (ta'am) from the mitzva of matza, even though it has no taste (ta'am), is sweeter to him than dainties (mat'amim). [Rasha] The Rasha actually casts off the yoke: "Why the service (avodah)?" And his saying "to you" (lachem) means "how can [mere] flesh and blood be of service to God, may He be blessed?" And in this way, he doubts the supernal caring [hashgaha], as is said in the literature. And the answer, "For the sake of this" (ba'avur zeh), means that [precisely] by virtue of his being flesh and blood and not having the ideal (kara'ui) intellect, our service is important before Him, may He be blessed, more than [that of] the supernal angels. [Tam] The question of the Tam through his simplicity, when the Holy One, blessed be He, provides some enlightenment through His grace, the person is susceptible to becoming conceited, in saying "What's this," and he must recognize that this is only through supernal grace, and this is [the meaning of] "With a mighty hand, etc." -- in the absence of any merit of the person. [She'eino yodea lish'ol] And the one who does not know how to ask is in the bitterest exile, for he has no idea at all how to open his mind. And regarding this, it says "you open it for him" (At p'tah lo). And for this we give praise, for the redemption from Egypt was in all four types of "exile," collectively and individually, for these aspects are found in each individual Jew. And they are called "banim" (sons, children) because in fact the "binyan" (structure) is completed through these inquiries into the human mind when he merits to enter the true path and to leave the vanities of this world and their matters.

It was taught in the baraita: On Passover Isaac was born. The Gemara asks: From where do we derive this? As it is written that the angel who informed Sarah that she would bear a son told Abraham: “At the appointed time [mo’ed] I will return to you, at this season, and Sarah shall have a son” (Genesis 18:14). This is understood to mean: At the time of the next Festival [mo’ed]. When did the angel say this? If we say that it was on Passover and he said to him that Sarah would have a son on Shavuot, can a woman give birth after only fifty days? Rather, say that it was Shavuot and he said that she would give birth on the Festival that occurs in the month of Tishrei, i.e., Sukkot. But still, can she give birth after only five months? Rather, you must say that it was Sukkot, and he spoke about the Festival that occurs in the month of Nisan, i.e., Passover.

And Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Women are obligated in these four cups of wine at the Passover seder. As they too were included in that miracle of the Exodus, they are therefore obligated to participate in the celebration.