Four of a Kind - Shomrai Shabbos Chevrah Mishnayos Congregation

Shomrai Shabbos
C h e v r a h M i s h na y o s
co n g r e g at i o n
Issue 10 • ‫ • ניסן תשע"ג‬March 2013
‫קול תורה‬
Rabbi
Felder
A publication of the SSCM Weinbaum
Torah
Learning Centre ‫בית מדרש כרם אברהם חיים‬
Four of a Kind R av Ya c o v F e l d e r , s h l i ta
T
he number four, as is common knowledge, holds a prominent place in Bavel, ‫ — חשיכה‬Paras uMadai, ‫ — גדולה‬Yavan, and ‫ — נופלת עליו‬Edom.
the narrative of the Haggadah. The arba kosos, the four questions, the We see from this that galus Mitzrayim, which is the explicit subject of
four sons, the four expressions of geulah — ‫ ולקחתי‬,‫ וגאלתי‬,‫ והצלתי‬,‫והוצאתי‬. the Bris with Avraham, actually encompasses all four later exiles that
Likewise, in the Torah we find the number four appearing in numerous were to befall the Jewish people. And just as we saw the fulfillment of
places: the four matriarchs, the four major rivers that flowed from Gan Hashem’s promise to Avraham that Bnei Yisrael would be redeemed
Eden, the arba turim (the four rows of gems on the choshen), etc.
with great wealth fulfilled when we left Mitzrayim, so too was the
It is clear that the number four has great significance. The natural promise fulfilled at the conclusion of each of the subsequent exiles.
world and the way we interact with it give us an insight into its deepThus we see that the number four as it applies to the galuyos reper meaning. We use the expression “the four corners of the world” in resents the entire history of the Jewish people from its birth as a nation
birchos Shema every morning and we gain our bearings using the until the final Geulah, may it occur speedily.
four cardinal directions (north, south, east, and west).
The sefer Niflaos MiSorasecha observes that the only
Four essential elements make up all of creation (earth,
time
the word ‫ כוס‬appears as a roshei teivos (an acronym)
The number
wind, fire, and water) and the four seasons describe the
in the Torah is in Shemos 9:16: ָ‫ֱמ ְד ִּתיך‬
ַ ‫ְאּולם ַּבעֲבּור זֹאת ֶהע‬
ָ ‫ו‬
four as it applies ‫ה ָארֶץ‬-‫ל‬
naturally occurring cycle of life on Earth during a comָ ‫ּול ַמ ַען ַסּפֵר ְׁש ִמי ְּב ָכ‬
ְ ‫ּכ ִֹחי‬-‫ּבעֲבּור ַה ְרא ְֹתָך ֶאת‬.
ַ The roshei
to the galuyos
plete year.
teivos of the words ‫ּול ַמ ַען ַסּפֵר‬
ְ ‫ ּכ ִֹחי‬spells “kos.” This alludes
What do all of these have in common? Each of these
to the idea that we sing “shirah al hakos,” — the kos acts as
represents the
examples, in its own way, describes a complete and allentire history of a vehicle through which we praise and thank Hashem for
encompassing system.
great miracles that occurred to Bnei Yisrael in Mitzthe Jewish people the
So too in the realm of ruchniyus, four signifies comrayim.
from its birth as
pleteness. The four Imahos together comprised all the
The role of the kos in hallel vehodayah also manifests
characteristics of a true bas Yisrael. All of the Shivtei Ye- a nation until the itself in Halachah. The Mechaber (siman 472) states that
shurun are inscribed on the arba turim, signifying that final Geulah, may one is required to sell his shirt to obtain wine for the arba
the shevatim taken together as a unit (Klal Yisrael) reprein fact, the Mishnah Berurah brings an opinion that
it occur speedily. kosos;
sent more than simply the sum of their diverse parts.
one must even beg door to door (“mechazer al hapeThe number four signifying sheleimus (wholeness)
sachim”). This seems to contradict normative Halachah,
can be used to explain the reason it recurs so often in the Haggadah. which dictates that for a mitzvas aseh, a positive commandment, one
For instance, the arba banim represent all types of sons, signifying need only spend up to a fifth of his resources. No more than that is
that the mitzvah of vehiggadeta lebincha, of transmitting the lesson of required. Why, in the case of the arba kosos does one have to go so far
emunah to the next generation, encompasses every kind of child, each as to sell the shirt off his back to procure wine for the arba kosos?
in a manner appropriate to his own level.
The mitzvah of arba kosos is distinct from most other positive comVehi She’amdah, one of the most poignant passages in the Hag- mandments in that its essential purpose is pirsumei nisa — to publicize
gadah, refers to the Bris Bein Habesarim, the nevuah of galus Mitzrayim. the miracle of Yetzias Mitzrayim. Mitzvos that involve pirsumei nisa are
The Shibolei HaLeket cites a midrash from Shemos Rabbah that the more stringent and more is expected in their fulfillment than for other
Bris alludes to all four galuyos (exiles) that will be experienced by Avra- mitzvos.
ham’s descendants. The pasuk states: “‫והנה אימה חשיכה גדולה נופלת עליו‬
The gemara in Pesachim 91b tells us that the arba kosos repre— And behold, a fear and a great darkness fell over him.” The midrash sent the four leshonos hageulah, the four terms used to describe the
expounds each of the terms to be referring to a different galus: ‫ — אימה‬redemption from Egypt: ‫ ולקחתי‬,‫ וגאלתי‬,‫ והצלתי‬,‫והוצאתי‬. Rabbi Shlomo
continued on page 2
Maggid a
There a Time
of a Kind
The Four Cups of
Old is
'‫ד‬
p6 What's
p7 ‫ענינים‬
p3 IsLimit
p1 Four
p4 IsHefsek
in the
for the
Rav Yacov Felder
New Again
‫ לד' כוסות‬p8 Wine and Their
Shlita
Arba Kosos?
Rabbi Yosef B.
Simon
Arba Kosos?
Rabbi Baruch
Lichtenstein
Richard Rabkin
Rabbi Tsvi
Heber
Significance
Rabbi Shmuel Pinto
Rav Felder continued from page 1
Zalman Auerbach, zt”l, explains that the terms are listed in order of
increasing intensity until it culminates in our being designated as
the chosen nation of Hashem, allowing us a special closeness to
Hashem.1
We can also use Reb Shlomo Zalman’s idea to understand how
the four cups of wine as represented in the four leshonos show completeness.
There is a story2 of a woman, who could walk only with the aid
of crutches, who was on the sixty-fourth floor of Tower 2 on 9/11.
Fellow employees tried to carry her down the stairs but could only
manage five or ten floors. Another coworker she knew only as “Louis”
came upon the struggling group, lifted the woman to his shoulder
and carried her by himself. In the sweltering heat of the stairwell
packed with hundreds of people fleeing the building, Louis carried
this woman down fifty-four flights of stairs, and did not leave her
until she was safely inside an ambulance.
At around the fifteenth floor a rescue worker told Louis that
the woman was out of danger, and suggested he leave her there
and evacuate the building by himself. One could only imagine the
thoughts swirling in Louis’s head at that moment. Surely I’ve already
done enough. No one else would have done half of what I did to save her.
Even a professional fireman says it’s good enough.
Had he heeded that inner voice and decided that, in fact, he had done
enough, the results for that woman would have been very different.
It was not enough for Hashem
that we be freed from physical
slavery, nor was it enough for us to
be freed spiritually. Hashem didn’t
stop until he sealed our status
as His children, the most exalted
people in the world.
So too, lehavdil, Hashem does not suffice with half measures,
chas veshalom. The four leshonos of geulah describe a complete
redemption; it was not enough for Hashem that we be freed from
physical slavery, nor was it enough for us to be freed spiritually.
Hashem didn’t stop until he sealed our status as His children, the
most exalted people in the world. In this way, Hashem has ensured
that Klal Yisrael will continue to thrive as His chosen nation until the
coming of the complete Geulah, ‫בב’א‬.
1. See Rabbi Pinto’s article in this issue for a beautiful elucidation of Rabbi
Auerbach’s idea.
2. Based on an article by Sara Yoheved Rigler.
4
Who
Knows
4 cups of wine
4 questions
4 sons
4 expressions
of geulah
4 corners of
the world
4 cardinal
directions
4 seasons
4 elements
4 imahos
4 turim
4 galuyos
The Number 86
What does the number “86” have to do with the arba kosos?
» 86 is the gematria of ‫כוס‬
» 86 is the number of years of (really) hard labour in Mitzrayim1
» Five times 86 is the number of years we were supposed to
suffer hard labour in Mitzrayim (430)1
» Four times 86, the gematria of 4 x ‫( כוס‬4 kosos), equals the number
of years of hard labour from which Bnei Yisrael was spared.1
» Finally, the minimum shiur (revi’is) of wine for each of the
four kosos is, amazingly, 86 ml.2
No wonder Chazal mandated that we give praise and thanks
to Hashem over four cups of wine at the Seder.
86 as a symbol for shevach vehodaya l’Hashem is applicable
even when it’s not Pesach.
» Both ‫ אלקים‬and ‫ הטבע‬share the same gematria - 86. This
signifies Hashem’s hashgacha within the natural order.
» The number of words in ‫( מודים‬nusach ashkenaz) is - you
guessed it, 86.
Whether for revealed miracles like the makkos and krias
yam suf, or miracles hidden within nature (e.g., the workings
of the human body), it is our special privilege as Jews to give
praise and thanksgiving to Hashem for all that He does for us
everyday.
1. Based on an essay in the Marcus Lehmann Hagadah
2. According to Rav Avraham Chaim Na’ah; see the sefer ‫מאזני צדק‬
2 Dedicated by Mr. and Mrs. Odom Gardin in memory of Odom’s Grandfather Sol Kleinman ‫שלמה מנדל ב"ר דוד ז"ל‬
Is There a Time Limit
for the Arba Kosos?
Rabbi yosef b. simon
I
t is a well-known halachah that one should fulfill the mitzvah of afikoman
before chatzos (halachic midnight, approximately 1:23 a.m. this year).
The question is asked — does this halachah also apply to the arba
kosos?
If so, we would need to eat the afikoman much earlier to allow enough
time to bentch and complete the Haggadah, including Hallel and the arba
kosos, before chatzos.
The halachah regarding the time limit for afikoman finds its source in
Gemora Pesachim 120b, which brings a dispute regarding the deadline for
eating the korban Pesach on the Seder night. Rabbi Elazar Ben Azarya says
until chatzos while Rabbi Akiva holds that the korban Pesach can be eaten
the entire night.
On this machlokes Tannai’m Rava comments that the same argument
pertains to the mitzvah of eating matzah. Some poskim extend this to
include the afikoman that nowadays, when there is no Beis HaMikdash,
symbolizes the korban Pesach.
Le’halachah, some poskim rule like Rabbi Elazar Ben Azarya and therefore say that one should make sure to eat the afikoman before chatzos.
Others maintain that, le’maaseh, Rabbi Akiva also held that one should eat
the afikoman before chatzos in order to distance one from an aveirah. He
only meant that one is yotzei bedieved (after the fact) if he ate it before
morning.
The Rema adds that one should also preferably say the Hallel before
chatzos. But why? Explains the Vilna Gaon that this is meant to ensure that
one will also drink the fourth kos before chatzos. In other words, according
to the Rema as explained by the Gra, the ikar is to drink all four kosos by
chatzos. But in order to do so one must also finish Hallel, since Hallel is said
over the fourth kos.
The question is that this does not seem to be the prevalent minhag
today. Although many are stringent in eating the afikoman before chatzos,
Hallel and the fourth Kos are performed after chatzos, even though the
Rema rules that one should. What is the difference between the mitzvah
of arba kosos, where we are lenient, and the mitzvah of matzah, where we
are strict?
One possible explanation is that the mitzvah of matzah is deOraisa
while the mitzvah of arba kosos is deRabbanan. This approach is questionable since one fulfils his deOraisa obligation of “ba’erev tochlu matzos” with
the first kezayis at Motzi Matzah. The mitzvah of afikoman, as noted above,
is considered by many to be a din deRabbanan representing the korban
Pesach.
Rabbi Moshe Sternbach, shlita, suggests an approach based on a
teaching of Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik, regarding whether all those present at the Seder need to drink the arba kosos or just the one leading the
Seder.
Tosafos and the Rosh both hold that although one should be stringent
in this regard (and the minhag is in fact to be stringent), there is no obligation me’ikar hadin for anyone but the leader of the Seder to drink the four
kosos. This is the same din as for Kiddush, where the concept of ‫שומע כעונה‬
(hearing is like saying) allows those who hear Kiddush to be yotzei without
saying the Kiddush or drinking from the wine.
Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik explains that Chazal established four berachos on the night of the Seder: Kiddush, Ga’al Yisrael,
Birkas Hamazon, and the berachah at the end of Hallel. Furthermore, Chazal instituted that these berachos
should be said over a kos. This could be compared to
sheva berachos that are said on a kos. Therefore, it is no different from Kiddush, which can be said by one person and all
are yotzei through ‫שומע כעונה‬.1
The Kehillas Yaakov cites a proof for the fact that the kosos were instituted not as a mitzvah on their own but rather to accompany the four
berachos, from a Tosafos on Succah 38a, which discusses the obligation of
women to say Hallel. Although women are exempt from the mitzvah of
saying Hallel on Yom Tov generally (because it is a time-bound mitzvah),
nevertheless, says Tosafos, women have a chiyuv to say Hallel on Pesach
night. They bring a proof for this from the fact that women are chayav in
the mitzvah of arba kosos, which, says Tosafos, was instituted because of the
mitzvah of Hallel. Thus, according to Tosafos, we see that the ikar takanah
was Hallel; the kos is an accompaniment.
The Rambam and Sefer HaChinuch say that the mitzvah of sippur Yetzias Mitzrayim is comprised of two aspects. First, of course, there is the telling over of the story of the redemption of Bnei Yisrael from Egypt. The second aspect of the mitzvah is to say Hallel — to praise and thank Hashem
for having redeemed us.
We can explain Rav Moshe Sternbach as saying that although the
mitzvah of matzah can only be performed until chatzos, the mitzvah of
Hallel is the entire night. There is a logical basis to this differentiation. The
matzah symbolizes Yetzias Mitzrayim, which culminated at chatzos when
Paraoh agreed to free us. The obligation to recite Hallel comes after Yetzias
Mitzrayim and can/should last all night. Further, Rav Sternbach explains,
this may be why although Rabbi Elazar Ben Azarya is of the opinion that
matzah can be eaten only until chatzos, he was one of the zekeinim in Bnei
Brak who remained awake until dawn on Seder night, as recounted in the
Haggadah.
Therefore, if Hallel can be said after chatzos then it follows according to
Rav Chaim Soloveitchik that arba kosos, which accompany Hallel, can be
performed after chatzos as well. This may be the reason why although the
Rema suggests that the Hallel (and hence the arba kosos) should be completed before chatzos, it is nevertheless not the prevalent minhag.
May we be zoche to fulfill the mitzvah of arba cosos with all the proper intentions and may we see the geula that they represent speedily in our days.
1. See, on the other hand, Chiddushei HaGriz, who explains that the idea that
the kosos are tafel to the berachos is the opinion of Tosafos. The Rambam however holds that there are in fact two inyanim in the mitzvah of arba kosos:
There is a mitzvah to drink arba kosos as well as a mitzvah to recite the berachos of the Seder on a kos.
Dedicated by Dr. & Mrs. Leiby Weiss in memory of Leiby’s father ‫ לז׳׳נ יואל ב׳׳ר יהודה אריה‬3
Is Maggid a Hefsek in the Arba Kosos?
Rabbi Baruch Lichtenstein
T
here is a famous dispute between the Mechaber, Rav Yosef Karo,
and the Rema on whether one is required to make a berachah
(‫ )בורא פרי הגפן‬on the second of the four kosos. In siman 474, the
Mechaber paskens that we do not make a new berachah because
one already had in mind the second kos when making a berachah
on the first one. Furthermore, the Mechaber holds that reciting the
Haggadah is not considered a ‫הפסק‬, an interruption. The ‫רמ”א‬, on the
other hand, says that although one has in mind the second kos when
making Kiddush on the first one, one still must make a new berachah
because reciting Maggid is considered a ‫הפסק‬. Since it is prohibited
to drink once you start reciting the Haggadah, it is as if one decided
to stop drinking altogether. Therefore, when he drinks the second kos,
a new berachah is required.
This Rema seems inconsistent with his pesak regarding another
halachah. There is a dispute between two Baalei Tosafos (Gemora
in Chullin 86b) regarding whether a new berachah is needed when someone interrupts his meal to daven. The
Gemora there relates that if one says ‫הב לן ונבריך‬
(the Aramaic form of “rabbosai nevarech”) and
then he changes his mind and decides to continue eating, he must make a new berachah
because his calling everyone to bentch is
considered an interruption of the meal.
This is because, as the Gemora puts it,
‫ — “משתא וברוכי בהדי הדדי לא אפשר‬one
cannot bentch and eat at the same time,”
and therefore it is considered a hefsek.
Rabbeinu Yom Tov, quoted by
Tosafos, derives from this that
if one interrupts his meal to
daven, he is required to
make a new berachah
when
he
continues
his meal.
Since
it is
prohibited to eat while one davens, it should be considered a hefsek.
Tosafos himself disagrees with Rabbeinu Yom Tov and says that
the two cases are not comparable. When one says “lets bentch” it is
considered a hefsek because it is a ‫גומר‬, that is, by stating one’s intention to bentch he shows that the meal is over. Therefore, the fact
that it is not permitted to eat while bentching is considered a hefsek
and he needs a new berachah if he decides to delay bentching and
continue eating. Davening, however, does not signify that the meal is
over. Therefore, the fact that one happens to be prohibited from eating during davening does not render davening to be a hefsek. Rather
it is analogous to making a berachah on thunder or lightning during
a meal. Even though during the berachah on thunder/lightning he is
prohibited from eating, he is not required to make another berachah
over the food when resuming his meal.
The Mechaber in siman 178 paskens in accordance with Tosafos
that only an act of gemar, signifying one’s intention to end his meal, is
considered a hefsek. Therefore, one is not required to make another
berachah when he continues to eat after interrupting his meal
to daven. In this case, the Rema does not argue with the Mechaber, meaning that he agrees with this halachah.
The Beis Yosef, a commentary on the Tur that forms the
basis of Rav Karo’s rulings in the Shulchan Aruch, compares
the case of davening during a meal to our original question of making a berachah on the second kos after reciting the Haggadah. He says that the same way davening
is not considered a hefsek, so too the Haggadah that is
said in between the two kosos it is not considered
a hefsek.
This begs the obvious question:
While the Beis Yosef compares the case of davening
during a meal and reciting
the Haggadah and rules
similarly in both cases
(that a new berachah
is not required), the
Rema differentiates and says a
new berachah
is required
for the
sec-
4 Dedicated by the Soroka Family in memory of their husband and father ‫לז׳׳נ דובער ב׳׳ר שאול לייב ז׳׳ל‬
ond kos after reciting the Haggadah but not for the resumption of
the meal after davening. Why? Since neither case represents a gemar
(an intention to stop drinking or complete the meal) neither should
require a new berachah. On the other hand, if the fact that eating is
prohibited is enough to be considered a hefsek, then both should
require a new berachah.
To answer this we look to the ruling of the Rema in a different
case where he introduces yet a third category of hefsek. We will preface this din in the Rema with a review of the Tur and Beis Yosef upon
which it is based.
The ‫ טור‬in ’‫ סימן ח‬has a ‫ספק‬. He is in doubt regarding whether a
new berachah is required when one dons his tallis after having taken
it off with the explicit intention of putting it back on. On the one
hand, it may be like most berachos where only a real hefsek will require a second berachah to be said. On the other hand, perhaps a
new berachah is required for a ‫ ברכת המצות‬because it is as if one is
doing the mitzvah all over again and it shouldn’t matter whether or
not there was a hefsek.
The Beis Yosef does not understand the ‫ ספק‬of the ‫ טור‬since
the answer seems to be obvious based on an explicit Gemorah. The
Gemora in Succah says that when Rava would take off his tefillin to
use the washroom, with the intention of putting them back on, he
would nevertheless make another berachah when donning them
again. Therefore, even though there was no real hefsek one is still
required to make a new berachah. The ‫ מחבר‬in ‫סעיף י”ד‬, therefore
paskens that every time one takes off his tallis or tefillin he must make
a new berachah even though he has in mind to put them back on.
The Rema, on the other hand, argues with the Beis Yosef and says
that one is not required to make a new berachah every time he takes
off and puts back on his tallis or tefillin. He holds that ‫ ברכת המצות‬are
no different from any other berachah; only if there is a hefsek is one
required to make another berachah. The reason why Rava made a
berachah when putting on his tefillin after he used the washroom is
because while in the washroom one is prohibited to wear his tefillin. This is a din in tefillin and therefore it is considered a hefsek. If
one takes off his tefillin because he is going where tefillin cannot be
worn because Hilchos Tefillin say so, it is as if he has finished wearing
them even if he intends to put them back on again. This, according
to Rava, defines a real hefsek.
On the other hand, there is no din that says one may not daven
during his meal — it is not a din in ‫הלכות סעודה‬. The fact that one
cannot eat during davening is a din in ‫הלכות תפילה‬. This is why, according to Rava, interrupting one’s meal to daven is not considered a
hefsek in the meal and one can resume eating without a berachah.
This same idea can explain why the Rema differentiates between
the case of davening during a meal (where the he holds that there
is no hefsek), and reciting a berachah on the second kos at the Seder
(where he considers the Haggadah to be a hefsek). Recitation of Maggid is a prerequisite for fulfilling one’s obligation of the second kos. If
one simply drinks a second kos right after the first without Maggid in
between, he would not fulfill his obligation of the four kosos; rather,
the Haggadah must be recited over the second kos. Thus we see that
the fact that one cannot drink the second kos during Maggid is actually a din in the arba kosos and consequently Maggid is considered a
hefsek in the arba kosos. This is like the case of tefillin, where the din
in tefillin considers a trip to the washroom to be a hefsek, and not
like the case of davening during the meal, which the Rema does not
consider a hefsek. That is why the Rema requires a new berachah on
the second kos.
Since it is prohibited to
drink once you start reciting
the Haggadah, it is as if one
decided to stop drinking
altogether. Therefore, when
he drinks the second kos, a
new berachah is required.
Dedicated by Dr. & Mrs. Colin Geft in memory of Dr. Geft's parents ‫ חיים איסר ב׳׳ר אברהם יצחק ז׳׳ל וחנה בת ר' שבתאי ע׳׳ה‬5
What's Old
is New Again
richard rabkin
That moon we are looking at
right now, is the same moon that
shone for our ancestors as they
went from slavery to freedom
over three thousand years ago.
O
ur people have been retelling the same story for thousands of years,
yet no matter how many Sedarim I experience, I always learn something new.
I remember one Seder about ten years ago when this was particularly
true. Ever since I was three years old, I have spent Pesach with my mother’s
family, first in Boston, then in Portland, Oregon. My uncle led the Sedarim
and gradually passed the honour to his son, my cousin Brian.
That year Brian opened the Seder by saying, “Shanah Tovah.” We all
looked at him quizzically. Perhaps during biur chametz he had torched a
few brain cells as well. “Today is a new year of sorts as well, you know,” he
continued. “What we call Rosh HaShanah on the first of Tishrei, is a new year
as far as the calendar is concerned, but the month of Nisan is really the Rosh
HaShanah for the Jewish people because it marks our birth as a nation.”
Brian then cited the mishnah in tractate Rosh HaShanah that enumerates the four new years that are marked in the Jewish calendar:
The four new years are:
On the first of Nisan, the new year for the kings and for the festivals;
On the first of Elul, the new year for the tithing of animals;
Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Shimon say, in the first of Tishrei;
On the first of Tishrei, the new year for years, for the Sabbatical years and
for the Jubilee years and for the planting and for the vegetables;
On the first of Shevat, the new year for the trees, these are the words of
the House of Shammai;
The House of Hillel says, on the fifteenth thereof.
Every family has at least one heckler at the Seder table (my family is
blessed with many), so my cousin Corrie piped up and said, “Wait a second,
tonight, the first Seder, is the fifteenth of Nisan. If what you say is true, aren’t
we having the Seder two weeks late?”
“Uh…”
Checkmate, Brian.
Brian searched for an answer but couldn’t come up with anything. He
looked at his cousin Richard, fresh out of a stint in yeshivah, for help, but I
shrugged my shoulders. “Sorry, Cousin,” I said. “We spent three months on
one Tosafos about a bor in the reshus harabim (hazard in the public domain).
We didn’t even get to Pesach.”
Corrie’s question went unanswered.
Our Seder concluded and after the dishes got washed Brian and I remarkably had some religious fuel left in our respective tanks so we decided
to sit down and learn arvei Pesachim together. After an hour or so, Brian
asked if the Shabbos timer had turned off the lights in the dining room.
After all, it was still fairly bright. We looked up and indeed the dining room
lights had turned off, but the room was illuminated by the moon’s bright
light that was shining through the skylight.
“That’s why the Seder is on the fifteenth of Nisan!” Brian said triumphantly. “Paroah freed the Jewish people at midnight when the light of the moon
is brightest! On the first of Nisan, on the first of any month for that matter,
the new moon is not visible. But on the fifteenth of the month the moon is
at its fullest, when it gives off the most light. That moon we are looking at
right now, is the same moon that shone for our ancestors as they went from
slavery to freedom over three thousand years ago,” Brian concluded.
Now it was my turn.
“So why didn’t Hashem work it out that Paroah should declare the Jews
free during the day?” I asked. “Maybe it’s because the sun, while necessary
for every living thing on our planet, is not a symbol of the Jewish people —
the moon is. Just before the final plague was levied against the Egyptians,
Hashem stopped to give the Jewish people their first mitzvah as a nation
— Rosh Chodesh.”
“Hachodesh hazeh rosh chodashim, rishon hu lachem lachodshei Hashanah – This month shall be for you the beginning of the months, it shall be
for you the first of the months of the year.”
“What is it about Rosh Chodesh, about the moon, that made it so important to teach the Jews about the mitzvah prior to their departure?”
“The moon is a symbol of rebirth. At the beginning of the lunar month,
the new moon is not visible. But within two weeks it is reborn, full and bright
in the sky. So too was the experience of the Jews in Egypt. They had been
slaves. Without dignity. Without hope. Without light. But in an instant, they
became free people. A nation. A light unto the other nations.
“And isn’t this also the symbol of the Jewish people? Although we may
have had times of struggle, we always have moments of rebirth.”
Brian and I looked at each other and smiled.
“So who wants to wake up Corrie and tell her we have an answer to
her question?” I asked.
6 Dedicated by Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Rubin in memory of their grandfather Sabba Yaakov ‫לז׳׳נ יעקב ב׳׳ר שלום ז׳׳ל‬
4 Topics on 4 Cups
Rabbi tsvi heber
‫שתאן זה אחר זה שלא כסדר לא יצא‬
1. Both men and women are equally obligated1 to drink four cups
of wine at the ‫ סדר‬at their appropriate point; 1) for ‫ ;קידוש‬2)
after ‫ ;מגיד‬3) after ‫ ;ברכת המזון‬and 4) after ‫הלל‬.2
2. If any two of the four cups are drunk consecutively and without
reciting the appropriate parts of the ‫ הגדה‬in between then, the
obligation is not fulfilled.3
3. Women should be particularly careful to recite the appropriate parts of the ‫ הגדה‬in between cups or at least to hear their
husbands recite it — even in between the third and the fourth
cup — so that the obligation is fulfilled properly.4
‫מי שאינו שותה יין‬
1. It is best to use a red,5 non-mevushal,6 alcoholic wine7 that contains a minimum of 6% alcohol.
2. Men who cannot tolerate four cups of strong wine and women8
may use grape juice to dilute the wine or even on its own.9
3. A low-alcohol mevushal wine is preferred over grape juice.10
‫שיעור הכוס‬
1. The cup should be large enough to hold a ‫רביעית‬,11 which is
equal to 3 fluid ounces.
2. Ideally, one should drink the entire cup12 or at least an entire ‫רביעית‬. If this is not possible then the majority of a ‫רביעית‬
should be consumed.13
3. A ‫ ברכה אחרונה‬is recited after the fourth cup.14 One should be
careful to drink an entire ‫ רביעית‬for the fourth cup in order to
necessitate the recital of the ‫ברכה אחרונה‬.15 Alternatively, one
may ask someone else to be ‫ מוציא‬them.
.]‫ט‬:‫ שו”ע [שם‬11
.]‫יט‬:‫ שלחן ערוך הרב [שם‬12
‫ שו”ע [שם] ומשנה ברורה‬13
.‫ס”ק ל‬
.]‫א‬:‫ שו”ע [תפ‬14
.]‫ל‬:‫ משנה ברורה [תעב‬15
.]‫טו‬:‫ שו”ע [תעב‬16
.]‫כה‬:‫ שלחן ערוך הרב [שם‬17
.]‫מז‬:‫ משנה ברורה [שם‬18
‫חינוך ילדים‬
1. It is a ‫ מצוה‬to provide the ‫ ד’ כוסות‬for children who have
reached the age of ‫חינוך‬.16
2. ‫ חינוך‬refers to the age that a child is able to listen to and co prehend some of what is said at the ‫ סדר‬over the four cups of
wine;17 approximately five or six years old.
3. A child does not have to drink more than his or her cheek full
of grape juice.18
‫א גוט יו”ט‬
Both men and women are
equally obligated to
drink four cups of
wine at the ‫ סדר‬at
their appropriate
point.
.]‫יד‬:‫ שולחן ערוך או”ח [תעב‬1
.]‫ח‬:‫ [שם‬2
.]‫ [שם‬3
.‫ ביאור הלכה ד”ה שלא כסדר‬4
.]‫י‬:‫ [שם‬5
.]‫לט‬:‫ משנה ברורה [שם‬6
.‫ מקראי קדש ח”ב סימן לה ועוד פוסקים‬7
.]‫ עי’ הררי קדש במקראי קדש [שם‬8
.]‫לז‬:‫ משנה ברורה [שם‬9
.]‫ הררי קדש [שם‬10
Dedicated by Mr. and Mrs. Yisrael Jacobs in memory of Mrs. Jacobs' grandmother ‫ מרים אביגיל ע׳׳ה‬7
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Kol Torah is a project of the SSCM Weinbaum Learning Centre.
We wish to express our gratitude to the generous sponsors of this issue:
Mr. and Mrs. Odom Gardin • Dr. and Mrs. Colin Geft • Mr. and Mrs. Yisrael Jacobs
Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Rubin • The Soroka Family • Dr. and Mrs. Leiby Weiss
The Four Cups of Wine and Their Significance
rabbi shmuel pinto
C
hazal instituted that we drink four cups of wine at the Seder. What is
the significance of this mitzvah?
According to the Midrash, these four cups correspond to the four
expressions of redemption used by Hashem in His promise to Moshe in
Shemos (6:6–7): 1) “I shall take you out from under the burdens of Egypt;
2) I shall rescue you from their servitude; 3) I shall redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgements; 4) I shall take you to Me for a
people and I shall be a G-d to you.”
We must know, says Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, that the four expressions of redemption are not mere repetitive variations of the same
theme. They each build upon the other, each creating additional levels of
joy. First, “I shall take you out from under the burdens of Egypt,” which is a
relief from physical labour. Second, “I shall rescue you from their servitude”;
this indicates the absolution of all servility. Third, “I shall redeem you with
an outstretched arm,” which refers to the physical extrication of the Jews
from the land of Egypt. Fourth, “I shall take you to Me for a people,” which
indicates the spiritual elevation of the Jews on becoming G-d’s chosen
people. Each expression builds on the effects of the previous one, intensifying the redemption process.
We can now understand why the Sages chose wine as the medium
to express the four expressions of redemption rather than institute a ceremony using four fruits or even four matzos. If four fruits or four matzos
would be eaten at the Seder, there would be four unrelated acts of eating
these foods. The first fruit or matzah is tasty, the second less so (but cer-
I shall take
you out from
under the
burdens of
Egypt
1
2
I shall
rescue you
from their
servitude
tainly not more so), and for the third or fourth there is almost no interest.
With wine, however, the effect of drinking the four is cumulative, each cup
intensifying the feelings of joy and exhilaration over the four-step process
of redemption.
The Baal HaTurim writes that the four expressions of geulah (redemption)
correspond to the four exiles under the four world-dominating civilizations:
Egypt, Babylonia, Greece, and Rome. Thus, redemption is not a one-time
phenomenon but rather an ongoing process. Every year as we experience
more of Hashem’s miracles, we express our gratitude through the four
cups, that we ourselves are being liberated on this night.
But what is the significance of the number four — four cups corresponding to four expressions of redemption?
The Zohar states that “the power of speech” (symbolizing the ability to
speak Hashem’s praises) was in exile in Egypt. It is known that there are five
principal organs of speech: the lips, teeth, tongue, palate, and throat. Of
these, the teeth are symbolized by matzah, which must be finely chewed
before it can be digested, while the other four organs are represented by
the four cups. The four cups, then, and the recitation of the Haggadah,
both symbolize the liberation of the Jew’s ability to praise Hashem, which
was a primary accomplishment of the Exodus.
May we all be zocheh to see the final redemption speedily in our
days.
Rabbi Pinto gives a shiur every Tuesday night on halachah according to Sephardi Gedolim.
I shall redeem
you with an
outstretched
arm and
with great
judgements
3
I shall take
you to Me for
a people and
I shall be a
G-d to you
4
The four cups correspond to the four expressions
of redemption used by Hashem in His promise to Moshe
8