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282 · Hilchot Leil Haseder I Tzurba M’Rabanan
Kadesh
The Mitzva of Drinking Four Cups of Wine
The Gemara teaches that there is a rabbinic mitzva to drink four cups of wine on the Seder night.
h Masechet Pesachim 108b :חק םיחספ תכסמ 2 .
It was taught in a beraita: Everyone is obligated regarding ,וללה תוסוכ העבראב ןיבייח לכה :ןנבר ונת
the four cups; men, women and children. .תוקונית דחאו ,םישנ דחאו םישנא דחא
The Gemara (Pesachim 117b) explains the reason as follows: “The four cups of wine were instituted as a
manner of freedom.” The Rambam explains this to mean that by drinking the four cups, we demonstrate
that we are free people.
r Rambam, Hilchot Chametz Umatza 7:6-7 ז-ו:ז הצמו ץמח ׳לה | ם”במר 3 .
6) In every generation, a person is obligated to depict himself ומצע תא תוארהל םדא בייח רודו רוד לכב )ו
as if he himself came out of the slavery in Egypt right now, םירצמ דובעשמ התע אצי ומצעב אוה וליאכ
as it is stated: “And He took us out from there” (Devarim םירבד( ’וגו ”םשמ איצוה ונתואו“ רמאנש
6:23). Regarding this matter, the Holy One, blessed be He הרותב אוה ךורב שודקה הוצ הז רבד לעו ,)ו
commanded in the Torah: “And you shall remember that you וליאכ רמולכ – )ה םירבד( ”תייה דבע יכ תרכזו“
were a slave in Egypt” (Devarim 5:14), i.e., as if you yourself .תידפנו תוריחל תאציו דבע תייה ךמצעב התא
were a slave and came out to freedom and were redeemed.
ךירצ הזה הלילב םדא דעוסשכ ,ךכיפל )ז
7) Therefore, when one eats on this night, he must eat and
drink while reclining in a manner of freedom, and everyone, לכו ,תוריח ךרד בסימ אוהו תותשלו לוכאל
whether men or women, are obligated to drink four cups of תותשל בייח םישנ ןיב םישנא ןיב דחאו דחא
wine on this night. One may not decrease from that [amount], ןיתחופ ןיא ,ןיי לש תוסוכ העברא הזה הלילב
and they may not give even a poor person who is supported אל הקדצה ןמ סנרפתמה ינע וליפאו ,םהמ
from charity less than four cups. .תוסוכ העבראמ ול ותחפי
Since the Rambam groups the mitzva of drinking four cups together with other activities demonstrating
freedom, such as reclining, it is evident that drinking a large amount of wine is another method of
demonstrating our freedom, as a slave would not be permitted to drink as much as he wants. Nevertheless,
the Sages instituted the practice of drinking specifically four cups of wine to correspond to the four
expressions of redemption, as explained by Rashi.
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