Gemara Clarity

Pesachim 109a

פסחים ק״ט ע״א

Learn Pesachim 109a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Pesachim 109a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Engaging children on ליל הסדר, שמחת יום טוב with wine, and the size of the רביעית

Overview

This amud begins with ways to keep children awake and curious on ליל הסדר. Adults hand out roasted grains and nuts, as רבי עקיבא himself did, and רבי אליעזר says we 'grab' the מצות so the children stay alert and ask questions. A ברייתא adds that רבי עקיבא ended his learning early only on ערב פסח, for the children, and on ערב יום הכיפורים, so his students would feed their children. Next, a ברייתא teaches that a person must make his household happy on יום טוב, based on 'ושמחת בחגך.' The תנא קמא says this is done with wine. רבי יהודה says each person gets what suits them: wine for men, and new clothing for women. רבי יהודה בן בתירא adds that when the בית המקדש stood, שמחה was through eating שלמים meat, and today it is through wine. The גמרא then defines the רביעית, the minimum cup of wine, using known vessels from ציפורי and טבריה and רב חסדא's measurement in fingerbreadths. It begins a ברייתא about the size of a מקוה to support רב חסדא, and that calculation continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

קְלָיוֹת וֶאֱגוֹזִין בְּעֶרֶב פֶּסַח

Roasted grains and nuts on Passover eve

כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁנוּ, וְיִשְׁאֲלוּ.

so that they will not sleep, and so that they will ask.

אָמְרוּ עָלָיו עַל רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא

They said about Rabbi Akiva

שֶׁהָיָה מְחַלֵּק קְלָיוֹת וֶאֱגוֹזִין

that he would distribute roasted grains and nuts

The steps (16)

  1. StatementGiving children roasted grains and nuts on ערב פסח
  2. Proofרבי עקיבא practiced this himself
  3. Statementרבי אליעזר: grab the מצות so the children stay awake
  4. Statementרבי עקיבא only ended learning early on two days
  5. StatementThe reasons for רבי עקיבא's two exceptions
  6. StatementObligation to make one's household happy on יום טוב
  7. ResponseThe first opinion: make them happy with wine
  8. Statementרבי יהודה: each group gets what suits them
  9. QuestionMen with wine, but what about women?
  10. Responseרב יוסף: women are made happy with new clothing
  11. StatementRejoicing with meat when the בית המקדש stood, and with wine today
  12. StatementThe ציפורי vessel used to measure the רביעית
  13. StatementThe old טבריה measure used to find the רביעית
  14. StatementThe רביעית measured in fingerbreadths
  15. ProofA ברייתא about the מקוה as the source for רב חסדא
  16. QuestionHow much water is a valid מקוה?