Pesachim 116b

פסחים קט״ז ע״ב

Learn Pesachim 116b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The end of רבן גמליאל's משנה on explaining פסח, מצה, and מרור and beginning הלל, and the גמרא on lifting the מצה and מרור and whether a blind person must say the הגדה

Overview

This amud finishes the משנה of רבן גמליאל and begins the גמרא on it. רבן גמליאל teaches that at the סדר you must say and explain three things: פסח, מצה, and מרור, each with its reason and a פסוק. The משנה adds that in every generation a person must see himself as if he personally left מצרים. Therefore we must praise ה׳, and we begin הלל. בית שמאי and בית הלל disagree about how much הלל to say before the meal, and רבי טרפון and רבי עקיבא give two versions of the closing ברכת הגאולה. In the גמרא, רבא requires saying 'ואותנו הוציא משם' and teaches that we lift the מצה and מרור but not the meat. רב אחא בר יעקב rules that a blind person is exempt from the הגדה, based on the word 'זה'. The גמרא tests this against the blind sages רב יוסף and רב ששת, who led the הגדה themselves, and it ends by showing that the word 'זה' in the הגדה is needed for its plain meaning, so it does not exclude the blind. Finally, the גמרא quotes the משנה's words 'לפיכך אנחנו חייבים' to open the next discussion.

Opening lines

The steps (22)

1. StatementThree things must be said at the סדר
2. StatementWhy we have the פסח offering
3. StatementWhy we eat מצה
4. StatementWhy we eat bitter herbs
5. StatementEvery person must see himself as having left Egypt
6. ConclusionTherefore we must praise ה׳
7. ConclusionFrom slavery to freedom, and then הללויה
8. QuestionHow far into הלל do we go before the meal?
9. Responseבית שמאי and בית הלל on where to stop
10. StatementEnding with a blessing about redemption: רבי טרפון's version
11. Statementרבי עקיבא adds a prayer for the future redemption
12. Statementרבא: one must say "And He took us out from there"
13. Statementרבא: lift the מצה and מרור, but not the meat
14. Statementרב אחא בר יעקב: a blind person is exempt from the הגדה
15. ProofThe source: the word "this" links the הגדה to the בן סורר ומורה
16. ChallengeTwo blind sages said the הגדה themselves
17. ResolutionThose sages hold מצה nowadays is rabbinic
18. ChallengeBut רב אחא בר יעקב also holds מצה is rabbinic
19. ResolutionRabbinic enactments follow the Torah's model
20. ChallengeWouldn't the blind sages agree to that principle too?
21. ResolutionThe word-link does not work: 'this' in the הגדה is needed
22. StatementQuoting the משנה: Therefore we are obligated