Gemara Clarity

Pesachim 117b

פסחים קי״ז ע״ב

Learn Pesachim 117b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Pesachim 117b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

הלל at the סדר, the wording of ברכה endings, and the third and fourth cups

Overview

The amud opens by asking how far to say הלל before the meal at the סדר: until ״אם הבנים שמחה״, as the משנה says, or until ״בצאת ישראל״, as the ברייתא says. רב חסדא and רבה בר רב הונא each show that the sources need not argue. Each reading strains one source's wording, and both end with a קשיא. Next, explaining 'וחותם בגאולה', רבא and רבי זירא teach that praise of the past uses past tense ('גאל ישראל', 'אשר קדשנו'), while תפילה, a request for mercy, uses request language. רב אחא בר יעקב teaches that קידוש must mention יציאת מצרים. The גמרא then gives sources for the endings 'מגן דוד' and 'מגן אברהם'. רבא disagrees with סבי דפומבדיתא about how תפילה and קידוש end on שבת and יום טוב. Stories about רבא, רב פפא and מרימר show that the הלכה follows סבי דפומבדיתא. Finally, a new משנה describes the third and fourth cups, and רבא rejects רב חנן's proof that ברכת המזון always needs a cup. The amud ends by quoting the משנה about ברכת השיר, which the next amud explains.

Opening lines

מַאי לָאו, בְּהָא קָמִיפַּלְגִי:

What, is it not that they argue about this:

לְמַאן דְּאָמַר עַד ״אֵם הַבָּנִים שְׂמֵחָה״,

According to the one who says 'until "A joyful mother of children"',

סָבַר ״הַלְלוּיָהּ״ — רֵישׁ פִּירְקָא,

he holds that 'Halleluyah' is the start of a chapter,

וּמַאן דְּאָמַר עַד ״בְּצֵאת יִשְׂרָאֵל״,

and the one who says 'until "When Israel came forth"',

The steps (25)

  1. ProofSuggesting the two sources argue about where הללויה belongs
  2. Rejectionרב חסדא: everyone agrees הללויה ends a chapter
  3. ChallengeWhy didn't the משנה just say 'until הללויה'?
  4. Rejectionרבה בר רב הונא: everyone agrees הללויה begins a chapter
  5. ChallengeChallenging the 'until but not including' reading
  6. StatementPast tense in the redemption blessing, present tense in prayer
  7. StatementPast tense in קידוש, request form in prayer
  8. StatementMentioning the Exodus in קידוש
  9. StatementTwo more blessing endings: the daily prayer and the הפטרה
  10. StatementA verse hinting to the ending 'Shield of David'
  11. StatementGod's blessing to אברהם hints to the three forefathers in the prayer
  12. StatementThe first blessing ends with אברהם alone
  13. Statementרבא reports the practice of the סבי דפומבדיתא
  14. Statementרבא's opposing ruling: prayer always ends 'Who sanctifies Israel'
  15. Statementרבא explains the elders' reasoning: who fixes the holy day
  16. Statementרבא's own reasoning: public prayer versus individual kiddush
  17. ChallengeChallenge: prayer can be alone and kiddush can be in public
  18. Resolutionרבא's answer: follow the main, typical way it is done
  19. Proofרבא stays silent when עולא בר רב follows the elders
  20. Proofרב פפא praises a leader who follows the elders
  21. Conclusionמרימר rules that the הלכה follows the elders
  22. Statementמשנה: the third and fourth cups and drinking between cups
  23. Proofרב חנן: ברכת המזון needs a cup of wine
  24. Rejectionרבא: each of the four cups was simply given a מצוה
  25. StatementQuoting the משנה on the fourth cup