Pesachim 118a

פסחים קי״ח ע״א

Learn Pesachim 118a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Pesachim 118a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

הלל on the fourth cup: ברכת השיר, הלל הגדול and God feeding the world, and why the regular הלל is said

Overview

The משנה says that on the fourth cup of the Seder we finish הלל and say ברכת השיר. The גמרא first asks what ברכת השיר is (רב יהודה: יהללוך; רבי יוחנן: נשמת). It then brings רבי טרפון's view that we also say הלל הגדול, gives three views on where הלל הגדול begins, and explains that it is 'great' because God feeds every creature. That theme leads to a series of teachings on how hard it is to provide food: harder than childbirth and than גאולה, and as hard as קריעת ים סוף. Teachings of רבי אלעזר בן עזריה follow, grouped by their author, about the body, the festivals, and לשון הרע. Then the גמרא asks why we also say the regular הלל, and answers that it contains five great themes, from יציאת מצרים to חבלו של משיח. Other answers point to the rescue of צדיקים from גיהנם and to חנניה, מישאל and עזריה in the fiery furnace. This leads to stories about גבריאל and אברהם in נמרוד's furnace and about the angel of hail, and גבריאל's plan to cool the furnace from within continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (37)

1. QuestionWhat is the blessing of song?
2. Responseרב יהודה: It is 'They shall praise You'
3. Responseרבי יוחנן: It is 'The breath of all living'
4. Statementרבי טרפון: Add הלל הגדול on the fourth cup
5. StatementOthers say: 'The Lord is my shepherd'
6. QuestionWhere does הלל הגדול begin?
7. Responseרבי יהודה: Only Psalm 136
8. Responseרבי יוחנן: Start from 'A song of ascents'
9. Responseרב אחא בר יעקב: Start from 'For God chose Jacob'
10. QuestionWhy is it called הלל הגדול?
11. ResponseBecause God sits on high and feeds every creature
12. StatementThe 26 times הודו appears match 26 generations before מתן תורה
13. StatementThanking God for punishing each person according to what they can handle
14. StatementEarning a living is twice as hard as giving birth
15. StatementEarning a living is harder than redemption
16. Statementאדם cries over eating like an animal and is comforted by bread
17. StatementWe would have been better off eating grass
18. StatementProviding food is as hard as splitting the sea
19. StatementRelieving oneself is like being saved from death
20. StatementDisrespecting the festivals is like idol worship
21. StatementSpeakers, accepters, and false witnesses deserve to be thrown to the dogs
22. QuestionWhy say the regular הלל if הלל הגדול exists?
23. ResponseThe regular הלל contains five great themes
24. ProofSources in הלל for the first four themes
25. ProofThe fifth theme: 'לא לנו' refers to שעבוד מלכיות
26. StatementAnother version: 'לא לנו' refers to the war of גוג ומגוג
27. Responseרב נחמן בר יצחק: הלל mentions saving souls from גיהנם
28. Responseחזקיה: הלל describes the righteous going into the fiery furnace and coming out
29. ProofThe going down into the furnace: who said each verse
30. ProofComing out of the furnace: who said each verse
31. StatementSome say the angel גבריאל said the last verse
32. Statementגבריאל offers to save אברהם from נמרוד's furnace
33. Statementה׳ answers: the One and Only should save the one and only
34. Conclusionגבריאל is rewarded: he will save three of אברהם's descendants
35. StatementThe hail angel offers to cool the furnace
36. Rejectionגבריאל rejects the hail angel's plan
37. Statementגבריאל offers a greater miracle: fire cooling from within