Sunday, February 14, 2021

Pesachim 86 - Two groups of people, two Seders

To eat a Passover lamb, people had to register for it first. Once they are registered and the time to eat it comes, they cannot change their minds. They must eat it in the house where they started and cannot change this either. However, before starting the Seder, if they decide to separate into two groups, they are perfectly allowed to do so.

There was a custom to dilute the intense wine served at the table with hot water. The water would come from a kettle, and the kettle could be positioned between the groups - again, this separation created no problem. However, the waiter who would be pouring this water had to be careful to eat with only one group. When he is serving the other group members, he keeps his mouth shut until he returns to his own group. A bride who is at the Seder with her new family for the first time can turn the face away, not observing the rules of the waiter.

Rav Huna once came to a new place. His actions seemed unusual to the people there, and they questioned him about every one of them. For example, he said that his name was Rav Huna. That seemed presumptuous - just give you name, no "Rav!" - He said, I was called Rav Huna since childhood. When he drank, he did not turn his face away. That looked immodest to them. He said: "We learned - only a bride needs to turn her face away!"

Art: Young Man Drinking a Glass of Wine by Jan van Bijlert


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