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Pesah – The Second of the Four Cups of Wine

The Shulhan Aruch codifies the Halachic requirement to drink the four cups of wine on Pesah "Al Ha’seder," which literally means, "in the proper sequence." Different opinions exist as to what precisely this means. The Peri Hadash (Rav Hizkiya Da Silva 1659-1698) explains this to mean that one must read the Haggada in between the first and second cups of wine. In his view, if a person drank the first cup of wine at the Seder, and then sat there silently until the second cup, he does not fulfill the obligation of the second cup. Since he did not read the Maggid in between the first and second cups of wine, his drinking of the second cup of wine does not fulfill the obligation.

Maran, however, in his Bet Yosef, explains this Halacha differently. He claims that "Al Ha’seder" requires making some interruption between each of the four cups of wine. If a person drinks four cups of wine in immediate succession, then he does not fulfill the Misva. However, according to Maran, one does not have to read the Haggada in between the first and second cups for them to count as two of the required four cups of wine.

This issue is especially relevant with regard to women, some of whom do not always participate in the reading of Haggada. If a woman does not take part at all in Maggid, then, according to one view, she does not fulfill the Misva of the second cup of wine. And this is besides the fact that women are included in the obligation of "Sippur Yesi’at Misrayim," telling the story of the Exodus on Pesah. Therefore, even if a woman does not read the entire Haggada, she should, at very least, participate in the reading of the section of "Rabban Gamliel Omer…" This section records Rabban Gamliel’s statement that one does not fulfill the Misva at the Seder if he does not discuss the reason behind the Korban Pesah, the Masa and the Maror, and then proceeds to explain these Misvot. Women should ensure to participate at very least in the reading of this section, both for the fulfillment of the obligation of "Sippur Yesi’at Misrayim," and for the fulfillment of the obligation of the four cups of wine, which applies to them just as it does to men.

Summary: According to one view, a person does not fulfill the obligation of the second cup of wine at the Seder if he does not read Maggid in between the first and second cup. Therefore, those women who do not fully participate in the reading of Maggid should participate in at least part of Maggid, especially the section of "Rabban Gamliel…"

 


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