Chapter X

1. On the eves of the passovers near to the time of evening prayer a man
must not eat till it be dark. And even the poorest in Israel must not eat
till he can recline at ease, and they must not withhold from him the four
cups of wine, even though he receives the weekly alms.

2. When they mix for him the first cup of wine,(183) the school of Shammai
say, "he shall repeat the blessing for the day, and after that the
blessing for the wine." But the school of Hillel say, "he shall repeat the
blessing for the wine, and after that the blessing for the day."

3. The attendants bring before him greens and lettuce. He dips the lettuce
in its sauce till he come to the time for the seasoning of the bread. They
bring before him unleavened bread, and lettuce, and the fruit sauce, on
two dishes, even though the fruit sauce is not a command. Rabbi Eleazar,
the son of Zadok, said (it is) "a command, and in the time of the
sanctuary they used to bring before him the body of the passover
offering."

4. The attendants mixed for him the second cup, and here the son asks his
father, and if the son have no knowledge his father teaches him, "in what
is this night different from all other nights?" "Because in all other
nights we eat leavened and unleavened bread. In this night all is
unleavened. Because in all other nights we eat every herb, in this night
bitter herbs. Because in all other nights we eat flesh roasted, well
boiled, and boiled. In this night all is roasted. Because in all other
nights we dip what we eat once, in this night twice" (_i.e._, in the sauce
and in the seasoning). And according to the knowledge of the son his
father teaches him. He begins in shame and he ends in praise. And he
expounds from "a Syrian ready to perish was my father,"(184) till he end
the whole passage.

5. Rabban Gamaliel used to say, "everyone who did not speak of these three
things in the passover did not discharge his duty, and these are they: the
passover, the unleavened bread, and bitter herbs. Passover, because
OMNIPRESENCE passed over the houses of our fathers in Egypt. Unleavened,
because our fathers were redeemed from Egypt. Bitter, because the
Egyptians made the lives of our fathers bitter in Egypt." In every
generation man is bound to look to himself as though he in person went out
from Egypt, as is said,(185) "And thou shalt show thy son in that day,
saying, This is done because of that which the Lord did unto me when