On This Night We Lean

Hope this is of interest.

I’m partic interested in the democratic nature of the unique democratic element of the command to lean specifically including the poor, on Pesach,

 

Happy Pesach,

 

 

Mishnah Pesachim 10:4 (as per Bavli)

They mix the second cup and the at this point the child asks the parent, and if there is no knowledge in the child, the parent teaches them –

How different this night is from all other nights.

For on all nights we eat chametz or matzah, this night only matzah

For on all nights we eat other vegetables, this night maror.

For on all nights we eat roast, boiled or stewed meat, this night roasted.

For on all nights we dip once, this night twice.

 

Mishnah Pesachim 10:4 (as per Rambam)

They mix the second cup and the at this point the child asks and reads -

How is this night different from all other nights;

For on all nights we don’t even dip once, this night twice.

For on all nights we eat chametz or matzah, this night only matzah

For on all nights we eat roast, boiled or stewed meat, this night roasted.

For on all nights we eat other vegetables, this night maror.

For on all other nights we eat either sitting or reclining, this night we all lean?

 

Ester 1:6

There were hangings of white, green and blue, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble; the beds were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of alabaster, marble, mother of pearl, and precious stones.

 

Tosefta Brachot 5:5

What is the arrangement of reclining? Where there are two cushions, the most important person reclines at the head of the first. The second is below him.

Where there are three cushions, the most important person reclines at the head of the middle, the second is above him, the third is below him.

 

Josh Kulp: The Schechter Hagadah

Reclining was customary in Greco-Roman banquets and helped distinguish normal eating from formal ‘dining.’ In the Greco-Roman world banquets were typically eaten while reclining on a triclinium, three elevated mattresses arranged in the shape of the Greek letter Pi. In front of each mattress was a table which was brought to the diner and taken away at various points in the meal. People reclined to their left, so that they could use their right hand to eat.

 

Floor Mosaic, Sephoris

 

Pesachim 108a

Leaning to the right is not reclining. Moreover he may put [food] into the windpipe before the gullet, and endanger himself.

 

Mishnah Brachot 6:6

When they sit [yoshvin] each blesses themselves. When they lean [heyseivu] one blesses for all.

Ovadiah M’Bartenura

Sitting without leaning is a sign that they are not coming together to eat.

 

Mishnah Pesachim 10:1

On the eve of Pesach … even the poor of Israel don’t eat until they are leaning[JG1]  .

 

Talmud Yerushalmi

Said Rabbi Levi, it is the way of slaves to eat standing up, but here they eat leaning to make it known that they have left servitude for freedom.

 

Exodus 13

So God led the people around [vayaasev], through the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea.

Exodus Rabba 20:18

The Rabbis have learned from this that even the poorest man in Israel must not eat without leaning for so the Holy Blessed One did for them as it says ‘So God made the people recline [vayaasev[JG2]  ].’

 

Yalkut Halachot Aramchal

HaRav Rabeinu Haim wrote that leaning to the left is spefically in their time, as they would lean on beds, now its fine with any kind of leaning. And HaRav Rabeinu Haim explained that on the contrary, the way of kings nowadays is to eat without leaning [slouching[JG3]  ?],

However since we usually eat without leaning during the year, this is now a marker of freedom.

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 The newness is the democracy

 Tenuous

 Maharil - not freedom, on the contrary, looks like you are ill.

Contemp sensibilities - German Reform