How Much Wine Must One Drink for the Four Cups? Guidance of HaGaon Rav Amrom Fried shlit”a
Question
Hi Rabbi, since Pesach is approaching, I am planning to buy cups for the Leil HaSeder. I wanted to ask if the Rabbi could please explain the opinion of HaGaon Rav Amrom Fried shlit”a regarding how much a person needs to drink for the four cups. I understand that there are different halachos for the cups, and that each cup has its own details. Could the Rabbi also please give some direction on how much one should drink?
Answer
Thank you for your question.
Lechatchilah, a person should drink a shiur of a reviis for each of the four cups on the night of the Seder, and each of the arba kosos should contain a full reviis.
There are two main opinions regarding the size of a reviis. One opinion, which is the larger shiur, holds that a reviis is 150 cc. The second opinion holds that a reviis is 86 cc.
It is especially important that for the first cup, which is the cup of Kiddush, a person should drink the entire reviis. The reason is that the Kiddush of Leil Pesach is considered min haTorah. As the Mishnah Berurah writes (Siman תע"ב ס"ק א), when it comes to a mitzvah that is de’oraisa we should be stringent. Therefore, since the first cup of the Seder is a mitzvah de’oraisa, one should follow the stricter opinion and drink 150 cc.
We also find in many poskim, such as the Or Zarua and the Magen Avraham (Siman תקצ"ז ס"ק ג), that Kiddush al ha’yayin is de’oraisa. And even according to those who hold that Kiddush on Yom Tov is rabbinic, Kiddush on Leil Pesach is considered de’oraisa.(see Midrash Sechel Tov)
Therefore, Rav Amrom Fried shlit”a writes that regardless of what a person’s general minhag may be, whether it’s 86 cc or 150 cc, one should be stringent at least for the first cup of the Seder and drink the full 150 cc, since it is a mitzvah de’oraisa.
Additionally, for both the first cup and the fourth cup, one should drink the entire reviis, not only rov reviis (most of a reviis).
The reason for the first cup is because we are fulfilling the mitzvah of Kiddush b’makom seudah. Normally, when we make Kiddush we eat the meal immediately afterward. However, on Leil HaSeder we do not eat the meal right away; the meal comes much later. So where is the seudah for Kiddush? The answer is that the reviis of wine itself serves as the seudah. This is brought in Shulchan Aruch (Siman רס"ג סעיף ה), where the opinion of the Geonim is mentioned that drinking a reviis of wine can be considered a seudah for Kiddush b’makom seudah. Therefore, one should drink a full reviis.
The reason for the fourth cup is because afterward we recite the bracha acharona of me’ein shalosh, and in order to recite that bracha one must drink a full reviis, as brought in the Taz (Siman תע"ב ס"ק א).
Therefore, a person should drink a full reviis for the first and fourth cups.
However, if a person drank only rov reviis, he has still fulfilled the mitzvah. Rov reviis according to the larger measurement is 76 cc, and according to the smaller measurement it is 44 cc.
Rov Kos
There is also another opinion in halacha. The Mishnah Berurah (Siman תע"ב ס"ק ל"ג) writes that it is proper to take this opinion into consideration. According to this view, drinking rov reviis works only if the cup itself holds exactly a reviis. In that case, by drinking most of the cup one is also drinking rov reviis.
However, if the cup holds much more than a reviis, then drinking rov reviis would not be sufficient. Rather, what would be required is rov kos, meaning most of the cup.
Therefore, if it is difficult for a person to drink a large amount of wine and he plans to drink only rov reviis, it is better to buy a cup that holds exactly a reviis. In that way, by drinking most of the cup he will also have rov kos and rov reviis.
Drinking the Entire Cup – Kol Kos
There are also opinions, such as the Bach and the Gra (Siman תע"ב סעיף י"ט), who hold that ideally one should drink the entire cup, not only a reviis.
In Practice
Therefore, Rav Amrom Fried shlit”a says that a person should try to satisfy all the opinions. One should ideally buy a cup that holds a full reviis (150 cc) and drink the entire cup.
However, if drinking a large amount of wine is difficult, such as for someone who is not well or for children, one should buy a cup that holds exactly a reviis. Then even if one drinks most of the cup, he will still fulfill many opinions, since he will have rov kos and rov reviis.
Wishing you a Chag Kasher veSameach.
Source
Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim סימן תע"ב
Mishnah Berurah סימן תע"ב ס"ק א, ל"ג
Taz סימן תע"ב ס"ק א
Magen Avraham סימן תקצ"ז ס"ק ג
Or Zarua הלכות פסח
Bach סימן תע"ב סעיף י"ט
Gra סימן תע"ב סעיף י"ט
Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim סימן רס"ג סעיף ה
Azamroh Lishmecho - #325
