Pesachim 108 a. b

Beginning with the mitzvah of drinking four cups of wine at the Pesach seder, today's daf explores some of the mitzvot of Pesach.  The rabbis question whether or not we are allowed to drink between different glasses of wine, whether wine inhibits or enhances appetite, and how much wine should be consumed and from which goblets, whether or not and how much the wine should be diluted, and whether or not children should be drinking the four cups of wine, as well.  The rabbis agree that all cups of wine should be consumed in a way that connotes freedom.

Drinking after our third cup of wine and before our fourth cup of wine might affect our appetite for the final taste of matzah.  Similarly, eating during the day might encourage our appetite for matzah in the evening - or, if we are 'delicate', like Rav Sheshet, eating anything at all might ruin our appetite for matzah in the evening.  We should consume a quarter-log of wine as each 'cup', but it can be diluted 1:3 parts with water.  The rabbis are concerned about beautifying and enhancing the mitzvot, and our wine should be appetizing in colour and in taste.  Children are allowed to drink four smaller cups of wine as well, but it seems that the rabbis are aware that this might encourage children to sleep and thus it is not an obligation.

Reclining while drinking is another site for debate.  Who is obliged to recline?  Are women, servants, waiters and slaves allowed to recline?  In what ways should people recline?  Must we recline to the left, as is the tradition, and why?

All people are obliged to recline, the rabbis tell us, including women.  However, there are a few key caveats. First, the rabbis agree that 'women of importance' should recline.  They state different reasons for this opinion, but most are similar: 'women of importance' do not have to do work including housework, and thus they are used to reclining and should recline at the seder.  Servants, waiters and slaves are obligated to recline, even though they might be serving the food at the seder.  One group stands alone, and that is students whose teachers are present at their seders.  Those students should 'fear' their teachers and should not recline in their presence unless their teachers give permission.  In those circumstances, the students are obliged to reline.

We should recline to the left and not to the right, back or front because that is the manner in which free people recline as it is good for digestion.  In fact, the rabbis are concerned that reclining to the right could force our esophagus and windpipe to shift, leading to a higher risk of choking during the meal.  The rabbis note increased comfort when reclining to the left and eating with the right hand.  

Clearly we learn a great deal about how our rabbis understood the meaning of 'freedom'.  Mimicking the wealthy and powerful is only one way to demonstrate freedom.  But habits of the wealthy and powerful change over time, too.  No-one reclines while eating in today's world - or perhaps everyone slouches while eating.  Drinking four cups of diluted wine is not a sign of freedom, either. But many of the options open to us today were not possible for our Sages.  For example, I could call out to the street to demonstrate my freedom today.  I could participate in political action.  Our Sages could not do this for fear of death.  

Since these customs are truly antiquated, why do we hold fast to them?  Why not create new, more currently meaningful traditions, like leaning on each other while we drink to demonstrate our freedom to love each other openly?  Or taking off our shoes/undoing our belts while we drink to demonstrate our freedom in our bodies?

Traditions take on meaning not because the rituals are inherently meaningful but because we assign meaning to those rituals.  So reclining to the left has taken on meaning at our Peach seders even though reclining to the left holds no meaning in modern society.

Why do some traditions hold and others fade?