The pashut pshat why we need 4 cosos is like the gemara says in pesachim (117b): אַרְבַּע כָּסֵי תִּיקְּנוּ רַבָּנַן דֶּרֶךְ חֵירוּת, כֹּל חַד וְחַד נַעֲבֵיד בֵּיהּ מִצְוָה. Meaning, chazal were mesakein to do four mitzvos al hacos on seder night. Kiddush requires a cos, we say the haggadah al hacos, we bentch al hacos, and we say hallel al hacos (cos yeshuos esa uv’sehm Hashem ekra). One can ask why we’re limited to only have 4 mitzvos al hacos, but these are all specific mitzvos that have a shaychus to being said al hacos. We say the hagadah on the matzao (lechem sheonin alav divarim harbeh), so it’s not strange that it must be said on a cos as well. See the haggadah m’beis levi (brisk) where saying the haggada on the matzos is compared to saying kiddush on a cup of wine. The lashon of the Rambam in hilchos chametz u’matza perek 7 is explicit that each of these mitzvos need a cos: כָּל כּוֹס וְכוֹס מֵאַרְבָּעָה כּוֹסוֹת הַלָּלוּ מְבָרֵךְ עָלָיו בְּרָכָה בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָהּ. וְכוֹס רִאשׁוֹן אוֹמֵר עָלָיו קִדּוּשׁ הַיּוֹם. כּוֹס שֵׁנִי קוֹרֵא עָלָיו אֶת הַהַגָּדָה. כּוֹס שְׁלִישִׁי מְבָרֵךְ עָלָיו בִּרְכַּת הַמָּזוֹן. כּוֹס רְבִיעִי גּוֹמֵר עָלָיו אֶת הַהַלֵּל וּמְבָרֵךְ עָלָיו בִּרְכַּת הַשִּׁיר. See the Brisker Rov on the rambam perek 7 (in sefer) who explains this aspect of the arba cosos at length.
It is true that chazal darshen in shemos raba (6:4) that the 4 cosos are c’neged the 4 leshonos of geulah, but, as R’ Belsky explains in the haggadah b’tzeis yisroel, this is just a remez of chazal and not at all the ikkur reason for 4 cosos.
The brisker rov (in sefer ibid) also explains that there is another demension of 4 cosos, which is the din shtiyas yayin. See R’ Belsky’s haggada on this as well, that drinking a lot of wine shows cheirus, as the gemara quoted early said אַרְבַּע כָּסֵי תִּיקְּנוּ רַבָּנַן דֶּרֶךְ חֵירוּת.
Menu