Rabbi Shulman explains the halachah of **not eating or drinking after the fourth cup**, rooted in **“אין מפטירים אחר הפסח אפיקומן,”** so that the taste of the מצה (as זכר לקרבן פסח) remains in one’s mouth. He clarifies why the **third and fourth cups** do not contradict this rule—because they are themselves **mitzvah-drinking**—and why additional flavored drinks (even more wine) are still prohibited, with **water** as the primary exception. Rabbi Shulman concludes by emphasizing the larger רוח: the seder night should be lived with **simchah, clarity, and song**, ideally extending through the night for those able to do so.

Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/gvuros-hashem-65i-20260920-190925-outline-20260920-190950.pdf

Rabbi Shulman learns a passage (פרק ס״ו) from the Maharal (אמר יהודה בן בצלאל) arguing that any great divine act must have a correspondingly great purpose. He shows how the Torah itself defines the telos of Yetziat Mitzrayim: that Hashem be our God and that His שכינה dwell among us—seen through the sequence of redemption, Aseret HaDibrot, Mishpatim, and finally the Mishkan. Rabbi Shulman then addresses the philosophical challenge: if “השמים כסאו והארץ הדום רגליו,” why would Hashem choose to dwell in the lowly physical world, and he begins explaining that the deepest קשר is specifically between the עילה (Bestower) and the עלול/מקבל (recipient).

Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/gvuros-hashem-66a-20260920-190630-outline-20260920-190706.pdf

Rabbi Shulman analyzes the Maharal’s approach to the “fifth cup” at the Seder, framing it as a *reshut* precisely because it represents a higher, more subtle category of Hashem’s kindness—especially *parnasah*—beyond the baseline gratitude owed for *geulah*. He then tackles a practical-nusach problem: if *Hallel HaGadol* belongs to the fifth cup (parnasah), why do many Hagados place it on the fourth cup, even interrupting between Hallel and its concluding *berachah* (*Birkat HaShir*)? Rabbi Shulman clarifies the Maharal’s preferred structure: keep the formal Hallel framework intact, and place additional praises (like Nishmat and Hallel HaGadol) only afterward—either with a fifth cup or without.

Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/gvuros-hashem-65h-20260906-220531-outline-20260906-220603.pdf