What’s the smallest Shiur in ounces for the four cups of the Pesach Seder?
I understand that the first one is דאורייתא, so it’s probably more. But what about the last 3?
Answer:
The following are the minimal amounts for the Seder:
• The cup must hold a Revi’is of wine (or diluted wine or grape juice, if necessary).
The size of a Revi’is according to R. Chaim Naeh is 86 milliliters, which is approximately 3 US fl oz1.
Generally speaking, for a Kos Shel Brocho, it is recommended to opt for a slightly larger cup – 100ml (3.4oz) or more – to account for other opinions, as well as for the wine spilled before drinking etc. See also here.
On the other hand, for the Seder specifically, there’s a custom to drink each of the four cups in one shot, so it’s advisable to choose a cup size that allows fulfilling this custom, avoiding excessively large cups.
• One must drink at least enough wine to fill one side of the cheek; this is a majority of a Revi’is. In other words, one must drink at least a majority of 3 ounces for each of the first 3 cups.
For the last cup, in order to recite the after blessing, one should drink an entire Revi’is. Alternatively, one may be yotzei the Bracha Acharona from someone else who drank a full Revi’is.
• In pressing situations, one may use Chamar Medina for the Arba Kosos. Examples of Chamar Medina are coffee or tea. (See more here).
See Shulchan Aruch Admur Hazaken 472:17-21; 27-29. 483:4. See also here and the references in Hebrew.
P.S.: According to Halacha, Kiddush on Yom Tov is not considered דאורייתא (a biblical obligation), and the same applies to Shabbos if one has already davened Maariv.
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