Dear Rabbi Simon,
I hope you don’t mind me contacting you, but I have a couple of Pesach related questions that I would be grateful if you could answer for me please.
The first is regarding the 4 cups for the seder-I just wanted to know what was the minimum requirement for these? I’m assuming the normal ‘l’chaim’
cups that people use for kiddish etc aren’t big enough?
Also, I am askenazi, would I be able to eat at a sephardi family over Pesach, if for that meal there was no kitniot? Or is it a question of I can’t eat there at all?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Many thanks,
Miriam
Dear Miriam
Thank you for your practical questions, which may interest others as well.
The standard “L’Chaim” glasses are indeed too small. After all, they are intended for whisky or liqueur, which are generally sipped in small amounts.
The proper size is slightly less than 100cc, or 3.3 fl oz. This is somewhat less than a standard wine glass, which usually holds 4 or even 5 ounces.
Also, although it is meritorious to drink the whole cup (glass) it is not required to do so. The minimum is only the majority of the 100cc.
Sephardi/Ashkenazi unity: You may eat in the home of Sephardi friends or relatives, even though they cook with kitniyot, as long as you do not actually eat kitniyot directly.
So drink, eat, and celebrate the freedom. (The diet starts tomorrow.)
Hag same’ah
Rabbi Rashi Simon