שאל בן דמה בן אחותו של ר' ישמעאל את ר' ישמעאל כגון אני שלמדתי כל התורה כולה מהו ללמוד חכמת יונית קרא עליו המקרא הזה לא ימוש ספר התורה הזה מפיך והגית בו יומם ולילה צא ובדוק שעה שאינה לא מן היום ולא מן הלילה ולמוד בה חכמת יונית
Ben Dama, son of Rabbi Yishmael’s sister, asked Rabbi Yishmael: In the case of one such as I, who has learned the entire Torah, what is the halakha with regard to studying Greek wisdom? Rabbi Yishmael recited this verse about him: “This Torah scroll shall not depart from your mouth, and you shall contemplate in it day and night.” Go and search for an hour that is neither part of the day nor part of the night, and learn Greek wisdom in it.
חָכָם מָה הוּא אוֹמֵר? מָה הָעֵדוֹת וְהַחֻקִּים וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ אֶתְכֶם. וְאַף אַתָּה אֱמוֹר לוֹ כְּהִלְכוֹת הַפֶּסַח: אֵין מַפְטִירִין אַחַר הַפֶּסַח אֲפִיקוֹמָן:
What does the wise [son] say? "'What are these testimonies, statutes and judgments that the Lord our God commanded you?' (Deuteronomy 6:20)" And accordingly you will say to him, as per the laws of the Pesach sacrifice, "We may not eat an afikoman [a dessert or other foods eaten after the meal] after [we are finished eating] the Pesach sacrifice (Mishnah Pesachim 10:8)."
מַתְנִי׳ אֵין מַפְטִירִין אַחַר הַפֶּסַח אֲפִיקוֹמָן. גְּמָ׳ מַאי אֲפִיקוֹמָן? אָמַר רַב: שֶׁלֹּא יֵעָקְרוּ מֵחֲבוּרָה לַחֲבוּרָה. וּשְׁמוּאֵל אָמַר: כְּגוֹן אוֹרְדִּילָאֵי לִי וְגוֹזָלַיָּיא לְאַבָּא. וְרַב חֲנִינָא בַּר שֵׁילָא וְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן (אָמַר) [אָמְרוּ]: כְּגוֹן תְּמָרִים קְלָיוֹת וֶאֱגוֹזִים. תַּנְיָא כְּווֹתֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: אֵין מַפְטִירִין אַחַר הַפֶּסַח כְּגוֹן תְּמָרִים קְלָיוֹת וֶאֱגוֹזִים.
MISHNA: One does not conclude after the Paschal lamb with an afikoman. GEMARA: The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of afikoman? Rav said: It means that a member of a group that ate the Paschal lamb together should not leave that group to join another group. And Shmuel said: It means that one may not eat dessert after the meal, like mushrooms for me, and chicks for Abba. And Rav Ḥanina bar Sheila and Rabbi Yoḥanan say: Afikoman refers to foods such as dates, roasted grains, and nuts, which are eaten during the meal. It was taught in a baraita in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yoḥanan: One does not conclude by eating after the Paschal lamb foods such as dates, roasted grains, and nuts.
Epikomazein: the Greek custom of ending a party by bursting out into the street and into other people’s homes, and forcing them to join the party.
Siegfried Stein (The Journal of Jewish Studies, 1957)
Seder: Jews must recline on a couch.
Symposium: Athenaeus (c.200 CE): “men still feasted sitting, but gradually they slid from chairs to couches, taking as their ally relaxation and ease”.
(Both lean to the left!)
Seder: Dip hazeret (i.e. lettuce) in salt water or other liquids.
Symposium: Athenaeus mentions lettuce dipped seven times.
Seder: We eat haroset.
Symposium: Athenaeus describes similar dishes at length, and discusses whether they should be served before or after dinner.
Seder: Four simple questions related to the food.
Symposium: Plutarch (45-120 c.e.): The “questions should be easy, the problems known, the interrogations plain and familiar… so that they may neither vex the unlearned nor frighten them…” Many symposia questions discuss food.
Seder: No afikoman.
Symposium: Yes epikomazein!
מן דאכלון ושתון שרון מטפחין ומרקדקין.
א”ר ליעזר לר’ יהושע עד דאינון עסיקין בדידון נעסוק אנן בדידן.
וישבו ונתעסקו בדברי תורה.
Yerushalmi Hagigah 2:1, 77b
When they had finished eating and drinking they began to clap and dance.
Eliezer said to R. Joshua, instead of occupying ourselves with their [customs], let us sit and occupy ourselves with our own customs.
And they sat and occupied themselves with the words of Torah.
שאל בן דמה בן אחותו של ר' ישמעאל את ר' ישמעאל כגון אני שלמדתי כל התורה כולה מהו ללמוד חכמת יונית קרא עליו המקרא הזה לא ימוש ספר התורה הזה מפיך והגית בו יומם ולילה צא ובדוק שעה שאינה לא מן היום ולא מן הלילה ולמוד בה חכמת יונית ופליגא דר' שמואל בר נחמני דאמר ר' שמואל בר נחמני אמר ר' יונתן פסוק זה אינו לא חובה ולא מצוה אלא ברכה ראה הקב"ה את יהושע שדברי תורה חביבים עליו ביותר שנאמר (שמות לג, יא) ומשרתו יהושע בן נון נער לא ימיש מתוך האהל אמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא יהושע כל כך חביבין עליך דברי תורה לא ימוש ספר התורה הזה מפיך
Ben Dama, son of Rabbi Yishmael’s sister, asked Rabbi Yishmael: In the case of one such as I, who has learned the entire Torah, what is the halakha with regard to studying Greek wisdom? Rabbi Yishmael recited this verse about him: “This Torah scroll shall not depart from your mouth, and you shall contemplate in it day and night.” Go and search for an hour that is neither part of the day nor part of the night, and learn Greek wisdom in it. The Gemara notes: And this statement of Rabbi Yishmael’s disagrees with the opinion of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani, as Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani says that Rabbi Yonatan says: This verse is neither an obligation nor a mitzva, but a blessing. Rabbi Yonatan explains: The Holy One, Blessed be He, saw Joshua and observed that the words of Torah were very precious to him, as it is stated: “And the Lord spoke to Moses face-to-face…and his servant Joshua, son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the Tent” (Exodus 33:11). The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Joshua: Joshua, are the words of Torah so precious to you? I bless you that “this Torah scroll shall not depart from your mouth.”