Af Hen: Inclusion in the Miracle אף הן היו באותו הנס

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Women are obligated in these four cups since they, indeed/too, were part of that miracle.

And Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Women are obligated in these four cups of wine at the Passover seder.

As Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Women are obligated in lighting the Hanukkah light, as they too were included in that miracle of being saved from the decree of persecution.

Were part of that miracle – the Greeks decreed that all virgin brides be bedded first by the commander, and the miracle was performed through a woman.

And this [interpretation] is difficult, for the language "since they were also" implies that they were secondary, and according to his [Rashbam's] interpretation, it should have said "since they were". Therefore, it seems to me, that they were also potentially going to be wiped out and killed, and so too on Pesach, when they were enslaved to Pharaoh in Egypt, and in Chanukah, the decrees applied to them too....

Bar Kappara said…”they, too, were in the uncertainty.”

...And this that we say that they [women] are exempt from [the commandment of] sukka, even though that even they were in that same miracle, is [based on] "that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths" (Leviticus 23:43), there, is regarding a positive Torah commandment. However, regarding the four cups, which is rabbinic, they established it also for women, since they were in that same miracle.

Since they were also part of the same miracle. In the matter of Matzah, there is one who asks why do we need this comparison, that everyone who is included in the prohibition of eating leavened bread is included in the positive commandment of eating Matzah. [Why not] learn it from them having been part of the same miracle? And it should be said, that this reason [part of the same miracle] does not obligate one but Rabbinically, so we need the comparison.

It seems from here that a woman is exempt from hallel on Sukkot and Shavuot, and the reason is that it is a positive time bound mitzva…. Hallel on Pesach is different because it is on a miracle, and they too were part of that miracle, but here [on other festivals] it is not recited because of a miracle.

The reasoning of “inclusion in the miracle” is only applicable to miracles that happened to Israel when they were in danger and escaped it, like megilla, the four cups, and Chanuka lights.

Since they [women] are obligated [in megilla] based on the general rationale that they, too, were part of that miracle, and men are obligated based on the prohibition of straying from the sages’ directives, it [the obligation in megilla] is for them [men] akin to a Torah law. If so, for this reason women do not discharge men’s obligation.

… And it seems that, since they are obligated in megilla reading, they may fulfill the obligation on others’ behalf, as it says (19b) “All are fitting to read the megilla,” and the term “fitting” indicates reading for others. And we say in Erchin (3a) “’All’ – to include women,” and it seems that the Mishna includes them. And also regarding Chanuka they said (Shabbat 23a) she lights on behalf of others since she is obligated.

בתפים ובמחלת WITH TIMBRELS AND WITH DANCES — The righteous women in that generation were confident that God would perform miracles for them and they accordingly had brought timbrels with them from Egypt (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 15:20:2).