The Cup of Elijah - Do We Drink From It At The Passover Seder?
There is a longstanding Jewish tradition that Elijah the prophet visits the home of every family celebrating a Passover seder.
In his honor a special cup of wine, referred to as the cup of Elijah, is poured and set aside.
The question is then asked, are we allowed to drink from Elijah's cup, or should it stand untouched? This brief article will attempt to offer several responses on this matter.
The first answer revolves around the number of cups of wine we drink at seder.
There is an unresolved question in the Talmud as to how many cups of wine (or grape juice) one should drink on seder night.
The generally accepted custom is four cups, corresponding to the four levels of redemption that the children of Israel experienced during the exodus from Egypt.
The Torah, in the Book of Exodus, describes these four stages of freedom as follows: 1.
"I will take you out from the suffering of Egypt" 2.
"I will deliver you from their bondage" 3.
"I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments" 4.
"I will take you unto Myself as a nation" This would seem to solve the problem nicely.
One cup of wine for each expression of Divine assistance.
Our only problem is there remains a fifth, as yet unfulfilled level of redemption.
The fifth promise of salvation, which comes in the following verse is: 5.
"I will bring you into the land" Although the return of the Jewish people, from the four corners of the earth, to the land of Israel would seem to indicate that this pledge from the Lord has also been fulfilled, there are those who disagree.
They see this verse as an allusion to a future, as yet unrealized, messianic redemption.
And so, in anticipation of this coming great day, the cup of Elijah remains untouched, until such time as Elijah returns to announce the imminent arrival of the messiah.
Not willing to accept this solution passively, there are those families who share the custom of each participant pouring from their own cup of wine to fill the fifth empty cup.
This symbolizes each member's commitment to do their part in actively bringing about "tikun olam" (repairing the world), the coming of messiah and ultimately the future redemption.
In his honor a special cup of wine, referred to as the cup of Elijah, is poured and set aside.
The question is then asked, are we allowed to drink from Elijah's cup, or should it stand untouched? This brief article will attempt to offer several responses on this matter.
The first answer revolves around the number of cups of wine we drink at seder.
There is an unresolved question in the Talmud as to how many cups of wine (or grape juice) one should drink on seder night.
The generally accepted custom is four cups, corresponding to the four levels of redemption that the children of Israel experienced during the exodus from Egypt.
The Torah, in the Book of Exodus, describes these four stages of freedom as follows: 1.
"I will take you out from the suffering of Egypt" 2.
"I will deliver you from their bondage" 3.
"I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments" 4.
"I will take you unto Myself as a nation" This would seem to solve the problem nicely.
One cup of wine for each expression of Divine assistance.
Our only problem is there remains a fifth, as yet unfulfilled level of redemption.
The fifth promise of salvation, which comes in the following verse is: 5.
"I will bring you into the land" Although the return of the Jewish people, from the four corners of the earth, to the land of Israel would seem to indicate that this pledge from the Lord has also been fulfilled, there are those who disagree.
They see this verse as an allusion to a future, as yet unrealized, messianic redemption.
And so, in anticipation of this coming great day, the cup of Elijah remains untouched, until such time as Elijah returns to announce the imminent arrival of the messiah.
Not willing to accept this solution passively, there are those families who share the custom of each participant pouring from their own cup of wine to fill the fifth empty cup.
This symbolizes each member's commitment to do their part in actively bringing about "tikun olam" (repairing the world), the coming of messiah and ultimately the future redemption.
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