Why four cups of wine by the seder?

Wine is considered a royal drink, one that symbolizes freedom. It is the appropriate beverage for the nights when we celebrate our freedom from Egyptian bondage.

Many reasons are given for drinking four cups of wine. Here are some of them:

When promising to deliver the Jews from Egyptian slavery, G‑d used four terms to describe the redemption (Exodus 6:6-8): a) "I shall take you out..." b) "I shall rescue you..." c) "I shall redeem you..." d) "I shall bring you..."

The four cups symbolize our freedom from our four exilesWe were liberated from Pharaoh's four evil decrees: a) Slavery. b) The ordered murder of all male progeny by the Hebrew midwives. c) The drowning of all Hebrew boys in the Nile by Egyptian thugs. d) The decree ordering the Israelites to collect their own straw for use in their brick production.

The four cups symbolize our freedom from our four exiles: The Egyptian, Babylonian, and Greek exiles, and our current exile which we hope to be rid of very soon with the coming of Moshiach.

The words "cup of wine" are mentioned four times in Pharaoh's butler's dream (Genesis 40:11-13). According to the Midrash, these cups of wine alluded to the Israelites' liberation.

According to Kabbalah, there are four forces of impurity (anti-divinity, or kelipah). On Passover, when we celebrate our physical freedom, we also celebrate our liberation from these spiritual forces. Our physical departure from Egypt was a reflection of our spiritual one—we were pulled from the clutches of depravity and impurity and set on the path to receiving the Torah and connecting with G‑d.

By Naftali Silberberg

Rabbi Silberberg resides in Brooklyn, NY, with his wife Chaya Mushka and their three children.

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March 21, 2013

Re: four cups

Many of the reasons given here, including perhaps the most famous one about the four cups corresponding to the four terms used to describe the redemption, are from the Jerusalem Talmud and Midrash. In fact, much of the present day Haggadah was around even before Talmudic times.

Yehuda Shurpin for Chabad.org

March 21, 2013

Four Cups

While all the meanings for the Four Cups are modern reflections and interpretations for devotional use, the real reason is that in ancient times wine was expensive and for Pesach our poor could not afford it. The Mishnah tell us that every table should have at least Four Cups of wine (liquid measure), even if it came from the "community fund". In Mishnaic times (200 C.E.) our modern Seder was not yet formed and the use and function of the Four Cups was different then today.

Dr. Ismael Otero
New Mexico

April 5, 2012

ALternatively, there's four cups of wine because the entire Seder is a mnemonic device based on fours.
put wine, water, vegetable, and matzoh at the four corners.
Wine, wash hands, dip veg, aficomen (main thing) then the ...FOUR tellings of passover, (seond cup...and restart the order)
wine, wash hands, vegetable, then matzoh (the main meal). third cup, other prayrers, then fourth cup.

nerdpocalypse
havre de grace, md

March 17, 2012

Four Cups of Wine

Do we know actually when the tradition of adding the four Cups of Wine was added to the Exodus 12 institution?

Rivka
Freehold, NJ, USA

April 23, 2008

Four Cups of Wine was too much for me!

My sincere appreciation for Mr. Silberberg's articles that are filled with biblical knowledge. It has helped me gain insight.

Although I drank four cups of Kosher red wine during Seder, it was too much for me all at once. On the other hand, I look at the generational faith that brought freedom from bondage and Seder accomplishes that freedom for me. I hope when we drink four cups of wine, we are looking forward for that freedom (by faith) that has kept us slaves to our inhibitions. Hope this Seder will be meaningful to all of you.

Have a blessed Pesach!

Elizabeth
chabadofbakersfield.com

April 19, 2008

website

This is one of the most helpful and accessible websites I have ever used. Thank you

Maria Holmden

April 16, 2008

RE: Four Cups, Four Blessings?

Since each of the cups is a unique mitzvah, it commands its own blessing. (Magan Avraham 474)

Menachem Posner

April 13, 2008

Four Cups, Four Blessings?

A question was asked of me and I do not have an adequate answer, perhaps you can help me out. At Passover we say the wine blessing four times. Is the reason these are not unnecessary blessings due to the specific locations in the Seder? Is there a minimum time that must pass between each wine blessing? Or, more generally, Through what events or time does single wine blessing last?

Anonymous