Advanced Search

Meaning of the "Four Cups"


Question:

Please tell me the meaning of each of the cups that are used during the Passover Seder meal. I know they have a meaning but I cannot find a good answer to satisfy my inquiry.



AskTheRabbi.org answered:

The Torah uses four expressions to describe our redemption from Egypt: God said to the Jews in Egypt (Exodus 6:6-8):

  • "I will take you out from under Egypt's burdens - Vehotzeiti"
  • "And I will save you from their servitude - Vehitzalti"
  • "And I will redeem you - Vega'alti"
  • "And I will take you as My nation - Velakachti"

We didn't go from a slave nation to being the Chosen People at Mount Sinai overnight. There were different stages of redemption. The above phrases described these different stages. Each cup of wine represents one of these levels.

There's actually a fifth expression of redemption, "Veheveiti" (and I will bring you into the Land of Israel). This is seen as a reference to the future redemption, to be announced by Elijah the Prophet, when God will gather the Jews from the "four corners of the earth" and return them to their Land. This level of redemption is represented by the fifth cup, called "Elijah's cup," which we pour but we do not drink.


Similar Questions
Pesach
Middle Matzah for Afikomen
Refilling Wine Cups After Mentioning the Ten Plagues
Tefillin on Chol Hamoed
Elijah at the Seder
Pesach Matza vs. Regular Matza
Pesach Menu - Then and Now
Delivering Pizza
Why Isn't Moshe's Mentioned in the Haggadah?
Memorizing the Ten Plagues
Kosher Dog Food
Yizkor on Joyous Holidays
Reclining at the Passover Meal
The Passover Haggadah
Selling Chametz
An Insight into the Meaning of Dayenu
When Erev Pesach Occurs on Shabbat
Grape Juice for Four Cups
I Came Out of Egypt
Passover: Four for Freedom
Passover With My Friend and Fido
Disposal of Extra Haggadahs
Egg-Matza
Advice for Pesach Cleaning
Nuts and Corn on Passover
Passover Inspiration
Helping the Needy Celebrate Passover
Cleaning Can Opener
Which Sea Did the Israelites Cross?
Women and Pesach
Refund for Shabbat and Yom Tov Expenses
Two Day Festivals in the Diaspora
Passover
Number of Jews in Exodus
Is Brewer's Yeast Chametz?
Chametz After Pesach
Starting the Pesach Seder Early
Substitute for Shank Bone
600,000 Jewish Souls
Four in the Haggadah
Counting Jewishly
Festivals on Shabbat
Exodus - Reality vs. Holywood
Order of the Seder
Should the Hagadah be Recited in Hebrew?
Special Clothing at the Seder
Shabbat HaGadol
Matza
Exile in Egypt
Plagues
Storing Pesach and Chametz Utensils
Molasses on Passover
Pesach Feature Questions
I Came Out of Egypt
Passover: Four for Freedom
Order of the Seder
Selling Chametz
Helping the Needy Celebrate Passover
Passover
Four in the Haggadah
Matza
Two Day Festivals in the Diaspora
The Passover Haggadah
Have a question?
Gateways - Your Key to Jewish Continuity

AskTheRabbi.org is a service of the Gateways Organization © 2013
Technical problems? Please contact the AskTheRabbi Support team