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More reasons for the 4 cups of wine at the seder?

by Rabbi Naftali Silberberg

  

Library » Holidays » Passover » Seder » The Wine | Subscribe | What is RSS?

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Wine is considered to be a royal drink and symbolizes freedom.

We drink four cups of wine because of (see Why four cups of wine at the Passover Seder? and) the following reasons:

1. We were liberated from Pharaoh’s four evil edicts:
a. The decree which ordered the Jews to work for the Egyptians.
b. The decree that all midwives must murder all male progeny.
c. The decree to throw all boys into the Nile.
d. The order that the Israelites should collect their own straw to produce the bricks.

2. They 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 the Messiah.

3. “Cup of wine” is mentioned four times in Pharaoh’s dream (Genesis 40:11-13). According to the Midrash, these cups of wine symbolized the liberation of the Israelites.

4. According to Kabbalah, G-d created four forces of anti-divinity (klipah). On Passover we celebrate our freedom, including our liberation from these forces.


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Passover
A Biblically mandated early-spring festival celebrating the Jewish exodus from Egypt in the year 1312 BCE.
Kabbalah
Jewish mysticism. The word Kaballah means "reception," for we cannot physically perceive the Divine, we merely study the mystical truths which were transmitted to us by G-d Himself through His righteous servants.
Midrash
(Pl. Midrashim). Non-legal material of anecdotal or allegorical nature, designed either to clarify historical material, or to teach a moral point. The Midrashim were compiled by the sages who authored the Mishna and Talmud (200 BCE-500 CE).
Genesis
The first book of the Five Books of Moses. It records the story of Creation and its aftermath, and chronicles the lives of the Patriarchs.
G-d
It is forbidden to erase or deface the name of G-d. It is therefore customary to insert a dash in middle of G-d's name, allowing us to erase or discard the paper it is written on if necessary.