Q: Why do we drink four cups of wine on Pesach?
A: Four is a number that reappears throughout the seder. There are four sons, four cups, four
questions, four exiles, four sections of the Haggadda…
It might
well be asked why this number is repeated time and again.
In the
Exodus story, God promises four different times in four different modes, to
free the Children of Israel. The first
time it occurs, God states, “I will bring you out…”. This first redemption is a physical one as we
are freed from slavery. The second
occurrence, “I will deliver you,” refers to a future ingathering in the land of
Israel. The third promise is “I will
redeem you.” No matter the obstacle, the
Jewish people will survive. Many forces will
attack the newly freed Israelites but they emerge. Finally, “I will take you to Me as My people,”
is the binding covenant that was assured at Sinai.
No comments:
Post a Comment