כּוֹס־יְשׁוּע֥וֹת אֶשָּׂ֑א וּבְשֵׁ֖ם יְהוָ֣ה אֶקְרָֽא׃
דעם כָּוס פֿון ישועות װעל איך אױפֿהײבן, און דעם נאָמען פֿון גאָט װעל איך רופֿן,
Tevele Bondi
The Reason for the Four Cups of Wine: Four Types of Redemption
Translator's Introduction:
According to the Talmud Berachot 54b, Psalm 107 is the basis for the four occasions when we recite the Gomel blessing. This is the blessing which we recite when we have faced a life threatening experience. According to the psalmist, we give thanks when we have crossed the sea, traversed a wilderness, faced an illness or have been imprisoned. In this lengthy analysis. Rabbi Bondi relates these four experiences to the four promises that God makes to the people of Israel: I will take you out, I will save you, I will redeem you, and I will take you to be My people. These four promises are commonly believed to be the based for the four cups of wine we drink at the Seder.
In Bereishit Rabbah (88:5) we find that Rabbah bar Rav Hunah said in the name of Rava: The four cups of wine are for the four expressions of redemption mentioned in connection with the story of the Exodus: “I will take you out,” “I will save you,” “I will redeem you”, and “I will take you to be my people,” in Parshat Vayera (Exodus 6). There are a number of questions to be explored in this matter. First, why does Scripture differentiate four different expressions for redemption and why did the sages connect these four expressions with the four cups of wine? Is there a basis for this connection between the words and the cups?
There were four types of redemption that took place from Egypt, and that the sages decreed a cup of wine for each type of redemption on the basis of the verse in Scripture: "I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord." (Psalm 116:13)
Scripture used four terms of redemption to teach us about the four aspects of Israel's suffering. We are obligated to give thanks and praise to God for our redemption from each according to Berachot 54b: "There are four classes of people who have to offer thanksgiving: those who cross the sea, those who traverse the wilderness, one who has recovered from an illness, and a prisoner who has been set free..." As is written in Psalms 107: "They go down to the sea in ships….in their adversity they cried to the Lord and He took them out (yotzee'eim) from their troubles." (Ps. 107:23-32) "Some lost their way in the wilderness…In their adversity they cried out to the Lord and he saved them (yatzeeleim) from their troubles." (Ps. 107:4-9) "They reached the gates of death…in their adversity they cried to the Lord and He delivered them (yoshee'eim) from their troubles." (Ps. 107:18-19) "Bound in cruel irons…in their adversity they cried to the Lord and He delivered them (yoshee'eim) from their troubles." (Ps 107:10-17) …Let them praise the Lord for his steadfast love, His wondrous deeds for humankind…" (Ps. 107:8)
The Talmud changed the order from the scriptural passage and also changed the language: The sea and the wilderness are written in the present tense while illness and imprisonment are written in the past tense. Scripture also differentiates the four
• Those who go down to the sea (yordei hayam) - He took them out (yotzee'eim);
• Those who traverse the wilderness (holchei hamdibarot) - and he saved them (yatzeeleim);
• Sine who was ill and or faced imprisonment the psalm uses the expression, He delivered them (yoshee'eim).
There is a reason for this. The wilderness is a dangerous route to traverse. It is necessary, therefore, to offer a prayer to be spared from danger. To be saved (yatzeeleim) is to be kept safe from enemies and bandits as in the expression "And He saved me from Pharaoh's sword." In the face of such danger one become (helpless like) a blind, deaf and mute person; even so, he is able to escape from these dangers…
Regarding the sea, Scripture uses the language "He took them out" (yotzee'eim) instead of "He saved them." This is because one begins a sea journey entering the boat but when one reaches ones destination, one 'goes out' of the boat, as in "Noah went out of the ark." That is why the psalmist uses the word yotzee'eim "He causes them to go out," for the sea; that is, "he goes out in peace from the sea since nothing bad occurred or happened to him "Let them praise the Lord for his steadfast love" since he returned without mishap. Similarly, when one returns to his home from the wilderness without any mishaps such as bandits or wild animals one should 'praise the Lord for His steadfast love. It would appear that one should give thanks when returning from the sea or the wilderness even when nothing bad happened to the person, since God 'saved him' and 'brought him out," safely and without mishap.
This is not the case regarding illness and imprisonment. Unlike the sea or the wilderness, these experiences involve suffering and misfortune. One needs to be delivered from troubles; therefore, Scripture uses the term yoshee'eim, to describe them.
(Similarly, when Pharaoh the Egyptians pursued Israel, the Israelites could have experienced great suffering. On the one hand, the wilderness which is filled with snakes and scorpions, and on the other hand, Israel was pursued by the Egyptians and the sea was before them (there was no escape). Yet they were delivered before any harm could come to them. They were in need of the deliverance of God. Moses stood before the people and said to them, "Stand up and witness the deliverance (yeshuah) of the Lord!" the deliverance occurred before the troubles. That is why the Torah says, "God delivered (vayosha) them on that day…") Even if one does not experience danger in the wilderness, there is always the possibility of encountering danger, so that the by definition, a wilderness is considered places of suffering.
In the case of illness or imprisonment, the person is already experiencing tza'ar, trouble. We give thanks because God has removed the illness or freed us from prison. The Talmud describes these experiences in the past tense because we have already experienced the trouble and afterwards we were delivered.
If we look carefully at the four promises of redemption in Exodus 6:6-8, we notice a number of odd things about the language of these verses:
• It is repetitive; why was it necessary to say that God took us out of "the labors of the Egypt" and "from their bondage." These two expressions are the similar to one another.
• The expression, "I will take you out of the labors of Egypt," implies that God took us out of the labors but not out of Egypt. The essence of the God's promise is missing. The verse should have simply said "God took us out of Egypt."
• "I will save you from their bondage," implies that the issue was enslavement. But God actually saved the people not just from slavery but from the bitterness and the oppression that the Egyptians imposed on the Israelites.
• The expression "I will redeem you" is also surprising. The verse never mentions that God would redeem them from Egypt. It should have said "And I will redeem you from Egypt."
• The actual Exodus from the land of Egypt is never explicitly mentioned in any of the promises.
These four promises anticipate Israel's experience at the time of the Exodus. The Israelites were afraid of leaving Egypt. They realized that if they followed the most direct route out of Egypt and they did not come back within three days, the Egyptians would pursue them and inflict even more severe penalties on them after subjugating them once again.
Therefore God - the One who states the end from the very beginning - made known to Moses that they had no reason to fear the Egyptians; that God would arrange the exodus in the most effective way.
• 'I will take you out' implies from the sea, as we see in Psalm 107. God hinted in this promise that he would not take them by way of the land of the Philistines but rather by the way of the sea. The Israelites had no reason to fear the 'labors of Egyptians' because God planned to drown the Egyptians in the sea. "I will take you out of the labors of Egypt." This verse implies that I am taking you and not the Egyptians out.
• I will save you - from the wilderness. The Israelites might also be fearful that God would bring the people into the dangerous wilderness where they would face many difficult tasks. Since the wilderness is not a place where things grow, they would have to work very hard to find food. God reassured them by saying, "I will save you" implies from the wilderness, as in Psalm 107. Even if sin made it necessary to remain in the wilderness for an extended period of time, God reassured them by saying it will not be necessary for you to do hard labor. God rained down bread from heaven, quail to eat each day during the desert sojourn as well as ample water from a well.
• I will redeem you - Having reassured the people that he would protect them both at the sea and in the wilderness, the people might become anxious that Pharaoh would not let them leave at all; that he would give them freedom but keep them in Egypt. Therefore God made a third promise: "I will redeem you with an out stretched arm and with extraordinary judgments." This was a reassurance that God would pass judgment on the Egyptians and their gods while they were in Egypt.
• I will take you to be My people - Finally to the fear that they would carry the illness and injuries that were inflicted on them during their years of slavery, God reassured them by saying, "I will take you to be My people." This is a reference to the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Rashi proves that God healed the Israelites of all their afflictions at the time of the revelation. Also we find the following verse in Exodus 15:26 - "I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians…"
• We see then, that the first two promises are promises of safety from the sea and the wilderness, while the second two promises in Exodus 6 are promises of freedom from slavery and from illness. Since these are the four things for which we give thanks and offer praise, the sages decreed that we should toast our redemption with four cups of wine.
Translator's Introduction:
According to the Talmud Berachot 54b, Psalm 107 is the basis for the four occasions when we recite the Gomel blessing. This is the blessing which we recite when we have faced a life threatening experience. According to the psalmist, we give thanks when we have crossed the sea, traversed a wilderness, faced an illness or have been imprisoned. In this lengthy analysis. Rabbi Bondi relates these four experiences to the four promises that God makes to the people of Israel: I will take you out, I will save you, I will redeem you, and I will take you to be My people. These four promises are commonly believed to be the based for the four cups of wine we drink at the Seder.
In Bereishit Rabbah (88:5) we find that Rabbah bar Rav Hunah said in the name of Rava: The four cups of wine are for the four expressions of redemption mentioned in connection with the story of the Exodus: “I will take you out,” “I will save you,” “I will redeem you”, and “I will take you to be my people,” in Parshat Vayera (Exodus 6). There are a number of questions to be explored in this matter. First, why does Scripture differentiate four different expressions for redemption and why did the sages connect these four expressions with the four cups of wine? Is there a basis for this connection between the words and the cups?
There were four types of redemption that took place from Egypt, and that the sages decreed a cup of wine for each type of redemption on the basis of the verse in Scripture: "I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord." (Psalm 116:13)
Scripture used four terms of redemption to teach us about the four aspects of Israel's suffering. We are obligated to give thanks and praise to God for our redemption from each according to Berachot 54b: "There are four classes of people who have to offer thanksgiving: those who cross the sea, those who traverse the wilderness, one who has recovered from an illness, and a prisoner who has been set free..." As is written in Psalms 107: "They go down to the sea in ships….in their adversity they cried to the Lord and He took them out (yotzee'eim) from their troubles." (Ps. 107:23-32) "Some lost their way in the wilderness…In their adversity they cried out to the Lord and he saved them (yatzeeleim) from their troubles." (Ps. 107:4-9) "They reached the gates of death…in their adversity they cried to the Lord and He delivered them (yoshee'eim) from their troubles." (Ps. 107:18-19) "Bound in cruel irons…in their adversity they cried to the Lord and He delivered them (yoshee'eim) from their troubles." (Ps 107:10-17) …Let them praise the Lord for his steadfast love, His wondrous deeds for humankind…" (Ps. 107:8)
The Talmud changed the order from the scriptural passage and also changed the language: The sea and the wilderness are written in the present tense while illness and imprisonment are written in the past tense. Scripture also differentiates the four
• Those who go down to the sea (yordei hayam) - He took them out (yotzee'eim);
• Those who traverse the wilderness (holchei hamdibarot) - and he saved them (yatzeeleim);
• Sine who was ill and or faced imprisonment the psalm uses the expression, He delivered them (yoshee'eim).
There is a reason for this. The wilderness is a dangerous route to traverse. It is necessary, therefore, to offer a prayer to be spared from danger. To be saved (yatzeeleim) is to be kept safe from enemies and bandits as in the expression "And He saved me from Pharaoh's sword." In the face of such danger one become (helpless like) a blind, deaf and mute person; even so, he is able to escape from these dangers…
Regarding the sea, Scripture uses the language "He took them out" (yotzee'eim) instead of "He saved them." This is because one begins a sea journey entering the boat but when one reaches ones destination, one 'goes out' of the boat, as in "Noah went out of the ark." That is why the psalmist uses the word yotzee'eim "He causes them to go out," for the sea; that is, "he goes out in peace from the sea since nothing bad occurred or happened to him "Let them praise the Lord for his steadfast love" since he returned without mishap. Similarly, when one returns to his home from the wilderness without any mishaps such as bandits or wild animals one should 'praise the Lord for His steadfast love. It would appear that one should give thanks when returning from the sea or the wilderness even when nothing bad happened to the person, since God 'saved him' and 'brought him out," safely and without mishap.
This is not the case regarding illness and imprisonment. Unlike the sea or the wilderness, these experiences involve suffering and misfortune. One needs to be delivered from troubles; therefore, Scripture uses the term yoshee'eim, to describe them.
(Similarly, when Pharaoh the Egyptians pursued Israel, the Israelites could have experienced great suffering. On the one hand, the wilderness which is filled with snakes and scorpions, and on the other hand, Israel was pursued by the Egyptians and the sea was before them (there was no escape). Yet they were delivered before any harm could come to them. They were in need of the deliverance of God. Moses stood before the people and said to them, "Stand up and witness the deliverance (yeshuah) of the Lord!" the deliverance occurred before the troubles. That is why the Torah says, "God delivered (vayosha) them on that day…") Even if one does not experience danger in the wilderness, there is always the possibility of encountering danger, so that the by definition, a wilderness is considered places of suffering.
In the case of illness or imprisonment, the person is already experiencing tza'ar, trouble. We give thanks because God has removed the illness or freed us from prison. The Talmud describes these experiences in the past tense because we have already experienced the trouble and afterwards we were delivered.
If we look carefully at the four promises of redemption in Exodus 6:6-8, we notice a number of odd things about the language of these verses:
• It is repetitive; why was it necessary to say that God took us out of "the labors of the Egypt" and "from their bondage." These two expressions are the similar to one another.
• The expression, "I will take you out of the labors of Egypt," implies that God took us out of the labors but not out of Egypt. The essence of the God's promise is missing. The verse should have simply said "God took us out of Egypt."
• "I will save you from their bondage," implies that the issue was enslavement. But God actually saved the people not just from slavery but from the bitterness and the oppression that the Egyptians imposed on the Israelites.
• The expression "I will redeem you" is also surprising. The verse never mentions that God would redeem them from Egypt. It should have said "And I will redeem you from Egypt."
• The actual Exodus from the land of Egypt is never explicitly mentioned in any of the promises.
These four promises anticipate Israel's experience at the time of the Exodus. The Israelites were afraid of leaving Egypt. They realized that if they followed the most direct route out of Egypt and they did not come back within three days, the Egyptians would pursue them and inflict even more severe penalties on them after subjugating them once again.
Therefore God - the One who states the end from the very beginning - made known to Moses that they had no reason to fear the Egyptians; that God would arrange the exodus in the most effective way.
• 'I will take you out' implies from the sea, as we see in Psalm 107. God hinted in this promise that he would not take them by way of the land of the Philistines but rather by the way of the sea. The Israelites had no reason to fear the 'labors of Egyptians' because God planned to drown the Egyptians in the sea. "I will take you out of the labors of Egypt." This verse implies that I am taking you and not the Egyptians out.
• I will save you - from the wilderness. The Israelites might also be fearful that God would bring the people into the dangerous wilderness where they would face many difficult tasks. Since the wilderness is not a place where things grow, they would have to work very hard to find food. God reassured them by saying, "I will save you" implies from the wilderness, as in Psalm 107. Even if sin made it necessary to remain in the wilderness for an extended period of time, God reassured them by saying it will not be necessary for you to do hard labor. God rained down bread from heaven, quail to eat each day during the desert sojourn as well as ample water from a well.
• I will redeem you - Having reassured the people that he would protect them both at the sea and in the wilderness, the people might become anxious that Pharaoh would not let them leave at all; that he would give them freedom but keep them in Egypt. Therefore God made a third promise: "I will redeem you with an out stretched arm and with extraordinary judgments." This was a reassurance that God would pass judgment on the Egyptians and their gods while they were in Egypt.
• I will take you to be My people - Finally to the fear that they would carry the illness and injuries that were inflicted on them during their years of slavery, God reassured them by saying, "I will take you to be My people." This is a reference to the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Rashi proves that God healed the Israelites of all their afflictions at the time of the revelation. Also we find the following verse in Exodus 15:26 - "I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians…"
• We see then, that the first two promises are promises of safety from the sea and the wilderness, while the second two promises in Exodus 6 are promises of freedom from slavery and from illness. Since these are the four things for which we give thanks and offer praise, the sages decreed that we should toast our redemption with four cups of wine.
Kimcha Davshuna
Upon returning from synagogue one should arrange one's table in the manner of freedom as we shall explain. One should not sit down at the table until after dark so that one can be certain that it is the time when one is permitted to eat matzah, as it is written, "In the evening you shall eat matzot."
Even the poor should not drink less than four cups of wine; they should eat and drink while reclining. Scripture alludes to this in the verse: "When Pharaoh let the people go…So God led (vayasev) the people round about…" When they were redeemed they ate in the "round-about" fashion.
The optimal way to fulfill the mitzvah of drinking wine is to drink red wine as a reminder of the blood they placed on their lintel and doorposts in Egypt. If their hands are cleaned they may sit at the table and recite Kiddush. Most people have the custom of checking their hands beforehand and then washing them. But if their hands were already clean, there is no reason to wash them and recite al netilat yadaim, the blessing for washing. For this recitation of the blessing is not for eating but for drinking after Kiddush. We have a tradition that one who performs the ritual of "washing" before fruit is being presumptuous.
There are many reasons given for the four cups of wine at the Seder. The four cups are said to allude to the four terms of redemption mentioned in Parshat Va-era (Exodus 6:6): "Say, therefore, to the children of Israel: I am the Lord. I will free you from the labors of the Egyptians and deliver you from their bondage. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and through extraordinary chastisements. I will take you to be my people and I will be your God." The four cups are alluded to in the words: hotzeiti (I will free you), hitzalti (I will deliver you), ga'alti (I will redeem you) and lakahti (I will take you)."
There are those who say that the four cups refer to the butler's dream regarding to Pharaoh: "Pharaoh's cup was in my hand;" "I pressed them into Pharaoh's cup;" "placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand;" "you shall place Pharaoh's cup in his hand." (Genesis 40:9-13)
Some say that the four cups stand for the four kingdoms, and others, four cups of vengeance which God will pour out on the nations, "Thus said the Lord, the God of Israel, to me: Take from My hand this cup of wine - of wrath - and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it. Let them drink and retch and act crazy because of the sword that I am sending among them." (Jer. 25:15-16) "Babylon was a golden cup in the Lords hand. It made the whole earth drunk…" (Jer. 51:7) "There is a cup in the Lord's hand with foaming wine fully mixed from this He pours. All the nations of the earth drink, draining it to the very dregs." (Psalms 75:9) "He will rain down upon the wicked blazing coals and sulfur, a scorching wind shall be their lot (kosam)." (Psalm 11:6)
They also allude to four cups of consolation: "The Lord is my allotted share and portion (kosi); You control my fate." (Psalm 16:5) "You shall anoint my head with oil; My cup overflows. (Psalm 23:5) "I will raise the cup of deliverances and invoke the name of the Lord." (Psalm 116:13) This last verse speaks of two cups: one for the coming of the Messiah and the other for the resurrection.
There are those who wonder why we don’t recite a blessing for the mitzvah of the four cups just as we recite for maror. We only recite a blessing over a mitzvah that is performed at one time, and without interruption. Since the drinking of the four cups of wine are one commandment which is performed on four occasions with interruptions between them, we do not recite a blessing for this mitzvah. Natronai Gaon writes that the four cups of Seder night are a single mitzvah; if one does not drink all of them, one has not fulfilled his obligation and he deserves lashes, according to the sages.
The statement, "Even the poor must not eat until he does so leaning," is a reference to a poor person who normally does not lean leisurely when he eats. Certainly the same applies to a wealthy person who usually leans on a fine couch. One must lean on the left side. Leaning on the right side is not considered 'leaning,' lest his throat become closed . A woman does not need to lean because she lives under the authority of her husband. But if she is a woman of high status, she should lean. Similarly, a widow or a divorcee who does not live under the authority of another should lean.
A son who lives in his father's house, even if his father is also his teacher, should lean. A student at the table of his master teacher does not lean unless his teacher gives him permission. The reason that he may lean at his father's table, but not at his teacher's table, is that his father would forgo the honor nor would he be harsh with him while a teacher should not forgo the honor due to him. A servant at his master's table should lean. The Avi Ezri writes that in our time when it is not the custom to lean at the table, it is not necessary to lean during the Seder either.
Even the poor should not drink less than four cups of wine; they should eat and drink while reclining. Scripture alludes to this in the verse: "When Pharaoh let the people go…So God led (vayasev) the people round about…" When they were redeemed they ate in the "round-about" fashion.
The optimal way to fulfill the mitzvah of drinking wine is to drink red wine as a reminder of the blood they placed on their lintel and doorposts in Egypt. If their hands are cleaned they may sit at the table and recite Kiddush. Most people have the custom of checking their hands beforehand and then washing them. But if their hands were already clean, there is no reason to wash them and recite al netilat yadaim, the blessing for washing. For this recitation of the blessing is not for eating but for drinking after Kiddush. We have a tradition that one who performs the ritual of "washing" before fruit is being presumptuous.
There are many reasons given for the four cups of wine at the Seder. The four cups are said to allude to the four terms of redemption mentioned in Parshat Va-era (Exodus 6:6): "Say, therefore, to the children of Israel: I am the Lord. I will free you from the labors of the Egyptians and deliver you from their bondage. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and through extraordinary chastisements. I will take you to be my people and I will be your God." The four cups are alluded to in the words: hotzeiti (I will free you), hitzalti (I will deliver you), ga'alti (I will redeem you) and lakahti (I will take you)."
There are those who say that the four cups refer to the butler's dream regarding to Pharaoh: "Pharaoh's cup was in my hand;" "I pressed them into Pharaoh's cup;" "placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand;" "you shall place Pharaoh's cup in his hand." (Genesis 40:9-13)
Some say that the four cups stand for the four kingdoms, and others, four cups of vengeance which God will pour out on the nations, "Thus said the Lord, the God of Israel, to me: Take from My hand this cup of wine - of wrath - and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it. Let them drink and retch and act crazy because of the sword that I am sending among them." (Jer. 25:15-16) "Babylon was a golden cup in the Lords hand. It made the whole earth drunk…" (Jer. 51:7) "There is a cup in the Lord's hand with foaming wine fully mixed from this He pours. All the nations of the earth drink, draining it to the very dregs." (Psalms 75:9) "He will rain down upon the wicked blazing coals and sulfur, a scorching wind shall be their lot (kosam)." (Psalm 11:6)
They also allude to four cups of consolation: "The Lord is my allotted share and portion (kosi); You control my fate." (Psalm 16:5) "You shall anoint my head with oil; My cup overflows. (Psalm 23:5) "I will raise the cup of deliverances and invoke the name of the Lord." (Psalm 116:13) This last verse speaks of two cups: one for the coming of the Messiah and the other for the resurrection.
There are those who wonder why we don’t recite a blessing for the mitzvah of the four cups just as we recite for maror. We only recite a blessing over a mitzvah that is performed at one time, and without interruption. Since the drinking of the four cups of wine are one commandment which is performed on four occasions with interruptions between them, we do not recite a blessing for this mitzvah. Natronai Gaon writes that the four cups of Seder night are a single mitzvah; if one does not drink all of them, one has not fulfilled his obligation and he deserves lashes, according to the sages.
The statement, "Even the poor must not eat until he does so leaning," is a reference to a poor person who normally does not lean leisurely when he eats. Certainly the same applies to a wealthy person who usually leans on a fine couch. One must lean on the left side. Leaning on the right side is not considered 'leaning,' lest his throat become closed . A woman does not need to lean because she lives under the authority of her husband. But if she is a woman of high status, she should lean. Similarly, a widow or a divorcee who does not live under the authority of another should lean.
A son who lives in his father's house, even if his father is also his teacher, should lean. A student at the table of his master teacher does not lean unless his teacher gives him permission. The reason that he may lean at his father's table, but not at his teacher's table, is that his father would forgo the honor nor would he be harsh with him while a teacher should not forgo the honor due to him. A servant at his master's table should lean. The Avi Ezri writes that in our time when it is not the custom to lean at the table, it is not necessary to lean during the Seder either.
Minchat Ani
There is also a similarity between the Yom Kippur and Passover rituals. In addition to the rituals of Yom Kippur, there are three types of offerings which are performed all year long: the Tamid, the Minchat Kohen, and the Musaf offering. These offerings are offered on all the holidays as we learn in Parshat Pinchas (Numbers 28-29). The special offerings for Yom Kippur are enumerated in Parshat Acharei Mot. (Leviticus 16) Similarly at the Seder there are those rituals which are regular practices: netilah (washing the hands), motzi (the blessing for the bread/matzah), and birkat hamazon (the grace after the meals). There is also the additional ritual which is performed on other festivals - kiddush. And there are also the special rituals that relate uniquely to Passover.
On Yom Kippur, the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies to fulfill the required rituals four times: to bring the incense, to bring the blood of the bull, to bring the blood of the goat, and to bring out the coal pan. On Passover night there are four parts to the Seder, based around the four cups of wine. The four parts of these two ceremonies represent the four periods of
1) The first represents the period between the creation of the first human being and revelation at Mount Sinai. The period from the forefathers until Sinai is connected to the bringing of the incense on Yom Kippur. Like the incense, which is not a ritual of atonement but is beloved to the Holy One more than any of the other offerings, the period of the forefathers is most beloved to God. It represents the first entrance into the Holy of Holies. On Passover, Kiddush alludes to the forefathers who were holy and who sanctified the world just as the Kiddush sanctifies the day.
2) The second period is from the giving of the Torah until the coming of the Messiah. This period is connected to the offering of the bull. The bull represents Abraham and his offspring who are in need of atonement. The second part of the Seder, Maggid alludes to the present time for Israel in which they are commanded to learn, to observe, and to keep the Torah.
3) The third period in history is from the coming of the Messiah until Olam Habah, the World to Come. The goat offering alludes to Esau. With the coming of the Messiah, the other nations will find atonement as is stated in scripture: "For then I will make the people pure of speech, so that they all invoke the name of the Lord." (Zephaniah 3:9) The third part of the Seder Birkat HaMazon, the grace after the meal, represents the days of the Messiah, since it is stated: "I will raise the cup of deliverance and invoke the name of the Lord." (Ps. 116:13) Similarly, it is stated, "You shall eat, and be satisfied, and you shall bless." (Deut. 8:10) In the days of the Messiah the people of Israel shall be satisfied by all the good of this world, as it is stated: "And you shall eat your fill and praise the name of the Lord your God who dealt so wonderfully with you; My people shall be ashamed no more." (Joel 2:26)
4) The fourth and final period in human history is Olam Habah, the World to Come. The World to Come is connected to the fourth time the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies. This time there was no ritual; only the removal of the coal pan to make clear that the temple service was completed. Similarly, in the World to Come there will no longer be the Temple Service. The fourth part of the Seder begins with Hallel which alludes to the World to Come. There is no eating and drinking in this phase of the Seder. Rather, the righteous sit together and enjoy the Divine Presence, praising their creator just as scripture says in the following verse: "On that day they shall say, 'This is our God; we trust Him, and He delivers us. This is the Lord in whom we trust. Let us rejoice and exult in His deliverance.'" (Isaiah 25:9)
On Yom Kippur, the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies to fulfill the required rituals four times: to bring the incense, to bring the blood of the bull, to bring the blood of the goat, and to bring out the coal pan. On Passover night there are four parts to the Seder, based around the four cups of wine. The four parts of these two ceremonies represent the four periods of
1) The first represents the period between the creation of the first human being and revelation at Mount Sinai. The period from the forefathers until Sinai is connected to the bringing of the incense on Yom Kippur. Like the incense, which is not a ritual of atonement but is beloved to the Holy One more than any of the other offerings, the period of the forefathers is most beloved to God. It represents the first entrance into the Holy of Holies. On Passover, Kiddush alludes to the forefathers who were holy and who sanctified the world just as the Kiddush sanctifies the day.
2) The second period is from the giving of the Torah until the coming of the Messiah. This period is connected to the offering of the bull. The bull represents Abraham and his offspring who are in need of atonement. The second part of the Seder, Maggid alludes to the present time for Israel in which they are commanded to learn, to observe, and to keep the Torah.
3) The third period in history is from the coming of the Messiah until Olam Habah, the World to Come. The goat offering alludes to Esau. With the coming of the Messiah, the other nations will find atonement as is stated in scripture: "For then I will make the people pure of speech, so that they all invoke the name of the Lord." (Zephaniah 3:9) The third part of the Seder Birkat HaMazon, the grace after the meal, represents the days of the Messiah, since it is stated: "I will raise the cup of deliverance and invoke the name of the Lord." (Ps. 116:13) Similarly, it is stated, "You shall eat, and be satisfied, and you shall bless." (Deut. 8:10) In the days of the Messiah the people of Israel shall be satisfied by all the good of this world, as it is stated: "And you shall eat your fill and praise the name of the Lord your God who dealt so wonderfully with you; My people shall be ashamed no more." (Joel 2:26)
4) The fourth and final period in human history is Olam Habah, the World to Come. The World to Come is connected to the fourth time the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies. This time there was no ritual; only the removal of the coal pan to make clear that the temple service was completed. Similarly, in the World to Come there will no longer be the Temple Service. The fourth part of the Seder begins with Hallel which alludes to the World to Come. There is no eating and drinking in this phase of the Seder. Rather, the righteous sit together and enjoy the Divine Presence, praising their creator just as scripture says in the following verse: "On that day they shall say, 'This is our God; we trust Him, and He delivers us. This is the Lord in whom we trust. Let us rejoice and exult in His deliverance.'" (Isaiah 25:9)
Hasagot HaRa'avad
צוטריטלעך נאָר פֿאַר פּרעמיום־מיטגלידערRabbeinu Bahya
צוטריטלעך נאָר פֿאַר פּרעמיום־מיטגלידערRashi
ובכל מאדך AND WITH ALL THY MIGHT, i.e. with all thy property. You have people whose property is dearer to them than their bodies (life), and it is on this account that there is added, “and with all thy property" (Sifrei Devarim 32:6). — Another explanation of ובכל מאדך is: — Thou shalt love Him whatever measure (מדה) it may be that He metes out to thee, whether it be the measure of good or the measure of calamity. Thus also did David say, (Psalms 116:13 and 3) "If I lift up the cup of salvation, [I will call upon the name of the Lord]; If I find trouble and sorrow, [I will call upon the name of the Lord]”.