The Four Cups

four increasing levels of freedom

Medrash Rabbah – ‫ –והוצאתי‬freed from hard work but still subject to the Egyptians subjection
‫לשונות של גאולה‬ with physical service
‫ –והצלתי‬freed from most physical obligations but still ruled by Paroh and
Four Redemption could not leave
Yerushalmi - ‫ד' גאולות‬ ‫ –וגאלתי‬freed from all physical service
Netziv ‫ –ולקחתי‬freed from spiritual service to Paroh and able to receive Torah be
servants to HaShem
Connection to Redemption
Four cups in the The dream alluded to the redemption of Yosef and of the Jews (Pnai Moshe)
‫יג‬,‫יא‬:‫בראשית מ‬
dream of Paroh’s Yerushalmi
The dream led directly to the freedom of Yosef (Ohrchos Chaim)
Just as the butler was able to again arrange cups to his master, so to the Jews
butler upon their freedom were able to serve HaShem (Shu”t Revavos Yisrael)
1. Hard labor
Four Decrees of ‫שמות רבה‬
2. Throw the male babies into the river
Paroh 3. Killing the babies for their blood to bathe Paroh
4. Withheld straw for the bricks
Four Kingdoms of Yerushalmi Persian, Babylonian, Greek, Roman (Edom)
Just as we were redeemed from the first three Exiles, so we shall be
Exile ‫בני יששכר‬ redeemed from this, the fourth Exile
Four Punishments Yerushalmi
Punishments HaShem will bring down on the nations of the world that have
on the Nations subjected the Jews
1. Killing the first born
Four Punishments on Orchos Chaim
2. Drowning in the Sea
the Egyptians 3. Destruction in days of Nevuchadnetzar
4. Final punishment by Moshiach
Four that need to Cross the sea, travel in the desert, released from prison and recovery from a
sickness
give Thanks All four occurred during the redemption from Egypt (all healed at Har Sinai)
Kiddush – Sarah that converted the females
In the merit of the Shelah haKodesh
Maggid (Bais Lavan) – Rivkah who left idoltry
four Mothers Bircas haMazon – Rochel her son Yosef feed all Egypt including the Jews
Hallel – Leah who said “this time I thank HaShem”
Four levels of the ‫ –זכר‬part of Kiddush blessing
‫ –סיפור‬lengthy expounding of Maggid
telling of Yetzias Maaseh Nissim ‫“ –תכלית‬bris, Torah, Eretz” in Bircas haMazon
Mitzraim ‫ –שלימות‬that the ultimate future redemption
Kiddush – from spiritual subjection to holiness
Four types of ‫בינת לעתים‬
Maggid – from disgrace to honor
Servitude Bircas haMazon – from physical lacking to fulfilment of one’s needs
Pour out Your wrath – from cruelty of our bodies
Kiddish – Chachum
Start from serving idols – Rasha
Four Children Siddur haAriza”l Bircas haMazon – Simple need for emunah
Pour out Your wrath on those that do not know You
430 years in a land not our own (5 times 86)
Four times “Elokim” Sifsei Kohen ‫להים &כוס‬-‫ –א‬Gematria 86
86 years of servitude; other 344 were not slaves
changed to Mercy ‫כה‬-‫כד‬,‫שמות ב‬ Four cups of sweetness (4 times 86 = 344)
four times shem E-lohim mentioned
Four Period of Life Abarbanel Childhood, adolescent, maturity, old age
The Jews express themselves with speech in Egypt and in the Redemption
Four Parts of the Sefes Emes
(crying out, nothing changing their language, clean talk, Peh-Sach).
Body to Speak Speech involves the lips, throat, tongue, cheeks which are involved in
drinking the four cups. (Teeth are involved in eating the Matzah)
1. One group were depraved from food
2. Another group had food but never enough
Four Afflictions The Gr”a 3. Afflicted by constant journeys and not settled
4. Afflicted with back-breaking work
Four Tzitzis Rashi Bemidbar 15;41 Brings one to deliberate on one’s action which leads to praising HaShem

Four letters of the Rabbeni Bachaye

According to Kabbalah, HaShem created four forces of anti-divinity
(kelipah). On Passover we celebrate our freedom, including our liberation
Divine Name from these forces.
 FOUR CUPS OF THE SEDER
Kiddush, Hagadah, Blessings after meal, Conclusion
‫ נרצה‬,‫ ברכת המזון‬,‫ הגדה‬,‫קידוש‬
(‫ לפי סדר תורה )הגדה‬According to the order of Torah
‫ולקחתי‬ ‫וגאלתי‬ ‫והצלתי‬ ‫והוצאתי‬ ‫ד' לשונות‬
4 expressions
‫שאינו יודע לשאול‬ ‫תם‬ ‫רשע‬ ‫חכם‬ ‫ד' בנים‬
Does know to ask Simple Son Challenge Son Wise Son 4 children
‫ורדפהו‬ ‫בקש שלום‬ ‫ועשה טוב‬ ‫סור מרע‬ ‫ד' תשובה‬
Pursue It Seek Peace Do Good
Turn from Bad 4 Teshuvas
‫הוא העיקר‬ ‫לפי סדר שו"ע אדה"ז )הרב( המעשה‬According to the Order of Deed
‫והצלתי‬ ‫ולקחתי‬ ‫וגאלתי‬ ‫והוצאתי‬ ‫ד' לשונות‬
4 expressions
‫רשע‬ ‫שאינו יודע לשאול‬ ‫תם‬ ‫חכם‬ ‫ד' בנים‬
Challenge Son Does know to ask Simple Son Wise Son 4 children
‫יצירה‬ ‫בריאה‬ ‫עשיה‬ ‫אצילות‬ ‫ד' תשובה‬
4 Teshuvas
Changed the order to place the Chacham next to the Rasha to have an influence; in education we must reach all children
Lubavitcher Rebbe – Lekutei Sichos chelek 11

The Set Table (from Iyyun.net)

The following table aids understanding how the different variables between each realm correlate and interact with
each other. Included is a column with reference to the letters in the name of HaShem which is a wonderful access
point to understand how the four cups correlate to the four exiles and the four realms of redemption.
The Four Cups: Mapped on the Internal Structure of Reality
Question/
Divine Name Exile Level 4 Sons Universe Consciousness
Practice
Hei Persian Guf (body) DippingTwice Chacham (wise) Asiya Nefesh
Vav Babylonian Nefesh (spirit) Matzah Rasha (rebel) Yetzirah Ruach
Hei Greek Seichel (mind) Maror Tam (simple) Beriah Neshamah
She’ena Yodeah
Hakal
Yud Roman Reclining Lishal (the one who Atzilus Chaya
(transcendence)
does not ask)
The Fifth Cup: Eliyahu’s Cup
Divine Name Level Universe Consciousness
Kotzo Shel Yud Infinity Keser Yechidah
May your seder be truly redemptive and may the process of freedom be assimilated in all your four levels of being,
until you reach a place of true freedom, beyond all limitations.
 The Four Cups: Moscato Or Merlot?
Based on article by Rabbi Yaakov Hoffman

On Seder night, many aficionados of Bartenura suddenly opt for Bordeaux. They seem to be under the
impression that for the Four Cups, one must drink red, non-mevushal, unsweetened wine. But is that
actually true?
Chazal never explicitly require these three elements for the Four Cups. In fact, the Talmud
Yerushalmi states the opposite (Pesachim 10:1). While the Yerushalmi does encourage using red wine, it
only states that doing so is a “mitzvah,” which – according to most Rishonim – means preferred, not
required. (The Tur writes that white wine is actually preferable if it is better quality than the available
red wine [Orach Chayim 472].)
The Yerushalmi is even more definitive regarding the other two elements. After questioning the validity
of cooked (mevushal) wine and sweetened spiced wine (konditon) for the Seder, the Yerushalmi
concludes flatly that they can be used. Is there any basis, then, to being more stringent than the
Yerushalmi?
The main source for insisting on using red wine is the Ramban (Bava Basra 97b). He writes that when
the Yerushalmi categorizes using red wine as a “mitzvah,” it means red wine is required. In addition,
several commentators on the Shulchan Aruch strongly encourage using red wine for the Four Cups
since the color red symbolizes the Jewish blood Pharaoh spilled in Egypt. (The Taz [Orach Chayim
472:9] writes that using red wine is inadvisable in lands where Jews are subject to blood libels;
thankfully, this concern is no longer relevant today.)
To follow the view of these commentators, one can still use mostly white wine as long as one mixes in a
little red wine so that the cup of wine looks red (see note 44 to Orach Chayim 472 in the Dirshu
edition of the Mishnah Berurah, which discusses whether one violates the prohibition against
“coloring” on Shabbat or Yom Tov by mixing red wine with white).
If one wishes to adhere to the opinion of the Ramban, one’s cup must contain actual red wine – not
merely red-colored wine. For this purpose, though, rosé wine would be sufficient. (cf. Tosafot, Bava
Batra 97b s.v. “chamar”). Indeed, most red wines in the ancient world were lighter in color than
contemporary red wines.
In any event, clearly the practice to use red wine for the Four Cups is rooted in Chazal and poskim.
What can we say, however, about the insistence to use non- mevushal wine? It seems to contradict the
Yerushalmi outright!
The source of this insistence seems to be the Rambam (Hilchos Shabbat 29:14), who holds that one may
not recite Kiddush on mevushal wine. Apparently, the Rambam’s version of Yerushalmi lacked the line
stating that mevushal wine is allowed for the Four Cups (one of which is Kiddush). Alternatively, the
Rambam may have believed that the Talmud Bavli disagrees with the Yerushalmi on this matter (cf.
Rosh, Bava Basra 6:1).
The Shulchan Aruch rules that mevushal wine is acceptable for Kiddush (Orach Chayim 272:8), but
notes that some consider it invalid. By mentioning a dissenting opinion, the Shulchan Aruch arguably
implies that it is proper to accommodate it when possible (see Mishnah Berurah 272:23). For this
reason, many people prefer making Kiddush on non-mevushal wine year-round. (It should be noted
that this stringency must not come at the expense of leniency in the area of handling non- mevushal
wine.)
It is only for Kiddush, however, that one possibly needs non-mevushal wine – not for the Four Cups
per se. Thus, according to the Rambam, only the first of the Four Cups – i.e., Kiddush – needs to
consist of non-mevushal wine. Furthermore, only the person making Kiddush needs to use non-
mevushal wine. Everyone else around the table seemingly can use mevushal wine (Hilchos Chag
BeChag, Pesach, ch. 19 n. 24; see, however, Rav Schachter on the Haggadah, p. 57). But in
households where everyone recites Kiddush aloud on Seder night (see HaSeder HeAruch 50:5-7),
everyone has to use non-mevushal wine for the first cup according to the Rambam.
Rashi, the Rif, and some Ge’onim go even further than the Rambam in their attitude towards
mevushal wine; they maintain that it is not even full-fledged wine, and one should make a shehakol –
not a hagafen – before drinking it (see all the sources cited in Hilchos Yom BeYom, Brachot, vol. 3,
4:1). According to these authorities, then, all Four Cups must consist of non-mevushal wine.
In practice, however, there is no reason to follow such an extreme stringency, since later poskim and
common custom completely reject the opinion that mevushal wine is shehakol (see Mishnah
Berurah, op. cit.). Furthermore, this ruling applied only to mevushal wine in ancient times, which was
cooked over an open fire and was of a perceptibly different taste and quality than regular wine. All
authorities would presumably agree that the blessing on contemporary mevushal wine – which is
merely pasteurized – is borei pri hagafen (Hilchos Yom BeYom, op. cit.). (Indeed, some poskim argue
that pasteurized wine is not considered mevushal at all, even for purposes of Kiddush and handling by
a non- Jew.)
Sweetened or spiced wine is even less problematic than mevushal wine. It may be used for the latter
three cups according to all opinions; even for Kiddush, it is likely less problematic than mevushal
wine (see Rambam, op. cit.; see also Responsa Teshuvos VeHanhagos 1:253). It should be noted that
there are naturally sweet wines available for those who wish to be stringent, yet do not enjoy dry
wine.
The upshot: Red wine is preferable for all Four Cups. Some rule that the first cup should
be unsweetened and non-mevushal, but this ruling probably applies only to one who
recites Kiddush, not to one who listens to another’s recitation. The last three cups may
certainly be sweetened and mevusha.
Drinking the Four Cups is indicative of our status as a free people following our redemption from Egypt.
As such, it is supposed to be a pleasant experience (see Rambam, Hilchos Chametz U’Matzah 7:9)!
While using wine for the Seder that complies with all possible stringencies is admirable, it is more
important to drink a wine one enjoys. (According to most opinions, grape juice is also acceptable,
although a thorough analysis of this question is beyond the scope of this article.)
 THE NUMBER FOUR

There is an old philosophical debate as to whether numbers exist outside of the human experience. Are numbers a
creation of mankind or do they have an intrinsic existence above and beyond mankind’s use of them. Put simply, a
secularist could ask - were numbers discovered or invented?
From a Torah perspective, numbers are a fundamental part of both Torah and the Creation. Numbers have deep
metaphysical significances because of the spiritual messages they convey. Within the Jewish calendar there
specific numbers associated with specific times of the year. For example Shemini Atzeret and Chanukah are
associated with the number 8. Sefiras HaOmer is associated with 49 and Shavuos with 50. Rosh Hashana is deeply
connected to the number 1.
Pesach’s special integer is the number 4.
A quick look at the Pesach Seder reveals these examples of significant fours:
• 4 Cups of Wine.
• 4 verses of Mah Nishtana.
• 4 Sons.
• HaShem’s promise to Avraham was 400 years of exile.
• The Jews were in Egypt for 4 generations before the Exodus.
• 4/5th of Jews didn’t leave Egypt.
• After splitting the middle Matzah, we are left with 4 pieces of Matzah.
• “Baruch” appears 4 times in “Baruch HaMakom”.
• The Jews in Egypt retained 4 special qualities: they didn’t change their names or their language, they didn’t
engage in forbidden marriages and they didn’t speak Lashon Hara. (Bnei Yisaschar quoting the Chida)
What does the number 4 represent? According to the Maharal it represents space or location. For example, the
physical plane can be described using 4 directions – north, south, east and west. Another example would be the
minimum distance to be chayiv for carrying on Shabbos in a public domain is 4 amos. Similarly, in order for an
area to be considered its own domain it must be 4x4 amos. And finally, a person is also considered to occupy 4
amos of space.
All these reveal to us that the significance of the number 4 is that it appears in connection to location or movement
between locations. Importantly, the spiritual significance of 4 is not just in terms of physical location but also
conceptual locations or states of being.
What is the connection between Pesach and the number 4?
The main theme at the Pesach Seder is redemption. The process of redemption is by definition the movement of
something from one physical location to another physical location, or in a more conceptual sense from one state of
being into another state of being. Some examples of how redemption is expressed through the number 4 at the
Pesach Seder:
The four cups of wine we drink at the Pesach Seder represent many things. Each of these expressions refers to a
different level of redemption that the Jewish people went through. True redemption is only achieved when all four
levels have been accomplished.
Next, the number 4 is represented in Hebrew by the letter “daled”. The word “delet” (door) is closely related to
“dalet” (four). At the Pesach Seder there are two significant doors. The first door was the doorposts that the blood
of the Korban Pesach was smeared on in Egypt. This was an integral part of the redemption from Egypt. The
second door is the front door of our house that we open to allow Eliyahu HaNavi to enter. Eliyahu represents the
future redemption.
Finally, the letter “dalet” which is 4 also represents a “dal”, a poor person both because of the linguistic similarity
but also because the letter looks like a person with their hand out begging. The Jewish people were poor and
enslaved in Egypt before being redeemed after which we became wealthy.
It comes out that the Pesach Seder is replete with hints and references to the number 4. In addition to trying to
discern the meaning of all the references to 4 during the Pesach Seder, a fun activity to keep guests engaged during
the Seder is to have people suggest other significant things that are connected to the number four.
Here is a list of 44 Torah related ones to get you started…
1. 4 Matriarchs
2. 4 blessings in Benching
3. 4 amos is a reoccurring measurement in Torah
4. Forbidden to pray or learn within 4 amos of waste
5. 4 letters in HaShem’s name
6. 4 worlds (Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah and Assiyah)
7. 4 types of creations (domem, tzomea, chai and medaber)
8. 4 special Torah portions (Shekalim, Zachor, Para, HaChodesh)
9. 4 levels of Torah (pshat, drosh, remez, sod)
10. 4 faces on the Merkavah (lion, ox, eagle and man)
11. 4 rivers coming out of Eden
12. 4 Exiles – Bavel, Paras u’Madai, Yavan, Edom
13. Abraham fought 4 kings
14. 4 non-kosher animals with 1 siman
15. 4 avos nezikim
16. 4 shomrim
17. 4 capital punishments
18. 4 amos of Halacha
19. 4 Tzitzis
20. 4 elements (earth, water, air, fire)
21. Jewish camp in desert had 4 sections
22. 4 applications of Torah (study, teach, observe and practice)
23. 4 times during the year when the likelihood of plague increases
24. 4 attitudes to ownership
25. 4 types of anger/appeasement
26. 4 types of students
27. 4 types of people who give charity
28. 4 types of people who go to Beis Medrash 37. 4 angels each with 4 wings and 4 faces by
29. 4 types of people who sit before Torah sages Maaseh Merkavah
30. 4 winds 38. Mitzvah to stand up for Talmud Chacham
31. Each verse in Ein Kelohainu has 4 praises passing within 4 amos
32. Yisro suggested appointing judges over 4 39. Forbidden to carry 4 amos in reshus harabim
groups – 10s, 50s, 100s, 1000s on Shabbos
33. 4 main Korbanos – olah, chatas, asham, 40. A man shouldn’t walk 4 amos without a head
shelamim covering
34. 4 parts to bringing Korbanos – shechita, 41. A person takes up 4 amos
kabala, holicha, zericha 42. 4 species on Sukkos
35. Tefach = 4 fingers 43. 4 beasts in Daniel’s dream
36. Parsah = 4 mil 44. 4 ways to study Torah in Shema – home,
road, lay down, rise up
And finally, here are some not-so-Torah related ones:
4 seasons 4 legs on many animals
4 phases of the moon Four directions
4 “corners” of the world Fab 4 (The Beatles)
4 suites in a deck of cards
4 bases in baseball
4 -leafed clover
4 legs on table and chair
4 tides (low, high, ebb and flood)
4 tastes (sweet, sour, bitter, salty)
 The Four Cups on Seder Night

Based on Rabbi Immanuel Bernstein

Background: The Mitzvah
One of the central features of Seder night is the mitzvah of drinking four cups of wine.
These cups are drunk at various key defining moments of the Seder.
Where does this mitzvah come from?
The four cups are a rabbinic mitzvah.[1] However, when we consult the words of the
Rambam on the matter, we will discover an additional dimension within this mitzvah:
“In each generation, a person must display himself as if he personally just left the
subjugation of Egypt… and regarding this matter Hashem commanded us saying:
“Remember that you were a slave in Egypt”, meaning, as if you yourself were a slave
and went out to freedom and were redeemed. Therefore, when one partakes of the
festive meal on this night, he must eat and drink reclining in a manner which expresses
freedom. And every man and woman must drink four cups of wine.”[2]
The Rambam sees displaying oneself as if he came out of Egypt as a defining
characteristic of the mitzvah of telling the story of the Exodus. The Torah does not detail
exactly how one must display this. However, the Rabbis lent specific definition to the
mode of display – reclining and drinking four cups. It thus emerges that the four cups
have a dual nature. As an obligation they are rabbinic in origin, but they are nonetheless
a fulfillment of a Torah mitzvah regarding how to tell the story of the Exodus.
Pirsumei Nisa
These words of the Rambam will help us appreciate another special element within these
four cups: pirsumei nisa – publicizing the miracle. With regards to the mitzvah of
Chanuka lights, the Rambam writes:
“The mitzvah of Chanuka lights is a most beloved mitzvah, and one must take care with
it in order to publicize the miracle… even one who is supported by charity must borrow
or sell his clothing in order to purchase oil and wicks with which to light.”[3]
From where does the Rambam derive this ruling that one must procure Chanuka lights
at all costs? The answer is – the four cups on Seder night!
The Talmud[4] states that even one supported by charity must take every measure to
procure wine for the four cups. The Rambam draws an analogy between the four cups
and Chanuka lights, for they share a common theme – pirsumei nisa! When a person
drinks wine on Seder night to display his freedom, he is publicizing a miracle as surely
as when he lights a menorah on Chanuka.
Symbolism of the Four Cups
The Rabbis[5] explain the background to the four cups by associating them with the four
expressions of redemption initially promised by Hashem:
1. “I will take you out (‫ )והוצאתי‬from under the crushing burdens of Egypt
2. and I will save you (‫ )והצלתי‬from their servitude,
3. and I will redeem you (‫ )וגאלתי‬with great judgments and an outstretched arm,
4. and I will take you (‫ )ולקחתי‬to me as a people.”[6]
What is the meaning of these four expressions?

R’ Azariah Fego[7]: Oppression against the Jewish people can take one of four forms.
1. Financial: disproportionate taxation, looting etc.
2. Physical: inflicting injury or death.
3. Respect: vilifying or degrading the Jewish people.
4. Spiritual: causing the spiritual state of the Jewish people to deteriorate.
When we consider the oppression of the Jewish people in Egypt, we will see that it
actually consisted of all of these forms.
1. Initial anti-Jewish measures took the form of excessive taxation to build royal cities.
This is referred to in the verse “And he placed tax-masters over them, in order to
afflict them with their burdens”.[8]
2. The Jewish people underwent intense physical oppression, with back-breaking labor
being their daily fare. Jewish children were thrown into the Nile, and later on
slaughtered for Pharaoh to bathe in their blood.[9]
3. There is no greater assault on the national pride of the Jewish people than turning
them into slaves, people of no significance or value.
4. The Jewish people were influenced by the pagan ways of their Egyptian neighbors,
including idol-worship.[10]
It transpires that a full deliverance of the Jewish people involved redeeming them from
all of these four forms of oppression. This is the meaning of the four expressions:
1. “I will take you out from under the burdens of Egypt” – refers to the crushing burdens
of financial strain.
2. “I will save them from their service” – refers to the physically unbearable labor.
3. “I will redeem them with great judgments and an outstretched arm” – We note that,
unlike the first two expressions, this expression does not mention from what they will
be redeemed, but rather how. When we think about it, the Exodus from Egypt could
have taken place on a much lower key, and in a much less supernatural way. What
is achieved by orchestrating the Exodus with great judgments and an outstretched
arm? The honor of the Jewish people is restored! It is displayed for all to see that
Almighty God has chosen us to be His people. We are a significant enterprise!
4. “I will take you to me as a people” – refers to the giving of the Torah, the ultimate
program for Godly living, and the rehabilitation from the spiritual damage incurred
through our sojourn in Egypt.
These four aspects of redemption find expression in the four cups.
1. Kiddush: celebrating our sanctification, spiritual redemption.
2. After Maggid: having left the work of Egypt behind.
3. Birkas Hamazon: a blessing over material prosperity.
4. Hallel: A song of celebration over our status as Hashem’s nation.
The Four Cups and the Butler’s Dream
Another explanation of the significance of the four cups is given by the Rabbis.[11] The
four cups on Seder night correspond to the four times the word ‫(כוס‬cup) appears in the
dream which Pharaoh’s butler recounted to Yosef.[12] How does that dream have any
relevance to us on Seder night?
According to the Maharal,[13] Yosef’s personal experience in Egypt had a direct bearing
on the national experience of the Jewish people later on.[14] In a sense, Yosef paved the
way for a positive outcome. The roots of the Exodus from Egypt could be said to be found
in the ascendancy of Yosef all those years ago, and that began with his accurate and
auspicious interpretation of the butler’s dream. Therefore, when celebrating our Exodus,
we remember the four cups mentioned in that dream. [It is interesting to note that the
dream of the baker featured three baskets of bread one on top of the other. Seder night
is the only night that we have three breads one on top of the other.]
A Vision of Freedom: Two Dream Scenarios
R’ Eliyahu Klatzkin of Lublin[15] offers a fascinating interpretation of the above connection
between the butler’s dream and the Seder. Upon hearing the two dreams, Yosef told his
two cell mates that in three days’ time the butler would be restored to his former position,
and the baker would be hanged. How did he know that they would suffer such different
fates?
Aside from the Divine inspiration with which Yosef was endowed, R’ Klatzkin explains
that their different fates may actually be perceived within the dreams themselves. A
person’s dreams are an expression of his innermost desires. Both the butler and the
baker had dreams, but what did they dream about? In the butler’s dream, he is once
again placing a cup of wine in Pharaoh’s hand. This indicates that even after having been
incarcerated by pharaoh, he remains a faithful servant and would like nothing more than
to return to his former position of service.
The baker, on the other hand, has no such desires. In his dream there is no mention of
Pharaoh, there is only him, and the birds. Yosef intuits that that Pharaoh will reciprocate
to each of his servants in kind. In the butler, he will recognize someone who is ultimately
a faithful servant; he will overlook his misdemeanor and reinstate him. In the baker, he
will see no such sentiment, and will not be inclined to spare him from the full weight of
his crime.
Why is this idea of such importance to us on this night? The reason, explains R’ Klatzkin,
is that tonight we are celebrating our freedom, and freedom is a commodity whose value
needs to be assessed correctly. To what end did Hashem give us our freedom, and what
are we to do with it? On this very special night, we need to take a lesson from the butler
as to what freedom is for. It is to dedicate ourselves to the highest service, to aspire to
the highest levels of human existence, and not be held back by more mundane
restrictions. It is this appreciation of the value and goals of freedom which will endow it
with ultimate meaning.
As we mentioned, the four cups feature at key junctures in the Seder. Specifically, they
all feature in the capacity of kos shel bracha – a cup that accompanies a blessing. The
Talmud expresses the formulation of this enactment.
“The Rabbis instituted four cups as an expression of freedom. They said: let us perform
mitzvos with them.” (Pesachim 117b)
There is a profound lesson in this statement. The Rabbis took cups of wine (which are
an expression of freedom) and harnessed them to become cups of bracha in order to
achieve ultimate realization of what they are celebrating. In a sense, elevating these cups
of freedom to become cups of mitzvah is a template for how we are to relate to the entire
idea of freedom itself. B’virkas chag kasher ve’sameach!
[1] see Pesachim 117b
[2] Hilchos chametz u’matzah 7:6-7
[3] Hilchos Chanuka 4:12
[4] Pesachim 99b
[5] Talmud Yerushalmi Pesachim 10:1
[6] Shemos 6:6-7
[7] Binah Le’itim, drush 26
[8] Shemos 1:11
[9] See Rashi Shemos 2:23
[10] See Rashi Shemos 12:6
[11] Talmud Yerushalmi Pesachim loc. cit.
[12] See Bereishis 39:11-13
[13] Gevuros Hashem chap. 11
[14] This idea is similar to the concept of maaseh avos siman le’banim – the deeds of the fathers are a sign for
the sons, as referred to by Chazal in the Midrash.
[15] Chibas Hakodesh, drushim