SEDER ESSENTIALS
A cracker. A vegetable. A glass of wine. A roasted bone. These are hardly
the items one would expect to figure prominently in a re-enactment of
history's grandest epic. But so it is. Because the spiritual adventure we
call the Pesach Seder is experienced in our dining rooms, at the table,
with friends and family and fine china. On the Seder night, Passover
matzah, Kosher wine, and bitter herbs are our keys to freedom, and the
Haggadah--the telling and retelling of the story of the Exodus--is our
road map for a journey begun over thirty-three centuries ago.
THE FOUR CUPS OF WINE
"Wine," King David tells us, "gladdens the heart." One of the principal
mitzvahs of the the Pesach Seder is to drink four full cups of wine (or
grape juice). No, this is not simply an experiment in altered states of
consciousness; the four cups actually have profound Biblical
significance. Our Sages explain that--among many other reasons--the four
cups correspond to the four expressions the Book of Exodus employs to
describe our liberation and deliverance from Egyptian bondage.
L'Chayim
Return to the Seder-to-Go Title Page.
All questions about the Seder-to-Go Program
Should be directed to the Shluchim Office
at shluchim@aol.com