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Nov
'03 onwards
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Four Cups of
Wine
April 2003
From the Desk of Rabbi Freelund
When we sit down to our Passover Seder, I am always struck by the requirement
to drink four cups of wine. The great compendium of Oral Torah, the Talmud,
is quite insistent on this practice. Not only is it an obligation to drink
four cups of wine, but every person - even those living off of charity - must
drink no less than four cups. At first glance, this might explain why so many
home seders fizzle out after the meal: everyone has a full stomach and a
couple of drinks in them already. To continue with the seder means drinking
more. If you like strong wine, it can be quite a challenge. To understand how
this tradition came about, we need to look at what it meant to drink four
cups of wine in ancient times.
Long ago, only a barbarian would drink wine straight from the jug - it was
always mixed with water prior to consumption. There are a few reasons for
this mixing. Tastes, of course change over time. What we eat and drink is
culturally conditioned. In ancient days it was considered the appropriate and
well-mannered thing to do when you mixed your wine, often as much as three or
four parts water to one part wine. Another key reason for mixing was the
nature of wine itself. Wine was frequently sold and stored as a concentrate
of sorts. After fermentation, the wine would be concentrated so it would take
less space for shipping to its many destinations. Once at its final location,
it would need to be reconstituted, much like frozen orange juice today. And
who would drink orange juice straight from the freezer can?
The actual amount of wine that you need to consume, according to the Talmud,
is only about five ounces. As long as your drink has the taste and color of
wine after it has been mixed, it is enough to fulfill the mitzvah of four
cups of wine. Passover should be a time of great merriment in our freedom,
both past and present, but not one of great drunkenness. After all, the
purpose of our seder is to teach our younger generations about freedom, not
to end up face first in our Matzah ball soup!
Please Note: Our Religious School Model Seder is on April 13th at 10:00 AM.
Any parents who are interested in assisting with this event can call me at
the Religious School Office, 327-6722.
Our next Emanu-GEL is April 6th, at 9:30 AM. Our topic is “Keeping Your Kids
Interest at the Seder Table.” Please join us for this free event.
Rabbi David Freelund
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