This cup is called the Kos Shel Eliyahu, (the prophet) Elijah’s
cup. After Birchas HaMazon - we pour a large cup of wine and immediately open the
door and read a passage from the Hagadah.
Legend has it that Eliyahu comes to each door on Pesach and
drinks a tiny bit from that cup. I recall as a child looking to see if I could
tell if there was any less wine in the cup after we closed the door than there
was before we opened it. The thinking was, of course, that Elijah’s cup was indeed
meant for Elijah himself… that somehow even though we can’t see him that he
came in a drank a little wine… and the reason that he drank so little is because
he had to drink from all of the cups in every house of every Jew who had a
Seder and opened his door for him.
That is a cute story for little children… but of course not
true. We do not open the door for Eliyahu. We open it to say a specific portion
of the Hagadah unrelated to that cup.
There are many reasons given for this custom. The one which
I like and makes the most sense to me is the one given by another Elijah, the
Gra.
The 5th cup is based on a Machlokes in the
Gemarah. There is actually a fifth word used by God in that section of the
Torah, V’ HeVeisi (I will bring you into the land which I promised your forefathers).
Those who say this is a fifth expression of freedom - say that a
5th cup of wine is required. Those who say it is not is because it does not speak
to being freed but rather to the promise made that will occur in the future
well after the Bnei Yisroel have been freed – say that we do not drink a 5th cup.
Our custom is based on the second view… so we only drink
four cups. But we recognize that this question remains unresolved. So we
compromise. We pour a 5th cup, but we don’t drink it.
Why is it called the Kos Shel Eliyahu? Because we have a tradition that says that all unresolved issues in the Gemarah – including this one - will be answered by Eliyahu when he comes to herald the coming of Moshiach.
Why is it called the Kos Shel Eliyahu? Because we have a tradition that says that all unresolved issues in the Gemarah – including this one - will be answered by Eliyahu when he comes to herald the coming of Moshiach.
*source - Torah L’Daas by Rabbi Matis Blum.
With this short vort I would like to extend my best wishes
for a happy and Kosher Pesach for the entirety of the Jewish people.
I include below links to Divrei Torah from years past. Feel free to use them at your Seder table. The
print function on the right margin will enable you to a print a ‘printer friendly’ copy
of each post.
The Torah is Not in Heaven
L'fichach
Pesach, Matza, Marror
Yochel MeRosh Chodesh
Amen
Maschil B'Gnus U'Mesayem B'Shvach
Heseibah L'ikuva
Kol Difchin
Baruch Shomer Haftechaso
The Haggadah and Kriyas Yam Suf
Kriyas Yam Suf
Torah Thoughts for the Seder
The Torah is Not in Heaven
L'fichach
Pesach, Matza, Marror
Yochel MeRosh Chodesh
Amen
Maschil B'Gnus U'Mesayem B'Shvach
Heseibah L'ikuva
Kol Difchin
Baruch Shomer Haftechaso
The Haggadah and Kriyas Yam Suf
Kriyas Yam Suf
Torah Thoughts for the Seder