Elijah Cups

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Floral Set K50105 • $80.00	Frosted KE049 • $60.00	Cobalt KE123CB • $55.00	Blue & Yellow KE1313 • $30.00	Jerusalem KE3000 • $36.00
Grape KE507789 • $37.00	Argento KE618 • $45.00	Decoupage KE7789 • $37.00	Schwartz Set KSET • $350.00	Racheli Set SET167 • $100.00

Elijah Cups

The cup of Elijah derives from a problem in Talmudic Law. The problem is not knowing exactly how many cups of wine to drink at the Seder, four or five. The number of cups is based on the four expressions of deliverance, but there is actually a fifth expression of deliverance.

So, the rabbis came up with the perfect Jewish compromise. We fill the fifth cup, but we don't drink from it. And since Elijah will proceed the Messiah, who will be able to tell us whether four or five cups are correct, we make the fifth cup of wine Elijah's cup.

In some Seder services, each person at the Seder contributes some wine to the fifth cup, symbolizing everyone sharing in the messianic hope. At other Seder services, wine from the cup of Elijah is mixed with the fourth cup.