Four Cups in Traditional Passover Ritual:
Wine 'That Maketh Glad the Heart of Man'
BY JACOB L. CHERNOFSKY
There was also much discussion
among Talmudic scholars of the
While nearly all festive occasions medicinal effects of wine. "Wine
in Jewish life have traditionally is the greatest of all medicines,"
featured wine as part of their declares one sage. "Where wine is
ritual observance, Passover is par- lacking, there drugs are necessary."
ticularly marked by its association Other Talmudic opinions claimed
with the ancient beverage which, that wine promotes the appetite
Scriptures tell us, "cheereth God and that the beverage "helps to
and man."
open the heart to reasoning."
One scholar, Abba Saul, gave an
Alongside the matzoh, bitter
herbs and other elements of the account of some original research.
Passover ritual plate, wine serves He told of his observations while
as the backbone of the seder with he was frequently engaged in
each of the traditional Four Cups burial chores and he had an oppor-
actually marking the different tunity to note the • effects on the
stages of the observance of the first body of the known drinking habits
of the deceased.
two nights.
The drinking habits of the sages
So important is the wine in the themselves
varied. Many said they
Seder, that it is one of the few were easily affected by the liquor,
ritual observances required of with Rabbi Judah noting that,
every Jewish man, woman and while he imbibed only for religious
child. Down through the ages, ceremonies, the four seder cups
Jewish communities throughout the affected him for weeks after Pass-
world have always sought to pro- over.
vide wine to all families, with the
Even the phenomenon of the
needs of even the most indigent
hangover is given considerable at-
among Jews, always cared for.
tention in the Talmud. One Tal-
One sage of the Talmud suggests mudic saying declares "Wine is
that the four cups mark the four strong, but sleep breaks its force."
declarations of redemption in the Another Talmudic source' recom-
Biblical account of the Exodus in mends either sleep or a long walk
which God pledges the freedom of to chase the aftereffects. Another
the Hebrew nation. Another sage remedy suggests rubbing the hands
attributes the use of four cups to and feet with oil and salt.
the four instances that cups of
With the advent of the post-
wine are mentioned in the Biblical talmudic period, Jewish leaders
account of Joseph's interpretation focuse•their attention on the ritual
of the dream of Pharoah's cup- needs for wine. Besides Passover,
bearer: A third interpretation says the ceremonial use of wine in-
that the four seder cups are re- cludes kiddush on all festivals and
minders of the four ancient king- the Sabbath, the recital of the hav-
doms which kept Israel in servi- dalah service at the conclusion of
tude — Chaldea, Medea, Greece every Sabbath, weddings and other
and Rome.
joyous occasions.
Living in a Gentile world, the
The cup of wine placed on the
seder table after the festive meal, Jew's need for wine was compli-
the Cup of Elijah, is a fifth cup cated by the requirement that the
added to the ritual in deference beverage be kosher, not only in the
to another rabbinical opinion usual sense of the term — that it
which notes a fifth declaration in be free of prohibited ingredients
the Scriptures in which God — but there was the additional re-
pledges to bring Israel into the quirement that kosher wine be pro-
promised Land. This cup gets its duced exclusively by Jews.
In view of the importance of
name from the fact that it was left
to Elijah in Messianic days to solve wine for ritual observance, the
the question of whether four or Jewish communities began very
five cups are to be used on Pass- early to regulate and provide an
ample supply of the liquor.
over.
In Eastern and Central Europe,
Unlike some civilizations which Jewish communal administrations
condemn the use of intoxicating had special officers to regulate the
liquors, and others which have re- wine trade. Even more attention
garded wine from a purely hedo- was paid to wine production and
nistic point of view, Judaism con- trade by Jewish communities in the
siders imbibing in moderation as a Mediterranean lands where the
good thing.
liquor was generally important in
The scriptures tell us that "wine social and economic life.
Some Jewish commtuaities in
maketh glad the heart of man"
and moderation is advocated in 15th century Castile provided for
preference to abstinence. Jewish special taverns where kosher wine
life in biblical times generally ac- could be available to Jewish
cepted wine on a broad scale with travelers. In many Spanish com-
much of the gusto and cheer of a munities, the Jews even regulated
modern British pub. In one of prices, quality and profits in the
Isaiah's dire warnings, the prophet wine trade to ensure a fair distri-
declared: "Amidst singing shall bution.
The vital nature of the wine
they no more drink wine."
Neither was excessive drinking trade to Jewish communal life is
unknown in Biblical Palestine as further shown by the fact that
evidenced by another of Isaiah's many Jewish communities imposed
admonitions of "Woe to the crown special taxes on the sale of wine
of pride, of the drunkards of with these proceeds earmarked for
Torah education and other reli-
Ephraim."
gious
and charitable purposes.
Talmudic sources are rich in
funds could be raised
comments on the effects of wine- in Although
this manner, the main goal of
drinking on the life of the Jew.
regulation was to ensure that
Here also, the consensus was that the
all
members
of the community had
wine was generally a good thing
Even indigent strangers who
when used in moderation. That wine.
this was part of the general think- were allowed to spend the night
ing of the time is shown by the fact in the local synagogue were pro-
vided wine for sacramental pur-
that the Torah, Jerusalem, Israel, poses.
the Messiah and the righteous are
In spite of the fact that strict
all compared metaphoricallF to regulation
of wine production and
wine.
distribution was the rule in Euro-
Keenly aware of the dangers and pean Jewish communities, there
consequences of overindulgence in were frequent cases of mistrust by
intoxicating beverages, the rabbis one locality of another. So it was
clearly recognized the fact that it that Rhodes Jewry- banned wines
was not the drink itself but the imported from the Jewish com-
man that was the determining munity of Candia and other nearby
factor. Commenting on the effects islands.
of wine, the Talmudic sage Raba
The growth of the Jewish wine
says that if a man "is meritorious, trade reached its climax in the
it makes him happy; if not, it middle of the 18th century when
makes him desollate." Speaking a veritable wine trade broke out
of his on personal experience,
Raba felt that wine was responsible
Friday, April 1, 1966-17
for his intellectual prowess.
THE DETROIT SWISH NEWS
(Copyright, 1966, JTA, Inc.)
.trirsiorrasvp.
over differences between the Jew-
ish communities of Hamburg and
Bordeaux. When Hamburg Chief
Rabbi Jonathan Eibeschutz banned
the Bordeaux wines and Hamburg
importers sent their own supervi-
sors to the Bordeaux wineries, the
Jews of the latter community re-
sented the loss of the wine taxes
and retaliated by boycotting all
wine trade with Hamburg. The
issue was eventually resloved when
the Hamburg Jewish wine import-
ers finally paid the tax.
Kosher wines, now available in
many varieties, continue to grace
the tables and homes of Jews on
ritual occasions just as they did
thousands of years ago.
Mrs. Halprin Named
American Section Head
Dr. George Wise to Stay On as President
of Tel Aviv University at Least Till November
TEL AVIV (JTA)—Dr. George he was not withdrawing his resig-
Wise, who resigned as president nation at this stage.
The board decided to recommend
of Tel Aviv University in a dispute
the appointment of Dr. Haim
with the institution's rector, Dr. Sheba, director of Tel Hashomer
Benzion Katz, agreed to continue Hospital here, and a member of
serving as president until the first the faculty of the university, for
meeting of the board of governors the position • of vice president.
next November.
That post was vacated by Dr. Yuval
Announcing his decision at a Ne'eman, who resigned along with
meeting of the university's execu- Dr. Wise. Dr. Ne'eman will remain
tive board, Dr. Wise stressed that as head of the physics department.
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RICHARD H.
LOVE
MOE LEITER
WE WISH YOU HAPPINESS
The heroic drama of the Exodus is an epic of Jewish liberation,
picting the pilgrimage from slavery to freedom under law.
We are aware of the many significant meanings of this happy time,
symbolizing as it does, deliverance from all forms of suffering. As Life
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tasks are to provide protection against financial suffering, and we pledge
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At this time we extend the sincere wish for a happy Passover to one
and all.
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MOE LEITER, Associate Manager
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