Elijah's Cup

The prophet Elijah symbolizes the dreams of the Jewish people. Elijah challenged the injustice of the powerful and overthrew worship of idols. He healed the sick and protected the helpless. At the end of his days, Elijah was carried off to heaven in fiery chariot.  Legend relates that Elijah returns to earth each day to carry forward the work of bringing justice and peace. Elijah enters the world each day in disguise, waiting for someone to do him a simple act of kindness.That one, caring act will trigger the redemption of the world.

This cup is Elijah's cup. In setting this cup at our table, we invite Elijah to join us, and we bring his passion for justice into our lives. But the cup is empty. No one has yet stepped forward to fill it.

We pass Elijah's cup from person to person at the table, each person pouring a little wine into Elijah's cup from our own cups, until it is filled. In this way we recognize that we must act together, each contributing our best talents and energies, to bring Elijah's promise to the world.

Eliyahu ha-tish-bee.

Eliyahu, Eliyahu, Eliyahu ha-gee-ladee.

Beem’hay’rah b’yamay’nu Yavo ay’laynu Eem mashiach ben daveed


haggadah Section: Cover
Source: Valley Beth Shalom Haggadah abridged