The Hebrew word “Kiddush” means sanctification. But it is not the wine we sanctify. Instead, the wine is a symbol of the sanctity, the preciousness, and the sweetness of this moment. Held together by sacred bonds of family, friendship, peoplehood, we share this table tonight with one another and with all the generations who have come before us. Let us sanctify this singular moment.

According to some traditions, no one should pour their own cup of wine at a Seder. Originally, this was to emulate Roman noblemen who offered a model of freedom for early Seders. Today, this custom reminds us that we cannot be liberated by ourselves – only through cooperation and helping each other can we find our common freedom.

Tonight we drink four cups of wine. Why four? Some say the cups represent our matriarchs – Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah. Others say they represent the four seasons of the year, for freedom's cycle must last through all seasons. They may be seen as the four corners of the earth, for freedom must live everywhere. Another interpretation is that the cups represent the four promises of liberation G-d makes in the Torah: I will bring you out, I will deliver you, I will redeem you, I will take you to be my people. The four promises, in turn, have been interpreted as four stages on the path of liberation: becoming aware of oppression, opposing oppression, imagining alternatives, and accepting responsibility to act.

In Passover we celebrate our redemption from slavery and revel in our freedom. We gather around the Seder table with our loved ones, telling stories of our people's miraculous passage from Mitzrayim to Sinai, to the Promised Land. This story began with an awakening: as our tradition teaches, Moses saw the burning bush and recognized that he was called to liberate his people from Mitzyrayim.

Our journey, too, begins with an awakening: May this first cup of wine rouse each of us to the injustice thath persists in our world today. May we recognize our own capacity to make a difference and commit ourselves to a better world.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ree hagafen.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

What injustices are you awakening to this year -- either in your own community or around the world?


haggadah Section: Kadesh