We now refill our wine glasses one last time. With this final cup, we give thanks for the experience of celebrating Passover together, for the traditions that help inform our daily lives, and guide our actions and aspirations. 

We also open the front door to invite the prophets Elijah and Miriam to join our Seder. In the Bible, Elijah was a fierce defender of God to a disbelieving people. At the end of his life, rather than dying, he was whisked away to heaven. Tradition holds that he will return in advance of messianic days to herald a new era of peace, so we set a place for Elijah at many joyous, hopeful Jewish occasions. As we open the door for Elijah, our guest, we open the door for collaboration and new possibilities as we work to solve environmental injustice. This open door is an opportunity, for every individual to make a commitment this year to take part in writing our communal environmental future.

Miriam’s Cup is a new ritual, placed on the seder table beside the Cup of Elijah. Miriam’s Cup is filled with water. It serves as a symbol of Miriam’s Well, which was the source of water for the Israelites in the desert. It is also a way of drawing attention to the importance of Miriam and the other women of the Exodus story, women who have sometimes been overlooked but about whom our tradition says, “If it wasn’t for the righteousness of women of that generation we would not have been redeemed from Egypt” (Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 9b).

For our fourth cup, together, we recite:

 בָ רּוְך אַ תָ ה יי, אֱ להֵ ינּו מֶ לֶ ְך הָ עולָ ם, ּבורֵ א פְ רִ י הַ גֶ פֶ ן. 

Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, borei p’ri hagafen 

Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.

For Elijah’s cup, together, we recite:

 אֵ לִ יָ הּו הַ נָבִ יא, אֵ לִ יָ הּו הַ תִ שְ ב ִ י, אֵ לִ יָ הּו הַ גִ לְ עָ דִ י, ב ִ מְ הֵ רָ ה ב ְ יָמֵ ינּו יָבֹוא אֵ לֵ ינּו, עִ ם מָ שִ יחַ בֶ ן דָ וִ ד. 

Eliyahu haNavi, Eliyahu haTishbi, Eliyahu Eliyahu, Eliyahu haGiladi, Bimheirah v’yameinu, Yavo eileinu, Im mashiach ben David 

May Elijah the Prophet, Elijah the Tishbite, Elijah of Gilead, quickly in our day come to us heralding redemption


haggadah Section: Hallel