Kos Hartsa-a, Elijah

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As we come to the end of the Seder, we drink one more glass of wine. With this final cup, we remember the fourth promise to the Jewish people, "And I will take you to be my people." We learn that God loves us.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן

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

We praise You, God, who creates the fruit of the vine.

(Do not drink yet)

The Cup of Elijah

We begin by pouring wine into the prophet Elijah’s cup from our own cups until it is filled. This helps us remember that we must all contribute our best talents and energies to help fulfill Elijah's promise of a peaceful world. Elijah dedicated himself to defending God against non-believers. As reward for his devotion and hard work, he was whisked away to heaven at the end of his life.

Tradition says that Elijah will return to earth one day to signal the arrival of the Messiah, and the end of hatred, intolerance and war. As we sing Elijah’s song together, we watch to see if the wine in Elijah’s cup decreases even a little, a sure sign that he has visited.

Eliyahu hanavi, Eliyahu ha-tishbi, Eliyahu, Eliyahu, Eliyahu ha-gila-di 


haggadah Section: Hallel
Source: A Children's Haggadah, JewBelong