Article: Joseph and the Four Cups

STEWART WEISS
Jerusalem Post
04-14-2009
Headline: Joseph and the Four Cups
Byline: STEWART WEISS
Edition; Pessah Supplement
Section: Features
Page: 13

Tuesday, April 14, 2009 -- Why do we drink four cups of wine at the Seder? The concept is quite strange; after all, on every other Jewish holiday we recite the Kiddush on only one cup, and that suffices for the entire meal!

Yet on Seder night, we make four independent toasts, at different junctions in the Haggada, reciting a separate Hagafen blessing on each one. Is there a reason for this unusual custom, or is it simply connected to the prevalence of "fours" at the Seder: Four sons, four questions, four cups?

The Talmud delves into this issue, ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

 
 
Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!