The Origin of the Four Cups 

A.Who says we need them?  

1. Mishna Pesachim, 10, 1: And they should not give him less than 4 cups of wine, even from the charity bin.

2. Gemara ibid. 108b: All are obligated in these 4 cups, whether men, women or children. 

B. What is the basis for 4 cups? 

1. Gemara ibid. 117b: 4 cups the Rabbis instituted, as a way of freedom. With each one we should do a mitzvah. 

2. Jerusalmeite Talmud 10, 1, and Midrash Rabbah Gen. 88:

From where did the Sages institute 4 cups of the night of Pesach? R. Huna in the name of R. Benaya: Against the 4 redemptions said in Egypt. I shall take out, I shall save, I shall redeem, and I shall take. (Ex. 6, 6: I shall take you out from the toils of Egypt, I shall save you from their work, I shall redeem you with a strong arm and with great signs, and I shall take you to me as a people and I shall be to you G-d, and you shall know that it was I who took you out of the toil of Egypt….). Shemot Rabbah 6, 4: 4 languages of redemption to parallel 4 decrees of Pharaoh. This fulfills what it says; I shall lift a cup of salvation and call out in the name of G-d. (Psalms 116)

According to this, why are the four cups instituted and how would you describe the development? 

3. R. Shemuel b. Nachman says: It is against the 4 cups said here (Gen. 40) The cup of Pharaoh is in my hand, I squeezed them into the cup of Pharaoh, I gave the cup on the hand of Pharaoh, and you shall give the cup in Pharaoh’s hand…

Of what relevance is the Joseph story? According to this, what do the cups represent? How does this relate to the passage above in Pesachim 108b? 

4. R. Levi: Against the 4 kingdoms. Chaldeans, Medians, Greeks, and Edom

According to this, what do the cups represent? 

5. R. Yehoshua b. Levi says it is against the 4 cups of poison that G-d will make the idol worshippers drink. Jer. 25: take the cup of angry wine from my hand and make the gentile nations drink it. ibid. 51: a gold cup of Babylonia is in the hands of G-d form it the nations drink. Psalms 75: a cup in the hand of G-d, and all the wicked of the land will drink it. Ibid 11: and a spirit of wrath is the portion of their cup… corresponding to that G-d will give Israel to drink 4 cups of redemption in the days to come, ibid 16: the L-d is the portion of my cup.. 23: my cup overflows, 116:  a cup of redemptions (= 2 cups) I shall lift, and the name of the L-d I shall call…

According to this, what do the cups represent?

How many interpretations does this midrash, passage give? 

6.      Raavad: Corresponding to the 4 punishments of Egypt (Egypt, sea, Nebuchadnezer, and in the future. 

7.      Based on Pirkei D’Rabbi Elazar ch. 5, who give 20 reasons for 4 species of lulav: 4 seasons, 4 generations, matriarchs, seasons, elements 

8.      Midrash: 4 redeemers, Elijah, Messiah b. Joseph, and b. David, and a high priest. 

9.      Midrash: 4 things the Jews did, names, clothes, secret, milah 

10. Abravanel: for the 4 periods of history, Avraham, Egypt, Galut, redemption. 

11. GRA: corresponding to the 4 worlds, this one, olam haba, messiach times, techiat hametim times 

Why isn’t there a bracha on the cosot?