Parshat Shemot
By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron
בס"ד
לשכנו תדרשו
Today's Quest for the Holy Presence in the Holy Land
" וְהֵבֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָשָׂאתִי אֶת יָדִי לָתֵת אֹתָהּ לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיַעֲקֹב וְנָתַתִּי אֹתָהּ לָכֶם מוֹרָשָׁה אֲנִי ה'"
Why do we pour a fifth cup of wine on Seder night? Many will answer: for the Prophet Eliyahu.. But few have studied in depth some of the earliest sources for this interesting custom.
According to a number of versions of the Talmud Psahim 118, R. Tarphon suggests to drink a fifth cup on upon saying Hallel. In what context is this fifth cup supposed to be instituted? The answer to this question is under dispute by some of the foremost poskim. Some say, like the Baal Hamaor and more, that indeed the fifth cup is obligatory.
Others, like the Ramban, say that only if there is someone who needs to drink (i.e. sick, elderly, etc) may he drink a fifth cup a drink on the pretext of saying the Great Hallel upon it. This opinion is adopted into halacha by the Rama in Orah Haim 481, 1 where he says that, even though generally speaking one may not drink wine after the fourth cup, one who is very thirsty may drink a fifth cup and say upon it the Great Hallel.
A third opinion, such as the Rambam and others, holds that R. Tarphon agrees that the basic obligation is four cups but a fifth cup is commendable. All this said, what is the reason for this fifth cup? A number of reasons have been given among the sages, but one of the most fascinating is the reason given by the Yerushalmi brought by the Orhot Haim, one of the foremost Rishonim.
This Yerushalmi explains that R. Tarphon brought a fifth cup corresponding to the fifth term of redemption - "ve'hevaiti", brought in our title quote. This matter is explained more in depth in a Yemenite haggada (p. 66) which shows how the four first cups correspond to the primary basic facets of man, while the fifth optional cup corresponds to the higher facet of man in enlightenment, for "it corresponds to 'I will bring you to the Land' - the Land of the Living, as David says 'I will walk before HaShem in the Land of the Living' (referring to enlightenment) and by knowing such one will break free and be a servant of HaShem and not a servant of servants".
Indeed, the enlightenment par excellence, prophecy, is limited to the Land of Israel in Sifri Shoftim 32 (exceptions are for the sake of the Land - see Kuzari 2, 14). Now we may understand why this fifth cup is so enigmatic, for in contrast to the first four cups which represent the first four constant concepts of redemption, the fifth concept of redemption, coming to the Land, has not always been constant, such as during the Exile.
Now we may understand why this fifth cup is connected to Eliyahu Hanavi. It is well known that Eliyahu comes to harken the Redemption. Redemption means the end of Exile, the return of the People to the Land and the return of the Shechina with them. Similarly, it is the fifth cup that comes to harken the redemption - "I will bring you to The Land".
As our title quote shows us, our roots to our Land are deep-rooted in HaShem's promise to our forefathers. It is in Hebron that our common roots as a People and our common roots to this promised Land are especially clear, as the "Holy Ones in The Land" (Tehilim 16) constantly remind us of unbroken connection from antiquity till present, that this Land is the Land of our Living Essence.
