Our Bible uses different words and phrases to express the divine promises of freedom for our people. These may represent different stages of redemption. We can also read these promises as toasts to the generations of our people who committed themselves to the struggle for liberation in their own day. Like wine, we can appreciate freedom as a gift to use wisely, with respect. Over the course of the Seder we will drink four cups of wine to recall each time freedom was promised.

Many patterns of four appear in our telling tonight. This is the first of them; the first of four cups of wine.

The first promise states:

אֲנִי יהוה וְהוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם מִתַּחַת סִבְלֹת מִצְרַיִם.

Ani Adonai, v’hotzeiti etchem miachat sivlot Mitzrayim.

I am God, and I will free you from the burdens of the Egyptians.¹

We may live “by the fleshpots, when we ate our fill of bread”², as our ancestors described Egypt. Yet, we often feel emotionally and physically burdened by arbitrary and external restrictions. We can gain the ability to cast these off and realize the gift of our ancestors, who prepared themselves to leave Egypt seeking new meaning for their lives, and ours, in the uncharted desert.

This first stage of redemption and this first cup of wine we dedicate to them.

וַיְהִי עֶרֶב וַיְהִי בֹקֶר יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי, וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ וְכָל־צְבָאָם: וַיְכַל אֱלֹהִים בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה, וַיִשְׁבֹּת בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, מִכָּל־מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה: וַיְבָרֵךְ אֱלֹהִים אֶת־יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתוֹ, כִּי בוֹ שָׁבַת מִכָּל־מְלַאכְתּוֹ, אֲשֶׁר־בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים לַעֲשׂוֹת:

We raise our Kiddush cups and proclaim the holiness of this Day of Freedom!

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵנוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן.

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ri ha-gafen.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, sovereign of all space and time, creator of the fruit of the vine.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵנוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר בָּחַר בָּנוּ מִכָּל־עָם, וְרוֹמְמָנוּ מִכָּל־לָשׁוֹן וְקִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו. וָתִּתֵּן־לָנוּ, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵנוּ, בְּאַהֲבָה [שַׁבָּתוֹת לִמְנוּחָה וּ] מוֹעֲדִים לְשִׂמְחָה חַגִּים וּזְמַנִּים לְשָׂשׂוֹן אֶת יוֹם [הַשַּׁבָּת הַזֶּה וְאֶת יוֹם] חַג הַמַּצּוֹת הַזֶּה, זְמַן חֵרוּתֵנוּ [בְּאַהֲבָה] מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ זֵכֶר לִיצִיאַת מִצְרָיִם, כִּי בָנוּ בָחַרְתָּ וְאוֹתָנוּ קִדַּשְׁתָּ מִכָּל־הָעַמִּים [וְשַׁבָּתוֹת] וּמוֹעֲֲדֵי קָדְשְׁךָ [בְּאַהֲבָה וּבְרָצוֹן] בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְשָׂשׂוֹן הִנְחַלְתָּנוּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ מְקַדֵּשׁ [הַשַּׁבָּת וְ] יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהַזְּמַנִּים.

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher bakhar banu miko-am, v’rom’manu miko-lashon v’kid’shanu b’mitzvotav. Vatitei-lanu, Adonai Eloheinu, b’ahavah [shabbatot lim’nukhah u] moadim l’simkhah, khagim uz’manim l’sason et yom [haShabbat hazeh v’et yom] khag haMatzot hazeh, z’man kheiruteinu [b’ahavah] mikra kodesh zecher litziat Mitzra’yim, ki vanu vakharta v’otanu kidashta mikol-ha’amim [v’shabbatot] umoadei kodsh’kha [b’ahavah u’vratzon] b’simkhah u’vsason hinkhaltanu. Baruch ata Adonai, m’kadesh [haShabbat v] Yisrael v’haz’manim.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all space and time! We have been called for service from among the peoples, and have had our lives made special with directives. Given to us [with love] are [Sabbaths for rest] festivals for rejoicing, seasons of celebration, this Festival of Matzot, the time of our freedom, a commemoration of the Exodus from Egypt. Praised be God, celebrated with this joyful heritage and Sanctifier of [the Sabbath] Israel and the festivals.

🌀 When Pesach begins at the end of Shabbat, light the havdallah candle and recite:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא מְאוֹרֵי הָאֵשׁ:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, הַמַּבְדִּיל בֵּין קֹדֶשׁ לְחֹל בֵּין אוֹר לְחֹשֶׁךְ, בֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל לָעַמִים, בֵּין יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי לְשֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה. בֵּין קְדֻּשַּׁת שַׁבָּת לִקְדֻשַּׁת יוֹם טוֹב הִבְדַּלְתָּ. וְאֶת־יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מִשֵּׁשֶׁת יְמֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה קִדַּשְׁתָּ. הִבְדַּלְתָּ וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ אֶת־עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּקְדֻשָּׁתֶךָ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, הַמַּבְדִּיל בֵּין קֹדֶשׁ לְקֹדֶשׁ:

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam borei m’orei ha-esh.

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, ha-mavdil bein kodesh l’chol, bein or  l’choshech, bein yom ha-sh’vi’ie l’sheishet y’mei ha-ma’aseh, bein k’dushat shabbat l’k’dkushat yom tov hivdalta. v’et yom ha-sh’vi’ie misheishet y’mei ha’ma’aseh kidashta. Hivdalta v’kidashta et-amcha yisrael bik’dusahtecha. Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, ha-mavdil bein kodesh l’kodesh.

Blessed are you Adonai our God, Sovereign of all space and time, who creates the light of fire.

Blessed are you Adonai our God, Sovereign of all space and time, who distinguishes between sacred from profane, light from darkness, Israel and the other nations of the world, the seventh day from the six days of labor, the uniqueness of Shabbat and the uniqueness of other special days… Blessed are you Adonai, who separates one kind of uniqueness from other uniqueness.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵנוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה:

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, shehekhiyanu, vkiy’manu, vhigiyanu la’z’man ha-zeh.

Blessed are You Adonai our God, Sovereign of all space and time, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this wonderful moment.

🌀 Drink the first cup of wine. Pour the second cup of wine.

Footnotes

¹ Exodus 6:6

² Exodus 16:3