Rabbi Moss: The Deadly Wine Spiller

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Question of the Week:

Here's one we argue over every year at our Seder: Why do we spill the wine when we mention the Ten Plagues on Pesach night, and what are we supposed to do with the spilt wine?

Answer:

Every Jewish ceremony is said over a cup of wine. A wedding, a bris, the welcoming in and ushering out of Shabbos and festivals, and most notably the Seder on Pesach, are all said over a full cup of wine which we then drink down.

Why is this? Can't we recite prayers and stay dry? Why do we seem to drink at every opportunity?

There is a power to saying a prayer over a cup. It allows us to drink in the moment. Instead of just saying words out into the open air, we recite our blessings over a cup, the cup absorbs the words, and then we drink it down. We imbibe the holiness.

Under the chuppah, the bride and groom drink from the cup of wine, so the blessings that consecrated their marriage should be internalized and captured. At a bris, the baby himself is given a drop from the wine that has absorbed the prayers, so the holy words should become a part of his being. On each holyday we drink in the messages of the festival, to take along with us when the festival is over.

At the Seder on Pesach night, we retell the story of our ancestors who were slaves in Egypt, and sing songs of thanks to G-d who freed them. As we recount this tale, a cup of wine stands at attention, soaking in every word, absorbing every message, capturing every song. This is so at the end of the story, we can drink down the cup and ingest the moment. We don't just read the Haggadah, we imbibe it, we take it with us. We drink in the freedom, we ingest the miracle. The story of faith and freedom becomes a part of our inner reality.

However there are some words we don't want to ingest. The Ten Plagues, describing the affliction of the Egyptians, represent negative energy that we would rather not bring into our system. So after reading each plague we spill wine from the cup, banishing the forces of punishment and its curses, and leaving the cup with only blessings. The spilt wine should then be discarded, for drinking it would be drinking in the plagues.

Words have impact. Our surroundings absorb our words. Be careful what you say, and be even more careful what you imbibe.

Leave the plagues to wicked oppressors. We should only have blessings. I'll drink to that.

Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Moss

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SELL YOUR CHOMETZ

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In order to avoid owning any products that aren't Kosher for Pesach, we sell our non-Pesach food for the duration of the festival. To arrange this, please fill in your name (signature not required) and all addresses (work/holiday home included) on the form below and email to rabbimoss@nefesh.com.au by Thursday April 5.

I, the undersigned, fully empower and permit Rabbi Moss to act in my place and stead, and on my behalf to sell all Chometz possessed by me, knowingly or unknowingly as defined by the Torah and Rabbinic Law (e.g. Chometz, possible Chometz, and all kinds of Chometz mixtures). Also Chometz that tends to harden and adhere to the inside surfaces of pans, pots, or cooking utensils, the utensils themselves, and all kinds of live animals and pets that have been eating Chometz and mixtures thereof. This includes all above mentioned Chometz that will come into my possession from now until Erev Pesach. He is also empowered to lease all places wherein Chometz owned by me may be found, particularly at the address/es listed below and elsewhere.

Rabbi Moss has full right to appoint any agent or substitute in his stead and said substitute shall have full right to sell and lease as provided herein. He also has the full power and right to act as he deems fit and proper in accordance with all the details of the Bill of Sale used in the transaction to sell all my Chometz, Chometz mixtures, etc., as provided herein. This power is in conformity with all Torah, Rabbinic and Civil laws.

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