(ו) לָכֵ֞ן אֱמֹ֥ר לִבְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֘ל אֲנִ֣י ה' וְהוֹצֵאתִ֣י אֶתְכֶ֗ם מִתַּ֙חַת֙ סִבְלֹ֣ת מִצְרַ֔יִם וְהִצַּלְתִּ֥י אֶתְכֶ֖ם מֵעֲבֹדָתָ֑ם וְגָאַלְתִּ֤י אֶתְכֶם֙ בִּזְר֣וֹעַ נְטוּיָ֔ה וּבִשְׁפָטִ֖ים גְּדֹלִֽים׃ (ז) וְלָקַחְתִּ֨י אֶתְכֶ֥ם לִי֙ לְעָ֔ם וְהָיִ֥יתִי לָכֶ֖ם לֵֽא-לֹהִ֑ים וִֽידַעְתֶּ֗ם כִּ֣י אֲנִ֤י ה' אֱ-לֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם הַמּוֹצִ֣יא אֶתְכֶ֔ם מִתַּ֖חַת סִבְל֥וֹת מִצְרָֽיִם׃
(6) Wherefore say unto the children of Israel: I am G-d, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments; (7) and I will take you to Me for a people, and I will be to you a G-d; and you shall know that I am A-donai your G-d, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
א"ל ארבע כסי תיקנו רבנן דרך חירות כל חד וחד נעביד ביה מצוה:
[Rava said]...Our Sages decreed for us to drink four cups of wine like free men, and they associated each of them with a Mitzvah.
R. Daniel Landes, quoting R. Yitzchak Ze'ev Halevi Soloveitchik (The Gryz)
adapted from My People's Passover Haggadah Vol 1 p. 136
Each of the four cups is an organizing anchor for a different section of the Seder:
- first cup: the Kiddush, declaring the holiness of the day (KADESH)
- second cup: telling the story (MAGGID)
- third cup: the Grace After Meals, Birkat ha Mazon (BAREICH)
- fourth cup: singing the Hallel Psalms (HALLEL)
Comfort
Pesachim 68b-69a: And corresponding to them, G-d will serve B'nai Yisrael four cups of comfort.
(ה) ה' מְנָת־חֶלְקִ֥י וְכוֹסִ֑י אַ֝תָּ֗ה תּוֹמִ֥יךְ גּוֹרָלִֽי׃
(5) O G-d, the portion of my inheritance and of my cup, You support my fate.
(ה) תַּעֲרֹ֬ךְ לְפָנַ֨י ׀ שֻׁלְחָ֗ן נֶ֥גֶד צֹרְרָ֑י דִּשַּׁ֖נְתָּ בַשֶּׁ֥מֶן רֹ֝אשִׁ֗י כּוֹסִ֥י רְוָיָֽה׃
(5) You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
(יג) כּוֹס־יְשׁוּע֥וֹת אֶשָּׂ֑א וּבְשֵׁ֖ם ה' אֶקְרָֽא׃
(13) I will lift up the cup of salvations*, And call upon the name of G-d. *"Cos-Yeshuot" : Cup of SalvationS (plural) - so they count this as two deliverances